Upcoming Event - Scale Up: How do Social Enterprises Meet the Challenge?, September 24, 2012

Through creation of innovative business models, social enterprises —which seek both profitability and development impact, have captured the attention of the business world and development community. Nonetheless, obstacles abound when these companies attempt to reach scale, including low-cost production, '“off-grid'” distribution, product affordability, new product awareness and enabling regulation.

The Business Call to Action (BCtA), in collaboration with Columbia Business School's Eugene Lang Entrepreneurship Center, Global Business School Network and the Acumen Fund, invite you to a panel discussion featuring representatives from leading social enterprises in the health, water and sanitation, and textile industries. The discussion will focus on the following questions:

  • What are some of the challenges unique to social enterprises attempting to reach scale, and how have social entrepreneurs overcome these challenges?

  • How are these lessons applicable to social enterprises operating in another market, sector, or region?

  • Is it necessary for social enterprises to reach scale in order to achieve development impact, or is it sufficient for some social enterprises to remain niche actors in a larger market?

When: Monday, September 24, 6:30 - 8:30 pm
Where: Columbia University Club of New York, 15 West 43rd Street, New York City, Alexander Hamilton Room (2nd floor)

Panelists:
Keynote Address: Sasha Dichter, Chief Innovations Officer, Acumen Fund
Introduction: Guy Pfeffermann, CEO, Global Business School Network
Asha Chaudhary, CEO, Jaipur Rugs Company
Ashifi Gogo, CEO, Sproxil
Sameer Mithal, Chief Development Officer, WaterHealth International
Moderator: Murray B. Low, Director, the Eugene Lang Entrepreneurship Center, Columbia Business School
Concluding remarks: Sahba Sobhani, Acting Program Manager, Business Call to Action, UNDP

RSVP: http://www.gbsnonline.org/event/scaleup

Studio Elias