Enjoy Photos from UCLA Anderson’s 2017 Impact Week, Purpose + Profit
By Margaret Bliss
What makes a great social impact project? Now that I have an idea I think solves a problem, how do I present it to the world? How do I get others involved with my pro-social business?
Those were a few of the questions entrepreneurs were asking during UCLA Anderson’s annual Impact Week, particularly at the all-day Impactathon workshop held in collaboration with Innov8Social marketing consultancy. For answers, attendees looked to invited speakers who included Somya Munjal, founder of Youthful Savings; Andrew McDowell, founder of With Love Market and Café; Kaitlin Mogentale, founder of Pulp Pantry; and Innov8Social founder Neetal Parekh. In a nutshell, they seemed to agree, social impact is a niche that improves a community and actually makes a difference in the lives of those it touches.
Among Impactathon attendees’ primary goals was learning how best to tell their story. GOOD strategist Andy Morris introduced approaches and techniques from the South Africa-based Red Bull Amaphiko Storytelling Lab as an exemplar that “assists entrepreneurs in achieving their goals of effecting positive social change in their communities.”
Morris began by asking participants to write a one-minute movie trailer that explained their idea in a marketable way. Next, those running the storytelling lab identified the differences between telling the story and the story itself. Through these exercises, attendees learned how to narrow down a story, incorporate into it the people they think can be of help, and understand when is the best time and where is the best place to tell the story.
The next steps involved working in teams to develop a pitch based on an individual’s idea for a social impact project that would then be presented to a panel of judges. This hackathon was meant to incorporate the information participants found valuable during the Red Bull Amaphiko Storytelling Lab and combine it with a set of key points that would bring investors into their story, help the idea gain traction and provide an opportunity to seek financial support.
Entrepreneur Anna Bulbrook took first place in the pitch competition — and for good reason: She employed the steps outlined in the storytelling lab to pitch her social impact project, GIRLSCHOOL, an annual music festival in Los Angeles that allows women-led bands to headline and get promoted. She said she recognized the need to provide more opportunities for females in the music industry, and GIRLSCHOOL gives girls and women a chance to perform behind-the-scenes jobs in music that are often associated with or go to their male counterparts. The organization gives 100 percent of its profits from ticket sales to other organizations that also help impact girls’ lives. During her pitch Bulbrook successfully made a case for the funding she was seeking from the judges, which was instrumental in transforming her idea into a reality and a key factor in her winning the pitch competition.
The entire day was organized like a retreat where people could expand ideas, build lasting connections with other entrepreneurs and UCLA alumni, and make a positive contribution through their business venture. Open to anyone in the entrepreneurial community, the Impactathon was UCLA Anderson’s own way of “giving back” and meeting a need in Los Angeles, on campus and beyond.
A friend was actually working on a project to help spur and develop innovative research amongst UCLA students (and beyond!). http://grantstarters.com
Posted by: Chalrey Meek | 05/16/2017 at 04:39 PM