Meet These Social Entrepreneurs On Stage at SOCAP23
Social entrepreneurs focusing on education services are building connections and incorporating technology to broaden learning and employment opportunities. In the SOCAP23 Entrepreneur Program, this includes innovative education services that provide a space for Black women in STEM, transform how people think and handle waste, and use the power of performing arts to help children thrive.
With their business models and sustainable solutions for education services, the SOCAP23 Entrepreneur Program cohort members featured in this article are tackling social and environmental challenges around the globe. In the months leading up to SOCAP23, these innovators participate in six months of virtual programming, learn from one another, and get access to investor connections. The entrepreneurs selected this year — meet them in our lookbook — will share their solutions to pressing social, cultural, and environmental issues at SOCAP23, when they will pitch their ideas on the main stage.
Below we share more about seven entrepreneurs making a difference in education. Register for SOCAP23 to hear more from them and others in the Entrepreneur Program bringing innovative solutions around the globe to scale.
Nyamekye Wilson, Black Sisters in STEM
North America
Black Sisters in STEM (Black SiS) is on a mission to unleash the global brilliance of Gen Z Black Women by reinventing their journey toward STEM-based careers. They are building and upskilling the largest talent marketplace of Black Gen Z women to systematically address the racial wealth gap and create generational socio-economic growth.
If you had to sum up the impact you create in the world in a one-sentence tagline, what would it be?
Unleashing the global brilliance of Gen Z Black Women by reinventing their journey towards STEM-based careers.
What is your call to action for the SOCAP community?
Let’s unleash the global brilliance of Black women together.
What, specifically, are you looking for in terms of funding?
We are looking for $750,000 in grant capital to build the largest skill-based talent marketplace of Black Gen Z women powered by AI.
Jamila Mayanja, Smart Girls Uganda
Africa
Smart Girls Uganda has a vision of a nation where girls have self-esteem and the ability to make decisions that create visionary change. Each year, they train and support 150-200 young girls and women in economic programs and train 20-30 peer educators to lead community development initiatives.
If you had to sum up the impact you create in the world in a one-sentence tagline, what would it be?
Successful empowerment of women and girls to live a healthy and economically sustainable lifestyle.
What is your call to action for the SOCAP community?
Create gender equity and equality in non-traditional STEM trades to help eradicate poverty among vulnerable women.
What, specifically, are you looking for in terms of funding?
We are looking for a grant of $300,000 to $500,000 to scale our work by building a girls’ vocational university and reaching 100,000 adolescent girls with our Solar Smart bag.
Rennis Joseph, Ignis Careers Private Limited
Asia and South Pacific
Ignis promotes life skills, STEM and English skills among under-served communities in India. They work with governments, low-income private schools, colleges and non-profits to address the educational crisis of the meaningless culture of learning by rote and imbibe in learners meta-learning skills in order to become employable. English skills enable them to access information as well as reach out to a wider job market, helping them break the cycle of poverty.
If you had to sum up the impact you create in the world in a one-sentence tagline, what would it be?
Participatory and purposeful learning to help people break intergenerational cycles of poverty.
What is your call to action for the SOCAP community?
Integrate life skills for a student-centric education.
What, specifically, are you looking for in terms of funding?
We are looking to raise $600,000. We aim to raise $250,000 of this in grant capital to enhance our services through a hybrid digital model. We are open to grants and bridge funding to develop STEM as well as to launch our online learning tools.
Hannah Töpler, Intrare
Latin America and Caribbean
Intrare makes the job market inclusive: for refugees, members of the LGBTIQ+ community, single mothers, and other diverse talent suffering discrimination and exploitation in Mexico. Their marketplace leverages diversity-optimizing AI to support and match each individual to the best opportunities with inclusive companies. They empower employers to create truly inclusive workplaces through leadership, culture and inclusion training.
If you had to sum up the impact you create in the world in a one-sentence tagline, what would it be?
Giving refugees, single moms, LGBTIQ+ and other diverse folks access to fair employment with the power of AI.
What is your call to action for the SOCAP community?
Let’s make the job market inclusive for all with the power of AI! Refugees, indigenous people, single moms, LGBTIQ+ and people with disabilities suffering exploitation and discrimination will finally be given a fair shot.
What, specifically, are you looking for in terms of funding?
We are looking for $1M USD in grant capital to expand our user acquisition and improve our platform for users and clients in Mexico and expand to Colombia. We are looking to connect with large grant givers that provide trust-based, result-based, or traditional grants. Additionally, we are interested in connecting with angel investors.
Sian Cuffy Young, Siel Environmental Services Limited
Latin America and Caribbean
Siel Environmental is a social enterprise based in Trinidad and Tobago that specializes in waste management education and training. Their mission is to transform the way you think and act toward waste. Siel Environmental is addressing a lack of systematic behavioral and educational programs in waste management at all levels.
If you had to sum up the impact you create in the world in a one-sentence tagline, what would it be?
Transforming the way you think and act towards waste.
What is your call to action for the SOCAP community?
Let’s change the way we educate about waste and learn from a sense of wonder! Make waste SEXY again!
What, specifically, are you looking for in terms of funding?
We are looking for $800,000 in grant capital which will enable us to launch a national campaign on food loss and waste in Trinidad and Tobago, develop additional tools and resources, and enter new markets.
Jigyasa Labroo, Slam Out Loud
Asia and South Pacific
Slam Out Loud (SOL) is a non-profit organization that uses the transformational power of performing and visual arts to build Social Emotional Learning (SEL) in children from under-resourced communities in India. They do this by placing artists in classrooms and training teachers and facilitators to deliver their arts-based SEL curriculum.
If you had to sum up the impact you create in the world in a one-sentence tagline, what would it be?
Using the power of visual and performing arts to enable children to develop the skills they need to thrive.
What is your call to action for the SOCAP community?
Make creative education accessible to all children, so they have safe spaces to find their voice.
What, specifically, are you looking for in terms of funding?
We are looking for $450,000 in grant capital to run a national behavior change campaign for waste (featuring food waste) and to develop additional tools and resources
Htet Shwe, MYEO
Asia and South Pacific
MYEO (Myanmar Youth Empowerment Opportunities) is an impact-driven education technology company working to equip youths with skills to become valuable members of the workforce and community. Over 70,000 youths have subscribed to the learning and opportunities chatbot, which provides access to quality online education and hundreds of jobs, internships, and scholarship opportunities.
If you had to sum up the impact you create in the world in a one-sentence tagline, what would it be?
Empowering the capability of human potential for a more equitable world.
What is your call to action for the SOCAP community?
Equitable access to personalized education and opportunities.
What, specifically, are you looking for in terms of funding?
We are looking for $1 million in grant capital to educate 100,000 youths in Myanmar with critical resilience skills.
