This is the second part of a two-part series that provides a deeper look into the importance of social innovation and entrepreneurship and the inspiring students that are making change happen around the world. Click here to read the first part of this series.

It’s clear that the world needs positive change now. And, global events of the past century have pretty much discredited the prospects of “pure” capitalism and “pure” socialism. University students today want to find ways to revitalize the global economy without creating further damage to society and planet. They want to solve social and environmental problems with financially sustainable and scalable solutions.

With an additional $5 million investment from Dell, we are now building the largest global community of student social innovators and their supporters. On Jan 3, 2012 we launched our new online platform — to which are added more than 500 new profiles every day. We continue to grow the social innovation competition, and this year our target is 3,000 project entries. But, in the past twelve months we have added many more programs to foster long-term capacity building in social innovation.

One of our key initiatives is our University Partner Program in which we partner with universities around the globe to improve and expand social entrepreneurship education. This program is critical because as we looked at the data from our past entries, we saw that although 75% of our initial entries were coming from outside of the United States, fewer than 25% of them made it to the Semi-Finals. The discrepancy was often due to lack of resources. University students, particularly from developing countries, simply did not have access to courses in relevant topics, like management, finance, marketing, or entrepreneurship. Now our University Partner Program is focused on identifying best practices to support student social entrepreneurs, including sourcing the top syllabi, workshops, and student incubators from around the world.

Article source: http://www.forbes.com/sites/dell/2012/02/27/student-innovators-save-the-world-part-2/

BUTUAN CITY, Feb. 27 (PIA) — Amid the sweltering heat that enveloped the Gawad Kalinga (GK) Enchanted Farms in Brgy. Pagatpatan here, Marissa G. Burdeos and her bevy of partners still continued to be upbeat, knowing that buyers would later swarm her products such as deboned bangus and peanut butter.

Her gut feel was right for it did not take an hour of waiting when buyers, many of whom come from different line agencies of the government and other private partners, trooped to her “talipapa” and began purchasing her products.

Burdeos and her partners, who are all residents of the GAAM 2 of GK Pagatpatan, were happy with the turn of events. They believed that happy days would be here sooner and the entrepreneurship activity that they started in collaboration with the Father Saturnino Urios University (FSUU) would pick up.

FSUU trained them first and funded them afterwards, which they responded with labor as their counterpart.

In a bigger context, FSUU’s venture, dubbed as social entrepreneurship, is part of the GK Enchanted Farms’ rolling out, which was officially launched this day.

Based on the memo of agreement signed among several partners, the said social entrepreneurship venture is “in response to the call for nation building, promoting Filipino tradition by imbibing the Bayanihan Spirit, and the promotion of volunteerism and cooperation among partners to undertake the total development of individuals/families in communities considered the poorest of the poor and underprivileged.”

Victor Emmanuel A. Ozarraga, GK area coordinator for Caraga and Camiguin, shared during while the country is commemorating the EDSA People Power revolution, “we in the local context are doing the same also, but our version of the people power revolution is against poverty,” though this is not much in terms of economics, but in terms of behavior.

He further explained that in said venture, “we are combining two initiatives; we have vast lands that we still have to capitalize, and we need to build on our strengths” in furtherance of helping others help themselves, particularly the socially disadvantaged sector.

On the other hand, City Mayor Ferdinand M. Amante commented that “the GK Enchanted Farm is a venture that could be anchored on so many development challenges such as food security, disaster risk reduction, housing and relocation, climate change, moral recovery – to name a few – for us to be able to build a stronger society.”

GK is now in the second phase of the GK Vision 2024, where one of the main strategies is giving the best to the least through Designer LGUs and the promotion of Social Entrepreneurship through establishing of GK Village Universities with GK Enchanted Farms. (NCLM/PIA-Caraga/TESDA-Agusan del Norte)

Article source: http://www.pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?article=1701330307425

<!–enpproperty 2012-02-27 08:06:38.0Wu YiyaoUniversity plays key role in local societyUniversity plays key role in local society1161359Charity2@cndy/enpproperty–>

An ancient residential building in Ningbo. Quite a few of them in the city were built with donations from people born in Ningbo but now living overseas. Zhang Heping / for China Daily

NINGBO, Zhejiang – Since its establishment in 1986, Ningbo University has been supported by considerable donations and generous support from patriotic overseas Chinese people, including Yue-kong Pao, Run-run Shaw, Chao An Chung and Li Dak-sum.

