MCON 2017: Are you ready to turn your interest into action?

Posted on May 22, 2017October 25, 2018 by Case Foundation

As the DC weather starts to heat up, we all know what that means—and I’m not talking about humidity—I’m talking about MCON! It’s right around the corner, and, like last year, will be hosted in June in our nation’s capital. The Case Foundation is thrilled to be a part of MCON2017 and to share the inside scoop with our readers who now know that MCON is the convening of the year on NextGen engagement.

Each summer we look forward to MCON, or the Millennial Engagement Conference, because it brings together cross sector and cross generational leaders, advocates and social entrepreneurs who are intent on better understanding current social movements and how best to bring the power of the Millennial generation to bear on advancing them. Influential figures and grass roots leaders come together on stage to share revolutionary concepts, stories of inspiration and lessons from the field, as they encourage the next generation to give, get connected and create impact. Through the course of MCON, attendees have the opportunity to spark conversations on how to turn their interest into action and to Get in the Arena on the causes and issue areas they care about most.

Achieve is committed to celebrating and welcoming all leaders at MCON through the increasingly popular scholarship program. Apply for a scholarship right now.

MCON anticipates over 1,000 participants this year with another 20,000 from around the globe joining via free livestream. To accommodate its continued growth, the conference will be hosted at the Newseum. This will set the stage for two inspirational days of learning, networking and, of course, fun with peers from across the country.

More than 25 speakers will take to the stage for sessions focused on three key themes: Social Justice, Identity and Planet. The line-up this year showcases some of the most influential voices from a wide variety of next generation sectors—Chef Spike Mendelsohn; Maria Teresa Kumar, President and CEO of Voto Latino; and Actress Allison Williams.

Registration is still open for MCON2017, so you can come and see these inspirational speakers in-person! Register at MCON.events.

Building on the success of MCON town hall in 2016, the Igniting Good: an MCON and #GivingTuesday Town Hall will take place on the morning of June 5^th and include discussions on:

Awareness campaigns for activism;
Raising support for social movements;
Grassroots movement building; and,
Organizing in a new era of activism.

And because we had such a great time at National Geographic last year, MCON will be heading back for the opening evening celebration—a free event that comes with your MCON registration, that you will not want to miss! Another cannot miss moment is the MCON lounge, where the Case Foundation is teaming up with NBC Universal in a special activation where you can share your story about what it means to you to #GetInTheArena using innovation and technology to inspire change in your community.

Case Foundation History of Getting in the Arena on Millennial Engagement

The Case Foundation took early steps to improve our own understanding and educate the field on how to better engage with the next generation of Millennial cause enthusiasts and changemakers nearly 10 years ago, when we launched the Social Citizens research report, which I still consider required reading, and which our CEO Jean Case discussed in a recent blog post. Through these efforts, we have supported Achieve’s Millennial Impact Project since 2009, leveraging an influential platform with more than 75,000 participants to date.

MCON acts as a perfect companion to the Millennial Impact Report – bringing together young people and the institutions with which they engage. As we shared last year, we’ve been proud supporters of the conference since its inception in 2011.

Only six years later, we’ve witnessed the evolution of MCON and the growing influence of the reports that continue to answer pressing questions for all industries seeking to engage with the Millennial generation, and to report on the key influencers for Millennial cause engagement. We have seen how those learnings reflect on our political systems with the 2016 report and our corporate structures in 2015. And we look forward to releasing the first wave of 2017 findings this year at MCON2017.

We’re less than one month away from what we know will be another amazing MCON. We hope to see you there!

For more information and to register for the conference head over to MCON.events.

You can also join us in the conversation about MCON using #MCON.

Millennials: The Rise of the Everyday Changemaker

Posted on March 14, 2017October 30, 2018 by Case Foundation

Nearly a decade ago, the Case Foundation declared that the millennial generation (born 1980 to 1999) would fundamentally “change how change is made.” And, indeed they have. Whether it was breaking down traditional organizational structures; leveraging technology to disrupt fundraising, volunteerism and activism; modernizing social networks; or demanding new norms for transparency and impact from organizations; this generation has reshaped the social sector in ways that we could not have anticipated. Now, having disrupted the social sector, millennials no longer fit the traditional definition of a changemaker.

Today, the Foundation in partnership with Achieve, released the final installment of the 2016 Millennial Impact Report, which sought to understand whether a Presidential election context would change how millennials engaged with the causes they support. The Report is part of the larger, and longer term Millennial Impact Project, which seeks to amplify the voices of the millennial generation—more than 75,000—through research, discussions and convenings.

Our hypothesis going into the 2016 Report was that the presidential election would, in fact, change how millennials engaged in and with social causes. But—spoiler alert—after three waves of quantitative surveys and a deeper qualitative post-election survey, the results show it did not. A little counter-intuitive, right? This may have been our favorite Report yet exactly for that reason. The results seemed to challenge everything we thought we knew about this “next greatest generation” of changemakers.

Several top-line surprises from the data, include:

Millennials reject labels, and specifically the term “activist;”
Millennials identify more as “conservative-leaning” than “liberal-leaning”;
Millennials prefer creating change among family and friends, rather than large networks.

This generation may also have one more surprise left in store for us related to voter turnout. Prior to the election there was a great deal of speculation about whether or not millennials would show up to the polls on election day. Exit poll analysis from the 2016 election as reported by CIRCLE (not affiliated with the Millennial Impact Report) suggests that “young people voted at a similar rate to 2012—close to 50 percent.” And while exit polls should not be considered conclusive, they do offer an early look at voter engagement on election day. What remains to be seen now is more definitive data with specific breakdowns of the demographics of those who actually voted—including geography, education, income etc.—to help us better understand the mindset of this generation of voters. As more definitive data specific to voter turnout is released over the coming months (e.g., the Census Current Population Survey), we will take a fresh look at our survey findings to better understand how millennials did, or did not leverage their power to vote and the impact that had on the election.

And so in the end, the most significant take away from the 2016 Report and the 2016 Election became less about whether this generation turns interest into action, but how this generation turns interest into action. Most notably, unlike older generations, their passion for creating positive change is a part of their everyday lives—influencing what they buy, the clothes they wear and the food they eat. For millennials, taking consistent positive actions every day or week is a fundamental part of their identity. In changing how change is made, members of this generation no longer see themselves as “activists” like their parents, but rather as “everyday changemakers.”

This evolved changemaker still engages in more traditional “activist” activities such as: rallies, crowdfunding and petitions on a variety of issues. At the same time they are also practicing more common day-to-day activities, such as: ordering lunch from a restaurant that sources its ingredients from local farmers; wearing clothing from brands with sustainable supply chains; and, using a ridesharing app to cut down on their carbon footprint.

