| Clean Energy Prizes Worth $25k in 2016 |
| Big News! The MCN is partnering with the 11th Hour Foundation to provide $25,000 worth of prizes to the top clean energy companies in this year’s Sustainable Business Plan Collaboration program. These prizes will be awarded to the top teams in the spring and summer cohorts. For the purposes of these prizes, Clean Energy is defined as energy that comes from the responsible usage of renewable resources such as solar, wind, and water. The 11th Hour Project’s Renewable Energy & Climate program has a goal of transitioning to 100% renewable energy by 2030 and supports renewable energy solutions that are distributed and small to mid-scale. We believe that it is not only important to promote renewables over fossil fuels but also to ensure that these renewables help us move away from our current centralized system of energy production, distribution, and ownership. The 11th Hour Project is the grant-making arm of The Schmidt Family Foundation, established by Eric and Wendy Schmidt in 2006. The 11th Hour is committed to reducing reliance on fossil fuels and promoting the adoption of renewable energy options. For more information on the 11th Hour Project, visit their website. |
Thank You to our Mentors
Thank you to the industry and regional experts that have offered to review and evaluate the business plans submitted through the 2016 Spring cohort of the William James Sustainable Business Plan Collaboration. We greatly appreciate your commitment and willingness to share your expertise.
“I invested my time applying because I knew that it would offer me a guaranteed return on investment: feedback!” -Todd Schechter, New American Tavern
The William James Foundation Sustainable Business Plan Collaboration
How does it work?
We customize a team of mentors to read your business plan and provide you their expertise and perspectives. As a mentor reads your plan, and provides you feedback, they can opt-in and provide you their contact information. Once you have their contact information, and their mentor feedback, you have the opportunity to reach out and continue to get advice, coaching or mentoring from these industry leaders. Our program is the tool we use to connect the right entrepreneurs to the right mentors.
Participation in our programs also gives you an opportunity to be part of our Investor Fishbowl and Green Grab events where we put companies in front of accredited investors to pitch for professional debt or equity investment. Many of our mentors are investors, and use our program as a chance to review potential investments, as well as to use the feedback of the other mentors to help qualify their pipelines.
We have several cohorts and prize categories. Our prizes are cash and professional services that are worth more than $50,000. Finalists pick from the prize pool in order of finish, to better match you to a prize you can use.
MCN on the Road
We’re thrilled to be able to send our colleague and Atlas Fellow, Mayada Hassanain, to StartingBloc in Santa Monica, Feb, 18-22nd. Click here to learn more about and apply to upcoming StartingBloc events around the United States.
Additionally, we hope to see you at Colorado Impact Days, March 2-4, for the first statewide marketplace for impact investing.
MCN Alumni in the News
Congratulations to one of our MCN alumni, Back to the Roots, for receiving their first official round of funding, $5M through both private and public equity funding sources. “With the new funding, Back to the Roots plans to continue its major growth trajectory – key for fulfilling its mission to “undo food” and reconnect families to it through fun, delicious and sustainable products.” Sustainable Brands, Jan 28, 2016.
Learn more about Back to the Roots.
| DC-Area: Upcoming Event Feb 23rd, 6pm: Join MCN at this event hosted by NetSquared DC to connect with social entrepreneurs to learn about the tools and resources they use to develop creative solutions to the world’s most pressing issues. Speakers will include representatives from the Mentor Capital Network, StartSomeGood, Changemakers.com, Dreaming Out Loud, and D-tree International. We hope you can make it! Reservations are required for this free event at WeWork/Shaw. RSVP here. |
| Do you like what we do? We understand the need for businesses to value all stakeholders, and we strive to support start-up and growing social enterprises around the globe. The Mentor Capital Network is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, and we depend entirely on the support of donors like you. If you like what we do, please consider making a donation today. The Mentor Capital Network is a trade name of the William James Foundation, a registered 501(c)3 organization. All donations are tax-deductible. Please Donate to MCN Today |