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Social Enterprise Certificate Program (with the University of Illinois at Chicago)

Among Social Enterprise Chicago’s early initiatives is the Social Enterprise Certificate program co-developed with the University of Illinois at Chicago. Launched in the of Spring 2019, the program runs twice a year, bringing together social entrepreneurs and socially impactful leaders and business students, from the community and beyond, in a highly successful 16-week program.

SocEntChi will run two incubators per year, one that starts in the spring and another in the fall.  While the number in each cohort will vary, we are targeting early-stage social enterprises for the spring session and social enterprises who are ripe to scale in the fall session.  The cohorts will receive coaching, mentorship, and business templates from the board members and the partners of SocEntChi.  

SocEntChi will also help the cohort market their businesses and connect them to others in SocEntChi's network.

At the end of every cohort, SocEntChi will facilitate and host a pitch competition with the current cohort and invite other social enterprises to partake.  There will be three rounds of competition with cash prizes going to first, second and third place.  There will also be an audience choice award.

  We will be recruiting judges from local businesses, philanthropy, government, and NFP leaders.

More information to come.