We also identified three macro conclusions from the research that address the nuances of what it means to be an everyday changemaker:

Millennials are interested in specific social issues at the macro level, consistently identifying education, wages, health care, employment and the economy as the areas of most concern to them. They act, however, at the micro level, getting engaged primarily with issues that are or have been close to their personal lives.
Millennials are looking to effect change and make a difference through individualistic and personally gratifying action, but are doing so in a way that redefines and eradicates traditional labels.
Millennials as a rule don’t have much trust in government to do what’s right. Instead, they put more faith in themselves to create the kind of change they want to see. As a result, they are signing petitions, volunteering for causes, connecting on social media platforms and acting within their own circles as ways to incite change.

What remains to be seen now is how this generation will continue to influence the future of social change, organizations and politics more broadly. For now we are focusing on exploring the following questions:

What caused the recent increase in civic and political engagement over the past few months? Does this engagement represent a new level of involvement or is it simply a short-lived reaction to the outcome of the 2016 Presidential election?
Can we expect to see an increase in voting during the upcoming mid-term and 2020 Presidential elections?
What does success look like when it comes to their efforts to champion the issues they care about the most? What is the relative value of a retweet vs. a change in policy vs. a large turnout at a rally for millennials?
Who does this generation believe best represents its interests? Who do they believe is most effective when it comes to championing their interests? Leaders from government, business or nonprofits?

We at the Case Foundation will be watching closely over the course of this year in particular for any shift(s) in millennial engagement trends that may help to answer these questions. Already this year we have seen an acceleration and intensification of social sector engagement across all generations in America, not just among millennials. While we celebrate this everyday changemaking approach, we will watch carefully and report on how this generation participates in more traditional forms of civic engagement, such as voting.

All signs point to millennials continuing to support the causes they care about through a wide variety of actions. In an ideal world, as more values based choices become increasingly integrated into everyday life and millennials continue to increase their influence and impact, it is possible that the prioritization and amplification of this ethos will become a global norm, not just a generational one. Organizations, businesses and even governments would be wise to take heed of this growing trend as donors, volunteers, customers and constituents look to their local communities to create the impact they want to have in the world.

Be sure to check back in June for the release of the 2017 Millennial Impact Report at MCON 2017 where we will share new insights on the topic of millennial activism versus advocacy.

Making The Most of Your Time At SXSW: 20 Can’t Miss SXSW Sessions

Posted on February 24, 2017October 30, 2018 by Case Foundation

The Case Foundation is heading to SXSW this month for five days of Interactive programming and events. While there, we will certainly dine on breakfast tacos and good ole’ Texas barbecue, but most importantly we will participate in and host a series of engaging can’t miss SXSW sessions and activations onsite designed to turn interest in to action.

In particular, the Case Foundation is excited to interact with SXSW participants at one of our sessions featuring our own Jean Case, Steve Case, Emily Yu, Sarah Koch as well as to debut our first-ever #GetInTheArena Lounge, in partnership with Oculus (at the JW Marriott from March 11^th to March 15^th). There, we invite you to “Get In The Arena” and share how you will turn intention into action on the causes you care about, learn about the future of social good and hear more about the important work the Foundation is leading throughout the year. A few highlights:

Record a short film in our 360-degree video OrcaVue that will capture your very own “Get in the Arena” video moment;
Check out the virtual reality videos courtesy of Oculus for Good;
Donate to a charity of your choice with GoodWorld as they bring the #donate phenomenon to attendees live on site;
Demo our soon-to-be-released Impact Investing Network Map;
Test your knowledge of the inclusive entrepreneurship ecosystem;
Share what you are going to do to “Get in the Arena” in 2017.

Veterans of SXSW will tell you there are countless sessions and meet-ups on just about every issue you care about—from ocean exploration, to inclusive entrepreneurship, to tech for good platforms that are changing the way we champion causes. To make the best use of your time at SXSW, here are 20 sessions that we think you shouldn’t miss:

MARCH 10^th

1. The Rise of Academic Incubators 11:00am – 12:00pm
Hotel Van Zand, Lady Bird Ballroom

Join Texas A&M, Harvard University and more as they share how universities are responding with pathways, such as curriculum enhancements, mentorship programs, and physical incubator space, to facilitate connections to students, potential investors and industry leaders

2. Funding Our Future: Investing in Diverse Startups 12:30pm – 1:30pm
Hilton Room 400-402

Valmo Ventures, Base Ventures and Connectivity Capital Partners share why the growing trend of more tech startups being founded by Women, Latino, Black and Asian founders, greater investment in these ventures is needed to ensure the innovation and economic growth across all communities that these founders represent as the global population becomes more diverse.

3. Convergence Keynote Photographer Cory Richards 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 pm
Convention Center Ballroom D

A climber and visual storyteller, Richards was named National Geographic Adventurer of the Year (2012) and a National Geographic Fellow (2015). His photography has appeared in National Geographic Magazine, Outside Magazine, Man of the World, and The New York Times.

MARCH 11^th

4. Navigating a Rapidly Changing and Connected World Steve Case and Beth Comstock 9:30am – 10:30am
Convention Center Ballroom EFG

Sensors that track a food’s temperature from source to store. Hospitals designed to avoid misdiagnosis. Traffic lights that actually respond to traffic. These are the changes we are likely to witness in the Third Wave: a period in which entrepreneurs will use technology to revolutionize major sectors—healthcare, manufacturing, education and food—and transform the way we live. Steve Case, co-founder of AOL and CEO of Revolution and Chairman of the Case Foundation, and Beth Comstock, Vice Chairman at GE, discuss how to adapt to the changes coming our way.

5. Changing the Face of Entrepreneurship with Jean Case 11:00am – 12:00pm
Hilton Salon C

Talent is everywhere, opportunity is not. Tech pioneer and investor Jean Case explores the journey of fearless entrepreneurs who are changing the way business is done. She sits down with Reena Ninan of CBS News to discover the wide range of dynamic pioneering founders who are closing the opportunity gap and scaling creative solutions to persistent global problems. Challenge the traditional notions that entrepreneurs are exclusively wealthy, Ivy League educated white men in this conversation on how a new breed of entrepreneurs from all walks of life are fueling economic growth and shattering the status quo.

6. How Elections Change Next Gen Cause Engagement 3:30pm – 4:30pm
Hilton Salon F

Fact: Millennials value cause engagement. But what happens during an election year? Could politics influence how this generation participates in social causes? Achieve, in partnership with the Case Foundation, conducted a multi-stage research study on the millennial generation’s cause engagement as related to their political ideologies. The study measured how the 2016 U.S. presidential election affected how Millennials across the country engaged with social causes. The final 2016 Millennial Impact Report identified what, if any, demographic factors are connected to engagement trends. The final report will be debuted exclusively at SXSW and reveal key shifts that will alter how we think about this generation of changemakers. Speakers include Emily Yu of the Case Foundation, Abby Philip of the Washington Post, Carolyn DeWitt of Rock the Vote and Amy Thayer of Achieve.

