Day 3's Good News, Part 2

Ketan Desphande and Hemant Kabra lead Student's Fuel, an organization that educates students in rural communities about entrance exams and admission processes to ensure fair access to higher education.  They're celebrating a huge victory today.  The state government was considering a bill that would make it impossible for any student not born in Maharashtra to study here.  Thanks in large part to their advocacy, the bill has been overturned. 
Well done, gentlemen.  Well done indeed.
 

Day 3 Recap

This morning, while potential Level 1 investees braved the sweltering sun in the name of teambuilding, the Level 2’s connected with expert
mentors. These experts on legal structures, finance, marketing, and HR offered one-on-one sessions to work through project-based issues

and to develop customized plans. The benefits were mutual, says Biki Duggal, marketing expert from Locus Infotainment – “once I realized the motivation with which these people carry themselves, it was hard not to carry inspiration forward and start to see myself eventually” setting up a venture “to give back to society.”

Just in case anyone hadn’t been floored by inspiration by lunchtime, Ashoka Fellow Vishal Talreja told his story to the group. As a young business professional, Vishal founded Dream a Dream, an empowerment program for street children in Bangalore. Reflecting on the peaks and valleys of his journey, Vishal recalled the words of a mentor during a time of crisis, when Dream a Dream was soaring but internal strife threatened to break up the organization. “All that he said was, ‘stick to your work. Do what you’re doing with the children. Don’t let go.’ God help me, I stuck to those words.” Often, we talk about the need for structures and systems because passion alone can’t sustain an organization – but in this case, re-connecting with their original passion allowed the team to regroup and move forward. Dream a Dream has reached the lives of over 3,000 children, with a core of about 150 who have turned their lives around completely.

Afternoon sessions on creative problem solving and self-reflection culminated in a powerful group sharing process. Several participants brought forward their challenges and issues they face as changemakers – family demands to earn more money and self-doubt, for starters. The group opened up a space for guidance and advice, relating shared experiences and emotions. After just three days together, the trust that is present in this group reveals strong bonds that will be pillars of a long-term ecosystem of peer support.

Day 2 Recap, Spotlight on Ash of Maid in India

What did we learn today?  We learned that:

•    Passion takes your far.  Solid theories of change and business plans take your passion farther.

•    Alumni UnLtd India investees have done some incredible stuff; mistakes and frustration have been stepping stones in all of their journeys. 

•    The five L’s of social media – look, listen, lounge, learn, launch –are as critical for changemakers as they are for corporates.

Spotlight on Ashish, a Bootcamp participant who is leveraging his business world expertise to create level playing fields in the informal sector.  Maid in India, his start-up, will be an online recruitment and engagement platform for domestic workers (like maids, cooks, drivers, and nannies) and potential employers.  Ash also wants the site to link workers to training that improves the quality of their services – learning to cook healthy meals and getting certified as childcare providers, for example.  The plan is to charge employers a premium for the service; this will create insurance funds for the domestic workers they hire. 

With thirteen years of experience in the private sector comprising consulting, finance, and entrepreneurship, Ash seems well-equipped to pull this off.  So why is he at Bootcamp and seeking UnLtd India support?  “The expertise I’m surrounded by – not just from my peers, but also the people who’ve been working in the sector for a number of years” creates a “sounding board [that] is invaluable, no matter how experienced you are.” 

In other news of the day, several changemakers have started developing a strategy to address the most pressing issue we face at Bootcamp – the venue’s restriction against wearing shorts.  Updates to come as they develop.

Up and running

And we’re off.  This morning, thirty-six budding social entrepreneurs convened in Bhayender, where the lush green hills and lack of noise pollution make you forget you’re in a suburb of Bombay.

Bootcamp participants have come equipped with a diverse set of ideas for leading social change.  Here’s a cross-section: Shireen wants to create self-empowerment groups for burn victims, Aarti privately educates girls whose parents don’t let them go to school, and Raj has launched a viral marketing campaign to bring cycle-commuting to the mainstream.  The backgrounds of these changemakers are as varied as their ideas; the communities they represent run the socio-economic, communal, and ethnic spectrum.

This diversity is critical.  One of the most important elements of support that UnLtd India can offer is membership within the investee community.  This community comprises brilliant people whose work, experiences, and approaches to problem solving create a powerful network of inter-connected resources.  Integrating greater diversity – of people and of ideas – strengthens the community tremendously.

That’s why much of Day 1 was devoted to building personal connections.  Participants learned about each other’s initiatives through speed-dating-style one-on-one conversations.  They then connected on an emotional level through a World Café, exploring the triggers, challenges, and fears that have shaped their paths of changemaking.  And of course, many of the most powerful connections happened over chai breaks.
It’s important to note that, though they are all potential UnLtd India investees, this is not a competition for the participants.  At the end of Bootcamp, all will present their plans to a panel of external experts.  The panel will assess whether the participant is a good fit for UnLtd India and vice versa; we’ll invest in anyone and everyone who matches those criteria.

One of the day’s highlights was a talk with Shilpi Kapoor of BarrierBreak Technologies, India’s premier accessibility consulting firm.  Shilpi’s story of making technology accessible to the blind and visually impaired yields terrific insight. Disillusioned by the lack quality control she found in the non-profit sector, she launched a private company because she feels it’s the best way to achieve her mission of empowering the visually impaired.  She also spoke of uncompromising ethics, citing examples of contracts she has lost because she would not give bribes.  All of this resonated clearly because of her straightforward, unapologetic style that conveys the attitude, “If you’re with me, get ready to work. If you’re not, get out of my way.”

Tomorrow the intensive idea refinement begins.  Be sure to follow the transformations here and on twitter @socentbootcamp.

What ideas would you bring to Bootcamp?  What support do you need to get your idea off the ground?