What does it take to start a nonprofit enterprise? In this panel discussion, sponsored by the Stanford Center for Social Innovation, veterans who have been there talk about the good, the bad, and the ugly of year one of their new entrepreneurial ventures. From coming up with the (initially crazy-sounding) idea, to building a team and obtaining funding, they share the things they did right—and the things they should have done in retrospect. A portfolio manager from a foundation that supports social entrepreneurs also talks about what funders look for in early-stage start-ups. Advice to potential entrepreneurs in the audience rounds out the discussion.
Brian Lehnen is the executive director and cofounder of Village Enterprise Fund, an organization dedicated to breaking the cycle of poverty in East Africa through training, seed capital, and mentoring for income-generating small businesses. In visits to Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, he has met with hundreds of owners of microbusinesses to develop and refine the grant-based microenterprise model for his organization. He has been singularly effective in identifying partners in the field who share his dedication and commitment to the poor. Lehnen received his undergraduate degree from UC Davis and his MBA from Eastern University.
Scott Morgan is founder and CEO of Education Pioneers, an organization that trains, connects, and inspires a new generation of leaders dedicated to transforming the American educational system so that all students receive a quality education. Morgan began his career teaching social studies and leadership at St. Jude High School in Montgomery, Ala. He later served as the legal counsel for Aspire Public Schools, where he worked with the management team and school leaders to start and operate a network of small charter schools throughout California. He graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa in government from the University of Notre Dame, received his MA in teaching from the University of Portland, and earned his law degree from Stanford Law School.
Anne Marie Burgoyne (MBA ’96) is portfolio director of Draper Richards Foundation, which provides funding and business mentoring to social entrepreneurs as they begin their nonprofit organizations. She is responsible for identifying and supporting Draper Richards Foundation Fellows. Before joining Draper Richards, Burgoyne was the executive director of United Cerebral Palsy of the Golden Gate, where she supervised a successful financial and operational turnaround and program merger. Previously, she was a Roberts Enterprise Development Fund Farber Fellow at Community Gatepath, a nonprofit that provides services to children and adults with developmental disabilities. Burgoyne received her MBA and Public Management Program certificate from Stanford University's Graduate School of Business, and was selected by her peers as the recipient of the Ernest C. Arbuckle Award. She also holds a BA in English and a BS in economics from the University of Pennsylvania and its Wharton School, respectively.
Resources
This free podcast is from our Stanford Discussions series.
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