How can media help create a better world?

The Transformational Media summit is a new initiative bringing together leaders from across the globe to explore the role that media can play in creating a peaceful prosperous world. It consists of a workshop on the 27th, followed by the summit of the 28th.

Themes include, new economic paradigms, nurturing creativity, developing transformative story-lines, and social media and democracy.

Participants in the workshop will learn about leadership and creating transformational media content, defined as media that creates positive change through a transformational process with the intention to help create a better world. Expert coaches include Hollywood’s no1 rated script writing consultant, Dara Marks. Participants of the workshop will receive a certificate from the UN mandated University for Peace Centre for Executive Education.

The summit on the 28th, will be a celebration and exploration of the potential for media to create positive change across a number of key themes. It will include inspiring examples from across the world, with panel discussions, debates and performances.

There are a limited number of places available for both the workshop and summit, and for full programme details and to register please visit the website: ww.transformationalmedia.org.uk

The startup accelerator scene is booming, and that means there will be days like today, when a bunch of news from the various incubators around the country hits all at the same time. Today, we’ve got the details from several of the newer programs, some of which are announcing their new spring classes, others which are wrapping up with demo days. The result, in either case, is that there are now dozens upon dozens of new companies making their grand debut today, across a number of verticals that include everything social networking to health care.

We’ve rounded up the new launches and announcements from Hub Ventures, Excelerate Labs,  MuckerLab and DreamIt Ventures.

Continue to full story here: http://tcrn.ch/IzKbIr

But many investors report that they are struggling to find good opportunities in which to invest for impact. Why is that? Will impact investors really be able to take new models for inclusive business all the way from idea to scale? Meanwhile, philanthropic and aid funders are asking how they should engage with these market-based solutions. How should they harness the full potential of this early experimentation? If impact capital is the key to scaling these solutions, what then is the role of philanthropy?

View the full report here: http://www.mim.monitor.com/blueprinttoscale.html

Record Attendance of Over 1,000 Sustainability, Brand and Innovation Leaders Expected at Sixth Annual Conference

Sustainable Brands ’12 has released its conference program and list of confirmed speakers for each of the three main conference days.

Attendees will dive into engaging conversation set in motion by some of the world’s leading thinkers and practitioners of sustainability and social innovation –- over 150 speakers in total. Each morning, plenary sessions will inspire interactive discussions, followed by facilitated break-out sessions, evening plenaries, Birds-of-a-Feather dinners and networking activities. Every activity and session is designed to help executives make the business case for sustainable brands and better understand the shift in consumer demand and behavior that is driving the need for radical innovation.

About Sustainable Brands

Sustainable Brands is the global learning, collaboration, and commerce community committed to replenishing the world through better brands. Sustainable Brands offers news and views from thought and practice leaders, online and live events, a robust resource library, peer-to-peer learning groups, E-learning, and a set of solutions providers for corporate brand and sustainability professionals, social entrepreneurs and the eco-system of supporting value partners. Sustainable Brands inspires, engages and equips today’s business and brand leaders to grow revenues and enhance brand value, reputation and loyalty, while helping create a healthy and sustainable future for all. Sustainable Brands is a production of Sustainable Life Media located in San Francisco CA.

The conference opens on Monday, June 4, 2012. For a list of confirmed speakers and further details, please follow this link to Sustainable Brand’s official website: http://bit.ly/JOwKRh

Unreasonable at Sea is a mentor driven accelerator program for entrepreneurs who desire to take their ventures into new international markets. They are working exclusively with technology based companies who are working to solve the greatest social and environmental challenges of this century.

What makes this so Unreasonable? The 100 day accelerator program will take place on a ship as it travels more than 25,000 nautical miles and circumnavigates the Southern Hemisphere (see the route). If you fit the profile, or you can think of an entrepreneur you know who does, make certain to check out all the details at www.unreasonableatsea.com.

In support of lifelong career advancement for all MIIS students and alumni, the San Francisco Fisher Alumni Chapter invites you to their latest professional development seminar. Registration is free and light appetizers and refreshments will be served.

Joining as keynote speakers are MIIS Alumnus Jonathan Axtell, Associate Producer, Social Capital Markets (SOCAP), and Ross Baird, Executive Director, Village Capital.

Jonathan joined SOCAP in 2009, which has since grown to become the leader in convening the social enterprise and impact investing space. He manages SOCAP’s daily operations, including oversight  of the production process for all convenings, advising and implementing national and global expansion, as well as leading partnership and business development efforts.

