Global Social Entrepreneurship Competition hosted by Foster

University of Washington's Foster School of Business has opened up its application process for the Global Social Entrepreneurship Competition (GSEC).

An excerpt from the GSEC website: Students from around the world—and across fields of study—are invited to find innovative, commercially-sustainable business solutions to problems of poverty in the developing world. GSEC plans are judged on the quality of life in the developing world, financial sustainability, and implementation feasibility.

Winners are eligible to funding that can propel their projects forward.

Read more:
GSEC website
GSEC Flier
Previous winning business plans

Acumen Fund begins accepting Fellowship applications

The Acumen Fund seeks to use entrepreneurial means to solve the world's biggest challenges. As a non-profit global venture fund, it utilizes "small amounts of philanthropic capital, combined with large doses of business acumen" to galvanize affordable, market-based products and services that address these challenges.

The Acumen Fund Fellowship recruits highly driven individuals from diverse backgrounds to pursue the development of a project in theme areas such as health, water, housing and energy.

An excerpt from the mission of the Fellowship program:

"Through the Fellows Program, Acumen Fund’s goal is to build an entrepreneurial bench of professional talent with strong operational skills, experience in low-income markets, and the moral imagination to build enterprises that meet the needs of low-income consumers. Each year, Acumen Fund recruits highly talented and passionate young professionals to reflect on their role as leaders, build their leadership capacity, and provide much needed management support to our investees."

Youth who have ideas for sustainable social entrepreneurship are highly encouraged to apply, given the Acumen Fund's extensive involvement in the field of entrepreneurship and technical assistance for projects that successfully and efficiently serve basic needs in areas where they are most needed.

Applications for the 2010-2011 Fellowship will be due November 5, 2009.

Learn more about the Fellowship to see how you can apply:
Acumen Fund website
Fellowship program page
Fellowship FAQs

Mo Ibrahim index ranks African nations

The Mo Ibrahim Foundation - an institution committed to promoting good governance across the African continent - has published an index that ranks African countries based on:

- Safety and Rule of Law
- Participation and Human Rights
- Sustainable Economic Opportunity
- Human Development

These rankings may be useful for both, young entrepreneurs living inside as well as outside the listed countries, in planning and targetting potential social enterprise initiatives. "Negative" governance does not necessarily equate to the impossibility of starting capacity-building projects, but may instead present an opportunity to do so.

Check out the rankings here.

Read more:
Mo Ibrahim index methodology
About the Mo Ibrahim Foundation

SriBuo boosts Ghanaian music artists

SriBuo Media is a new initiative aimed at bringing talent from Ghana onto the world stage.

Focusing on the music industry, SriBuo provides exposure for Ghanaian musicians and in turn brings quality music to listeners from all over the web, including those subscribing to Napster, Amazon MP3, iTunes and other social media portals.

Read more:
SriBuo website
SriBuo on Facebook
Contact SriBuo

We are growing, yet shrinking

An interesting video on general technological growth statistics. This may be useful in the consideration and/or planning of tech-based ventures.



Video researched and produced by Karl Fisch, Scott McLeod, and Jeff Brenman.

To find out more about the "Did you know?" project and updated presentations since then, check out Karl Fisch's blog post.

Computers, Business and Optimism in Uganda

Computers and the Internet are becoming more accessible in Uganda.

The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard have partnered up to raise the bar in the IT sector.

According to a BizCommunity.com article, "the partnership has made laptops, complete with a one-year warranty, available to Ugandans for US$175".

Support is also available: People can bring their laptops to Business Information Centers, specifically catering to rural IT needs, which offer maintenance and space to cultivate entrepreneurship in technology.

In addition, UNIDO has been able to implement a Graduate Entrepreneurship Training through IT (GET-IT) program for youth. Through GET-IT, which is active in 28 locations globally, students are trained on how to use the Internet to pursue entrepreneurial projects.

Read more:
BizCommunity.com article
GET-IT homepage

Kenya Commercial Bank investing in education

Kenya Commercial Bank's (KCB) week-long Community Week began on Saturday, October 3. As part of its social responsibility program this year, the KCB Foundation is focussing on the improvement of school enrollment in promotion of the Kenyan Government's free primary education scheme. There will also be an effort to address education with special needs.

This year, KCB will be supporting Nairobi River Primary School in Buruburu.

Read more:
Kenya Broadcasing Corporation article
KCB homepage
KCB article on Community Week