7. Payments Gone Viral: The Rise of Social Commerce 3:30pm – 4:30pm
JW Marriot Salon D

Augmented reality. Hashtag payments. Messenger bots. The payments space is fundamentally changing: cash and checks gave way to credit and debit cards, which are now being replaced by apps. In an era where social proof reigns supreme, how is social media shaping the future of commerce. Meet a diverse cross-section of companies pioneering social payments: the ability to buy, pay and give on social media. Moderated by finance veteran Hans Morris (Visa, Citigroup, Nyca Partners), this session shows how the latest technologies enable people to pay where they play. Speakers include Dale Nirvani Pfeifer of GoodWorld, Kahina Van Dyke of Faecbook, Hans Morris of Nyca Partners and Ambarish Mitra of Blippar.

8. Harlem: The New Tech Frontier 5:00pm – 6:00pm
Hilton Salon E

Join Jessica O. Matthews of Uncharted Play as she explores how the startup is democratizing energy access worldwide, and changing the face of innovation. With its core technology MORE, (Motion-Based, Off-Grid, Renewable Energy) – a scalable system of micro-generators that can sustainably power cities – the company is eyeing infrastructure opportunities in emerging markets.

MARCH 12^th

9. Keynote with Lee Daniels 11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Convention Center room 18ABCD

Lee Daniels is a widely recognized director, writer, producer, and philanthropist in both the film and television space. He is perhaps best known for the 2013 critically acclaimed box office smash Lee Daniels’ The Butler, in addition to his 2009 feature Precious: Based on the Novel by Sapphire, which was nominated for six Academy Awards including “Best Motion Picture of the Year” and “Best Achievement in Directing.” The film also made history as Daniels became the first African-American to be nominated for the DGA’s Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film Award.

10. Humanitarian Design In Action 11:00am – 2:00pm
Hilton Salon D

In recent years, universities across the country have been increasingly engaging with the entrepreneurial ecosystem, developing programming internally to cultivate entrepreneurial activities and working to bring entrepreneurs into the university. Join MIT, Rice Univesity, StartX and the University of Chicago as they explore what bridges are currently being built to facilitate flows of information and people between universities and the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

11. Tech for Good: Solutions for the Refugee Crisis 12:30pm – 1:30pm
Westin Continental 2

When lives are at stake, it can be difficult to figure out how we can make a real difference. The Humanitarian Design Summit with Google, Facebook and Crack + Cider is about meeting the people who are using everyday design practices to prevent suffering and save lives. This workshop will task participants with rapidly designing responses to a real world crisis scenario. The goal isn’t to solve a difficult humanitarian problem, instead it’s an opportunity to test out the principles of Humanitarian Design in a risk-free environment with world-class designers.

* This session requires RSVP, and access will only be available to badge types listed under “Primary Access.” RSVP HERE.

MARCH 13^th

12. How Tech Companies Can Give Back to Communities 12:30pm – 1:30pm
JW Marriot Salon D

Join Andrew Keen, Elaine Weidman-Grunewalk from Ericsson, Gary Shapiro of Consumer Technology Association and John Donovan from AT&T as they explore game-changing technologies and disruptive innovations and the sharing economy bring the power to improve our lives and what are the best practices that allow “Technology for Good” to authentically come into play with both the bottom line and corporate responsibility and community engagement.

13. Turning Inspiration Into Action on Instagram 12:30pm – 1:30pm
Hyatt Regency Ballroom 1

With over 600 million users, Instagram is the 2nd largest platform behind Facebook. From curated content to real life moments, Instagram is a place for inspiration and discovery. But how can marketers move inspiration and discovery to action? In this session, Instagram’s Michael Hondorp, the retail lead for the brand, will discuss the most innovative ways brands are driving impact with Instagram. From using ad formats in unexpected ways, to developing ideas customized for the feed, attendees will leave inspired to think differently about creating for the platform.

14. Interactive Keynote: Adam Grant 2:00pm – 3:00pm
Convention Center Ballroom D

Wharton’s top-rated professor, a New York Times writer on work and psychology, and author of Originals: How Non-Conformists Rule the World and Give and Take: Why Helping Others Drives Our Success. Grant has been recognized as one of the world’s 25 most influential management thinkers, and Fortune’s 40 under 40.

15. Kimbal Musk on Trust: The Currency of Our Generation 3:30pm – 4:30pm
Convention Center Ballroom EFG

Musk sits down with Fast Company magazine’s Amy Farley exploring the ability of consumers to uncover truth and authenticity in seconds with the help of the Internet is creating incredible opportunities in the food industry. As cofounder of The Kitchen, a family of businesses working in tandem to bring #realfood to everyone, he will discuss how farmers, consumers, and companies are demanding and delivering trust back to the table.

MARCH 14^th

16. Investing to Change The World 9:30am – 10:30am
Convention Center Ballroom EFG

This panel will offer practical and powerful solutions for people who want to generate positive impact on society through their investments. Join Ben Jealous and Karina Funk of Kapor Capital, with Dune Thorne from the Brown Advisory and Victoria Fram of Village Capital as they explore the forefront of impact investing and will explore opportunities that range from green bonds to public equities to private equity investments. You can generate profits AND progress by investing in companies with cutting-edge environmental strategies, in bonds that fund clean energy or support low-income communities, and in innovative private investments that seek to drive social change.

17. National Geographic Explorers Changing the World 11:00am – 12:00pm
JW Marriott Room 203-204

National Geographic pushes the boundaries of exploration to further our understanding of the planet and empower us all to generate solutions for a healthier and more sustainable future. Meet the Emerging Explorers—fearless young scientists, conservationists, storytellers, and innovators who are harnessing technology to expand the frontiers of exploration. Join a discussion about taking risks, being bold and failing forward to change the world through technology for good with National Geographic Explorers Topher White and Erika Bergman and CEO Gary Knell.

18. How to Fundraise Without Silicon Valley 3:30pm – 4:30pm
Hilton Salon C

We are witnessing a new wave of investment and entrepreneurship in the United States. How can we level the playing field for women-entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs of color to fund, grow and scale their thriving businesses? Learn both investor and entrepreneur perspectives on what it takes to build and back inspiring companies and bring the deal process to life for diverse founders. Join Earl Robinson of Consequent Capital, Sarah Koch of the Case Foundation, Nicole Sanchez of eCreditHero and Carolyn Rodz of Circular Board for this engaging discussion.

