Welcome to the Pure Michigan Social Entrepreneurship Challenge, the nation's first state-wide competition in social entrepreneurship!
Individuals and teams will have until April 10 to submit an initial application as a New Idea or Emerging Company. Applicants will then have access to coaches and special events to support the preparation of their final submission before the May 20, 2013 deadline.
What is a Social Entrepreneur? A social entrepreneur is someone who seeks to solve a difficult social problem through a sustainable business model.
Upon clicking Register Now, you will be taken to the GLEQ site where you can enroll as:
New Idea - If you are exploring and developing a new idea AND are pre-revenue.
Emerging Company – If you have a legal entity AND are already, or on the verge of, generating revenue.
Upon enrolling as a New Idea or Emerging Company, be sure to check the box -
"Yes! Include my venture in the Pure Michigan Social Entrepreneurship Challenge"
As a participant in The Social Entrepreneurship Challenge, you will be asked to submit the following documents at GLEQ.org
New Idea Executive Summary (max 5 pages): the outline for this document is detailed in GLEQ's New Business Idea Submission Guidelines above
Emerging Company Business Plan (max 12 pages): the outline for this document is detailed in GLEQ's Emerging Company Submission Guidelines.
Social Impact Statement (1 page):
Click here for a recorded podcast training on the five points to be addressed in your social impact statement.
After your team has been registered, the Team Leader has until May 20 5pm ET to upload two documents to their GLEQ account page, including (1) executive summary or business plan and (2) social impact statement.
Submit Now
Note: You will need your GLEQ username and password.
Emerging Company Category:
1st place: $20,000; 2nd Place: $15,000; 3rd place: $5,000
New Idea Category:
1st place: $5,000; 2nd Place: $3,000; 3rd Place: $2,000
Community Ventures Prize:
One $25,000 prize to a venture impacting structural unemployment in Detroit, Flint, Pontiac or Saginaw.
Honorary 'Spirit of Social Entrepreneurship Award'
Sponsored by
Consumers Energy and THAW are seeking scalable solutions that encourage reductions in energy use and development of tools to foster energy affordability within low-income communities.
$10,000
$5,000
Sponsored by
The Millennial Prize for Social Innovation will award a millennial entrepreneur (young adult born between the years 1976 and 1996) who demonstrates promise for bringing about positive change in Michigan through a sustainable business model.
The award is a $3,000 cash prize.
Sponsored by
For additional information, on the variety of awards available through The Challenge, click here.
Training webinars and virtual office hours will offer participating entrepreneurs best practices and guidance around the key elements of a strong submission to The Challenge. Click here for access to a Q&A between Challenge participants and the Michigan Corps Team based on the trainings.
Join a first of its kind opportunity to dialogue with leading experts in the impact investing space.
Mark your calendars! Attend the state's first Social Entrepreneurship Showcase on June 18th, 2013 at the James B. Henry Center in Lansing, MI as part of the annual Entrepreneur Connect. Join us to hear Social Entrepreneurship Challenge finalists pitch their ideas to you - the public - and a panel of judges from 3:15 - 5pm. We also invite you to join a conversation on social impact investing from 1 - 2:45pm. Click HERE to review the event's full agenda. REGISTER TODAY.
Click here to view a calendar of upcoming events.
Sponsored by
Michigan Corps, in partnership with Great Lakes Entrepreneurs' Quest (GLEQ) and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), is launching the nation's first state-wide Social Entrepreneurship Challenge, beginning in Michigan! Michigan has already begun to emerge as an open launch pad for a new kind of social innovation and entrepreneurship. The Challenge will catalyze a movement of social entrepreneurs that are sustained by best practices, resources, and one another.
Great social entrepreneurs apply entrepreneurial principles to address social, environmental and human justice issues, generate revenue through the sale of products and/or services, and indicate a readiness to trade off financial gain to achieve goals related to the improvement of the environment, humanity and/or community. Click here to learn more about the defining characteristics of a great social entrepreneur!
We invite those interested in coaching social entrepreneurs to review GLEQ's coaching guidelines. You may register as a coach with GLEQ and check the 'Social Entrepreneurship' box in your areas of industry experience.
Questions? Suggestions? We'd love to hear from you! Email us at info@michigancorps.org
Founding Partners
