Yesterday marked the closure of the residential part of Bootcamp. But before sipping on chai salted with farewell tears, we had a lot to do.  

We'd kicked off the first day with a talk by Rajendra Joshi, a seasoned social entrepreneur with two decades worth of experience and success in transforming slums. Enlightening as the conversation was, participants also wanted perspective from the other end of the spectrum - successful social entrepreneurs still in the challenging early stages of their respective journeys. So participants sat with Level 2 UnLtd India investees, listening to their stories - Raj, Jyotika, and Jui of Cycle Chalao led an interactive conversation, as did Sagar of Students FUEL and Vasumathi of QMed Knowledge Foundation.  

One of the key messages from each conversation is that failure is a critical part of the journey. Failure shapes the learning curve; when managed well, it opens doors and provides insight. The Cycle Chalao crew talked about how their early struggles quickly taught them to whittle their focus and narrow their scope of work. They scrapped campaigns and activities that would have spread them too thin. Raj attributes much of their success to incubation support from UnLtd India and other key advisors; he also stresses that it's important to know what advice to take and what to respectfully decline.  

Participants spent much of the rest of the day working on their pitches. They'll be presenting to the UnLtd India panel early next week, which will determine whether they become investees and at what level.  Today they're in Bombay HUB, UnLtd India's collaborative working space for changemakers, presenting mock pitches to volunteer panelists from our network.  

 As we boarded the bus home, laden with learnings and samosas, participants continued to weave the conversations they'd started three days back. These interactions are the foundation of the support UnLtd India provides. It is human connection that drives social change. When the right people connect in positive, meaningful ways, they are capable of anything.

 

Early this morning, on the outskirts of Bombay, a new group of start-up social entrepreneurs convened in the tropical greenery of Bhayender. Wielding bottomless cups of chai, bootcamp participants spent the day connecting with one another, exploring each other's ideas to change the world.

Though we didn't spend as much as the Commonwealth Games did on their opening ceremony (we don't have nearly as much to prove), our inaugural session was almost as star-studded.  Rajendra Joshi, founder and managing trustee of SAATH- not to mention Schwab's 2009 Social Entrepreneur of the Year in India and Senior Ashoka Fellow - blessed us with the story of his journey as a changemaker. For more than 20 years, Saath has transformed the way people look at slums from the inside out. The organisation provides integrated health, education, and employment services, empowering Gujurat's urban poor to create inclusive cities. 

Amongst the many insights he shared, Mr Joshi said that he realised the need to collaborate with municipal governments early in Saath's history. It hasn't been easy - mid-tier beuracracy and ineffeciency can be impedements to progress.  But by patiently cultivating relationships (which sometimes means giving government partners more public credit than they merit), SAATH has dramatically increased its capacity for impact. 

Mr Joshi warns that collaborating with one sector can incur the wrath of another - for example, SAATH's consultancy with corporates initially alienated it from some of the NGO world. Rajendra's advice: prioritise impact and forget about trying to please everyone. SAATH's endeavors into the private sector have enabled it to self-sustain through income generation; this was driven by Mr Joshi's belief that an organisation dependant on foundation money stifles its own ability to grow.

After Rajendra's session, participants delved into one another's work, attitudes, and perspectives. Among the topics of conversation during this afternoon's world cafe - what is the spark behind your idea and how does it define you? How have your challenges and fears shaped the course of your journey? How has your idea changed who you are; why are you the person to bring this idea into the world?

Tomorrow - clinics and coaching sessions on theory of change, legal structures, marketing, and leadership.  

Here we go.

Tomorrow marks the start of the second Social Entrepreneur Bootcamp, complete with a new group of start-up changemakers doing amazing things. These potential UnLtd India investees are working with men to end domestic violence, cultivating organic microgardens on the rooftops of Bombay, educating the young public about HIV/AIDS, and much more.  

Over the next four days, they'll hone their strategies, exchange ideas, collaborate with mentors, and prepare themselves to pitch to the UnLtd India panel. The days are intense but packed with opportunities to connect on both personal and professional levels.  

All the while, we'll keep you updated with the stories and perspective that make Bootcamp the powerful experience that it is. As always, let us know what you think! We'll share your comments, tweets, and emails with the participants.

Looking forward to it!

 

 

 

Some insight into the people, ideas, and energy that made Bootcamp 2010 such a powerful experience.

Investee organization The Freedom of Expression Movement believes that online social networking is a key in switching people on to social activism.  Check out TFOEM's spotlight in the Mumbai Boss - the article features their quest to find a dream team of video volunteers who'll capture and spread the stories of the 2010 UnLtd India investee batch. 

Great work, Danesh, Sidd, and Akshay!