Ningbo University is a dynamic, young and comprehensive educational establishment which covers teaching and research across a wide range of disciplines. It became one of the key institutions of higher education in Zhejiang province in 2000.

Located in Ningbo, a city of rich historic and cultural signifance, the university has benefited from thriving commercial activities and economic development. Ningbo University has five campuses, covering a total area of more than 160 hectares with floor space of some 560,000 square meters.

The main campus, which is off Ningzhen Road on the bank of the Yong River, offers a large space where students and researchers have easy access to equipment and facilities.

With donations and support from overseas Ningbo-native merchants and philanthropists, Ningbo University has been able to afford good facilities over the past two decades. The university’s library is now home to CNKI Network Administrative Service Center and has a collection of approximately 1.4 million books.

As many as 19 faculties and colleges offer 65 bachelor programs and 56 master’s programs. There are about 23,000 full-time undergraduate students and 700 in-residency postgraduates studying and conducting research at the university.

The university attaches considerable emphasis to contributing to local economic and social development. To achieve that goal, the university has adjusted and optimized its curriculum and research programs. As many as 13 province-level key academic disciplines and 11 municipal-level key disciplines bear distinct regional characteristics to improve the development of local industries.

The university thrives at scientific research, social sciences research and social services. Two province-level key laboratories, 12 municipal-level key laboratories and 77 institutes operate to contribute to the evolution of the city.

Entrepreneurship is highlighted in studies and research. The university has jointly established three engineering and technology centers hand-in-hand with local businesses, with academic research and industrial development working together.

The university maintains close cooperative relationships with some 50 world-famous higher-education institutions in Canada, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, the United States, Sweden, Japan, South Korea and Australia, and it also highlights cooperation and exchange programs with institutions and agencies in Hong Kong.

China Daily

(China Daily 02/27/2012 page22)

Article source: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/cndy/2012-02/27/content_14696883.htm

Until two years ago, each time Ponnumani Palanivel, a mentally challenged 19-year-old woman in Tamil Nadu’s Musiri village, wanted to use the bathroom, she waited until either her mother Sivakami, a wage labourer, or her father, a loader at construction sites, came home. They escorted her

outdoors because their 250 sq ft house in Tiruchirapalli district had no attached toilet.

Finally, in November 2009, Ponnumani’s father approached Guardian Micro-Finance Institute, a non-profit that provides money and logistical help for toilet construction in rural India. At around the same time, Bangalore-based Milaap, then a new online micro-finance company, approached the non-profit group to help it find a borrower for Rs 10,000.

Eventually, a month later, Palanivel constructed a toilet with Milaap’s money and Guardian Micro-Finance Institute’s assistance. “It’s gratifying when your efforts show results,” says Anoj Viswanathan, 24, one of Milaap’s two founders, whose ideas about social entrepreneurship took shape when he   worked in 2008 as an unpaid intern at a micro-finance company in Orissa.

“I had taken the year off to figure out what I wanted to do,” says Viswanathan, 24, who was then studying mechanical engineering at the National University of Singapore. “I knew I didn’t want to be an investment banker.”

Sourabh Sharma, 29, his partner and classmate, was drawn to micro-finance because he himself had benefited from an education loan. “My parents couldn’t afford an international university,” he says. So although he began his career by setting up a firm that made mobile applications, he sold it and joined hands with Viswanathan to start Milaap. “Beyond a point, how many photo-sharing applications can you make?” he asks.

