SOCIAL VENTURE PARTNERS ANNOUNCES 3rd ANNUAL SEED20
20 Innovative Nonprofit Social Entrepreneurs Selected as SEED20 Class of 2014
CHARLOTTE, NC – SEED20, the annual competition for nonprofit entrepreneurs launched by Social Venture Partners (SVP), has just announced the SEED20 Class of 2014:
- Behailu Academy
- Bottles N Bottoms
- Camp Blue Skies
- Charlotte Speech and Hearing
- F3 Foundation
- Make It Work
- ourBridge
- Patriots Path
- Pearls for Creative Healing
- PlateShare
- Project Energy Transition
- Project Scientist
- Queen City Mobile Market
- Refugee Support Services
- RICs Market
- Running Works
- The Arts Empowerment Project
- The Sandbox
- Urban Promise
- Youth Development Initiatives
These 20 innovators – selected from a competitive applicant pool – have compelling ideas for creating positive social change in the Charlotte region. Their ideas were selected based on relevance, innovation, and potential for tangible community impact. Starting in mid-January, the SEED20 Class of 2014 will spend seven weeks of training, coaching, feedback, and mentoring on how to succinctly and powerfully tell their story. Each participant will be teamed with business and civic leaders volunteering their time to help hone their ideas and presentations.
The SEED20 program culminates in SEED20 OnStage! on March 11, 2014, a high-energy event where up to ten members of the Class of 2014 compete to win cash awards by making three-minute pitches to a panel of judges and an audience of business and nonprofit leaders, foundation executives, and other community members. The panel of judges will select the SEED20 award winners. The audience will get to text their votes and their winner will receive a cash award as well.
SVP hosts a showcase reception following the formal program where the audience can interact and network with the entire SEED20 Class of 2014. Held at the Urban Garden, One Bank of America Center, SEED20 OnStage! celebrates social entrepreneurs and the impact and ideas they bring to our region. “The energy and enthusiasm in the room was palpable,” said an attendee from last year’s event. “It was so exciting to hear from people making a real difference in our community.”
Speaking at last year’s sold-out SEED20 OnStage!, former mayor Anthony Foxx noted, “Entrepreneurs create jobs for our residents and come up with ideas that keep our economy on the cutting edge…. Social Venture Partners’ SEED20 competition… [is] helping aspiring social entrepreneurs turn their concepts into effective nonprofits—it’s exactly the kind of thing we need more of.”
Tickets to this fun and inspiring event go on sale on January 15. Visit www.SEED20.org for details and to watch a highlight video from last year’s SEED20 OnStage!
SEED20 is made possible with the generous support of our sponsors— Knight Foundation, Bank of America, Duke Energy, Wells Fargo, UNC Charlotte, and Beacon Partners.
About Social Venture Partners
Social Venture Partners (SVP) is a diverse network of engaged individuals who address community needs through a new model of giving – Venture Philanthropy. SVP leverages the collective expertise, creativity, time, and financial resources of our members and their networks to develop and support promising social initiatives and nonprofits. In addition, SVP fosters a community of socially conscious and well-informed donors through engagement with investees, collaboration with other SVP partners, and participation in educational events. To learn more, please visit www.svpcharlotte.org.
