James Portnow, Seattle-based game designer and co-creator of Extra Credits, a web series on pro-social game design.
Raised over $125,000 from over 4,000 people.
James and Extra Credits were featured at SXSW, Gamasutra, and the homepage of Reddit.
Meghan Sebold, Brooklyn-based social entrepreneur and designer.
Raised $5,000 for a sustainable clothing line that uses the textiles and talent of Ghana, West Africa.
Her fashion line, AFIA was featured in EcoSalon, TreeHugger, Refinery29, and is now available in boutiques across NYC.
Aram Bajakian, NYC-based avant-garde guitar player.
Raised $4,000 from fans and strangers to fund his album.
Lou Reed heard Aram and chose him as his new guitarist while Aram's album is now released by John Zorn's Tzadik record label.
Darko Lungulov, Serbia-based award winning international filmmaker.
Raised $9,000 from movie buffs for feature film project Here and There.
Film won "Best New York Narrative" at Tribeca Film Festival, featured in Variety, L.A. Times, New York Times, and was a top-10 indie box office theatrical release.
When Last We Flew, NYC-based Off-Broadway theatrical production team.
Raised $7,000 from theatre fans for the premiere Off-Broadway run.
Show sold-out at NYC Fringe Festival, won a GLAAD Media Award, and was featured in New York Times, Bloomberg, and American Theatre Magazine.
Regan Wann, Kentucky-based small business owner.
Raised $5,000 to expand her tea shop business.
RocketHub campaign featured in the Wall Street Journal exposing her business to millions.
Laura Boyd, NYC-based portrait and landscape photographer.
Raised $6,000 architectural photography project on location in Paris.
Photos featured in Artsicle Photography Show in the heart of Chelsea, NYC via LaunchPad.
Joshua Reuben Lewis, NYC-based singer-songwriter.
Raised $7,500 to record his first album.
Showcased at The Gibson Showroom and made A&R connections at Sony, Warner Music Group, and EMI via LaunchPad.
Paul Davis, Berlin-based fashion designer.
Raised $8,000 from fans and strangers for a new fashion line.
Clothing line featured at Berlin Fashion Week.
Caira Conner, Tennessee based NYU Master of Science.
Raised $2,000 to study Brazilian land and infrastructure development.
Featured in Americas Quarterly, completed innovative research, and submitted successful academic thesis.
The organizers of #SocEnt Ventures include:
Brian Howe
Brian is a teacher, attorney and entrepreneur. He founded Vox Legal PLLC, a law firm that provides business counsel to companies and nonprofits. He’s worked with clients as large as NASA and as small as you, with a special focus on hybrid businesses, B Corps, and global social ventures.
As an adjunct professor at both Seattle University School of Law and Northwest Graduate University, Brian teaches graduate courses in Law and Social Entrepreneurship and Global Development and Social Justice.
Most recently, he was the cofounder of Hub Seattle, a collaborative office and event space for social entrepreneurs to connect, inspire and act.
Rashmir Balasubramaniam
Rashmir is the Founder of Nsansa, a firm that advises and coaches funders, investors, entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs on creativity, innovation and market-based strategies for realizing transformational change. She is a visionary and passionate speaker, facilitator and coach with wide-ranging expertise across the public and private sectors. Rashmir spent five years at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, where she led a cross-sector initiative on private sector engagement and inclusive markets, and built and managed a diverse portfolio of Water, Sanitation & Hygiene grants. Rashmir has led a variety of cross-sectoral development projects, including work on malaria, reproductive health, human resources for health, and institutional development. She is an Adjunct Faculty member of the Foster School of Business, University of Washington and Bainbridge Graduate Institute. Prior to this, Rashmir worked in investment banking and finance for six years.
Michael "Luni Libes
Luni is a serial entrepreneur who over the past two decades has helped build five technology start-ups, four of which he founded, including: Ground Truth, Medio Systems, Mforma, 2WAY, and Nimble. Luni is currently an Entrepreneur in Residence and Faculty member at the Bainbridge Graduate Institute, as well as an Entrepreneur in Residence at the University of Washington Center for Commercialization. In addition, Luni advises numerous startups, including Stockbox Grocers, GO Box, Full Circle Fish Farms, Chripsy, and Threadvine.