Our premier event is the Social Enterprise Rhode Island (SERI) Summit.

The Summit is hosted by Social Venture Partners Rhode Island, together with leading social entrepreneurs and organizations such as Brown University, the Providence Chamber of Commerce and the Rhode Island Foundation.

The Summit will be held on November 5th 2010, on the campus of Bryant University, and it will highlight social enterprise as an inspirational and proven strategy for:

• creating new opportunities,
• promoting positive social and economic change,
• generating new revenue sources and
• enhancing the overall organizational effectiveness of social change organizations.

There is a significant amount of social enterprise activity emerging in Rhode Island, and the SERI Summit host committee believes that the diverse stakeholders in academia, and the private, nonprofit, and government sectors will develop mutually beneficial collaborations, and share models, lessons learned and best practices – as well as plot a roadmap ahead for more sustainable social enterprise in the state. Sign up for more information about the SERI Summit event.

Why Social Enterprise Now?

• a stronger, more sustainable non-profit community,
• workforce development,
• engaged, supported social entrepreneurs who create innovative businesses,
• opportunities for “double bottom line” investments for socially minded investors,
• less risk and greater returns for charitable/philanthropic investment, and
• opportunities for corporations to improve brand and employee morale, through investment and professional skill transfer