Social Innovation - Funding

" A man filled with the love of God, is not content with blessing his family alone, but ranges through the whole world, anxious to bless the whole human race." - Joseph Smith

This is a great TedTalk titled "5 Keys to Success for Social Entrepreneurs: Lluis Pareras" 

Lluis Pareras calls himself a bad guy - he is a venture capitalist.  He is good at telling people "no." His 5 keys for success are:

5. Know the real value of an idea.  The VALUE depends on the execution of the Ideas
4. They Hate.  They are ANGRY.  They are successful because they are so mad about a problem that they will do whatever it takes to right the wrong.
3. They shout their existence to the world.  If they have a great idea, they know they will need the help and expertise and the connections of those around them.
2. They are paranoid... of their weaknesses.  They can't sleep, they can't stop, they are so afraid of failing. 
1. They look at social impact and money at the same time.  They KNOW they cannot solve problems without it, they don't expect or hope for it, they work for it. They imagine ways to make it and make more of it. They attract and incentivize talent and skill and expertise.


While my impact was limited to a dozen students each year for 4 years, my husband and I started and built a self-sustaining competitive robotics team at our son's high school.  

 Do you know how much robots cost?!? 

Neither did I!  And I still don't... but I know that whatever the cost, it is worth it. 

Whatever the cost, it was worth it.  The personal and team growth I witnessed over the 4 years I coached these kids was amazing.  And it was important for me to help others see what I saw in the kids and the program.  I wrote grants, I rallied parents in fundraising, I wrote letters to businesses that would have an interest in high school students building and programming robots.  And then, because of this dedication and with a drive to make this program self-sustainable and to have an opportunity to give back, and to recruit the next generation of engineers and programmers to our team, we were gifted robots that would allow us to teach a summer camp, and to charge enough to fund our teams for the following year.  

My business and operational experience proved so valuable in building our team and building a sustainable future for the program at Windsor Charter Academy. This opportunity will provide so many opportunities (soft and hard skills) for the team members. It is a legacy that I am proud to leave and proud to have contributed my heart to.