Across India, the number of entrepreneur like Viswanathan and Sharma setting up businesses that serve the socially disadvantaged sector is rising. “As a society, we are averse to risk, and this is higher in the social sector,” says Shashank Rastogi, director of operations at the Indian Institute of Management’s Centre for Innovation Incubation and Entrepreneurship in Ahmedabad, set up in 2002. “But with the economy growing, this is changing.” It has funded 50 projects after 2008, up from 10 before that.

Last week, Muhammad Yunus, founder of the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh, said he had tied up with Rastogi’s centre to fund social entrepreneurs. He plans to begin by setting up a Rs 50 crore corpus for such projects.

Globally, so-called “impact investing”, whose focus is the social sector, is expected to grow to $1 trillion by 2015, from an estimated $400 billion now, said a study by JP Morgan and the Rockefeller Foundation in November 2010.

Milaap has already lent Rs 1 crore to 800 families in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Maharashtra. Its portal allows people to lend Rs 1,000 or more to borrowers it lists.

Lenders will get the principal, not the interest, which Milaap splits between itself and its partner, such as Guardian. And people like Palanivel live with more dignity than before.

Article source: http://www.hindustantimes.com/business-news/Features/India-s-new-change-makers/Article1-817115.aspx

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Feb 23, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) –
Students of the Harvard Business and Harvard Kennedy Schools are working
with Dell and the Dell
Social Innovation Challenge to present the 13th annual Social
Enterprise Conference, showcasing how social enterprise works to
create positive, sustainable change. Themed “Innovation, Inclusion,
Impact,” this year’s conference brings together global leaders to
discuss creating innovative solutions to the world’s social problems and
scaling them for real impact. This student-run forum on social
enterprise is on Saturday, Feb. 25 and Sunday, Feb. 26at the
Harvard Business School and the Harvard Kennedy School campuses.

Keynote speakers and special guests include:

* David Blood, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Generation Investment
Management, former CEO of Goldman Sachs Asset Management

* Dr. Judith Rodin, President of the Rockefeller Foundation and former
President of the University of Pennsylvania

* Lauren Bush, fashion model, designer, former Student Ambassador of the
UN World Food Programme, founder of FEED bags and related initiatives to
fight global hunger

* Vikram Akula, Founder and Chairman of SKS Microfinance

* Bill Drayton, Founder and CEO of Ashoka

More background on each of the 2012 keynote speakers can be found here.

The conference will also offer over 35 panels and workshops, covering
topics from social enterprise in China to American education reform.
Additional information including the details on special events including
the Career Fair, the Pitch for
Change business pitch competition, and the conference schedule can
be found on
http://socialenterpriseconference.org .

Quotes

Anthony Muljadi, Co-Chair of the Social Enterprise Conference

“Dell’s broad support has been integral in making this year’s Social
Enterprise Conference a success. Companies like Dell, which inspire and
foster aspiring social entrepreneurs, are instrumental in ensuring that
innovative solutions to social issues are both thought up and
effectively implemented.”

Trisa Thompson, Dell vice president of corporate responsibility

“At a time when business and social enterprise must work together to
solve the world’s most pressing social issues, Dell is fully dedicated
to supporting entrepreneurs to effect positive change. We are happy to
support the social enterprise work at Harvard and are committed to
supporting young social entrepreneurs in the Boston area and around the
world.”

About The Social Enterprise Conference

The Social Enterprise Conference is the leading annual symposium that
advances the practice and study of social entrepreneurship. In its 13th
year, the gathering of more than 1,500 participants has established an
impressive track-record for offering inspiring speakers, engaging
workshops, illuminating panels, and door-opening networking. Organized
by students from the Harvard Business School and the Harvard Kennedy
School of Government, the conference builds on topical knowledge
developed in the field, through academic study, and at similar events
throughout the year. This year’s theme, “Innovation, Inclusion, Impact,”
asks participants to find new ways to address social problems in a way
that makes a positive difference for all stakeholders.

About Dell

Dell


/quotes/zigman/27952/quotes/nls/dell DELL
+0.17%



listens to its customers and uses that insight to
make technology simpler and create innovative solutions that simplify
daily activities and help people stay entertained, connected and in
touch. Learn more at
www.dell.com .

