For news and updates from New Development Solutions (sister development consulting company) and CE Solutions (sister non-profit) please click on the following links:


News & Updates


News & Updates

Media

NBC Nightly News (video clip) - "Making a Difference"

Scojo Foundation (video clip) - "Visionary Social Entrepreneurship"

Scojo Foundation (slideshow) - "Guatemala Overview"

Observer Tribune Harding Edition (article) - "Harding man models Nobel winner in helping third world"

Business Opportunities Weblog Network (article) - "Rural Micro-Loans growing in Popularity - In Third World Countries"

Notre Dame Business Magazine (article) - "The Business of Making a Difference"

Peace Corps News (article) - "NGO's"

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Social Entrepreneur Corps Recent Updates:

October 2007 - Social Entrepreneur Corps Co-Founder, Greg Van Kirk is invited to speak at BYU’s Economic Self-Reliance (ESR) Conference November 8–9, 2007.

September 2007 – Social Entrepreneur Corps confirms partnerships with Columbia University, the University of Connecticut, University of Notre Dame and Duke University’s DukeEngage program.

September 2007 – Social Entrepreneur Corps Co-Founder Greg Van Kirk guest lectures at University of Notre Dame’s MicroVenturing Class

August 2007 - Social Entrepreneur Corps Co-Founder Greg Van Kirk presents and moderates at The William Davidson Institute’s (WDI)  Aug. 16-18 conference, “Third Sector Innovation: Sustainability and Social Impact” (TSISSI).

March  2007 - Social Entrepreneur Corps Co-Founder Greg Van Kirk speaks at the Wharton Social Impact Conference.  The conference’s goal is to reveal the global impact of existing socially-responsible businesses through case studies and interactive panel discussions.

November 2006 - Social Entrepreneur Corps Co-Founder, Greg Van Kirk, speaks to the University of Connecticut Student Entrepreneurial Society

November 2006 - Two Social Entrepreneur Corps graduates encounter great success as Regional Coordinators with CE Solutions

November 2006 - Social Entrepreneur Corps initiates a collaboration with Columbia University

November 2006 - Social Entrepreneur Corps initiates a collaboration with University of Notre Dame

October 2006 - Social Entrepreneur Corps partners with StartingBloc for second year

September 2006 - Social Entrepreneur Corps Co-Founder, Greg Van Kirk, guest lectures at University of Notre Dame

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October 2007 - Social Entrepreneur Corps Co-Founder, Greg Van Kirk is invited to speak at BYU’s Economic Self-Reliance (ESR) Conference November 8–9, 2007.

This conference is an opportunity to listen, discuss, and network with other practitioners, researchers, and sponsors who are working to help families domestically and around the globe to become economically self-reliant. Additional information about the BYU ESR Center can be found at www.selfreliance.byu.edu

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September 2007 – Social Entrepreneur Corps confirms partnerships with Columbia University, the University of Connecticut, University of Notre Dame and Duke University’s DukeEngage program.

To learn more about our Strategic Parnterships with Universities please click here...

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September 2007 – Social Entrepreneur Corps Co-Founder Greg Van Kirk guest lectures at University of Notre Dame’s MicroVenturing Class.

To learn more about our Strategic Parnterships with Universities please click here...

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August 2007 - Social Entrepreneur Corps Co-Founder Greg Van Kirk presents and moderates at The William Davidson Institute’s (WDI)  Aug. 16-18 conference, “Third Sector Innovation: Sustainability and Social Impact” (TSISSI).

Members from more than 80 NGOs from Brazil, the U.S., Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Costa Rica, Chile and Nicaragua attended this conference in Sao Paolo, Brazil. “Innovation in the third sector is occurring more rapidly across Latin America because it has to,” said Kelly Janiga, who leads the Social Enterprise research initiative at WDI. “Philanthropy there is so far behind what it is in the U.S. There’s not as much money so Latin American NGOs must use market-based approaches in order to compete.

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March  2007 - Social Entrepreneur Corps Co-Founder Greg Van Kirk speaks at the Wharton Social Impact Conference.  The conference’s goal is to reveal the global impact of existing socially-responsible businesses through case studies and interactive panel discussions.