MARCH 15^th

19. Nonprofits Get the Keys to the VR Kingdom 12:30pm – 1:30pm
JW Marriot Salon 3-4

Virtual Reality has been touted as the ultimate empathy engine, immersing viewers in experiences that can open their eyes and create personalized memories for important causes. To widen the reach of this unique immersive technology to deserving nonprofits, Oculus has created the “VR for Good” workshop that pairs budding filmmakers with veteran VR talent to craft powerful storytelling pieces for a variety of featured charities and causes. Participants in the inaugural launch of this program will discuss their process in collaborating with these nonprofits and how the program combats the pitfalls that worthy causes often face with innovative marketing approaches.

20. How Brands Do Well By Doing Good 3:30pm – 4:30pm
JW Marriot Salon D

Cynics believe a marketer’s biggest goal is to get a consumer to click on an ad and purchase a product. This is especially true when it comes to digital advertising, which is immediately measurable, both in its success and failure. That’s what we call short-term thinking. The best brands think about themselves—and their stories—in the long term. They consider how to connect with consumers in a way that feels authentic, and that communicates something about what the brand stands for, something that goes far beyond whichever product they’re currently peddling. Upworthy presents the brands that do well by doing good.

Have a session or event that the team shouldn’t miss? Tweet us @CaseFoundation. We look forward to seeing you there!

2017 Conferences on Our Radar

Posted on February 15, 2017October 30, 2018 by Case Foundation

2016 was a year of significant travel and events for the Case Foundation team. In June, MCON came to Washington, DC, for the first year (and will be here again in 2017). We debuted our upcoming Network Map at SOCAP, while our CEO Jean Case took the stage at the Mashable Social Good Summit with Shazi Visram of Happy Family to discuss the changing face of entrepreneurship and launch of our #FacesOfFounders campaign. We took #FacesOfFounders on the road throughout the Fall, photographing hundreds of entrepreneurs at events like Forbes 30 Under 30, Google Demo Day, SOCAP and the White House’s first ever SXSL event. Jean and our executive team spoke at gatherings across the globe—from the Fortune’s Most Powerful Summit, Independent Sector, POPTech, the Council on Foundation and UBS’s Philanthropy Forum. Finally, Jean’s talk at TedXMidAtlantic brought many of the elements of the Foundation’s Inclusive Entrepreneurship movement together as she argues there is a tremendous opportunity to seize by expanding access to capital by investing in women and entrepreneurs of color. She urged all to join in on building an inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem that would give everyone an equal chance at unlocking the American Dream.

As we celebrate the Case Foundation’s 20^th Anniversary year, we’re more excited than ever to keep hitting the road and to see how people are planning to #GetInTheArena at events and conferences across the country. We value our time at each event, not only to share our learnings and bolster the movements we aim to catalyze through our work, but also to learn from the dynamic slate of speakers who take the stage and engage with fellow attendees that are changemakers in so many sectors. We thrive on the energy we witness from the road and are excited to embark on new journeys this year. We hope to meet many of you at these events!

Below, our team has put together the top 20 conferences of 2017 that we are most excited about. Tell us on Twitter where you will be and the conferences that are on your radar at @CaseFoundation.

These first two events have already occurred, but keep them on your radar for next year:

MAKERS conference – February 6-8^th — Rancho Palos Verdes, California: This conference brings together trailblazing leaders, inviting everyone to #BeBold, elevate the conversation and raise challenges and solutions through action-oriented sessions. The conference shines a light on issues ranging from violence against women to inclusion of men. This year’s speakers included activist Gloria Steinem and Re/nas/content/live/casefoundatdev’s Kara Swisher. Details HERE.

Duke Conference on Sustainable Business & Social Impact – February 8^th – Durham, North Carolina: Our CEO Jean Case took the stage as the closing day speaker at the SBSI conference. Each year the gathering unites the private, public and social sectors to discuss innovative ways to create lasting social and environmental impact. Also taking the stage was Jennifer Pryce of the Calvert Foundation and Teju Ravilochan of the Unreasonable Institute. Details HERE.

We hope to see you this year at the conferences below:

The Economist Innovation Summit – February 28 – Chicago, Illinois: On stage, Economist editors ask searching questions as Fortune 500 CEOs, policymakers and disruptive entrepreneurs share their insights and strategies for success in this coming world of constant exponential change. Details HERE.

IncGrowCo – May 9 – New Orleans, Louisiana: Our chairman Steve Case will take the stage at this year’s gathering where other speakers like Kevin O’Leary of Shark Tank, Sheryl Sandberg of Facebook and more will share their bold ideas, new thought processes and proven strategies that can help elevate startups. Details HERE.

Black Enterprise Women of Power – March 9-12 – Phoenix, Arizona: This conference is a professional leadership gathering designed especially for executive women of color. Speakers like Elaine Welteroth of Teen Vogue and Ursula Burns Chairman of Xerox Corp and more will take the stage. Details HERE.

DENT – March 19-22 – Sun Valley, Idaho: DENT brings together CEOS, executive directors, entrepreneurs, scientists and political leaders who are driven to become more effective leaders and dent the universe. Speakers this year include Markos Moulitas Zuniga from Daily Kos and Microsoft’s Curtis Wong. Details HERE.

SXSW – March 10-19 – Austin, Texas: One of the most exciting times of the year, this year the Case Foundation’s entire team will head to Austin for the Interactive portion of the conference. Our CEO Jean Case will take the stage in a talk and fireside chat moderated by Reena Ninan of CBS News on the changing face of entrepreneurship. And chairman Steve Case will join a co-fireside with Beth Comstock of GE in a conversation on the Third Wave: a period in which entrepreneurs will use technology to revolutionize major sectors—healthcare, manufacturing, education and food—and transform the way we live. With another six Case Foundation sessions, this year’s six-day gathering will be jammed packed. Details HERE.

Nonprofit Technology Conference – March 23-25 — Washington, D.C.: The Nonprofit Technology Conference (NTC) is the nonprofit sector’s signature technology event joining 2,000 of the best and brightest nonprofit professionals from around the world. Details HERE.

Women in the World Summit – April 20– New York City, New York: This is a forum for women entrepreneurs, founders and risk-takers who share their stories of the rewards and challenges of starting and running a business. Dynamic speakers like Hillary Clinton, Angelina Jolie, Diane von Furstenberg, Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan, Oprah Winfrey and more have taken the stage in previous years so you can bet there will be an all-star line up this year! Details HERE.

Milken Institute Global Conference 2017 – April 30- May 3 – Los Angeles, California: The Global Conference convenes some of the world’s most extraordinary philanthropists, billionaires and changemakers who explore solutions to today’s most pressing challenges in financial markets, industry sectors, health, government and education. 3,500attendees from more than 60 countries and 700 speakers will unite. Details HERE.