SOURCE: Dell

        
        Dell Communications 
        Kari Sherrodd, +1-512-728 2835 
        Kari_Sherrodd@dell.com 
        or 
        Harvard Business School 
        Anthony Muljadi, +1-720-940-3794 
        amuljadi@mba2012.hbs.edu
        

Copyright Business Wire 2012

/quotes/zigman/27952/quotes/nls/dell

Add DELL to portfolio

DELL

Article source: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/harvard-business-and-harvard-kennedy-schools-along-with-dell-and-the-dell-social-innovation-challenge-present-social-enterprise-conference-2012-02-23

Lake Lambert, dean of Mercer’s College of Liberal Arts, said the college sees social entrepreneurship as “the cutting edge of nonprofit leadership, and that’s where we want to be.”

In the past, he said, most nonprofits were based on “a charity model,” an approach that has foundered since the Great Recession, leaving many nonprofits struggling for survival or folding. Even Chicago’s Hull House, founded in 1889 and arguably America’s pioneer social-service charity, closed with no notice last month.

Locally, the Middle Georgia Food Bank, the Salvation Army of Central Georgia and the Tubman African American Museum are among those that have struggled to continue to provide or expand services as donations drop.

But “one of the key parts of social entrepreneurship is it tries to harness market forces to do the public good,” Lambert said.

He cited the recent international trend toward offering micro-loans for poor people to start small businesses that help the community and allow them to support themselves. A local example is Historic Macon’s model of renovating historic homes, Lambert said.

“It’s more sustainable when you can develop your own sources of revenue, and you’re not living from grant to grant,” he said. “Givers want to know this as well: Am I creating a dependency, or is this more of a start-up fund?”

Mercer’s social entrepreneurship program will cross disciplines with classes in business, economics and students’ particular areas of social interest, such as global health or environmental policy.

The Bear’s Garage, an accompanying incubator for trying out these concepts, kicked off last week with visiting speaker Becca Stevens. Stevens, an Episcopal priest, founded Thistle Farms, a Nashville, Tenn., business that manufactures and sells handmade body care products. Its employees are women who have survived prostitution, sex trafficking and addiction, and its profits support a free program to provide housing and support for the women as they seek to lead healthy, sober lives.

Glennon said the Bear’s Garage concept comes from the image of an entrepreneur as “the guy who leaves his house and goes to his garage to build this project.”

Social entrepreneurship majors and Bear’s Garage participants will construct a business plan, write a portfolio and eventually even seek investors for their venture, Glennon said.

Gillian Ford, a sophomore from Camilla who is president of the Bear’s Garage, called it “a place for people from all majors and occupations to meet, discuss, create, plan and implement these ideas for positive change.”

Ford said she developed a passion for equality and fairness during years of mission trips to build houses, wells and other infrastructure in Costa Rica, Grenada, Honduras, and Guatemala.

“I would love to go back to any of those places and implement an enterprise,” said Ford, a social entrepreneurship major.

As an example of the types of projects the Bear’s Garage could tackle, Glennon pointed to Mercer University professor Ha Van Vo’s effort to build and deliver low-cost prosthetic limbs to amputees in Vietnam and other countries. Students could develop a self-sustaining business model that would enable Vo to make more and serve more people, Glennon said.

He also said he would like to see students work on the proposed expansion of the Ocmulgee National Monument into a national park and on setting up a model for a fresh air market featuring stalls of specialty products made close to Macon.

The program evolved from the college’s previous long-standing leadership and community service major, which is being phased out. Students already enrolled in that major can choose to finish it or to meet the requirements of the new social entrepreneurship major, said Glennon, who directs both programs.

He said about 13 students remain in the old program, and four are enrolled in social entrepreneurship, which kicked off quietly this fall.

Social entrepreneurship will also be offered as a minor, and the Bear’s Garage will be open to participation from students in all majors, Lambert said.

To contact writer S. Heather Duncan, call 744-4225.

