Global Social Venture Competition

The Global Social Venture Competition [GSVC] is an innovative partnership between Columbia Business School*, the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley, London Business School and the Indian School of Business. The competition aims to foster a new generation of business leaders that values the social as well as the profit potential of business. It achieves this goal by catalyzing and promoting for-profit and not-for-profit ventures that create and measure both social and financial returns.

Winning ventures have included an alternative energy company, a manufacturer of stylish women’s apparel and accessories, a nonprofit charter school, an environmentally friendly manufacturing technology company, a microfinance enterprise focused on the developing world and a community-employment enterprise operating in rural and low-income urban areas.

Venture teams must include at least one current MBA student, and all competing ventures must have been in operation for less than three years. Substantial cash awards are distributed to winning ventures each year.

*The Eugene Lang Entrepreneurship Center and Columbia Business School wishes to thank Milestone Venture Partners for their generous support of our regional process.

2009 Submission Guidelines and Deadlines:

Specific rules and submission guidelines can be found on the GSVC official website. For more information, please contact: Abigail Barrett, Program Manager, at 212.854.5413 or aab2155@columbia.edu. 

This year's competition took place on April 23-25th. Visit the GSVC site for a list of finalists and winners.

SPRING 2009

January 21, 2009
GSVC Executive Summary DUE.
Submit through the GSVC website.

January 27, 2009
“Team Matching” Happy Hour *CANCELED* Please call Abbey Barrett at 212.854.5413 for more information.
Time/Location: TBD
*Need an MBA for your team? Want to participate but don’t have an idea? Come to our Matching Hour!

January 30, 2009
Mentor Day: Entrants practice investor pitches, meet local mentors, hear a featured speaker and participate in an SIA workshop!
Time/Location: Uris 140 / Hepburn Lounge
-By invitation only-

February 13, 2009
First Draft Business Plan DUE
Submit to: aab2155@columbia.edu

February 20, 2009
Student Judging Round (Entrants do not attend)
Time/Location: TBD
-By invitation only-

March 5, 2009
Final Draft Business Plan DUE
Submit to: aab2155@columbia.edu

March 20, 2009
Regional Semi-Finals (Entrants do not attend)
Time/Location: TBD
-By invitation only-

April 7, 2009
Finalist Teams Submit Plan to HAAS

April 23-24, 2009
GSVC Finals in Berkeley, California
-By invitation only-

April 25, 2009
Symposium [details TBD]