Social Enterprise Pitch

The 2011 Global Health & Innovation Conference will include special sessions where selected participants will present their new idea in the format of a 5-minute social enterprise pitch. Following the pitch, there is a 5-minute period for questions and answers, as well as feedback from the audience. This will provide participants with an opportunity to formulate and present their idea, collaborate with others interested in their idea, and receive feedback and ideas from other conference participants. Professionals and students are eligible to submit a social enterprise pitch.

Social enterprise pitches are accepted on a rolling application deadline. The first qualified submissions will be accepted. We encourage you to submit your social enterprise pitch as soon as you decide that you would like to present.

Social Enterprise Pitch Categories

The social enterprise pitch should be program-focused and can be targeted for any country or countries worldwide.

  1. Global Health
  2. Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship
  3. International Development
  4. International Education
  5. NGOs and Community-Based Programs

Instructions For Submitting Social Enterprise Ideas

  1. Submit your social enterprise on the Conference Registration Page
  2. Social enterprise summaries should be no longer than 250 words. Longer submissions will not be reviewed and will be automatically rejected.
  3. The social enterprise pitch should include the details described below. The pitch will be evaluated based on the level of innovation, the expected impact and description of metrics, and the details that indicate that it is evidence-based and will be effective.
    • Problem: Describe the problem that you are trying to solve.
    • Solution: What is your proposed innovative solution? Why is it important? How will it be implemented in the field?
    • Innovation: How is the idea new and innovative?
    • Based in Evidence: How is your solution evidence-based? Why will it work? This is the most important criteria for evaluation.
    • What is the Expected Impact? What will be the outcomes, and what metrics will be used?
    • Management and Financing: Who will lead the social enterprise? What are the proposed or anticipated funding sources or revenues?
    • Describe Stage of Idea: Are you in the brainstorming stage, or early implementation stage? What is your progress? How much funding, if any, has been raised? When was the idea initially developed? Ideas in the brainstorming stage and early implementation stage will be considered equally.
    • Quality: The submission must be well-written and demonstrate thought and attention to detail. Avoid jargon and be sure that your audience understands exactly what you are proposing.
  4. A 250-word (max) narrative biography is required at the time of the abstract submission. The bio should be a description of your educational and professional background. The bio must be submitted in paragraph form and should not be in list or curriculum vitae format.
  5. Submitting a social enterprise pitch represents a commitment to attend the Global Health & Innovation Conference, irrespective of acceptance of the social enterprise pitch. The opportunity to submit an abstract for consideration is available only to those who plan to attend the conference for educational and networking purposes, and not to those who wish to attend exclusively for the opportunity to present.  Therefore, all persons submitting a pitch must register and submit payment to attend the conference at the time that they submit the abstract.
  6. A pitch will not be reviewed if the submitter has not confirmed intent to attend the conference by registering and submitting payment to attend the conference.
  7. If the social enterprise pitch is selected for presentation at the conference, the author submitting the pitch must be the presenter at the conference. The presenter should be the developer of the idea or founder of a new program or organization.
  8. Applicants will be notified by email whether their social enterprise pitch was accepted within 4-6 weeks after submission.

Social Enterprise Requirements & Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Social Enterprise Pitch?

The social enterprise pitch session at the Global Health & Innovation Conference is a unique opportunity for the speakers to present their new idea in the format of a 5-minute pitch. All of the presentations should be ideas that are being developed, meaning that the ideas are in the brainstorming or early implementation stage.  Following each presenter’s 5-minute pitch, there is a 5-minute period for questions, answers, and feedback from the audience.  This format provides presenters with an opportunity to formulate their idea, collaborate with others interested in their idea, and receive feedback and ideas. The goal is a dynamic session in which participants and speakers will network and collaborate about the innovative ideas, and the hope is that we will see many of these ideas effectively implemented in the future.

How do I submit a social enterprise pitch?

Go to the Conference Registration Page and submit a social enterprise pitch at the time that you register. At the time that you submit your registration form and payment to attend the conference, your pitch will be submitted to Unite For Sight for review. You must submit your social enterprise pitch at the same time that you submit your conference registration payment.

