The Second Wednesday of Every Month

6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Join the social innovators in your community to learn, plan, and grow.

April 2009 Forum Theme: How do internet-based technologies support social innovation?  and....we launch ChangeXchange!

April's forum focused on “Online Solutions” and used emerging local projects for real-time, hands-on learning. Attendees learned how the internet can be used to raise seed-funding for social entrepreneur startups. They learned how online space can be a successful social innovation, and how social marketing can be used to market social change.

--- Read the April 8 Social Innovation Forum Program ---
--- Read the Bios of Forum Presenters and Workshop Providers---

If you are an organization or individual seeking to use technology to streamline social innovation, tap into local assets, or adapt our city to support social, environmental, and economic innovation, please join in to take action. During tonight’s forum, Portland-based internet entrepreneurs representing three categories: using the Web as a social innovation, building communities of support for social innovation, and online tools that help us do our good work—demonstrate the potential of their Web sites and answer some challenging questions:

• Why use the Web?
• What gap are you filling? Why do you think it’s worth filling?
• How does your “online solution” work? How do users engage with your online solution?
• What’s different about your Web site? What’s innovative about your approach?

Speakers

• Randy White, Bright Neighbor
• Samantha Mafchir, MicroMentor
• Skip Newberry, Portland Is Better Together / Business Express
• Amy Pearl, ChangeXchange

Workshops~

• The ChangeXchange: Amy Pearl, Springboard Innovation. Meet launchers of social change featured on the ChangeXchange and learn more about their projects. Surf the new ChangeXchange Web site and invest in social innovation with seed funding!
  

• Social Media Marketing for Social Change -  Tom Bennett, Marketing Strategist, The New Group. See how Social Media is creating opportunities for organizations to build and connect with communities. Tom will go through the best practices for creating a Social Media Strategy, along with a survey of the tools available for connection and community development. (Facebook, LinkedIn, Ning, etc.)
  
  
• Brainstorming Session: Project Equilibrium. Stephanie Fleming, Project Equilibrium. Project Equilibrium is an online decision-making tool that helps balance decisions with regard to the three critical domains of sustainable development: Environment, Society, and Economy. Help Project Equilibrium by giving feedback on how to make this online tool helpful to us all.
  
  
• Online Tools: Holly Ross, NTEN.  A crash course in free and low-cost online tools for managing your contacts, donation services, marketing and communications. You need this workshop!