Social Entrepreneurs’ Summit 2008

"Social Entrepreneurship: Connecting Markets and Meaning"
January 20-22, Rüschlikon, Switzerland

Approximately 250 invited participants gathered at the Swiss Re Centre for Global Dialogue on the shores of Lake Zurich for the Seventh Global Summit on Social Entrepreneurship organized by the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship. Participants included accomplished social entrepreneurs selected to the Schwab Foundation’s community and leaders and senior managers of foundations, investment banks, private equity firms, global corporations, media companies and academic institutions.

On the first day, accomplished social entrepreneurs in the community congregated to learn from one another and identify areas of mutual collaboration. They were joined over the next two days by “resource providers” - business, foundations, universities, academia and media - who presented their respective missions and interests in connecting with social entrepreneurs to identify real areas of cooperation. The outcomes were numerous concrete partnerships, seeds of new collaborations and ideas, a network of new relationships and further understanding of innovations that affect

The theme of the Summit, Connecting Markets and Meaning, reviewed the ways “resource providers” engage and learn from social entrepreneurs, and how social entrepreneurs make the most of the opportunity arising from increased interest in social entrepreneurship to advance their respective missions. The term “resource provider” encompassed a broad spectrum of individuals and organizations offering a diverse array of support from capital to advice on areas of critical importance to social entrepreneurs. The Summit sought to test an entirely new design for a gathering of this nature and size.

The concept was based on input received from social entrepreneurs themselves who challenged the Foundation to design an event underpinned by two organizing principles:

First, set aside the plenary speakers, panels and speeches delivered from podiums and platforms by well-meaning experts. Create a level playing field where all participants have the same opportunity to listen to the insights and knowledge of everyone in the group by designing a program where “everyone is a learner, and everyone is a teacher”, to borrow a phrase from Barefoot College’s Bunker Roy.

Second, turn the usual into the unusual. Instead of social entrepreneurs trying to seduce, persuade and cajole resource providers into falling in love with what they do – how about flipping it around? Create a situation where resource providers showcase what they are doing to support social entrepreneurs, and how and where they are operating. The Schwab Foundation considered these recommendations with some initial trepidation. Was it possible to design a Summit without plenary speakers, panel presentations and similar formats that are part and parcel of every conference across the globe? How would the Summit attract non-social entrepreneurs to come if the program did not list a host of readily visible and widely recognizable names? Would resource providers be willing to do the “pitching” to social entrepreneurs?

Based on the feedback received from Summit participants, the answer to these questions is a resounding “yes”. Many noted that this was the best Summit yet– indeed, some claimed it was the best conference they had been to. The report attempts to capture the content and spirit of the discussions held over the course of just over two days, from January 20th to 22nd.

 Download the Summit Report (1,6 MB)
 
 Download The Programme (0,1 MB)
 
 Download Social Entrepreneurs - Key Information (0,8 MB)