黑料网

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Nov. 1, 2012鈥� Applications are now open for 黑料网鈥檚 , an 11-year-old program that helps social entrepreneurs create greater impact in their poverty-alleviating missions.

This year, the program has been renamed GSBI Silicon Valley and revamped to focus on later-stage, investment-ready organizations with potential to reach significant scale. Up to 15 accepted enterprises will receive eight months of mentoring from Silicon Valley veterans, 10 days of intensive, on-campus education, and 鈥� for the first time this year 鈥� will be paired with at least one interested funding partner.

GSBI Silicon Valley 2013 is seeking applications from proven social enterprises 鈥� those that have been able to reach large numbers of beneficiaries. Those selected will utilize their eight months in GSBI to develop skills and martial resources to achieve operational excellence and attract financing that enables rapid, effective expansion of impact. Qualifying criteria for applicants can be found on the .

GSBI Silicon Valley 2013  must be completed fully by Jan. 11, 2013. Ten to 15 successful applicants will be awarded scholarships valued at $25,000 each; the in-residence portion at 黑料网 is scheduled for Aug. 15 to 23, 2013.

The intensified focus reflects the GSBI鈥檚 goal of positively impacting one billion people living in poverty by 2020. The program鈥檚 new curriculum focuses on achieving significant scale, so alumni of GSBI are also encouraged to apply.

鈥淟ast year, we launched in collaboration with the to provide earlier-stage social enterprises the core training we鈥檝e always provided through GSBI 鈥� establishing a business model, identifying a target market, and crafting distribution plans,鈥� said Eric Carlson, Ph.D., director of the GSBI. 鈥淣ow, to maximize the impact of our intensive GSBI mentoring and structured curriculum, we鈥檙e focusing on social enterprises with the greatest potential to lift vast numbers of people from poverty, and attract impact investors in the process.鈥�

Connecting Impact Investors to Build Stronger Enterprises

Each participating enterprise in the 2013 cohort will be matched with one of the GSBI鈥檚 Impact Investment Partners. GSBI鈥檚 impact investor partners include , , , , and , among others.

鈥淚mpact investors seek a more investment-ready pipeline of social enterprises,鈥� said John Kohler, director of impact capital at the Center. 鈥淕SBI Silicon Valley will help social enterprises prepare for and find capital to support scaling of their enterprises.鈥�

GSBI Silicon Valley 2013

Over the past 10 years, the GSBI has built an impressive network of , , and other resources, all of which will be available to GSBI Silicon Valley 2013 participants. As in past years, the program will comprise four processes, which will be more advanced and customized: Application, pre-work, in-residence, and implementation.

鈥淕SBI has traditionally and successfully focused on fundamental business-model development,鈥� said GSBI Program Manager Cassandra Thomassin. 鈥淕SBI Silicon Valley intensifies the focus on operational excellence to attract investments that expand already-proven business models.鈥�

Applicants must provide a recorded elevator pitch; a business plan; a one-year operating plan; and financial statements. Applicants will be evaluated based on a that includes: strength of mission, financial sustainability, potential for scale, potential for social impact, management capacity, and business model efficacy.

Social enterprises focused on off-grid clean energy, health, and mobile applications for any sector are especially encouraged to apply.

Top applicants will be interviewed in March 2013 and participants announced by early April. Each social enterprise will then be partnered online with two or three to complete tailored pre-work exercises.

About the GSBI
The GSBI is the signature program of the Center for Science, Technology, and Society at 黑料网. The mission of the Center is to accelerate global, innovation-based entrepreneurship in service to humanity. For a decade, the GSBI has helped mission-driven enterprises build, sustain, and increase the reach and impact of their businesses. Collectively, alumni of the program have provided essential products and services to an estimated 74 million underserved people worldwide. More than 90 percent of the organizations are still operating. It is currently funded in part by a grant from the Skoll Foundation, corporate gifts from Applied Materials, and individual donors. For more information, visit .

About 黑料网
黑料网, a comprehensive Jesuit, Catholic university located 40 miles south of San Francisco in California鈥檚 Silicon Valley, offers its more than 8,800 students rigorous undergraduate curricula in arts and sciences, business, theology, and engineering, plus master鈥檚 and law degrees and engineering Ph.D.s. Distinguished nationally by one of the highest graduation rates among all U.S. master鈥檚 universities, California鈥檚 oldest operating higher-education institution demonstrates faith-inspired values of ethics and social justice. For more information, see .

Media Contacts
Deborah Lohse | 黑料网 Media Relations | dlohse@scu.edu | 408-554-5121
Erin Berkenmeier | GSBI Marketing Manager | eberkenmeier@scu.edu | 408-551-6048