Social Venture Institute

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2011 Social Venture Institute Program Agenda

Day 1:  Friday, November 18

10:30 AM Registration Opens

11:00 AM Welcoming Remarks

Leanne Kruger-Braneky, Jennifer Devor, Sustainable Business Network

11:30 AM Networking Exercise #1: “What Do You Do?”
Facilitator: Sharon Wilson, Wilson and Wilson, LLP

Create an effective elevator pitch by identifying key messaging about your business that you want to communicate when networking.

12:00 PM Buffet Lunch & Networking

1:00 PM True Confession Speaker #1
Glynn Lloyd, City Fresh Foods
Introduction by: Iola Harper, Sustainable Communities Initiative- West, SBN Board Co-chair

2:00 PM Networking Break

2:30 PM Breakout Sessions (Attendees choose one)

1. Creative Start-up Financing (early track)
Educational Value: Learn how much money you really need to start your business and how to access a range of funding providers.

Panelists:        Heather Hanowitz, FINANTA
                       Carol Carr, Women's Opportunities Resource Center
                       Peter A. Bucci, Valley Green Bank
                       Gabriel Mandujano, Wash Cycle Laundry
                       Moderator: Tatiana Granados, Common Market Philadelphia
 

2. Telling Your Story (all tracks)
Educational Value: Learn how to create and share the personal story of your business to attract customers, funders and partners.

Facilitators:     Orly Zeewy, Brand Identity Consultant
                        Iola Harper, Sustainable Communities Initiative- West, SBN Board Co-chair
 

3. Creating Company Culture (advanced track)
Educational Value: Learn how to retain your employees and have fun doing it!

Panelists:        Neil Young, Re:Vision Architecture
                       Marc Vettori, Dansko
                       Colleen Bracken, Bracken Leadership Concepts
                       Moderator: Bernadine Hawes, Delaware Valley Industrial Resource Center
 

3:30 PM Networking Break

4:00 - 4:45 PM Taking Sustainability to the Next Level (all tracks)
Educational Value: Learn how to maximize your Triple Bottom Line of People, Planet and Profit.

Panelists:         Barrie Litzky, Penn State Great Valley
                        Elizabeth Gunman, Strategy Arts
                        Hardik Salvia, B Lab
                        Moderator: Sandra Jacob, Sustainable Business Network
 

5:00 PM Small Business Report Release
SBN spent a year talking to over 100 local small businesses about how to make it easier to do business in the City of Philadelphia. Be the first to hear our recommendations at the release of “Taking Care of Business: A Study of Philadelphia’s Small Business Climate.”

6:00 PM Networking Reception

7:30 PM End of Day 1
 

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Day 2: Saturday, November 19

8:00 AM Registration Opens and Buffet Breakfast Begins

8:30 Networking Exercise #2: "Learning From Each Other"
In these economic times, networking may be one of the most important skills a professional can possess. Networking is not about being a "smooth talker," it is about knowing how to genuinely connect with people. It is about being more concerned about what you can give than what you can get.

Facilitator:        Ellen Ely of Ely Enterprises

9:30 AM True Confession Speaker #2
Paul Saginaw, Zingerman's Community of Businesses

Introduction by: Lindsay Gilmour, Organic Planet Handcrafted Foods, SBN Board Co-chair

10:30 AM Networking Break

11:00 AM Breakout Sessions (Attendees choose one)

1. Employee vs. Independent Contractor (advance track)
Educational Value: The differences you need to know about hiring, tax implementations and legality.

Panelists:          Monica Hennessy, Montgomery, McCracken, Walker & Rhoads, LLP
                         Richard Furlong, Internal Revenue Service, Small Business and Self-Employed Division
                         Chris Wink, Technically Philly
                         Moderator: Arun Prabhakaran, Urban Affairs Coalition
 

2. Navigating the New Social Network (all tracks)
Educational Value: Learn about promoting (and sometimes defending!) your brand online using Yelp, LevelUp, FourSquare and more.

Panelists:          Jenna Flateman, LevelUp
                          Dr. Kayo Higashimura, Hana & Posy
                          Nicole Newman, Newman Networks
                          Mandy Fleisher Nace, Pennsylvania State Education Association
                          Moderator: Rubi Wiswall, Web-wis-dom
 

3. The Art of Giving Great Customer Service: How Zingerman’s Treats Customers Like Royalty (all tracks) 

Educational Value: Zingerman’s has set the standard for great customer service in the specialty foods industry. This success has come from combining an innovative service philosophy with practical working systems, all of which ZingTrain will share in this workshop.

Facilitator: Paul Saginaw, Zingerman’s Community of Businesses Volunteer
 

12:00 PM Buffet Lunch and Networking Break

1:00 PM Case Study: Urban Ecoforms  

Educational Value: Urban Ecoforms will receive advice and valuable feedback from expert panelists and an audience of fellow entrepreneurs relating to their challenges with Business Growth and Mergers and Acquisition.

Panelists:           Orly Zeewy, Brand Identity Consultant
                          Ginny Vanderslice, Praxis Consulting Group, Inc.
                          Moderator: Deborah Schoenbaum, Social Venture Network

2:15 PM True Confession Speaker #3
MaryAnne Howland, Ibis Communications

Introduction by: Deborah Schoenbaum, Social Venture Network

3:00 PM Networking Break

3:00 PM Lessons Learned: Conference Reflection
Educational Value: How to take what you've learned today and apply it to your business.

Facilitator: Jennifer Devor, Sustainable Business Network

4:00 PM Closing Remarks

4:30 PM End of Conference

[Please note that this agenda is not final and may change between now and the event.]

 

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