Social Entrepreneurship Conference Information Sessions

Faith Barnes

Are you ready for the opportunity of a lifetime? Are you interested in creating social change in your community? Are you business minded and open-hearted? This is the competition for you.

The UNC General Administration is hosting the fourth annual Social Entrepreneurship Conference on Tuesday, February 16, 2016, opening the way for students to combat issues in their areas. While problems exist across the community, students now have the opportunity to directly address them.

According to the UNC General Administration, last year’s event had 44 groups participate from across 17 schools, including North Carolina State University. Each student group came up with a complete business plan focused on one specific issue they identified and attempted to create a fix for it.

Students will be judged on the following criteria: Market Analysis and Sustainability, Social Impact Potential, Likelihood of Success, and Presentation. While the percentages vary, each section directly relates to the planning the group has put forth. Because the goal is to generate new ideas concerning social issues, students will not only build a plan, but immerse themselves in the community.

However, the students will have some help with the support of  a campus representative, with ours being Elizabeth Benefield, the Social Entrepreneurship Program Manager at the Institute for Nonprofits, and Megan Greer, the Director of Communication and Outreach for the Entrepreneurship Initiative.

For students interested, The Entrepreneurship Initiative and the Social Entrepreneurship Initiative will host an information session on October 27 at noon and October 28 at 5:30 p.m., located in Innovation Hall and Hunt Library, respectively. For more information, please contact Elizabeth Benefield at eabenefi@ncsu.edu.