Bill Clerico Visits Sparkseed

Submitted by mike on Wed, 06/30/2010 - 11:10

            Sparkseed was blessed last week to be visited, via conference call, by Bill Clerico of Wepay.com. Clerico is an ideal entrepreneur and a true role model for Sparkseed’s venture leaders to look to for advice.

            While studying at Boston College, Clerico and Wepay cofounder, Rich Aberman, were active students. Both men were progressive participants in many different campus clubs and organizations. When the clubs needed to raise funds to take group trips, or hold events, Clerico and Aberman were often the ones who collected club member dues. Unfortunately, because they spent far too much time collecting money, and keeping track of it, Aberman and Clerico couldn’t enjoy the activities they fundraised for.

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What does DANGEROUSLY AMBITIOUS look like?

Submitted by mike on Thu, 06/17/2010 - 15:59

What does it mean to be dangerously ambitious?

Is it…rock climbing 200 feet in the air?

Is it…sky diving with strangers?

Is it…starting a company that aims to affect 1 million people in 1 year?

Submit an image YOU think exemplifies being dangerously ambitious. It could be anything—from athleticism to academia, as long as it’s inspiring to YOU, we want to see it!

The winning image will be central to the identiy of the Sparkseed Summit, and we'll give the submitter this guy. 

Submit pictures to samantha@sparkseed.org.


Sparkseed + StartingBloc Fundrasier

Submitted by mike on Wed, 05/05/2010 - 14:21

Innovation! social change! networking! drinks!

Instead of a regular Sparkseed round-up, we are doing things a little differently. We are teaming up with StartingBloc for a fundraiser / competition / mixer. Here's how it works:

Both organizations invite their community to join us for cocktails at Lounge 87. Attendees pay $5 at the door, and their $5 goes towards the organization they mention upon arriving (Sparkseed or StartingBloc). Meanwhile, volunteer bartenders pool their tips into a large donation. At the end of the night, the organization with the most mentions ALSO receives the pool of bartender tips.

So! Team! We need to rally! Please invite all of your friends to the facebook page, twitter and text your heart out.

$5 at the door. (direct donation to Sparkseed or StartingBloc)
$3 Stella and Beck's
$5 shots of Tequila Cazadores

Remember, this isn't just a fundraiser, this is an opportunity to connect two incredible communities.


Social Enterprise Party April 28th

Submitted by mike on Thu, 04/22/2010 - 11:39

Top 4 Reasons to Attend the Youth Event on Wednesday 

Sparkseed and the SF Bay Area chapter of the SEA have joined forces to host an unforgettable party for students and young professionals interested in social enterprise. Whether you’re visiting San Francisco for the Summit or live in the Bay Area, you won’t want to miss this opportunity to mingle with like-minded people in an incredible location.

Here’s what you need to know:  

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The 2010 Sparkseed Ventures

Submitted by andrew on Thu, 04/01/2010 - 17:23

We are proud to announce the winners of the 2010 Sparkseed Social Innovation Competition.  With such an impressive group of finalists, it was a very difficult decision to choose the 2010 Sparkseed Ventures.  Thank you to all of our finalists for their hard work throughout this process.

Congratulations to the 2010 Sparkseed Ventures:

 

Creative Opportunity Gear: Paper-feet - University of Michigan

Founded by Jimmy Tomczak, Paper Feet makes the world's thinnest and most flexible flip-flop out of recycled billboard vinyl. Every year, 10,000 tons of billboard vinyl ends up in landfills. Paper Feet is addressing this problem by rolling out a line of hip products all made from up-cycle waste.

 

Eco Scraps - BYU

Founded by Daniel Blake, Eco Scraps recycles food waste and turns it into a 100% organic soil amendment. By converting commercial food waste into raw materials, the company is able to provide the cheapest garden soil product on the market, while also diverting food from landfills thus reducing methane gas pollution.

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Sparkseed Wins Financial Times / Justmeans Award

Submitted by mike on Thu, 03/25/2010 - 04:05

Last night, the Financial Times Social Innovation Awards confirmed the rise of a new force: student innovation. The Social Innovation Awards present a forum for organizations to highlight their latest methods for addressing social needs and promoting better business. Though some of the largest and most well-known corporations were among those competing for recognition, a small non-profit, Sparkseed, went home with the Best Social Investment Strategy Award.

 

Sparkseed uses a unique approach to help young risk-takers apply business principles to address the world’s toughest problems.  Founder Mike Del Ponte and his team guide Sparkseed in identifying, incubating, and investing in the next generation of social entrepreneurs.

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Congratulations to our Finalists!

Submitted by andrew on Fri, 03/19/2010 - 13:47

After reviewing our semi-fnalists' business plans, we have come to the hard decision of selecting the finalists in the Sparkseed Social Innovation Competition.  Thank you to all of our semi-finalists for their hard work. 

We would like to congratulate the following ventures for advancing to the final round:

CO-Fund - Brown University

Creative Opportunity Gear: Paper-feet - University of Michigan

Ecco Living - Northwestern University

Eco Scraps - BYU

Elecar Inc. - Brown University

MaloTraders - Temple University

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Watch the DoSomething Bootcamp NOW!

Submitted by mike on Sat, 03/13/2010 - 07:48
Watch live streaming video from justgoodtv at livestream.com

Congratulations to our Semi-Finalists!

Submitted by andrew on Fri, 02/12/2010 - 08:04

This year's Sparkseed Social Innovation Competition applicants were the most impressive we have ever seen.  It was a tough decision to determine who made it to the 2nd round with such high quality applicants. 

We would like to congratulate the following ventures for advancing to the 2nd round:

CO-Fund - Brown University

Crafts by Youth - Washington University in St. Louis

Creative Opportunity Gear: Paper-feet - University of Michigan

Ecco Living - Northwestern University

Eco Scraps - BYU

Elecar Inc. - Brown University

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Vote for Social Entrepreneurship!

Submitted by mike on Thu, 02/11/2010 - 11:17

Sparkseed is a finalist in the Financial Times/Justmeans Social Innovation Awards! Most of the competitors are large corporations (Gap, Verizon, ING) with modestly innovative ideas. We are a start-up committed social entrepreneurship and creatively addressing social issues. 

 

We have a very good chance of winning all three of the awards we have been nominated for (Finance, Most Innovative Small Non-Profit, and Citizens Choice), but will only be able to do so if we muster as much strength as possible from our community! Your vote will allow us to strenghten our programming and offer the best to our new 2010 Social Innovators!

 

CLICK HERE to learn more about the competition and VOTE!

 

Note: In order to vote, you need simply to register with the contest. When prompted to "Join," you are not signing up for an unwanted account, nor will you receive spam!