Greg Van Kirk speaks on the “Entrepreneurship & Technology” to address the question “ How are accelerated technology changes and innovations affecting the sphere of social impact?”. Fellow panelists include representatives from Micrsoft Corporation and Gratio Capital. Learn more about the conference at http://www.wsiconference2007.com/index.php

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November 2006 - Social Entrepreneur Corps Co-Founder, Greg Van Kirk, speaks to the University of Connecticut Student Entrepreneurial Society

At the invitation of University of Connecticut students, Greg Van Kirk had the opportunity to speak to Student Entrepreneurial Society members as well as other interested undergraduates about rural economic development, social entrepreneurship as well as the Winter and Summer 2007 programs. The Student Entrepreneurial Society adds value to the undergraduate experience by providing opportunities for internships, careers and unique programs.

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November 2006 - Two Social Entrepreneur Corps graduates encounter great success as Regional Coordinators with CE Solutions

Andrew Haas and Arathi Ravichandran, two graduates of the the June 2006 Social Entrepreneur Corps program, have completed their first three months working with CE Solutions. Each supports local social entrepreneurs in their respective regions. As well, they are each leading the feasibility analysis and pilot phase implementation of two new potential rural businesses within the CE Solutions Micro-Consignment model. CE Solutions is very excited to have them as a part of the team and is confident in their continuing success.

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November 2006 - Social Entrepreneur Corps initiates collaboration with Columbia University

Social Entrepreneur Corps leadership and the Columbia University have decided to search for mutually beneficial ways to work together to offer opportunities for students to participate in the Summer 2007 programs. Details with regards to this collaboration are still being discussed.

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November 2006 - Social Entrepreneur Corps initiates collaboration with University of Notre Dame

Social Entrepreneur Corps leadership and the University of Notre Dame have decided to formally work together to offer opportunities for students in the “Micro Venturing” class during the June 2007 program. Details with regards to this collaboration are still being discussed. As well, University of Notre Dame has pledged a significant donation to CE Solutions to promote the growth of the local social entrepreneurs' work in Guatemala. Finally, Greg Van Kirk will be a judge in the McCloskey and Social Venture Plan Competition for aspiring entrepreneurs.

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October 2006 - Social Entrepreneur Corps partners with StartingBloc for second year

After a successful collaboration in the Spring semester of 2006, Social Entrepreneur Corps and Starting Bloc have decided to work together again during the current Fall and Spring semesters. StartingBloc ( www.startingbloc.org ) provides socially conscious undergraduate students and young professionals with the training, experience, and networks necessary to drive social, economic, and environmental innovation through their careers and lives as engaged citizens. Starting Bloc will be providing updates and information to Fellows about the program encouraging them to participate as a means to further enhance their skills as budding entrepreneurs. As well, Social Entrepreneur Corps leadership will be speaking to Fellows during scheduled seminars at the University of Pennsylvania, MIT Sloan and Tufts University. Four exemplary StartingBloc Fellows participated in Social Entrepreneur Corps' July 2006 program.

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September 2006 - Social Entrepreneur Corps Co-Founder, Greg Van Kirk, guest lectures at University of Notre Dame

At the invitation of the Business Department, Greg Van Kirk spoke to students gave a guest lecture to students in the “Micro Venturing” class. He spoke of the challenges of international economic development as well as the keys to success for social entrepreneurs working in challenging environments. As well, he discussed some of the key benefits of the CE Solutions Micro-Consignment model.

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Social Entrepreneurship in action

Nebaj Exploration Center hits the airwaves

The local radio station and the Exploration Center of Nebaj, a Community Enterprise Solutions initiative have teamed up to bring a first ever "children's story time" to the people of the Ixil Region. As of last week, the staff from the Exploration Center began adding to the radio station's daily children's program by reading a story in both Spanish and Ixil, the local Mayan language. One of the Exploration Center's main goals is to foster a love of reading. In Nebaj and the surrounding areas, the radio is an ideal medium for communication as the station has a reach of approximately 25 km and, given the high illiteracy rates in the Ixil villages, poor community members rely predominantly on the local radio for their news and entertainment.

 


Social Entrepreneurship in Action...

