Back from SF now, and it’s good to reflect on the trip’s lasting impressions. A lot of the delegate feedback centred around the quality of the initiatives we’d visited, not just the professionalism, energy and commitment of the people but the physical environments they were working in. It’s particularly noticeable that projects and organisations dealing with the lowest-income clients and often targeting specific socio-economic problems ensured that their working conditions were high quality. No more so than the aforementioned Delancey Street Foundation – whose buildings reminded us all of an expensive Mediterranean resort, complete with pool and jacuzzi – along with a first-class conference centre, restaurant/cafe and business premises – all built by the Project’s own community. (www.http://www.eisenhowerfoundation.org/grassroots/delancey/)
Something else that was evident from all our discussions, and seemed even more prevalent in SF than previous visits to the Washington DC area, was the involvement of the private sector. Few of the organisations we visited received Government funding – and those who did, complained about the disproportionate bureaucracy attached to it. Corporate giving and philanthropy is the norm (undoubtably influenced by the Community Reinvestment Act but also much more integral to business life) and one of the many useful soundbites we took away was: ‘Ask for what you need, not what you think you can get’.
We spent a couple of hours with Sharon Vosmek of Astia (formerly the Women’s Technology Cluster) – www.astia.org, Sharon’s profound belief in her mission – to increase the number of high-growth women-led technology businesses – made her presentation one of the most compelling we heard. She has more than 250 mentors, none of whom get paid, on hand to help her client businesses. In addition, a high level ‘Champion Circle’ and additional Board of Advisors provide professional expertise and guidance. In 2005, 72% of participating companies in Astia’s Venture Conference received funding (Venture Capital). Inspiring stuff.
We collected memorable soundbites throughout the visit and here are some which particularly resonate:
- Philanthropy is written into the business plan.
- What would it take to pull it off?
- To change your thinking, immersion is better than exposure
- Learn - Earn - Return
We heard a lot about San Francisco being a place people could reinvent themselves and where previous failures are almost a necessity before you’re seen as a success. At the Entrepreneurship Center in SF State University (www.sfsu.edu/~cfe/), Connie Gaglio told us that ‘we repeatedly expose our students to situations they’ll fail in’. And guest speakers are only invited if they’re willing to talk about their failures as well as their successes. After this intensive 2-year course, more than 80% of graduates go on to start a business (it’s only been going 5 years so they don’t yet have meaningful long-term survival stats). I think we all came away wishing Connie and her colleagues could inject some of their passion and innovative teaching methods into equivalent UK courses.
This is just a taste of the SF trip – we also visited the Women’s Initiative in Self Employment (www.womensinitiative.org) and BUILD Peninsula (a great enterprise/education project – www.build.org). And we met with impressive and well-organised groups of women such as the Forum for Women Entrepreneurs and Executives (www.fwe.org), National Association of Women Busines Owners (NAWBO), www.nawbo-sf.org, Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP), www.wipp.org, Invent Your Future (www.inventyourfuture.com). And many others, including our hosts, Quantum Leaps (www.quantumleapsinc.org).
Prowess will produce a full report on the visit with more details on each of the organisations and companies – if you’d like a copy, drop a note to Jackie at: j.brierton@prowess.org.uk.
Posted by prowessblog 
Posted by prowessblog 
Posted by prowessblog 