The GSBI is the signature program of the Center for Science, Technology, and Society at Santa Clara University. They’ve just opened their applications for GSBI Online and are offering up to 20 scholarships for individuals to take the course! Find out more details about the course and apply directly on their page.

More about GSBI

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. GSBI is currently funded in part by a grant from the Skoll Foundation, corporate gifts from Applied Materials, and individual donors.

What if there was an app that could market test your product, populate your customer database and deposit thousands of dollars of seed capital into your company bank account. You’d get it, right?

Well, sorry, there’s not exactly an app for that, but a smart crowdfunding campaign can actually deliver all of those results to any social enterprise willing to put in some effort.

Social entrepreneurs on StartSomeGood have raised $35,000 to fight cancer with sock monkeys, $15,000 for a crowdsourced travel initiative and $18,000 to grow a community-owned social enterprise in Cambodia.

The site provides an engaging context for any organisation or individual with a social mission to reach out to establish a founding community. Ventures are coached through the creation of a campaign that will help connect you with crucial funding and intellectual capital to help you along the path to success.

By offering preorders or minimum viable product at various contribution “reward levels” set up within a campaign, you can test market response to your product offering and establish a secure base of orders before you even go to production.

To get started, you can register your venture on StartSomeGood or read more on what’s involved in running a crowdfunding campaign.

If you need to raise funds to launch your social enterprise, add a new product line, expand your geography or even just to attend SOCAP when you otherwise might not be able to, we would love to help.

There’s no shortage of problems in the world,  but there’s no shortage of people with ideas on solving them.

Let’s connect your idea to the community that wants to make it happen. Let’s StartSomeGood.

Villgro has announced the opening of another initiative! SEED (Social Entrepreneur and Enterprise Development) is a rigorous 8-month program focused specifically on strengthening your business model and achieving that first round of funding.

The program is built on SEED mentorships, provided by mentors with over 15 years of experience, investor feedback, and workshops run by global leaders.

Applications are open now, so learn more and apply!