Igniting Innovation Summit on Social Entrepreneurship Convenes Youth at Harvard

Prestigious conference explores social entrepreneurship through discussion panels, TED-style talks, an innovation showcase, and a social venture challenge

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Harvard College Social Innovation Collaborative is hosting the nation’s largest undergraduate conference on social entrepreneurship. Students from across the US will convene on October 6^th, 2012 for the third annual Igniting Innovation Summit at Harvard College, which unites students, academics, and leaders passionate about developing innovative solutions to the world’s most pressing problems.

Over thirty five leaders from the private, non-profit, and public sectors will address the Summit’s participants through TED-style talks, an innovation showcase, and a social venture challenge. The Summit’s attendees will enjoy keynote addresses by Paul Rice, President & CEO of Fair Trade USA, and Lara Galinsky, Senior Vice President of Echoing Green. The annual Summit has been featured on Forbes.com and DoSomething.org, and has hosted guests such as David Gergen of CNN and Cheryl Dorsey of Echoing Green in the past.

This year, the Summit has partnered with The Resolution Project to host a Social Venture Challenge. The Challenge allows Summit attendees to build teams and submit their plans for actual social ventures, in America or abroad, that will make a positive impact today. Resolution will provide Fellowships, including grants of up to US $3,000 and personalized advisory support, to the winning teams and their ventures.

The Innovation Showcase will serve as a recruiting fair for social enterprises to tap into the talent of the Summit’s participants. The Showcase will host both for-profit and non-profit organizations seeking to engage undergraduate students in their initiatives.

In addition to topic-specific discussions, participants will attend practical workshops on self-expression including public speaking, documentary film-making, leadership, and spoken word poetry. Issues ranging from women’s empowerment to financing a new social venture will be addressed through interactive expert panels.

Representatives from premier social enterprises including Ashoka, GOOD/Corps, BRAC USA, and Invest in Girls will interact with participants throughout the day.

Online registration for the Igniting Innovation Summit and Social Venture Challenge is now open at summit.sicollaborative.org. Queries can be directed to Bari Saltman, Co-Chair, at [e-mail], or Nishin Nathwani, Chair of Internal Outreach and Innovation Showcase, at [e-mail].