Vanity Fair Founder’s Fair – April 20 – New York City, New York: Building on the success of the Vanity Fair New Establishment Summit, the editors of Vanity Fair are launching a new conference focused on women entrepreneurs. Founders Fair will bring together ambitious risk-takers to share their experiences and to help encourage and support female founders. Details HERE.

Impact Capitalism – April 25-27 – Chicago, Illinois: Impact Capitalism gathers investors who are mainstreaming Impact Investing. Over 300 family offices, asset managers and fund managers representing over $150 billion in investable assets take part. Details HERE.

TED2017: The Future You – April 24-28 — Vancouver, British Columbia: TED is a week designed to explore the deepest scientific and psychological insights, the latest medical advances, the neatest inventions, all mixed with a dose of ancient wisdom, to ask the questions about ourselves that we often don’t have time for. Note: the event is SOLD OUT for 2017, but keep it on your radar for next year! Details HERE.

Forbes Under 30 – April 2-6 —Tel Aviv and Jerusalem: The Under 30 Summit has always been in a class of its own—with four days of motivating panels, pitch contests, philanthropy, music and food festivals, parties and uniting 7,000 young entrepreneurs and game changers. Details HERE.

Black Enterprise Entrepreneurs Summit – May 17-20 – Houston, Texas: This 22nd annual event brings together the BE 100s—the nation’s largest black owned businesses with combined revenues over $40 billion who share their leadership and business lessons for entrepreneurs of color. Details HERE.

ReCode Code Conference – May 30-June 1 – Rancho Palos Verdes, California: The invitation-only conference brings together the most influential leaders for in-depth conversations about the current and future impact of digital technology. Details HERE.

Tech Crunch Disrupt – May 15-17 and September 18-20 – New York and San Francisco: Tech Crunch dubs itself as the leading authority for debuting revolutionary startups. Check out their on-stage interviews, the Startup Battlefield competition, a 24-hour Hackathon, Startup Alley, Hardware Alley and multitude of after parties. Details HERE.

National Center for Family Philanthropy Forum – October 18-19 – Washington, D.C.: Brings philanthropic families and leadership staff of family foundations together for two and a half days of networking and thought provoking conversations led by the greatest thought leaders in family giving. Our CEO Jean Case will take the stage in a fireside discussion this Fall. Details HERE.

Communications Network – September 27-29 – Miami, Florida: This is the premier global leadership gathering of foundation and nonprofit communications leaders committed to building a better world through the smart and deliberate use of strategic communications. More than 700 PR professionals come together to connect, learn and share. Details HERE.

Fast Company Innovation Festival – Dates TBA – New York City, New York: A gathering that brings extraordinary personalities together for insightful talks, workshops, performances and behind-the-scenes tours of the hottest startups designed to inspire creativity. Details HERE.

Bonus: Also check out MCON, SOCAP, Skoll World Forum, Fortune Most Powerful Next Gen, PopTech, the Wall Street Journal’s Digital Live, Net Impact, Confluence Philanthropy, Wharton Social Impact Conference, Mission Investors Exchange Annual Summit, and the Aspen Ideas Festival.

Rethinking Millennial Engagement After the November Election

Posted on January 12, 2017October 30, 2018 by Case Foundation

The 2016 presidential election was full of surprises—one of the biggest of which was the role of Millennials on Election Day. We saw how the breaking of traditional models and expected patterns resulted in a seismic shift in Millennial attitudes and actions, ultimately challenging commonly held beliefs about who this generation is and what defines them.

Today the Case Foundation and Achieve released the third wave of research for the pivotal 2016 Millennial Impact Report, which includes a special Post-Election Survey. Over the last year, we have been working together to research whether the Presidential election would influence Millennial cause engagement. And the results offer important insights into Millennial voting behavior and, more importantly, into their level of engagement on social causes that undergird our democracy.

The survey confirms several developing trends that redefine how Millennials engage with issues and causes they care about the most. Most notably, where over three-fourths of Millennials believed they could affect positive change in the world in Wave 1 (March to May 2016), that number dropped to two-thirds by Wave 3 (September to November 2016). As Millennial respondents’ optimism in effecting positive change continued to decline during Wave 3; their cause engagement also decreased in the areas of volunteering, donating and participation in demonstrations. Decreased level of trust in the government and decreased belief in their ability to affect change may be behind this decline in cause engagement.

In support of these evolving generational trends, the Post-Election Survey results confirmed that Millennials voted for Donald Trump because of his business experience and new approach, and for Hillary Clinton because of her political experience and activism for minority groups. Those who chose not to vote did so from a combination of apathy, distrust and dislike.

Additional highlights from Wave 3 and the Post-Election Survey include:

More Millennials identified themselves as conservative-leaning (rather than liberal-leaning or neutral) throughout the nine-month research period, and more conservative leaning Millennials identified themselves as activists.
By the end of Wave 3, both female and male Millennials were less engaged in activities related to social issues they cared about with decreases reported in volunteering, donating and participation in demonstrations.
Education remained the number-one cause issue throughout each wave of research before the election. Yet, post-election interviews revealed respondents moved away from this previously reported position, ranking employment, economy and healthcare before education.
Throughout the nine-month study, researchers saw a significant disconnect between the number of Millennials who reported their support for Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump pre-election, and the candidate they voted for in the election. For example, in Wave 3 [September to November 2016], 21 percent of Millennials said they intended to vote for Donald Trump, yet 39 percent actually did vote for him.

The 2016 Millennial Impact Report surveyed 350 Millennials every month from March to November, and immediately followed up with 350 of those interviewed after the election. This work builds upon the larger Millennial Impact Project that began in 2011 and has collected data from over 75,000 respondents.

What does all of this mean? We’re not quite sure just yet—but hope to have insights to share in the final report out in March 2017 in which we synthesize findings from all three waves and the Post-Election Survey.

What we do know is that just as this generation challenged the application of labels such as “apathetic” and “unengaged,” so too did they challenge many long held beliefs about their voting behavior and embrace of civic engagement throughout our 2016 research. In each of the three waves for instance, most surveyed identified as “conservative-leaning,” challenging the popular belief that most millennials are liberal-leaning. Indeed, this generation has consistently turned away from conventional labels, generalizations and stereotypes to define them and their actions—even when it comes to engaging for social good.

“This was arguably one of the most controversial presidential elections to-date and Millennials were at the center of it as the largest voting demographic,” said Derrick Feldmann, Achieve president. “By understanding their evolving mindset toward social causes during a politically-charged year, companies and organizations can learn how to better engage and motivate Millennials through interest toward causes they believe in.”

