SOCAP Scholars

In 2018, Byron Fellowship Educational Foundation began a special partnership with Social Capital Markets (SOCAP), sponsoring a six-member inaugural cohort of Byron Alumni to participate in a curated experience through the annual SOCAP conference’s Social Entrepreneurs Scholar Program. Scholarship recipients have the opportunity to pitch and receive feedback on their ventures during the Impact Accelerator, and receive mentorship through a one-of-a-kind “dream meeting” during the conference.

SOCAP (Social Capital Markets) is in the vanguard of the emerging global impact economy — convening ideas and capital to catalyze world change. It is a network of investors, entrepreneurs, and social impact leaders addressing the world’s toughest challenges through market-based solutions. SOCAP’s flagship event each fall in San Francisco is the leading gathering for impact investors and social entrepreneurs.

You can learn more about SOCAP19 here.

If you are a Byron Alumni and an innovator who is trying to solve a challenge that will create real impact, either social or environmental, you are invited to apply for a SOCAP Scholarship, whether your venture is in the idea, prototype, startup, or growth stage. While SOCAP does host leaders of non-profit ventures, the majority of participants are leaders of developing socially-focused for-profit ventures. We welcome applications from non-profit and for-profit organizations and ventures of all sizes and stages.

Byron’s SOCAP Scholars receive free admission to the SOCAP conference, a travel stipend, special access to a variety of networking and development opportunities, and a custom-tailored “dream meeting” with a leader in the social impact space.

If you would like to participate, please check back in Summer 2020 for the SOCAP20 application link.

If you are a social and/or environmental change agent looking to take your initiative to the next level, SOCAP is the perfect place to gain momentum, no matter what development phase your venture is in. SOCAP is a truly unique opportunity to explore the convergence of money and meaning, and Byron Fellowship Alumni are uniquely positioned to have a powerful SOCAP experience.

At SOCAP, your mind is expanded through abundant opportunity and experience, and your interests are energized. Social and environmental change agents from around the world come to SOCAP to share ideas, learn, and understand the importance of responsible capital. At the Impact Accelerator, Fellows network and co-create with 200 of the brightest social entrepreneurs from around the world, all working on sustainable social ventures in various stages of development. Throughout the conference, Fellows will learn from world-class entrepreneurs, gaining insight into how they designed, built, and scaled their organizations. Through the unique Byron Fellowship partnership, Fellows will have the opportunity to set up a “dream meeting” with founders and leaders of the most highly-respected organizations in the social enterprise/responsible business world.

As a budding social entrepreneur, SOCAP was an incredible launch pad for me, to develop both a rich network and a framework for understanding the path to creating a sustainable social enterprise. My experience was fast-paced, inspiring, and mind-expanding, and my participation in the SOCAP community has opened many doors, catapulting both me and my organization into a new realm of possibility.

David Paull

CEO & Co-founder of CompostWheels, 2017 Byron Fellow