Practitioner Programs

Social enterprise is gaining ground around the globe as a new, innovative and sustainable approach to addressing some of the world’s most intractable problems. Through an experiential learning process, seMagicBus teaches practitioners how to use social enterprise (a combination of business practices, commercialization models, and entrepreneurship) as a vehicle to advance society.

Operated by Virtue Ventures, delivered in partnership with leading local social entrepreneurs and support organizations, taught by highly qualified faculty, and certified by top-tier business schools, this unique program turns the field into a classroom, delivering concepts and frameworks “on the bus” in between field-based research and exercises.

The goal of seMagicBus is to drive action on the ground by imbuing practitioners with the skills, know-how, networks and access to resources to launch and grow their own social enterprises or provide technical or financial support services to social enterprise.

Social Enterprise Startup School

India-Fall 2012

This intensive “bootcamp”-like course is designed for graduate students, recent grads and practitioners interested in launching a social enterprise. Created in concert with a leading Indian Management Institute in Hyderabad, SE Startup School fosters interaction, collaboration and a joint discovery process between participants from the US and India though simulations, competitions, debates, assignments and field work. Read more about Social Enterprise Startup School

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Social Enterprise for International Development Practitioners

India-Fall 2012

A practical ten day certificate course for mid- and senior-level development professionals to learn the fundamentals of social enterprise as a program approach for international development. seMagicBus participants explore how a range of pressing social problems across sectors—i.e. health, economic development, energy, environment, etc.—have been turned into “business opportunities” that create real social change. Read more about Social Enterprise for International Development Practitioners

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Social Finance and Impact Investing

South India or San Francisco & Silicon Valley, USA
Recommended for students and practitioners

This course explores the nature and range of investment instruments and markets for capital markets for social enterprises and socially motivated businesses as well as policy issues that either enable or inhibit social investment. Read more about Social Finance and Impact Investing

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Social Enterprise and Employment Creation

India, East Africa or USA
Recommended for Social Sector & Development Professionals and Students

This course explores social enterprise as a strategy to create jobs and economic opportunities for people who face barriers to employment, and thus provide a way out of poverty.

Participants analyze poverty in the geography where the course is conducted and in doing so, take an in-depth look at barriers to employment—such as homelessness, school dropout, discrimination, disabilities, mental illness, criminal records, education, single households, etc.—that often serve to perpetuate joblessness and the cycle of poverty. Read more about Social Enterprise and Employment Creation

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Design your own Magic Bus Trip...

Recommended for Social Sector & Development Professionals and Students

seMagicBus social enterprise courses and capacity building/training programs can be customized to suit the learning needs, strategic goals, capacity objectives, and interests of a particular audience. Read more about Design your own Magic Bus Trip...

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Program Benefits

  • New opportunities – learn about the value, synergy, and opportunity that social enterprise offers to your organization to increase its impact, performance, and sustainability.
  • Expertise – program content draws on decades of on-the-ground experience working with social enterprises in more than 45 countries.
  • Capacity Building – gain practical knowledge of social enterprise, requirements to plan, start, manage and grow a social enterprise.
  • Networks – interact with peers, service providers, leading social entrepreneurs, social investors, and academics.
  • Small groups – cohorts sizes are limited to enable experiential learning, foster team work and encourage relationship building.
  • Knowledge products – receive access to comprehensive social enterprise strategic and management resources.
  • Action planning – craft strategies and plans to implement social enterprise programs in your own organization.
  • Ongoing capacity building – opt for technical assistance from Virtue Ventures to support your own social enterprise initiatives.

Custom Courses

If you'd like to organize your own trip, please visit our courses by special arrangements on our partner page.

The students grasped our situation, discovered things we overlooked in such a short time, and then presented the situation very well. Based on this experience, I am convinced that we can make our social enterprise sustainable and successful. Read more about Rafi Mohammed, Founder and Director, HCHW

Hyderabad, December, 2009
—Rafi Mohammed, Founder and Director, HCHW

I consider myself lucky to have been Kim’s student and thank her for being a force of nature pushing us all to do cool things! Read more about Daniel Dickens, Managing Director, Southwark Circle CIC

—Daniel Dickens, Managing Director, Southwark Circle CIC

Kim's class in social enterprise design at the Said Business school was one of my favorite classes, her experience and knowledge was evident in discussions. Her handy tool kits for effective design and scale act as reminders of what high quality organisations need to do for greater impact. Read more about Dhruv Lakra, CEO, Mirakle Couriers

—Dhruv Lakra, CEO, Mirakle Couriers

Kim was instrumental in helping me launch my post MBA venture to connect start-up businesses in Africa to social investment funds. She worked with me to refine my idea and pitch and then introduced me to the Grassroots Business Fund, who sent me to Zambia to build their pipeline. GBF subsequently invested $200,000 into the first business I found, Mobile Transactions Zambia, where I am now the CEO. Looking back, Kim was one of my best and most helpful contacts I met in my time at Oxford. Read more about Mike Quinn, CEO, Mobile Transactions Zambia

—Mike Quinn, CEO, Mobile Transactions Zambia

When I started work on my own social enterprise, Kim offered not only concrete design strategy suggestions but also the critical feedback, thoughtful support and continuous encouragement that I needed to finally make it happen. Her mentorship was invaluable. Read more about Christie George, CoFounder LoudSauce.com

—Christie George, CoFounder LoudSauce.com

 

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