Check out GSBI in Santa Clara University, Aug 26, 2010!!

The folks at Santa Clara University asked me if I would post this on my blog. I fully support this initiative (have already blogged about them before) so I'm doing so:

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Global Social Benefit Incubator

Please join Santa Clara University's Center for Science, Technology, and Society for business plan presentations by the 2010 Global Social Benefit Incubator entrepreneurs from around the world.

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Locatelli Center at Santa Clara University

7:15-8:00 a.m. Continental Breakfast

8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Business Plan Presentations

12:00 p.m.-1:15 p.m. Lunch 1:15 p.m-6:15 p.m. Business Plan Presentations

6:15 p.m.-7:45 p.m. Reception

The Global Social Benefit Incubator (GSBITM) program at Santa Clara University enables proof of concept social ventures that serve the base of the pyramid to become sustainable at scale. It combines classroom instruction in finance, marketing creation, organizational development, and business planning with case studies, best practices and, most importantly, carefully matched Silicon Valley mentors.

The invited entrepreneurs have demonstrated that their innovations can have a significant impact on alleviating poverty and empowering human development in the most adverse circumstances around the world.

In 2010, the STS Center launched a three-year initiative to focus on “Renewable Energy for the Underserved.” This initiative will explore several segments of the clean energy field including off-grid power and light , second generation bio-fuels, energy saving devices , and related value chain organizations such as technology providers, financial services, and distribution. This year, we have 12 social entrepreneurs that are representing the Renewable Energy Sector in the GSBI class of 2010.

Living and learning together, GSBI participants develop practical know-how and a true sense of community. At the August 26th summary business plan presentations, you will see how the unique GSBI learning environment contribute to the innovative adaptation of technology and models of social change, in combination with validated business plans, to accelerate the potential for social entrepreneurship. We know you will be inspired by the work of the 2010 Global Social Benefit Incubator class and the promise of their innovative business plans.

To RSVP: visit http://www.scu.edu/sts/PublicEngagement/Events.cfm?event=15869 or email us at gsbi2010@scu.edu. For further information call the Center for Science, Technology, and Society, Santa Clara University, (408) 551-6027, or email sdale@scu.edu.

If you have a disability and require a reasonable accommodation, please call the Center or 1-800-735-2929 (TTY-California Relay) at least 48 hours prior to the event.

Links I liked from my two month backlog: Part I (Business)

After two months of internet drought, I'm actually reveling in the past 12 hours of high speed internet access in a nice, clean place. When you are trying desperately to line up your next job contract and don't have access to the net, it can be incredibly frustrating.

Anyways, I've largely used the past 10 hours to catch up on my reading, which has been woefully behind.

Here are some of my favorite links (in NO particular order) from the backlog:

• Tips on how to figure out The Perfect Interview Test...
  

• Video of the six most important principles of good management

• The Top 5 Blogging Misconceptions and how to fix them.

• The wisdom of Peter Drucker from A to Z

• The entrepreneurs of the Decade (2000-09), by Inc magazine

Innovating through negation

Part of good innovation is knowing when to say "no." That 's equally, if not more important than saying 'yes.' In a recent article, Google Senior VP Jeff Huber gave insight into their process for turning things down, and how they are still able to wow the world with their innovative products.

I suggest that you read the article, but here is my take on Google's process:

a. Diligent consumer testing: Know your audience and give them what they want. Any product that repeatedly fails consumer tests is immediately ditched.

b. Diligent listening: Google purposely puts out less than perfect products and then hones them around customer suggestions through their active product blogs.

b. Getting the fans and making the buck: If a new product won't generate ad revenue, the product is dropped. The bottom-line, particularly in this economy, is it should have a lot of fans. By Seth Godin's definition, a fan is someone (in this case a user) who will proselytize on your behalf. Getting more fans gets more ad revenue, which keeps the company growing.

Google's first-line of testing is their large and phenomenally brilliant employee base. If a product doesn't create a fan base among their employees, it probably won't make it in the "real world." Its what the googlers call "eating your own dog-food."

What defines a BoP business??

As BoP markets are being studied better, more standardized terminology is entering the business. Here NextBillion guestblogger Monica Touesnard blogs about what defines a BoP business.