Article source: http://www.macon.com/2012/02/25/1919433/new-mercer-social-entrepreneurship.html

TARRYTOWN, N.Y., Feb 24, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) –
Hitachi America, Ltd., a subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd. located in Tarrytown, NY, and Pace University’s Wilson Center for
Social Entrepreneurship are co-sponsoring a free, full-morning
education program for nonprofit and education organizations focused on
the role of technology in education and helping students reach their
full potential.

This year’s program is entitled “Inspired Education: Learning,
Teaching and Technology.” The program will explore the impact of
technology on education, how it has altered the way we teach and the way
the students learn. The
use of avatars in the role of virtual students is just one
technological innovation that will be discussed. Pace University is one
of only 10 universities nationwide to use the TeachLivE avatar lab
technology, which immerses future teachers in a simulated classroom
where they practice making real-time decisions in response to the
dynamic features of classroom learning. Similar to the way pilots use
simulators to hone their skills, the avatars help future teachers
practice managing a classroom and students with various personalities
and challenges before being in a live classroom. The forum will also
explore how technology has both narrowed and widened the gap between
affluent and low income students and how it is being employed to help
some students with special needs. Panelists include a professor from
Pace who is actively involved in the TeachLivE avatar lab, a curriculum
consultant, the administrator for a school that works specifically with
dyslexic children and the executive director of an education non-profit
organization in Yonkers.

The program will take place at Pace University’s Graduate Center located
in downtown White Plains, NY and will run from 10:00 am — 12:00 pm on
Wednesday, February 29, 2012. The campus is located at 1 Martine Avenue.
Registration and a light breakfast will begin at 9:00 am and the panel
discussion will begin at 10:00 am. Media admission by press pass.

Panelists include:

–
Wendy Nadel, Executive Director, Yonkers Partners in Education (
www.ypie.org )

–
Cathy Toohey, Curriculum Consultant, (
http://www.thetooheygroup.com/ )

–
Professor Joan Walker, School of Education, Pace University

–
Leslie Zuckerwise, Assistant Head, The Windward School (
http://www.thewindwardschool.org/home/home.asp )

The program is free, but advance registration is required due to limited
seating. Attendance is limited to members of nonprofit organizations.
Participants can register online at: Pace
University/Hitachi America, Ltd. Nonprofit Forum Registration

This is the fourth year that Hitachi America, Ltd. has spearheaded this
program and the third year that Pace University’s Wilson Center for
Social Entrepreneurship has served as a co-sponsor.

The Wilson Center for Social Entrepreneurship was created in 2005 to
serve the nonprofit community and Pace University. The Center provides
scholarly research, academic programs, advisory services and roundtable
discussions to encourage excellence and enhance managerial leadership
skills of professionals within the nonprofit sector.

“Educational programs that encourage thoughtful exploration of issues
surrounding nonprofit effectiveness and efficiency are at the core of
our mission at the Wilson Center,” said Rebecca Tekula, PhD, the
Center’s Executive Director. “We are proud to once again work with
Hitachi America, Ltd. on what promises to be an enlightening discussion
for the nonprofit, education and student communities.”

“We are excited to be sponsoring this educational program that will
engage participants in a discussion about the role of technology in
education,” said Lauren Raguzin, Director of Community Relations for
Hitachi America, Ltd. “I am appreciative of our continued partnership
with The Wilson Center for Social Entrepreneurship at Pace University in
putting this program together.”

About Hitachi America

Hitachi America, Ltd., headquartered in Tarrytown, New York, a
subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd., and its subsidiary companies, offers a
broad range of electronics, power and industrial equipment and services,
automotive products and consumer electronics with operations throughout
the Americas. For more information, visit
www.hitachi-america.us .
For information on other Hitachi Group companies in the United States,
please visit
www.hitachi.us .

Hitachi, Ltd., , headquartered in Tokyo, Japan,
is a leading global electronics company with approximately 360,000
employees worldwide. Fiscal 2010 (ended March 31, 2011) consolidated
revenues totaled 9,315 billion yen ($112.2 billion). Hitachi will focus
more than ever on the Social Innovation Business, which includes
information and telecommunication systems, power systems, environmental,
industrial and transportation systems, and social and urban systems, as
well as the sophisticated materials and key devices that support them.
For more information on Hitachi, please visit Hitachi’s website at
www.hitachi.com .

