The Mentor Capital Network (formerly known as the William James Foundation) is getting ready to launch our 12th annual Sustainable Business Plan Competition.
This is a excellent opportunity for for-profit social entrepreneurs — world-class mentorship, $60k in prizes, and the chance to present from the United Nations main stage await the top teams. Apply Soon! The deadline to apply is January 15th, 5PM USA Eastern time.
We use that competition to engage our pool of more than 800 mentors around to the world to support the best of the next of social entrepreneurs. That program, because it is world-wide, is mostly virtual (email, skype, etc.). However, we’ve got a great deal of talent right here in the DC area, and so we are working with excellent local partners to create events and classes for people building world-changing companies right here in our home town.
If you are or know an entrepreneur who would benefit from this, please help spread the word.
Bethesda Green Partnership
Mentor Capital Network and Bethesda Green are partnering to accelerate the growth of sustainable businesses in the Greater DC area. We will accelerate green entrepreneurs through access to mentor capital to develop investment-ready business plans and practice their pitch to investors.
Applications for the 2015 Bethesda Green Cohort of the Mentor Capital Network program are now open to DC-area green businesses! Entrepreneurs should apply by January 15th, 2015. Acceptance decisions will be announced on January 22nd, and accepted businesses will be asked to submit a 5-7 page summary of their business plan by February 20, 2015.
Building on MCN’s global Sustainable Business Plan Competition, companies accepted into the 2015 cohort will receive:
- Mentor Capital insights and advice on their business plan from up to 20 green enterprise expert mentors through the two rounds of the business plan competition;
- Opportunity to make a 10-minute business pitch (via Skype) to up to 10 WJF mentors
- One-on-one mentoring from a WJF Mentor on a specific business issue;
- Invitation to two peer-sharing educational events for the local green businesses
- Opportunity to present to an “Investor Fish Bowl” in which 4 to 6 of the green entrepreneurs will practice pitch their business to investors who work with green businesses and get a unique behind-the-scenes educational opportunity to hear how investors process and discuss the pitch.
This program is supported with funds from the Montgomery County Department of Economic Development.
Collaborate DC
We’re very excited to tell you about Collaborate, an innovation conference we’re participating on January 23rd & 24th.
At Collaborate, we’ll be joining an incredible group of 1,000+ innovators from organizations like Twitter, Github, Verizon, NASA, GSA, the White House and more for two days of engaging conversations and hands on learning. We think you belong at this event.
Collaborate will feature over 120 speakers from across sectors including Tom Chi (Google X co-founder), Jenn Gustetic (Assistant Director of Open Innovation at the White House Office of Science and Technology), and many others.