The best kept secret in the world of corporate social responsibility (CSR) is that CSR is an inside job. Many people who are heading up CSR departments (or are the CSR department) at their companies, were once regular employees who one day decided to start recycling at the office or organize volunteer days. What resulted was a snowball effect. Management saw the benefits of sustainability, clients became interested and engaged, the company re-branded and marketed its efforts, and these employees continued to develop more and more socially responsible initiatives. A new way of doing business had been born and a new social champion had arrived: the social intrapreneur.

For the full article go here.

And a shout out to the members of the NYWSE crew (specifically Shari Aaron, Ashby Andrews, Natalia Oberti Noguera, & Stephanie Niloff) who are hard at work getting this amazing program off the ground!

The program was a six-month commitment—running from March to August—and participants met in-person once a month as an intact group and were assigned a Mastermind buddy to meet in between the in-person sessions. Each group session was an opportunity for program participants to “‘mastermind’—brainstorm with a purpose and achieve a collective brain trust to address a variety of challenges, clarify goals, critique plans, and generate ideas and solutions.” The program schedule included guest speakers Laura Allen (co-founder of 15secondpitch.com), who discussed “Selling Brand YOU”, and Sarah Leah Gootnick (founder of Secretary in Israel), who discussed “Increasing Personal Effectiveness for 21st Century Leaders.”

Our intimate group of 10 women was divided into pairs based on biographies and vision statements we submitted prior to beginning the program. My co-mentor, Leila Goldmark, is an environmental lawyer and currently a student at Columbia Business School. We were a great match and had plenty to connect over with our backgrounds in environmental issues and nonprofits and our ambitions to utilize technology and business principles in pursuing social and environmental goals. (All I’m saying is: Be on the LOOKOUT! Leila’s up to some awesome stuff!)

During our fifth meeting (in July) we all went around the table and caught the group up on where we were. It was inspiring to hear the things people were doing. So much had been accomplished since we all met in March. People had life plans and were executing them. Someone got a promotion, someone decided to take a volunteer sabbatical before business school, and someone had just finished the business plan for their social venture. Everyone had come such a long way in only 5 months! And then, what was even more powerful, was to sit back and realize, “Wait…so have I!” When I look back I can clearly identify a snowball effect that started in January when I decided to participate in the program. One thing led to another and all of a sudden I have found myself in an avalanche of opportunity.

Someone recently asked me if I thought the experience was valuable—especially considering that the model is based on mentorship between peers rather than senior-level professionals and junior-level professionals. I personally loved the fact that my co-mentors were my peers, I have learned so much from these women who have different strength sets from me, yet who are in similar places in their careers.

Here’s what some other participants have to say:

“Every meeting of our mentorship group was an opportunity to refine a skill, deepen our connections with the group, and to sit at the table with outstanding entrepreneurial-minded women. Our facilitator, Janet Wise, is a professional with a depth of knowledge and experience and a good friend and role model to us all. If anything, I started the group apprehensive about what I had to give to the other women in the group. I soon realized that we all had much more to give than we initially realized, and soon we were all mentoring each other. MMI is a wonderful for holding a mirror to our individual experiences and allowing us to see how much we all have to give each other when we collaborate.” –Laina Vlasnik

“Each meeting is structured around a topic that is relevant to busy social entrepreneurs: time management, personal branding, and strengths awareness. But the most valuable and significant reward of participating in MMI is getting to know 6-8 other talented and generous women. The MMI meetings have been a safe space for each of us to discuss, articulate, and refine our career aspirations. As the program is designed as an exchange (each person is both mentor and mentee), I received insightful career and life advice, as well as realized my own strengths and assets in the mentor role.”- Tara Pyle

“No matter how skilled or prepared you think you may be, career transitions and starting the path to entrepreneurship can feel isolated and scary. While Columbia is giving me the academic theory and hard skills to run a business, the co-mentoring Mastermind Mentoring Initiative through NYWSE has given me the safe space and support network that keeps me going. It has been a wonderful opportunity to share and discuss challenges with other women entrepreneurs who share my commitment to achieving social and environmental justice in business. If we do good, doing well will follow.” -Leila Goldmark

“As NYWSE MMI program facilitator, it was an honor to lead a group of truly talented, professional women into quantum level thinking, with a foundation of dedicated mentorship and a passion for sustainability for all!”-Janet Wise (Moderator)

Here are some inspirational quotes provided by MMI participants:

“What would you go for if you knew your success were guaranteed?” -Anon (via Janet)

“If you must doubt something, doubt your limits” -P.Pritchett (via Janet)

“Happiness lies not in the mere possession of money; it ies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort.”-FDR (via Janet)

“Fear is a great motivator.” (via Marita)

“Challenges offer great opportunities.” (via Marita)

And now, to introduce some of the wonderful women who participated in the First NYWSE MMI…

Participant Bios:

Leila Goldmark is an environmental attorney, social entrepreneur, artist, collaborator, and mom. The passion that runs throughout her life and career is working to better our shared environment and raise awareness about these critical resources. After receiving a J.D./LL.M. in International and Comparative Law from Duke School of Law in 2001, Leila worked as an Attorney and Watershed Program Director for Riverkeeper, Inc. where she conducted litigation and proactive policy campaigns to protect the 2,000 square mile watershed that provides unfiltered drinking water supplies to more than nine million New Yorkers. With the birth of her daughter, Jordan Kaya, Leila desired a change that would allow her to make more time for her family and incorporate more art and beauty into her career, while continuing to achieve a positive environmental impact. Currently, Leila is an ’10 MBA candidate at Columbia Business School. She plans to launch an organic children’s clothing company next year and build a philanthropic advocacy brand in order to: (1) Eliminate pesticides and other toxic chemicals that are prevalent in the textile industry; (2) Provide funding and campaign support to environmental and children’s non-profits; (3) Engage the next generation with environmental issues in a fun, non-threatening, light green medium – clothing and art! Leila’s clothing company will produce limited addition graphic tees and coordinating pieces, featuring up and coming artists. While she is still in start-up mode, any eco-artists interested in future collaboration should contact her at: LGoldmark10@gsb.columbia.edu, or find her on LinkedInor Twitter.

