SEBI's Social Enterprises exposed to knowledge exchange in Silicon Valley

Four social enterprises, which are part of the Social Enterprise Boost Initiative's (SEBI) Accelerator Programme, participated in a knowledge exchange during a Social Innovation Summit and study tour in the United States of America recently.

The SEBI Accelerator is a business development programme that is tailored to support the growth of 15 existing social enterprises through leadership effectiveness training; introduction to growth strategies; mentorship and networking opportunities. The accelerator is a key deliverable of this phase of the project and is supported by JN Foundation and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

The four participants in the summit were Seretse Small of Avant Academy of Music; Kristofferson Nunes of UCA Marketing; Lacey-Ann Bartley of Bartley's All In Wood; and Lashawndla Bailey of Inzzpire 365.

"I learned a lot during the visit, particularly that collaboration is important across industries and fields to ignite innovation; to focus on the user," said Kristofferson Nunes, chief executive officer of UCA Marketing, a start-up social enterprise which seeks job opportunities for tertiary students, while simultaneously offering corporate brands access to a fluid labour force and millennial consumers.

For Seretse Small, chief executive officer of Avant Academy of Music, the exposure was excellent. "What was transformational was being able to meet diverse persons, from investors to not-for-profit innovators to social entrepreneurs, and to learn how they interacted with each other," he stated.

"It was interesting to hear investors speak about their experience working with founders, the challenges of getting funding and creating enterprises which also have social impact," he added.

Avant Academy of Music is a music school established in 2013 to change the paradigm of music education in Jamaica.

A force for doing good

The Social Innovation Summit is one of the most renowned summits which support the development of business as a force for doing good. It was held under the theme 'Social Innovation', and took place in Silicon Valley, California.

Onyka Barrett Scott, acting general manager of JN Foundation, outlined that the social entrepreneurs also participated in a study tour of Silicon Valley as part of the experience.

"This was a critical component of the knowledge exchange, as it allowed the participants to interact with other social-change agents in the Silicon Valley eco-system, understand their business models, their entrepreneurial journey and methods of resourcing - all important ingredients for generating strong and successful businesses," she posited.