About the Wilson Center

The Helene and Grant Wilson Center for Social Entrepreneurship is an
institute of Pace University aiming to serve students and nonprofit
organizations by encouraging more effective and efficient nonprofit
management practices through research, colloquia and continuing
education programs. The Center was launched with a $5 million gift from
Helene and Grant Wilson, entrepreneurs and philanthropists whose
involvement with nonprofits has convinced them that entrepreneurial
management can help these organizations increase their impact.

About Pace University

For 104 years Pace University has produced thinking professionals by
providing high quality education for the professions on a firm base of
liberal learning amid the advantages of the New York metropolitan area.
A private university, Pace has campuses in New York City and Westchester
County, New York, enrolling nearly 13,000 students in bachelor’s,
master’s, and doctoral programs in its Lubin School of Business, Dyson
College of Arts and Sciences, Lienhard School of Nursing, School of
Education, School of Law, and Seidenberg School of Computer Science and
Information Systems.
www.pace.edu .

Visit us on the web: Pace.edu
| Facebook
| Twitter
| Flickr
| YouTube
Follow Pace students on Twitter: NYC
| PLV

SOURCE: Hitachi America, Ltd.

        
        Hitachi America, Ltd. 
        Lauren Raguzin, 914-333-2986 
        Lauren.Raguzin@hal.hitachi.com
        

Copyright Business Wire 2012

Article source: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/pace-university-and-hitachi-america-ltd-encourage-educators-to-take-a-technological-leap-forward-on-february-29-2012-2012-02-24

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It was a rainy, wet day in Manchester on Wednesday, 22 February 2012 but all was sunny inside the walls of the University of Manchester where the Employers Fair organised by the British Council’s Employers Fair was taking place.

United Energy Pakistan, in addition to other employers, were quoted saying they were extremely pleased with the quality of students they met at the university particularly from the Engineering departments. Many students were promised internships upon their return to Pakistan, which in many ways fulfilled one of the aims of this Fair.

In addition to University of Manchester, students and career advisors from five other neighboring universities including the University of Sheffiield, Manchester Metropolitan University, Cardiff University, University of Leeds, and University of Safford also travelled to attend the fair.

Apart from the fair itself the Career Advisors session and a talk on Social Entrepreneurship were also very successful.

The session where companies helped career and placement officers from universities understand their recruitment processes and skills sets they are looking for. This informative session on the Pakistani job markets and what student returning to Pakistan should expect, resulted in an interactive discussion between employers and Career Placement Officers.

The talk by Faraz Khan on ‘Social Entrepreneurship’ was vastly enjoyed by the students. Faraz spoke about three dreams people have: making money, bringing positive change, doing good and being your own boss, things that all make up the core of Social Entrepreneurship.

Next stop for the British Council Employers’ Fair  is University of Glasgow, where eight other universities from Scotland will also be visiting.

Article source: http://www.brecorder.com/home/events/ukit-career-fair-2012/top-news/47082-university-of-manchester-welcomes-british-councils-employers-fair-with-open-arms.html

Accelerating Entrepreneurship

Professor Madhukar Shukla of XLRI spoke at the 17th Poverty Environment Partnership Meeting

Jamshedpur: Dr Madhukar Shukla, professor, XLRI School of Business and Human Resources, Jamshedpur at the 17th Poverty Environment Partnership (PEP) Meeting in Orchha, Madhya Pradesh, spoke on the ‘Emerging Models of Social Entrepreneurship in India’, and pointed out that in India there exists an imperative need and huge opportunity for social entrepreneurial ventures. It was hosted by Development Alternatives and Society for Technology and Action for Rural Advancement (TARA) in partnership with ADB, BMZ and UN.