To learn what comes next for Millennial cause engagement, Achieve and the Case Foundation will release a final report integrating the Post-Election Survey including qualitative data to create a more robust illustration of Millennials’ cause-related behavior during the 2016 election cycle. This comprehensive report will be released at SXSW in March 2017.

To learn more about the 2016 Millennial Impact Project and view all the reports, including Wave 3 and the Post-Election Survey, please visit: themillennialimpact.com/2016-report.

Our Most Popular Blogs of 2016

Posted on January 6, 2017October 30, 2018 by Case Foundation

As we kick off the new year, we are taking a look back at our most popular blogs from 2016 to revisit key moments that inspired us here at the Case Foundation. We’ve collected the 10 most popular pieces—as determined by our community of readers. These blogs represent our areas of work in catalyzing movements and inspiring ideas that can change the world. We hope thes will remind us all to be bold, take risks and fail forward together around the issues you care most about in the coming year!

Our Fearless Journey From Mission to Movements, by Jean Case

2016 was a year of transition for many, and the Case Foundation was no different. In August, our CEO Jean Case wrote about the journey we have taken from mission to movements, and how—as we have taken a journey of self-exploration and come to better understand our work & DNA—the Case Foundation has reframed our work. We’ve always been in the business of transformative change, but have come to realize that our real “special sauce” is that we use a Be Fearless approach to catalyze movements around social innovation and tip the scales form intention to action.

Words Matter: How Should We Talk About Impact Investing?, by Jean Case

In March, our CEO Jean Case joined partners from Omidyar Network, Ford Foundation and MacArthur Foundation, together with the Global Impact Investing Network and the Global Social Impact Investing Steering Group, to unveil research that tracked and analyzed coverage of the topic of impact investing in traditional and social media and shared insight into how the way we talk about impact investing can play a powerful role in informing, educating and activating people around the movement.

Trailblazing Women in Impact Investing, by Sheila Herrling

2016 was a year of momentum for Impact Investing. From the Treasury Department and IRS’s release of new PRI regulations, to high profile new social impact funds like TPG’s $2 billion Rise fund, it’s evident that the movement is picking up steam. And another noticeable trend has stood out: women are emerging as a driving force behind its growth. In August, our SVP of Social Innovation, Sheila Herrling, wrote what would go on to become our second most popular blog post of the year, highlighting these trailblazing women in Impact Investing. We can’t wait to see the momentum continue in 2017.

The 2016 Millennial Impact Report – Phase 1, by Emily Yu

One of the hottest topics of 2016 was the election, so it is not surprising that on of our top blog posts of the year was about our Millennial Impact Report, which looked at how Millennials were engaging with the election and how the election effected their cause engagement. Among our top blogs was also “Millennials Cast Their Vote For Cause Engagement,” another post on the Millennial Impact Report, this time about Phase 2.

2016 Conferences On Our Radar, by Jade Floyd

2016 was an action packed year for the Case Foundation, and much of the great momentum we saw this year was fueled by wonderful in-person interactions at conferences and convenings. From SXSW, to SOCAP, to crisscrossing the country for #FacesofFounders activations at the White House, the New York Stock Exchange, Forbes 30 Under 30 Summit, Google’s headquarters and more, we loved getting the chance to reach beyond our bubbles and meet so many changemakers face-to-face. Keep an eye out for our upcoming list of 2017 Conferences On Our Radar.

Twitter Lists:

We’ve loved the conversations we have and information we learn from the engaged social impact communities on Twitter. In 2015 we started a series of Twitter lists to help people join in these conversations and better know who to follow to find out more about topics we care deeply about. Several of these lists made it into our top blog posts of 2016:

The Myth of the E-Word, by Sheila Herrling

Our Myth of the Entrepreneur series was started in the fall of 2015 to take a critical look at the common stories and myths told in startup culture, and as it continued into 2016, it was clear that the myths were striking a chord with our readers. The Myth of the “E Word” post contemplated the term “entrepreneur” itself as a possible barrier to expanding and diversifying entrepreneurship. “The Myth of STEM; The Only Way,” and “The Myth of the Coasts” also found their way into our top blog posts this year. We look forward to busting more myths in 2017 that are holding us back and breaking down barriers to entrepreneurship faced by women and entrepreneurs of color.

One Fearless Question that Paved the Way for Women in Government, by Jean Case

On International Women’s Day, our CEO Jean Case shared a story about the fearless trailblazers Vera Glaser and Barbara Hackman Franklin. Vera Glaser’s #BeFearless question to President Richard Nixon questioning why more women were not a part of his cabinet set off an effort, headed by Barbara Hackman Franklin, that changed women’s access to high-level appointments in federal government. Our readers also enjoyed other Be Fearless examples that made it into our top blog post lists, such as our spotlight on the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Jean’s blog post “Confronting Risk in Today’s Nonprofits.” You can learn more about how to Be Fearless in your pursuit of social good on our Be Fearless Hub.

What’s Trending—Using Your Business as a Force For Good, by Sheila Herrling and Hardik Savalia

We are proud to partner with B Lab and their ground breaking work to help businesses identify and measure their social impact, and through the popularity of this blog post, it is clear that our readers are also excited about the potential of the B Impact Assessment. We’re excited that the Assessment can help all businesses, not just certified B Corps, to join the movement to redefine success for business, and measure their ability to build stronger communities, create environmentally sustainable operations or cultivate empowering employment opportunities.

Innovation Madness: Elite Eight, by Jessica Zetzman

In conjunction with the NCAA Tournament, the Case Foundation decided to put our own twist on March Madness and introduced Innovation Madness, a celebration of Women’s History Month and the women who have been influential innovators in exploration, business and the STEM fields—yet are not recognized as often as their male counterparts. Our whole staff got in on the fun, chosing their favorite innovators, and we loved that hundreds of people voted and participated in Innovation Madness on social media. Check out the original bracket, the Elite Eight, the Final Four and the Champion.

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We are thrilled that these blog posts resonated with our readers in 2016, and look forward to continuing great conversations on and offline in 2017. Tell us what you want to read more about by using #CaseBlogs on Twitter.

#FacesofFounders Puts Entrepreneurship Front-And-Center at Forbes Under 30 Summit

Posted on October 28, 2016October 30, 2018 by Case Foundation

The #FacesofFounders campaign, designed to highlight the dynamism and diversity of the modern entrepreneur, is in full force. Entrepreneurs from all walks of life and perspectives are uploading their photos and telling their stories at facesoffounders.org. The stories and the photos bring to life the fact that there has been a redefinition of who is and can be an entrepreneur.

In addition to uploading photos and stories at facesoffounders.org, we are taking our #FacesofFounders campaign and photo booth on the road. Last week we were in Boston with the Blackstone Charitable Foundation where we welcomed guests to the Forbes Under 30 Summit. At the event, hundreds of entrepreneurs snapped their photos and shared their stories of innovation.

