ForSE 2008

I had the good fortune of attending ForSE 2008, the forum for Social Entrepreneurs. on Friday October 10th at Boston University School of Management. It was a great opportunity for open discussion about creating viable partnerships between funders and programs interested in social outcome enterprises that can become sustainable. There were some great examples of projects. Alex Chisholm, Executive Director and Founder of Learning Games Network, for example, spoke about the underlying desire for creativity that is fostered in gaming, and that practice in being creative..... designing your own solutions within limitations is a fundamental component of mastering the creative processes. The more you do the more you want to do....

Julie Nesson, Case Presenter of her Young Entrepreneurs Alliance, helped to describe the conflicts that hands on program managers feel when they look at how to grow a social enterprise from an idea piloted successfully to thinking about building a branded and regional or national program. Some great discussions and ideas were put forward. One of the most compelling arguments centered around defining the value proposition of the organization. Is it about relationship building on an individual mentoring level that will make changes possible for young people and if so, can packaging curriculum and franchising based on that package bring the core program to scale?

These were wonderful discussions that couldn't have been more appropriate to HOME's mission and work with young people and schools. If we are going to reach young people on a large scale, the model must incorporate the kind of culture that fosters creativity, and opens doors of opportunity that would otherwise remain closed. Shaping Media can certainly shape many lives as long as the media is out there, in the community and making a difference on many levels.

More thoughts to come! What do you think?