Early stage social entrepreneurs who are seeking support to transform their visionary ideas into similarly powerful tools to generate social impact, deepen civic engagement, and bring about empowerment and sustainable change within their communities and beyond. Create your own support group that will help you pilot, launch or take to the next level your vision of social impact by navigating together with you the journey of entrepreneurship, and finding answers to the challenges that every budding change maker is facing. SEED Lab is designed to tap the deep reservoir of unrecognized talent within marginalized and under-served communities and support their efforts to identify and develop pioneering paths out of inherited problems that have buried and muffled those voices.
Created in partnership with the Caravanserai Project.
Designed For
- Early stage social entrepreneurs with an innovative solution for any issue
- Early stage mission-driven ventures that are innovative, with potential for impact and a good business model
- Priority given to Southern California based entrepreneurs/ventures
What You'll Learn
- Refine your vision and mission and develop an in-depth understanding of the sector.
- Better understand your beneficiaries, potential partners, competition, other stakeholders.
- Develop a solid business plan that will reflect your social mission and vision and ensure your financial sustainability.
- Pilot your idea or take an already exiting proof of concept to the next level.
- Enhance your pitching skills, branding and messaging.
- Build a strategy around measuring and monitoring your impact.
- Access a wide network of mentors, community leaders, successful social entrepreneurs and captains of various industries and potential funders.
- Learn about various opportunities that will help you increase your impact.
What You Can Do With This Program
- Turn your idea into a sustainable organization
- Grow your organization and scale its impact
- Transform your passion for social good into a professional career
Program Information
- Application Deadline: September 15, 2020
- Cohort Announcement: October 1, 2020
- Program Start: October 2020
- Graduation: May 2021
Eligibility Requirements
Individuals
- Applicant must be over 18 years old, with a good command of the English language.
- Must hold a decision-making role in the venture.
- Able to commit to an 8-month intensive program.
- Applicant must be based in the United States; Caravanserai Project does not sponsor American work permits for any foreign nationals.
Ventures
- Must be the original idea of the applicant(s), in its start-up phase.
- Nonprofits, for-profits, or hybrids are welcome to apply. The venture does not need to be registered to apply.
- Does not only have to be run by one individual. Partners can apply to the program.
- It must be independent and autonomous. It cannot be under the management of another organization. The venture can have a fiscal sponsor.
Partnerships
- For ventures with multiple partners, only two founders may apply per organization.
- Both applicants within the partnership must meet all Applicant Eligibility requirements.
- A partner cannot be swapped for another during the program.
- Partnerships must submit a joint application for their project. Separate applications for the venture will not be considered.
Application Policies
- Submit your application online. Only applications submitted through the application website will be accepted. No exceptions!
- Additional information can be submitted if required.
- Applications can be reviewed if required by Caravanserai Project.
- Partnerships must submit a joint application for their project. Applicants who choose to apply as part of a partnership must complete one application together.
- Only two founders may apply per organization/project.
Scholarship Opportunity
Partial scholarships available through the Caravanserai Project. Application Deadline: Tuesday, September 15, 2020.