While the #FacesofFounders photo booth was working overtime, we met with hundreds of founders, hosted Facebook Live conversations and watched insightful discussions with entrepreneurs from across the globe geared towards the topic of inclusivity. While there were many standouts at this event, in our opinion, these were the all-stars who stole the show and are representative of the changing face of entrepreneurship.

Founders Hayley Barna of First Round Capital and Birchbox, along with Lisa Falzone of Revel Systems, Jennifer Hyman of Rent the Runway and Marcella Sapone of Hello Alfred are changing the narrative around who is and can be an entrepreneur. On stage, they joined Janey Whiteside of American Express in a conversation on the changing face of entrepreneurship and how, by unlocking more flow of social capital, financial capital and knowledge capital, we can cultivate more women entrepreneurs.

Christopher Gray, co-founder of Scholly, sat down with us in a Facebook Live interview for a conversation on the challenges he faced as a young Millennial founder and how we all can engage to change the narrative about what it means to be an entrepreneur.

Trevor Wilkins, co-founder of Küdzoo, built a free mobile app where students cash in their grades for rewards. He shared with us during Facebook Live how the brand is leveraging incentives to motivate and reward students, and his experience building the brand as a founder of color.

Sir Richard Branson took the stage for a conversation on breaking records, barriers and borders. He was joined by other top entrepreneurs Tyler Haney of Outdoor Voices, Payal Kadakla of ClassPass and James Proud of Hello, Inc. in discussion around the best ways to cause disruption, create change and achieve game-changing success.

Eric Delgado and Victoria Weiss, co-founders of Rope Lace Supply and students at the University of Central Florida (UCF), joined us for a Facebook Live conversation on how the brand has grown from $300 to nearly $1 million in revenue in just three short years. The founders are part of the Blackstone LaunchPad at UCF, a program that provides one-on-one startup coaching, seminars and access to a mentor network and subject-matter experts and their story is a compelling reminder of how the entrepreneurs from all ages can succeed.

Actor and investor Ashton Kutcher, Guy Oseary of Sound Ventures, and Peter Boyce II of Rough Draft Ventures hosted the $1 Million Forbes Under 30 Pitch Competition. More than 1,000 Under 30 entrepreneurs entered for the opportunity to pitch their project and the final four competed on stage at Faneuil Hall for the grand prize—an investment from Kutcher, Oseary and Rough Draft Ventures/General Catalyst, as well as an advertising campaign in Forbes. Atlanta-Based honorCode, founded by Jeffery Martin to teach the intersection of computer programming and entrepreneurship to our communities’ most vulnerable youth, walked away with the highly sought after prize.

Check out the faces of several of these entrepreneurs and their supporters who are joining the movement to change who is and can be a founder on FacesofFounders.org, and be sure to show your support for entrepreneurship for all by sharing your photo and stories there as well. Read more about the 600 entrepreneurs and changemakers who are part of this year’s 2016 Forbes Under 30 class HERE.

Disclosure: Steve Case has made a personal investment in Scholly.

Millennials Cast Their Vote for Cause Engagement

Posted on October 26, 2016October 25, 2018 by Case Foundation

Millennial Impact Report—Phase 2 Results

Millennials (individuals born between 1980 – 2000), have not only surpassed Baby Boomers as the United States’ largest living generation, they have also caught up to the Boomers when it comes to their ability to vote for, and influence, the American electorate. According to research from the Pew Charitable Trust, both generations now comprise roughly 31 percent of the voting-eligible population. And so, as we head into the U.S. Presidential election next month, the Millennial generation is in a position to make a significant impact—on the issues they care about and on who becomes the next President of the United States.

Will they use that power to vote on November 8th?

And looking longer term, how might this election year change or impact how the Millennial generation engages with issues and causes?

The Case Foundation, in partnership with Achieve, set out to find the answer to those questions through the 2016 Millennial Impact Report—a three phased survey looking at how/if Millennial attitudes and behaviors related to cause engagement change over the course of a Presidential election year. Today, Achieve released the second wave of data (learn more about the first wave) and the findings. While not definitive at this stage of the research, there are some surprising findings that will shape how we think about Millennial engagement and voting patterns.

“We’ve seen in past Presidential elections the power and significance of the Millennial generation’s voice,” said Jean Case, CEO of the Case Foundation. “The 2016 Millennial Impact Report is shedding light on Millennial actions and responses during this critical period and challenging our understanding of this generation’s attitudes and behaviors toward cause engagement.”

So what did the research show us? Here are 11 trends surfaced by the latest wave of data (that were identified in relation to responses captured in Wave 1). Be sure to check out the full report for more information and details:

Trend 1

While the number of supporters of Hillary Clinton increased from June to August, so did the number of Millennials choosing neither major party candidate or not to vote at all.

Trend 2

Millennials who self-identify as having a “neutral” political ideology increased from Wave One to Wave Two.

Trend 3

Education and health care remained the first- and second-highest social issues of interest for Millennials, but employment/wages edged out the economy as the third-highest issue of interest.

Trend 4

More Millennials continue to self-identify as conservative-leaning than as liberal-leaning.

Trend 5

Millennials still consider themselves activists, but without showing a strong affinity for direct action in support of or opposition to an issue.

Trend 6

Slightly fewer Millennials believe people like them can help make the United States a better place to live, with the biggest drop seen among females.

Trend 7

Millennials continue to have some level of trust in government to do what is right, though the majority don’t rate that trust as high.

Trend 8

In the last month, males continued at about the same rate—around half—to participate in an activity related to a social issue about which they cared.

Trend 9

Facebook is still the most popular social media platform on which Millennials post about issues they care for, and the majority of Millennials had posted about an issue on social media in the past week.

Trend 10

From June to August, support for Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump by Millennial respondents increased, with the largest shift going to Clinton.

Trend 11

The number of respondents planning to vote in the Presidential election decreased to its lowest point since the study began.

Indeed, with one more wave of data to come—collected just after the November election and released in early 2017—as well as in-depth interviews with select respondents, there is more to explore. And, true to our own Be Fearless principles, we are always ready, willing and able to challenge our assumptions and question new findings—and hope you will too. Ultimately, these trends may help us to better understand the evolving Millennial mindset in today’s political landscape; spark conversation, debate and inquiry; and help to inform leaders and organizations who want to unleash this generation’s ability to foster change for years to come.

“In reviewing Wave 1 and Wave 2 findings it is clear that several trends have started forming among millennials as the presidential race intensifies,” said Derrick Feldmann, Achieve president. “Understanding the evolving millennial mindset in the current political landscape is critical to future leaders and organizations that are looking to involve this generation for many years to come.”