Ross developed the Village Capital concept in 2009, and has led the development of programs worldwide. Before launching Village Capital, he worked with First Light Ventures, a seed fund focused on impact investments. Prior to First Light, Ross worked on the development of four education-related start-up ventures: the Indian School Finance Company in Hyderabad, India; the National College Advising Corps in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and two ventures using technology to promote civic participation.

To register, please follow this link: http://miisevent420.eventbrite.com/

Topic: “Impact Investing”

When: Friday, April 20, 2012

Time: 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm

Where: Hub SoMa – 925 Mission Street,  San Francisco, CA 94103

Agenda:

6:30 pm – 7:00 pm: Registration & Networking Reception

7:00 pm – 7:45 pm: Keynote Presentation

7:45 pm – 8:15 pm: Q&A

8:15 pm – 8:30 pm: Acknowledgments and Wrap-Up

This is a complimentary event for MIIS students, alumni and their guests. Should you have questions, please email Paul Buckman at paulbuckman@prodigy.net. We look forward to seeing you on April 20th!

Around the world, small businesses form the backbone of a healthy economy, generating employment, wealth and ultimately, global prosperity. But these businesses need capital to grow, which, in the developing world, is usually difficult and expensive to procure. On March 27th- at ANDE’s third anniversary celebration in London- the Argidius Foundation—a charitable foundation promoting businesses as a way to mitigate poverty —and the Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE) announced an opportunity for organizations to help unlock financing for small and growing businesses (SGBs) in emerging markets.

The Argidius-ANDE Finance Challenge seeks innovative financial solutions for firms requiring 15,000-200,000 euros (20,000-250,000 USD) in start-up capital. Four to six finalists will be awarded grants of approximately 200,000-300,000 euros in August to conduct 12-18 month pilot programs, during which ANDE will provide ongoing guidance. Provided impact targets are met, a grand prize of one million euros will be bestowed in spring 2014 to the most successful pilot.

For more information about the challenge guidelines and criteria, please visit http://as.pn/sgbprize. Entries will be accepted until midnight on June 15, 2012. Follow #SGBprize on Twitter for updates on the competition.

Social Capital Markets would like to invite funders to attend a two-day conference on June 13 & 14 in New York City. The Social Impact Exchange 2012 Conference on Scaling Impact is by invitation only for philanthropic individuals, families, family foundations and national funders interested in learning about innovative methods to support high-impact nonprofits that are growing.

The conference includes presentations from foundation CEOs and nonprofit leaders, as well as knowledge sessions and exclusive peer networking opportunities. The Social Impact Exchange is a national membership association dedicated to creating a growth capital marketplace to more efficiently fund the growth of proven, high-performing nonprofits. For more details, please visit www.socialimpactexchange.org or contact conference@growthphilanthropy.org.

Affiliates receive a 50% registration discount ($595, instead of the full cost of $1,190). To receive the discount, indicate that you were invited by “Social Capital Markets” when prompted by the online registration website.

The Frontier Market Scouts (FMS) Program is now accepting applications for summer 2012 training and field programs! FMS selects and trains aspiring professionals who desire a career in social venture and impact investing.  Jointly developed and managed by the Monterey Institute of International Studies, Sanghata Global, and Village Capital, the FMS program turns compassionate and capable young professionals into talent scouts and investment managers serving local entrepreneurs and social-minded investors in low-income and weak-capital regions of the world.

FMS is looking for passionate and pragmatic idealists who hold a strong belief in enterprise and market development as the most important means to large scale and sustainable improvement of living standards in developing countries. The ideal Frontier Market Scout also has a solid background in business and management, and a superb aptitude for immersive learning in dramatically different environments. Applicants should have a Bachelor’s degree or its equivalence. A limited number of training scholarships, including full scholarships, are available for highly-qualified applications.

Interested June-December 2012 fellows should apply online at http://go.miis.edu/fmsapp by April 1, 2012. For more information visit http://www.fmscouts.org or contact Carolyn Taylor Meyer at (831) 647-6417.

Impact² will feature 9 speakers, and gather investors and social entrepreneurs in an event that will showcase Paris’ emergence in the field of impact investing. During the evening cocktail hour, fifteen entrepreneurs from around the world will showcase their projects in diverse areas as health, technology, housing, integration and fair trade.

>>>Learn more and register today!