Who is eligible to submit a social enterprise pitch?

Anyone may submit a pitch. Submitters range from students to professionals.

What is the word limit?

Social enterprise pitches must be no longer than 250 words. Longer submissions will not be reviewed and will be automatically rejected.

I have a co-founder. Whose name should be used as the author?

The conference participant who will be in attendance and presenting the pitch must submit the abstract under their name. If both authors will be in attendance, then either of you may submit the pitch. The author submitting the pitch must be the presenter at the conference, and this author will also receive all communication from Unite For Sight. Co-founders may not present at the conference.

What is the selection criteria?

Submitters should ensure that their social enterprise pitches provide sufficient detail so that reviewers will be able to fully evaluate the author's idea.

The social enterprise pitch should include the details described below. The pitch will be evaluated based on the level of innovation, the expected impact and description of metrics, and the details that indicate that it is evidence-based and will be effective.

What type of social enterprise pitches should be submitted?

We welcome submissions pertaining to all fields relevant in global health, international development, and social entrepreneurship.

Why must I register to attend the conference at the time that I submit my social enterprise pitch?

Submitting a pitch represents a commitment to attend GH/Innovate 2011 irrespective of acceptance for presentation. The opportunity to submit an abstract for consideration is available only to those who plan to attend the conference for educational and networking purposes, and not to those who wish to attend exclusively for the opportunity to present.  Therefore, anyone who submits a social enterprise pitch must register and submit payment to attend the conference. A social enterprise pitch will not be reviewed if the submitter has not confirmed intent to attend the conference by registering and submitting payment.

How do I know that my social enterprise pitch was transmitted through the website?

Immediately upon submission of your registration, payment, and social enterprise pitch, you will receive an email notification confirming receipt of your registration and payment. If you submitted a social enterprise pitch on the registration form, the pitch will have also been received at the time that your registration and payment were received. If your registration and payment do not transmit properly, please review the page to be sure that you have filled in all of the required fields on the form.

Can I submit more than one social enterprise pitch?

Each conference participant may submit only one social enterprise pitch for presentation.

If my social enterprise pitch is accepted for oral presentation, what are the next steps?

  1. The author will be notified that their social enterprise pitch has been reviewed and accepted for oral presentation.
  2. The author will be required to submit an oral presenter agreement and a final 1-paragraph narrative bio in order to confirm their intent to give an oral presentation at the conference.
  3. Accepted presenters must adhere to deadlines and guidelines, and they must promptly respond to communication.
  4. The author will present a 5-minute pitch at GH/Innovate 2011 in a specified conference session.

What should I include in my presentation?

If you are accepted to present at the conference, you should include all of the important items in your abstract: problem, solution, innovation, evidence-base, impact, management and financing as well as the stage of your idea. When you are creating and practicing your presentation, you should consider what you hope to learn from the experience. What type of ideas/plans and obstacles are you currently working through?  What type of people do you hope to connect with at the conference and during your session? The answers to these questions may help you to highlight certain aspect of your pitch and de-emphasize others.

How can I be most effective in my presentation?

The most effective presentations will explain your innovation in a way that is immediately understood by the audience.  By the end of the presentation, the audience should understand why the idea is needed, how the idea will be implemented, and how the impact will occur.  In general, it is best to avoid using jargon or abstract ideas.  Instead, the pitch should provide concrete examples and real-life stories to illustrate the plan.  While you will have 5 minutes for your presentation, the more succinctly you are able to communicate your idea, the better.  Therefore, you should practice your social enterprise pitch in advance to ensure that it is no more than 5 minutes.  A bell will ring to conclude your presentation at 5 minutes. 

Who should I contact if I have other questions?

If you have any questions, please email Laura Reynolds at lreynolds@uniteforsight.org

How can I coordinate advice on my social enterprise pitch before or after the conference?

You may be interested in Unite For Sight's Idea Incubator Workshop and/or Social Enterprise Consulting Lab opportunities.

GH/Innovate Global Health & Innovation 2011 Conference