We are eagerly anticipating the final report in early 2017 and discussing the lessons learned for Millennial engagement.

Be sure to check out the full report for more information and details.

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Over the last six years, in partnership with Achieve, we have studied, listened to and engaged with more than 75,000 members of the Millennial generation to better understand their involvement with cause engagement. To check out the latest findings, past reports and hear about the newest research, visit themillennialimpact.com.

SOCAP 2016: A New Chapter

Posted on September 22, 2016October 30, 2018 by Case Foundation

Social Capital Markets (SOCAP) is a conference series dedicated to exploring, innovating and collaborating around the ideas and solutions that can increase the flow of capital toward social good. The annual flagship event concluded last week at the historic Fort Mason Center in San Francisco, CA.

SOCAP has played a special role within the Impact Investing field since the first conference in 2008. It has continued to draw crowds of impact investors, social enterprises, field-builders and thought-leaders to discuss the latest and greatest in Impact Investing.

In recent years, particularly as the Impact Investing movement has gained serious traction, the need for SOCAP to expand beyond “the choir” to include major investors—inclusive of asset managers and owners—has never been more important. Similarly, the need to shift conversations from Impact Investing being an “emerging field” to a “growing industry” has been much needed.

We observed that shift this year, and were happy to be a part of it.

Members of the Case Foundation team travelled to SOCAP last week to engage in a global conversation around money and meaning. We left with a renewed sense of inspiration, as well as fresh ideas for collaboration. Here are a few of our key takeaways from the week:

1. We’re no longer discussing the “emerging field” of Impact Investing. It has emerged.

Since the Impact Investing field was first formalized, much of the conference has focused around persuading broad audiences to embrace it. For the impact community, it has been particularly challenging to bring along mainstream investors to explore another tool in their investment toolbox.

This year, however, numerous individuals in the opening plenaries, panels, sessions and breakouts had a different message. No longer were experts advocating for the importance of Impact Investing, but rather that Impact Investing is already here. In a time of finite resources, heightened importance around business sustainability, need for holistic risk assessment and demand for matching capital with individual values, the question of whether Impact Investing is real has been answered.

Instead, there was an intentional pivot to “how?” How do we make Impact Investing tools broadly accessible to diverse markets and audiences? How do we equip wealth advisors, CIOs and institutional investors with the knowledge, training and resources they need to explore the integration of Impact Investing into their product suite? How do fiduciaries continue to meet stringent expectations around their financial duty, while also responsibly integrating impact? The signaling here is critical, and we were pleased to see the thoughtful and creative conversations around how to address these questions.

To dig deeper, check out a recap of our session on Thursday about leveraging the advisor community as a gateway to Impact Investing.

2. Levelling the entrepreneurship playing field is a must.

Just as the rhetoric around Impact Investing has changed in recent years, so has the conversation around entrepreneurship. At SOCAP, a concentrated effort has been made to provide entrepreneurs with a chance to connect, pitch and seek mentorship. But that’s not the only way the conversation has changed; an entire track of the conference this year focused on inclusive entrepreneurship. These sessions tackled important topics of diversity and inclusion across race and gender within entrepreneurship, and brought to light both critical shortcomings and tremendous benefits from access and opportunity for all of our changemakers.

At the Case Foundation, entrepreneurship has always been a big part of how we think about our movement catalyzation efforts. For nearly 20 years, we’ve continued to believe in entrepreneurship as a driving force behind growth, development—and importantly—inclusion. To that end, SOCAP was an opportunity to give a sneak peek of our #FacesofFounders campaign with a photo and storytelling booth at the Festival Pavilion. In partnership with the Blackstone Charitable Foundation, the Case Foundation’s #FacesofFounders campaign will shine a spotlight on the millions of diverse entrepreneurs in America, and reinforce the importance of an inclusive approach to entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurs and supporters of entrepreneurs were invited to take free headshots, share their stories, showcase their varied backgrounds and share their journeys of learning and success.

Check out a recording of Senior Vice President Sheila Herrling’s lively panel, Am I an Entrepreneur?, with changemakers Monique Woodard, Tony Tolentino and Kelechi Anyadiegwu.

3. Transparency is essential.

In the Impact Investing space, metrics, measurement and the data that supports these activities have observed a transformation in both necessity and importance. Often considered a cumbersome demand of early Impact Investing activity, measurement, tracking and transparency are essential in getting the field to scale.

During SOCAP, we co-hosted a standing room only session on open data for social good with ImpactSpace and SODA. Investors, entrepreneurs and field-builders crowded in to watch rapid-fire presentations from data-powered platform creators, who have all committed to innovate around the way we gather and share data. This is indicative of a growing community of data experts and stakeholders looking to advance the practice of effective collaboration through powerful, user-friendly tools.

At the Case Foundation, our movement building efforts have included collaborative partnerships to sophisticate and streamline data accessibility, including impact measurement, investment reporting and research. Our work on the Impact Investing Network Map is one such way we’re hoping to bring in investors and organizations looking to engage in the space. Primarily, the Map will allow a visual overlay of transaction-led relationships across the Impact Investing industry and enable users to filter information by asset class, geography, and impact area. Through a partnership with ImpactSpace, and using data from CrunchBase, we’re hoping to demonstrate just where the relationships exist, tangibly bust through the myth that the field is still nascent, and work together to change how we talk about data.

Want to check out more on the Impact Investing Network Map? Sign up to be an early tester and submit your data directly to the platform!

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We were thrilled to see our movement areas—Impact Investing and Inclusive Entrepreneurship—collide at SOCAP, and witness the momentum building around each of them. We look forward to continuing to forge strong partnerships in these areas, to build on these movements and reach tipping point.

VIDEO: Inclusive Entrepreneurship at MCON 2016

Posted on September 9, 2016October 30, 2018 by Case Foundation

This post was written by Calvin Millien, Case Foundation intern.

At MCON 2016 this past June, one of the themes attendees explored was around inclusive entrepreneurship—lifting up all entrepreneurs, particularly women and people of color, in all places in order to create stronger communities, close the opportunity gap and scale creative solutions to persistent problems.

To delve into this subject, Derrick Feldmann, Founder of Achieve and MCON, hosted two special panelists: Karla Monterroso of Code2040, an organization that provides $40,000 to seven entrepreneurs of color determined to turn their ideas into reality; and Brian Ferguson of Start Line, an online platform designed to equip returning, formerly incarcerated citizens with the tools necessary to become active and entrepreneurial contributors to our society. Together, they discuss the entrepreneurial landscape and realities for Black and LatinX communities specifically. Hear their insights into how together, we can support inclusive entrepreneurship.

To see more from these great speakers, check out their exclusive Facebook Live interview with the Case Foundation’s own Jade Floyd.

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