Spark Workshop with Donnel Baird '13, BlocPower
BlocPower
Area: Poverty Alleviation & Economic Development
The Innovation: BlocPower markets and finances solar and energy efficiency retrofits to churches, schools, nonprofits and small businesses in America's underserved communities--and hires local low income people to do it. BlocPower's online platform connects philanthropic investors to project microfinance opportunities.
Session Questions: During this workshop I would like attendees to provide feedback and withering criticism on the theory of BlocPower's online crowdsourced investment platform as well as BlocPower's microfinance risk model. Does that make sense? We want to learn how to do for energy efficiency what DonorsChoose.org and Kiva have done for public education and microfinance respectively. I would also like help around thinking about subprime energy efficiency lending.
Spark provides Social Innovators with an opportunity to explore resources, connections and potential solutions to help their social ventures, by tapping the collective knowledge within Columbia University, and the larger entrepreneurial and social impact community in the New York area and beyond. This workshop is open to all who are willing to bring their ideas, experience, and connections to help solve social and environmental challenges that these social innovators aim to address. |
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If you are unable to attend the above events but would like more information on Spark, please register for our mailing list.
For more information, or if you would like to suggest a future Spark workshop, please contact Diana Rambeau at ddr2121@columbia.edu.
This event is supported by the Social Enterprise Program, the Eugene Lang Entrepreneurship Center and the Social Enterprise Club at Columbia Business School.
United States