Phoenix Project Partners with National Service Agency to Promote Social Entrepreneurship

March 30, 2009 - PRLog -- Building on the success of its two-year-old Accelerating Social Entrepreneurship (ASE) series, The Phoenix Project announced today it has joined forces with the Corporation for National and Community Service to open a national dialogue on the role of technology in creating sustainable social change. The Accelerating Social Entrepreneurship Conference will be held on May 4, 2009 at George Washington University, co-convened by social sector leaders including Root Cause, Lex Mundi Pro Bono Foundation, Community Wealth Ventures, The George Washington University, American University, George Mason University and Old Dominion University. The one-of-a-kind event will be simulcast via Old Dominion’s Teletechnet Network.

Exploring the ways social entrepreneurs are using technology to break down traditional barriers to change is a key focus of the conference. Keynote presenter David Gergen, former Presidential advisor, television commentator and Director of Harvard University’s Center for Public Leadership, will address an assembled audience of more than 300 leaders from the public, private, nonprofit and academic sectors, while reaching hundreds more through web streaming and satellite technology.  Speakers include leaders in the social entrepreneurship field from organizations such as Ashoka, Computers for Youth, Craigslist Foundation, Duke University, GuideStar, Idealist, Northwestern University, RiOS Institute, TechSoup and Virginia’s Secretary of Technology.

Participating social innovators hope to leverage individuals’ near-constant connectivity to enable them to find opportunities for service and to spur social change. Reflecting President Obama’s commitment to national service programs, the conference mission has expanded  beyond its earlier focus on Virginia (as a leader of the social entrepreneurship movement) to include a national audience reach.

Attendees will gain practical, cost-saving tips for using technology to further their social mission, explore ways technology are improving education, health care and the environment, and gain an understanding of the latest trends in the field of social entrepreneurship plus a glimpse of what the future may hold.



For more information and to register, please visit www.aseconference.org