CE Solutions / Partner For Surgery Announce New Collaboration

CE Solutions is proud to announce a new collaboration with Partner for Surgery (“PFS”). This US and Guatemala based organization is dedicated to bringing surgical care to the most remote and disadvantaged Guatemalan communities. PFS' and CE Solutions' philosophies and methodologies are very similar in that both organizations strive to provide the appropriate training and human/financial resources necessary so that local leaders can earn an incentive- based income whilst playing an integral role in solving local problems. PFS employs local regional managers who work to identify people with surgical needs in their surrounding communities. These managers then guide those with the greatest needs through a process whereby US and European doctors volunteering their time in Guatemala can perform life changing surgeries. To date, PFS has helped bring surgery to almost 2,300 people in rural Guatemala.

The alliance offers a compelling opportunity for both organizations to enhance their outreach and provide greater services to people in need. As we work in geographic regions where PFS currently does not, PFS will be training select Vision Advisors (amongst others) to conduct initial surgical needs evaluations in remote villages. This will allow PFS to quickly broaden its reach and improve its ability to bring surgical care to people in rural communities. Conversely, as PFS works in regions where we have not yet established a presence, CE Solutions will be training select PFS regional managers to become Vision Advisors and thus earn greater income while creating broader access to reading glasses and vision care. All of this translates to an efficient leveraging of resources on an organizational level, but most importantly to the creation of more opportunities for hard working Guatemalan social entrepreneurs to help more people in their communities with essential health care. We view this as yet another means whereby CE Solutions can provide intelligent development solutions through our network of entrepreneurs who are constantly looking to solve more problems in their communities. We thank PFS for their support and confidence.

 

 


Social Entrepreneurship Corps testimonial


Social Entrepreneur Corps Testimonial

“The Social Entrepreneur Corps experience provides the rare opportunity to be purposefully submerged into the multi-layered complexity of Guatemala.  Positioned at an intersection where the challenge of international development meets the analytical framework of the business-world, Social Entrepreneur Corps effectively blends a passion for social impact with thoughtful and context-specific business models.  Anyone seeking an adventurous, hands-on experience is sure to benefit from and to make meaningful contributions along the sharp learning curve that the Social Entrepreneur Corps team has established.” 

 

Erik H., 2007 Participant, M.S., University of Illinois

To read more testimonials from past Social Entrepreneur Corps participants, CLICK HERE

 


Social Entrepreneurship in action



CE Solutions Launches New Health & Hygiene Initiative

CE Solutions proudly announces the launch of a pilot health and hygiene awareness initiative with Water for People. Throughout the world, Water for People uses water as a catalyst for change in communities that lack access to drinking water, adequate sanitation and hygiene education. Every 15 seconds a child under the age of five dies needlessly from a water-related illness. Water for People's mission is to help solve this problem and has called on CE Solutions to play an important role in providing health and hygiene education in the rural areas of Guatemala.

Over the past three months CE Solutions has created educational materials (posters and educational games for children) and training methodologies whereby many of the great social entrepreneurs we are currently supporting through the Vision Advisor program (amongst others) will conduct community training seminars for mothers and children to improve their knowledge of proper hygiene habits and thus allow them to practice more healthy habits in the home and at school. Water for People will pay these CE Solutions entrepreneurs commensurately for their efforts. By the end of this initial pilot phase in late February, CE Solutions will have trained a minimum of 15 women who will have provided seminars to a minimum of 400 mothers and children in four different departments of Guatemala.

As you can see, CE Solutions continues to aggressively explore new and creative ways to work with local people to solve local problems. We strive to find low-cost, effective and efficient entrepreneurial models whereby good people can make a good living doing good work that will benefit themselves, their families and members of their community.

 


Social Entrepreneur Corps testimonial

"I started understanding the scope of what could be achieved through development work when I went on my first campaign with ladies selling reading glasses in small rural community. I realized that the majority of the people there had never interacted with an outsider, and it was also my first experience of being in a community like that. We were reaching people who thought they wouldn't be able to see properly again, but we were able to help them through a practical, sustainable project, helping communities to help themselves. I was proud to be part of it."

Conor Thomas Powell
Regional Coordinator - CE Solutions
Team Leader - Social Entrepreneur Corps

To read more testimonials from past Social Entrepreneur Corps participants, CLICK HERE

 

 

 

 
 
Social Entrepreneur Corps is an initiative of New Development Experience LLC, 2007