Africa Social Enterprise Forum
26 Sep 2009
Objective
The Africa Social Enterprise Forum, co-created and implemented by ConceptLink CEO Jerryanne Heath, was created to share action-oriented information and create dialog about African social entrepreneurship. Bringing together influential thought leaders and young professionals in New York City, the ASEF is the largest Africa-specific social enterprise event in the United States: 150 social entrepreneurs attended, and over $4 billion in social investment capital was represented.
ASEF participants were treated to a morning keynote address by Craig Newmark, the founder of Craigslist, after hearing opening remarks from Bill Carter, the Vice President for Africa Programs at Ashoka. The Pop!Tech Curator and Z+ Partners founder Andrew Zolli gave the afternoon keynote speech. Morning and afternoon breakouts presented tools and advice for running a successful social enterprise; they were designed to empower existing and aspiring social entrepreneurs to develop innovative solutions to Africa’s most pressing social issues. Speed mentoring and networking sessions book-ended the breakouts.
The guests dove into topics ranging from initial development and financing to scaling-up and evaluating partnerships in Africa. Social enterprise case studies were investigated in workshops. Senior executives from leading social entrepreneurship organizations, such as the Rockefeller Foundation, Vision Spring, Endeavor, and Acumen, mingled with other social change-makers, expanding networks and cultivating new ideas.
ASEF was hosted by AngelAfrica, a nonprofit organization with a dual mission: to build the largest network of business and professional leaders promoting economic growth on the African continent, and to spur entrepreneurship and development in Africa. ASEF partnered with 26 social enterprises and companies, including Bank of America, Beyond Profit, and The Catherine B. Reynolds Foundation Program in Social Entrepreneurship. The Desmond Tutu Center provided a memorable setting for the ground-breaking forum.
The Africa Social Enterprise Forum, co-created and implemented by ConceptLink CEO Jerryanne Heath, was created to share action-oriented information and create dialog about African social entrepreneurship. Bringing together influential thought leaders and young professionals in New York City, the ASEF is the largest Africa-specific social enterprise event in the United States: 150 social entrepreneurs attended, and over $4 billion in social investment capital was represented.
ASEF participants were treated to a morning keynote address by Craig Newmark, the founder of Craigslist, after hearing opening remarks from Bill Carter, the Vice President for Africa Programs at Ashoka. The Pop!Tech Curator and Z+ Partners founder Andrew Zolli gave the afternoon keynote speech. Morning and afternoon breakouts presented tools and advice for running a successful social enterprise; they were designed to empower existing and aspiring social entrepreneurs to develop innovative solutions to Africa’s most pressing social issues. Speed mentoring and networking sessions book-ended the breakouts.
The guests dove into topics ranging from initial development and financing to scaling-up and evaluating partnerships in Africa. Social enterprise case studies were investigated in workshops. Senior executives from leading social entrepreneurship organizations, such as the Rockefeller Foundation, Vision Spring, Endeavor, and Acumen, mingled with other social change-makers, expanding networks and cultivating new ideas.
ASEF was hosted by AngelAfrica, a nonprofit organization with a dual mission: to build the largest network of business and professional leaders promoting economic growth on the African continent, and to spur entrepreneurship and development in Africa. ASEF partnered with 26 social enterprises and companies, including Bank of America, Beyond Profit, and The Catherine B. Reynolds Foundation Program in Social Entrepreneurship. The Desmond Tutu Center provided a memorable setting for the ground-breaking forum.
