Share your ideas for a chance to take the stage at this year’s annual conference
At SOCAP, we believe in the power of diverse perspectives and collective wisdom to unlock capital for impact. SOCAP Open is at the heart of this ethos, inviting contributions from our dynamic and ever-growing community to shape the dialogue at our annual flagship event.
For more than a decade, SOCAP Open has provided a platform for our impact community to share their ideas and insights. With a history spanning 11 years, SOCAP stages have been the backdrop for more than 650 SOCAP Open sessions.
With planning well underway for SOCAP24, we are excited to announce this year’s SOCAP Open will begin accepting submissions on February 15, 2024. Here, we share everything you need to know about the process.
What Is SOCAP Open?
We believe that to build a world we all want to live in, we must engage with a global and diverse audience. SOCAP Open offers our impact community the chance to submit session proposals to take place on the SOCAP24 stage. Ranging from a variety of formats, individuals and organizations have a chance to showcase their innovative ideas, delve into finding impactful solutions to urgent problems, and open conversations about pressing issues.
Why SOCAP Open?
Our mission revolves around unlocking capital for impact, and to achieve this, we must hear from a wide array of voices. While curated content and partnerships play a significant role, SOCAP Open ensures that one-third of our conference content is community-contributed. It serves as a vital platform to showcase perspectives that might otherwise go unnoticed.
Who Does SOCAP Open Prioritize?
SOCAP Open prioritizes voices that bring fresh insights — long-time practitioners, newcomers, individuals who have not yet had an opportunity to share on a SOCAP stage, and those sparking innovative and challenging discussions. By providing a platform for these unheard voices, we aim to amplify new, critical, and potentially investable challenges and opportunities.
Amplifying Underrepresented Voices
Designed to be an inclusive opportunity, SOCAP Open ensures that underrepresented, under-resourced, and new voices are amplified at our flagship conference. Speakers from selected sessions will not only get the opportunity to showcase their expertise and knowledge at SOCAP24 but registration costs (market value of $2,500) will be covered by our Speaker Access Fund, thanks to the generosity of our partners.
How Can You Contribute?
As you prepare your SOCAP Open submission, consider the following:
- Elevate emerging and underrepresented issues, challenges, and opportunities.
- Showcase investable solutions addressing critical challenges.
- Foster inclusivity, diversity, and a global perspective.
- Introduce healthy controversy and challenge echo chambers.
- Equip others to replicate successful approaches.
- Encourage innovative thinking—ideas that directly engage audiences.
- Explore overlooked topics in the impact world that demand attention.
- Review SOCAP24’s Theme and Tracks to ensure alignment.
SOCAP Open 2024 Timeline
- February 15: SOCAP Open Launches
- March 15: SOCAP Open Submissions Close (no late submissions will be processed)
- March 26: First-round submissions review and cut; session organizers not selected will be notified (see below for criteria)
- March 28 through April 14: Community voting
- Week of April 15: Second sessions review and cut; session organizers not selected will be notified
- Week of June 10: Final selection and session cut takes place; all session organizers will be notified
- June 10 through June 21: Calibration calls with all selected session organizers
- June 24: Final resubmission of selected sessions with agreed changes and updates due
- July 8: Selected sessions announced
Please visit our SOCAP Open guidelines page for additional information on our selection process and timeline in preparation for your session submission.
If you want to secure content at SOCAP24, a partnership might be right for you. Get in touch with our Executive Director of Partnerships, Tova Lobatz, here to learn more.
Let’s shape the future of impact together!
