Finalists will be named in the annual YouthBridge Social Enterprise & Innovation Competition (YSEIC) on Thursday, Jan. 23. Semi-finalists will present their Elevator Pitches in a public event in May Auditorium at 6 p.m. To attend, please register at ideabounce.com.
This is one of the largest social enterprise business plan contests in the United States. Over the past eight years, 36 competitors have been awarded over $1,000,000 in seed money for nonprofit social enterprises. Those who present the best social enterprise business plan are selected as winners by judges from academic, business and nonprofit organizations in the St. Louis Community.
Awards for this competition will be granted from the following community partners:
- YouthBridge Community Foundation: Up to $35,000 to fund a venture serving children and youth
- Daughters of Charity Foundation of St. Louis: Up to $30,000 to fund an organization serving the poor and vulnerable
- Regional Arts Commission: Up to $30,000 to fund an organization promoting the arts
- Lutheran Foundation of St. Louis: Up to $25,000 to fund an organization promoting a healthier community
- Skandalaris Center: Up to $25,000 to fund a venture with an innovative solution to effect social change
- Brentmoor Digital Divide Award: up to $30,000 to fund an organization whose primary mission is to stimulate interest by youth in technology
- Skandalaris Center: $5,000 award to the best student team
40 teams entered the YSEIC this year. There are 22 semi-finalists:
· Bridge Bread
· Clean Water Mission
· Farming Blueprint, LLC
· Frigga’s Fiber
· Girls Dreaming Big
· Girls in the Know
· Globalwise Saint Louis
· IDWIL
· Kulishana Cookbooks
· LifeBridge Farms
· Made for Freedom
· OASIS Tutoring
· Ozarks on Top
· People with Purpose
· Playing for the Cause
· Scholars Emerge As Leaders (SEAL)
· STEMs For Youth
· St. Louis MetroMarket
· The Creative Catalysts
· The Jenesis Project
· The Refugee Voice
· Thrifty Boutique
