14 Ventures have gone through the Social Impact Incubator Program in its first two cohorts.
Graphic courtesy SIIP
Contributed by: George Yarbrough and Stephanie Shipton, Cohort VI
The Hub Coworking Hawai‘i and Teach for America Hawai‘i continue to join forces for the Social Impact Incubator Program (SIIP), which aims to create durable, social change makers and focuses on more than business strategies. SIIP is looking to launch its third and fourth cohorts starting in April 2022.
The Hub Coworking Hawai‘i and Teach for America Hawai‘i continue to join forces for the Social Impact Incubator Program (SIIP), which aims to create durable, social change makers and focuses on more than business strategies. SIIP is looking to launch its third and fourth cohorts starting in April 2022.
SIIP is a five-month incubator that works with local entrepreneurs to develop their early-stage social impact startups. Upon completion of the cohort experience, entrepreneurs will have:
- a deepened understanding of the various stages of startup development using a desirability, feasibility, and viability framework while adopting tools from the lean business model canvas;
- a clear definition of their customer base and tools to engage in ongoing customer discovery;
- refined mission, vision, values, and value proposition statements; and
- an expanded professional network and a community and network of like-minded peers who are focused on social impact in Hawaiʻi.
Since its inception, SIIP has had one pilot group followed by two cohorts. With the last two cohorts, 14 ventures have gone through the program. More than 16 mentors have graciously agreed to give their time to these entrepreneurs on a bi-weekly basis. Over $25,000 in subject matter hours have been donated to the program to give ventures access to marketing, accounting, legal, financial planning, and human resources support. In addition, $16,000 in startup funding has been given directly to the ventures to support their startup process.
The time calls on us to support entrepreneurs by deeply understanding their sense of self, with the social emotional tools to lead with empathy, compassion, resilience, and orientation to community. With strong organizational support, a community of peers, access to technical experts and mentors, and social emotional support, this untapped market has the long-term potential to generate additional deal flow for the existing innovation ecosystem in Hawai‘i. As we continue to support these entrepreneurs, the group will grow in support of one another, creating an activated local community of social entrepreneurs.
If you are interested in supporting the program and the innovation community, please reach out at the links below:
Cohort I Fellow Noelani Kalipi writes about the inaugural cohort of the Island Leadership Lab at University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa for future legal and business leaders.