An 8-week hands on class for startups –  February 3 – March 31
This Start Smart session is unique, in that it will focus on the special challenges and opportunities face by entrepreneurs in the growing field of social entrepreneurship.

The program’s sessions are targeted at each of the major steps needed to prepare and launch a successful social venture.

Participants benefit from the course in many ways:

• Learn the important steps to prepare and build your early stage venture.
• Meet experts who can teach you about their experiencees, and help you avoid the mistakes they made: CEOs, successful entrepreneurs and investors are invited guest speakers and an integral component of the Start Smart learning experience.  They know the rocky road, and they’ll help you find a smoother path.
• Fine-tune your own plans by discussing and receiving expert and peer feedback on how to make improvements to your startup’s business plan.
• Define and refine your company mission, product positioning, financial management and internal controls, recruiting, partnering, and sales and marketing practices.
• Create a company pitch deck to support your future conversations with potential investors, clients, recruits, and partners.
• Build your CEO network. Building a lifetime CEO network with entrepreneurs and others you meet during the workshop series will create a platform for creative collaborative work down the road.

Program Facilitator:

Jerry O’Connor, Saul Ewing LLP    [email protected]

Jerry is a seasoned startup lawyer, having served as legal and business advisor to hundreds of  startups, including many in the social enterprise sector.

Start Smart Social Enterprise features presentations by the Enterprise Forum’s world-class experts, supplemented with reading assignments, structured exercises, and peer-group discussions based on the participants’ real-life experiences.  Our experts bring their unique expertise, knowledge, resource guides, and experience to each session’s activities.

Class Sessions: All Mondays, 6:00-9:00pm, Dinner included

February 3,  Session One – Defining Social Entrepreneurship

Speaker:
Stas Gayshan, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Space with a Soul

Why Social Entrepreneurship?  In this session, participants will consider various business models and the relative strengths of each as they relate to the work they want to do.   We will define and differentiate social entrepreneurship; entrepreneurs will consider the role of stated company purpose, mantra, and business models in building a platform for future success.  Participants will discuss their own startup ventures, their current challenges, and how they are managing them.

February 10,  Session Two – Company and Mission

Speaker:
Geoff Mamlet, President & Founder , Impact Hub Boston
Social enterprises’ need to articulate their mission effectively is as, even more, important than for typical for-profits.  If social outcomes are part of the return, then entrepreneurs need to define them with precision so that you can answer the questions (1) what problem are we trying to solve?  (2) Why is my enterprise needed to achieve the desired societal outcome? (3) Why should funders invest in the outcomes I promise, instead of those promised by competing initiatives? (4) For for-profit social entrepreneurs, how do I balance the return to investors against the societal outcomes?

No Class February 17 – Presidents Day

February 24,  Session Three – Building Your Team

Speaker: Dave Vaughn, North Bridge Advisory Group
Choosing the right personnel for your executive team, and for managers responsible for product creation, marketing, and business development represents some of the most critical decisions you will make.  Energy, motivation, and belief in the company’s mission are key elements of a good choice for your team.  Also, board development can be critical.

March 3, Session Four – Building Your Business and Financial Model
Speaker: Sandi McKinley, Director, NonProfit Finance Fund
Sustainability:  how to plan for cash flow management and long-term financial planning to ensure the viability of your business through turbulent economic times.

March 10,  Session Five – Raising Capital, Part 1 – Grants Seeking and Making
_Speaker: Sheela Sethuraman, Founder and CEO at CueThink

No class, Monday March 17

March 24,  Session Six –Raising Capital, Part 2 – Fundraising Alternatives
Speaker: Julianne Zimmerman, Co-founder and Managing Director of Vodia Ventures,
Specific fund-raising tools: Defining and examining the opportunities, and limitations for social entrepreneurships ventures.  How does your form of entity determine the types of funding available?  What kinds of returns are your investors looking for, at different stages of the venture?

March 31, Session Seven– The Art of Pitching (Investors, Partners and Customers)
A good company pitch can be used to achieve many goals; raising money, closing a sale, securing a partnership, and recruiting partners and employees.

April 7 , Final Session -  Company Presentations
Presenters will practice their presentations and get feedback from the call and experts.