A significantly large proportion of rural population is geographically diverse, dispersed and lacks basic social infrastructure like access to road, education, healthcare, credit and banks, information and electrical grid posing a critical ‘Challenge of Aggregation’ to create a viable market unit. As a result the conventional ‘market-based models’ do not meet the needs of this underserved segment.

Dr Shukla also focused on business models innovated by Indian social entrepreneurs to meet the needs of this isolated yet large underserved segment. The Indian social entrepreneurs have designed their offerings in a manner, which becomes affordable for the poor and treat the poor as producers and not as a consumer. These business models aim to enhance the earning and livelihood opportunities for the poor, thus helping to bring them into the mainstream economy.

Dr Shukla was one of the key speakers amongst the other participant speakers who had come from across the globe to deal with the issues related to poverty eradication. Dr Shukla is also chairperson, Fr Arrupe Centre for Ecology Sustainability besides being professor of Organization Behavior Strategic Management at XLRI Jamshedpur with keen research and teaching interest in the development sector and social entrepreneurship sphere. 

He is also the member of the Advisory Council of University Network for Social Entrepreneurship (founded by Ashoka: Innovators for the Public and Skoll Center for Social Entrepreneurship, Oxford University).

The meeting was a valuable evaluation and an insight on entrepreneurial ventures in India and a guide to accelerate entrepreneurship from grass root levels.

Article source: http://educationtimes.com/educationTimes/CMSD/Newsroom/1/201202242012022414415542266381ac2/Accelerating-Entrepreneurship.html

Champaign County’s entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well.

Local inventors and innovators were honored at the 2012 Innovation Celebration held Monday evening at the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology. There were 10 awards given to recipients ranging from local business owners to up-and-coming entrepreneurs who contributed to and led in the economic development of Champaign County. The seventh annual event was sponsored by the Champaign County Economic Development Corporation, the University, Parkland College and other University offices and local businesses.

Guest speaker Lori Gold Patterson, president of the Urbana-based information technology and creative services company Pixo, began the night’s events by commenting on the state of entrepreneurship.

“Entrepreneurship has been one of the precious few bright spots in our gloomy economy,” she said. “Let us recognize the incredible innovative energies in our community and continue to support these efforts regardless of how small or big, how media-based or gearhead-ish, how local or international.”

The social entrepreneurship award was given to IntelliWheels, Inc. One project designed by the group, IntelliWheels Automatic Gear-Shift, assists wheelchair users when they are traversing tough terrain or going up an incline.

“We are new at this entrepreneurship game and it’s really nice to be honored in this type of way,” said co-founder Scott Daigle.

Daigle accepted the award while his partner, Marissa Siebel, briefly spoke to the audience from Tuscaloosa, Ala., via Daigle’s iPad.

“We have one of the most accessible universities in the country and we’re really proud to be a part of that,” he said. “This has been a really fun ride.”

Later in the ceremony, businessman Shahid Khan, owner of automobile parts manufacturer Flex-N-Gate, won the economic development impact award for his contributions to the Champaign and Urbana communities.
Khan was born in Pakistan but moved to Champaign to study mechanical engineering at the University, where he graduated in 1971. After purchasing Flex-N-Gate in 1980, he built the company and continues to operate it with 12,450 employees and 50 manufacturing plants in the United States, for a revenue of $3 billion in 2011.

Khan is responsible for recent campus construction such as the $10 million Khan Annex to Huff Hall and the Khan outdoor tennis complex. He recently made national news for purchasing the National Football League’s Jacksonville Jaguars team, but Flex-N-Gate vice president of engineering Dave Kirkolis, who spoke on behalf of the absent Khan, insists “Champaign is his home.”

University Chancellor Phyllis Wise spoke about the event’s two new awards for this year’s celebration: the technology transfer award for those who “successfully commercialize an innovation” and the innovation discovery award for “a groundbreaking discovery with potential for significant societal impact.”

These were awarded to David Kranz, professor of biochemistry, and Yi Lu, professor of chemistry.

Article source: http://www.dailyillini.com/index.php/article/2012/02/entrepreneurship_innovation_flourish_at_ui_parkland_champaign_businesses