Updated INSEAD Social Entrepreneurship Conference Overview - April 25+26th in Madrid!

The 2013 INSEAD-International Social Entrepreneurship Conference taking place in Madrid on 25-26 April is fast approaching. 

Together with our partners at Fundación Banesto and Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM) we have assembled an exciting programme. Additional major speakers have been confirmed, compelling workshops and roundtables have been organised and a broad range of cases, presentation, pitches and "hot spot" discussion tables have been added to the programme.

Major speakers include:

• Jose Luis Montes of Wikihapiness (Spain)
• Anant Kumar, founder of LifeSpring Hospitals (India)
• Gladys & Lawrence Kalema-Zikusoka, founder & CEO of Conservation Through Public Health (Uganda)
• Mridul Chowdhury, founder & CEO of mPower Health (Bangladesh)
• Hillary Miller-Wise, TechnoServe-Africa & Grameen Technology Center (South Africa) 
• Gonzalo Fanjul Suárez, researcher and author of El Pais 3500 millones blog (Spain)
• Marcela Benítez, founder & CEO of Respondé (Argentina)
• Dr. Iman Bibars director Ashoka-Arab World (Egypt)
• Carlos Mataix, Director, Centre de Innovación en Tecnología para el Desarrollo Humano (UPM) (Spain)
• Antonella Broglia, TEDx-Madrid & Ashoka (Spain)

Online registration is now open. Go to: the INSEAD Social Entrepreneurship web site for complete information or directly to Register.

For questions or further information please contact:  Hans Wahl, Director of the INSEAD Social Entrepreneurship Programme (ISEP). 

The Conference and Its Aims
Annually, the graduates of INSEAD’s renowned Social Entrepreneurship Executive Education Programme (ISEP) organise a conference to advance knowledge of the field, promote an exchange of experience, and facilitate the growth of social entrepreneurship. Prior conferences have been held in Lisbon, Dublin, Paris, Istanbul, Berlin, and Jakarta. In 2013 INSEAD, Fundación Banesto, and Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), are joining together to host the event in Madrid with the aim of bringing together leaders of social enterprise, business and education to address some of the most challenging issues of our time. While the conference itself is a venue for an exchange of knowledge and practice, it serves as a foundation for an on-going collaboration among the partners to advance research, education and innovation through a worldwide network.

Conference Theme
The conference will focus on Technology, Innovation and Social Change to build business for a better world. Businesses are looking for new opportunities of tapping into the resourcefulness, dynamism, and skills of social entrepreneurs. Many seek to become partners in addressing social cultural and economic interests of our time rather than simply extract profit. Similarly, in all parts of the world social entrepreneurs are creating innovative market-based solutions but are consistently challenged to scale them up to a point where they reach a broad audience. The conference and surrounding events will create a setting for leaders of the next generation to address these issues through a compelling, engaging and collaborative series of discussions.

The Hosts
The Fundación Banesto is one of Spain’s most innovative and engaged practitioners of “active philanthropy”; the practice of leveraging charity for a deep and sustained social impact. Universidad Politécnica de Madrid is one of Europe’s leading research and academic centres. Together with its “Institute for Innovation and Technology for Development” are committed to applying its renowned technical and scientific expertise and resources to address persistent and unmet needs in Spain and globally.

Housed in one of the world’s leading business schools, INSEAD’s work on Social Entrepreneurship is renowned world-wide for efforts to apply top-level business practices and market principles to unmet social needs. With social entrepreneurship program offers in both Fontainebleau and Singapore, it has built a global network of more than 400 social entrepreneurs in over 40 countries that serves as a foundation of leading-edge research and education. Together, they bring a wide range of expertise to generate
new and practical solutions to the challenges facing Spain, Europe and the world at large.

Structure of the events:
The two-day conference will take place at Universidad Politécnica de Madrid and bring together business leaders, social entrepreneurs, and scientists with the aim of examining key innovation challenges for building a better world, including an analysis of the relevant technologies and business models for impact. Participants will include local, regional and international leaders working together in a vibrant exchange of theory and practice aimed at practical and sustainable solutions.
♦ Thematic workshops will examine five core themes facing business and society. They will examine principles, best practices and innovations related to healthcare, education, agriculture & rural communities, energy, and gender, women & economic empowerment.
♦ Plenary speakers will establish a framework for the discussion, pose questions and present the challenges facing the field of social enterprise.
♦ Panel presentations will bring leading thinkers of business, science and technology, and academics to examine social innovation from their distinctive perspectives.
♦ Micro-breakout sessions and Hot Spots provide an informal venue for people to connect and network to tap into each other’s experience and activities.
♦ Lunch, coffee breaks and receptions will offer abundant opportunities for participants to meet, network, and collaborate.
♦ Related events and activities will include a social venture competition, site visits, master class, displays, exhibitions, and demonstration, and a reunion.

Conference Target Audience
1) Advanced social entrepreneurs/practitioners including ISEP’s international network, Ashoka, Schwab, and leading practitioners from Spain and the region;
2) Corporate/private sector leaders with interest in promoting sustainability, CSR, social entrepreneurship from a business perspective to enhance innovation and grow;
3) Practitioners and academics interested in applying science and technology to addressing the compelling social, economic and environmental needs of our time;
promoting and enhancing an environment in which social entrepreneurship can thrive for the broader benefit of society;
4) Investors, donors and supporters with general or specific interests in the topic and contributing to the process of building sustainable business for a better world.