Tara Pyle is Senior Marketing and Events Manager at the Center for Architecture in NYC. At the Center, Tara manages event production for 1,000 meetings and events per year and coordinates the Center’s marketing, focusing on increasing the gallery’s profile among New York cultural institutions. She has a BA in Art History from Vassar College and is an active member of New York Women Social Entrepreneurs and the Junior League of Brooklyn.

Marita Rosado is the founder of Rosado Accounting Services, Inc., which provides accurate and efficient general accounting services, tax solutions, and billing services. Her vast experience spans through more than twelve years in the field of accounting and she has provided her expertise to a variety of industries, including publishing, investment banking, public accounting, media industries, IT services, advertising, retail and wholesale apparel stores. Prior to founding my own company, Marita worked for International Masters Publishers as an Assistant Controller/Consultant where she reviewed manufacturing transactions, analyzed standard and actual costs, maintained overhead rates, analyzed key production data, and performed month-end closing financial statements, budgeting, and analysis of special projects. Marita holds a Bachelors Degree from Marymount Manhattan College in Accounting and Business Administration Degree in Marketing at Polytechnic University of the Philippines. In 2006, she received her MBA from the University of Phoenix. You can reach Marita at marita.rosado@gmail.com.

Laina Vlasnik is the EPIC Partnerships Manager at New Leaders for New Schools, a national educational non-profit organization that ensures outstanding leadership for America’s urban public schools. As a former teacher, Laina fills her need to be in the classroom as a Saturday Tutor at Achievement First Crown Heights Middle School in Brooklyn. She is a proud graduate of both Florida State University and NYU.

Moderator Bio:

Janet Wise, Founder of The Collaborative Factor ™ has a Masters Degree in HR Development, is a former corporate Training and Development expert responsible for global leadership curriculums and professional development programs at Fortune 500 Companies, with more than twelve years experience helping top corporate executives become more effective in their business and personal lives. Janet now uses her expertise to facilitate and designs entreprenurial leadership programs for high potential entrepreneurs looking for a fast track solution, utilizing an open forum that builds trust, collaboration, exchanges thoughts, generates solutions, ideas and opportunities. Her signature program, The Collaborative, is a unique action-learning program, using proven techniques, resources, inspiration, support and accountability – and a proprietary business development model to show you how to effectively use Collaboration as a powerful business expansion strategy. Find Janet at: The Collaborative Factor, @wisesolutions, and Posh Place Cards.

If you are interested in learning more about the New York Women Social Entrepreneurs and/or the Mastermind Mentor Initiative, please check out the NYWSE website.

]]> http://alaurenabele.com/2009/08/nywse-mastermind-mentoring-initiative-wrap-up/feed/ 0 http://alaurenabele.com/2009/07/nywse-first-incubator-friendraiser/ http://alaurenabele.com/2009/07/nywse-first-incubator-friendraiser/#comments Thu, 16 Jul 2009 16:23:58 +0000 A. Lauren Abele http://alaurenabele.com/?p=170 The New York Women Social Entrepreneurs (NYWSE) held their first ever Incubator Friendraiser last week. The private event was held at the Bowery Wine Company and was a fundraiser and silent auction for NYWSE’s Incubator Program for budding women social entrepreneurs. The 2009 Incubator Participants were:

• Early Earners – Online education destination for youth and families promoting positive financial habits

• Girl Guides USA – Outdoor program that develops girls’ environmentalism, leadership and teamwork

• Illume – Online mentoring and career resource for young women from illiterate families in India

• Out Against Abuse – Online resource to stop domestic violence in the South Asian community

• Public Stuff – Software to connect government and citizens to improve services and community life

• Start Your Engine – Exercise, nutrition, stress and time management program for low-income women

The event featured a keynote speech by Diana Ayton-Shenker, Founder & CEO of Fast Forward Fund (FFF), a youth-investing-in-youth social venture fund, who spoke the importance of investing in young social entrepreneurs who will become tomorrow’s leaders.

The venue was a-buzz with interesting conversations and was a great opportunity to meet other faces in the world of NYC social entrepreneurship. And, in addition to the great company, the Bowery Wine Company staff were fabulous!

I had the pleasure of helping organize the event and had the opportunity to work with some really fabulous women including Natalia Oberti Noguera (NYWSE Director) and Melissa Osborne (who is off to graduate school this fall! Congrats!).  If you are a woman interested in social entrepreneurship, I highly recommend checking out NYWSE–they have an ever growing community and lots of thoughtful resources for women social entrepreneurs.

If you are considering applying for next year’s Friendraiser, check the NYWSE website for the 2010 Program Applications.

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