Entrepreneurship for Social Impact

This workshop provides a comprehensive introduction to entrepreneurship and its most important aspects, including the self-conception of social entrepreneurs. You'll leave with an overview of the relevant "must-knows and must-dos" necessary to start developing a concrete roadmap for your entrepreneurial venture. You'll learn how to tackle your value proposition and answer the most important questions your social venture needs to cater to: Why, What, Who, for Whom, How, When, and Where.

• Part I: Thursday, 15 June | 2:00 - 5:00 pm (CEST)
• Part II: Wednesday, 21 June | 2:00 - 5:00 pm (CEST)

This workshop builds on your value proposition and teaches you how to specify your idea, turning it into a concrete product or service. You'll learn how to design a strategy and implement it using leading measures, enabling you to assess whether you're on track to reaching your goal.

• Part 1: Wednesday, July 5 | 2:00 - 5:00 pm (CEST)
• Part 2: Wednesday, July 12 | 2:00 - 5:00 pm (CEST)

Pitching is a crucial skill for any entrepreneur, whether you're selling your product or service to clients, convincing line managers of an idea, or seeking investment. In this workshop, you'll learn underlying psychological concepts and negotiation tactics that will improve the first impression you make. You'll also learn public speaking, storytelling, rhetoric, dramaturgy, body language, and techniques for practicing your pitch.

• Part 1: Thursday August 10 | 2:00 - 5:00 pm (CEST)
• Part 2: Thursday, September 7 | 2:00 - 5:00 pm (CEST)
• Part 3: Individual Sessions | Monday - Friday, September 18-22

Organized on demand, individual 30-minute slots will be available during calendar week 38 (Monday, September 18 – Friday September 22) for you to fine-tune your own  pitch. The workshop series will conclude with a pitch competition on Thursday, September 28, where you'll have the opportunity to showcase your pitch and receive feedback from fellow participants and the facilitator.

The online workshops will take place between June and September 2023. The exact dates and times can be found in the particular workshop descriptions above.

This is an exclusive offer for members of the Alumniportal Deutschland community. Community membership (free !) is required to participate. The workshops will be held online over two half days of 3 hours each including breaks in the afternoon between 2:00 and 5:00 PM Central European Time (CET). The number of participants per seminar is limited to 12. They take place online in "Zoom". Our  and the  for events apply. Zoom's applicable privacy policy can be found .

As part of the training, participants will exchange ideas in a closed group on the Alumniportal Deutschland. Updates on the seminars, links to presentations and further information will also be posted here. You will receive a certificate of attendance if you attend both sessions of each workshop.

is an approach to creating and managing businesses that prioritize social and environmental impact over profit. Social entrepreneurs use business strategies to tackle social or environmental problems in innovative and sustainable ways.

Unlike traditional entrepreneurs, who focus on maximizing profit for themselves and their shareholders, also aim to address social issues such as poverty, inequality, and environmental degradation. They may create ventures that address issues such as access to education, healthcare, or clean energy, and they often work with marginalized or underserved communities. Social entrepreneurs can operate in a variety of sectors, including healthcare, education, agriculture, and technology.

Social entrepreneurship has become increasingly popular in recent years, as consumers and investors have shown a growing interest in businesses that prioritize social and environmental impact and still aim to generate profit. Social entrepreneurship has the potential to create lasting change and address some of the world's most pressing challenges while also creating sustainable businesses that can generate economic growth and employment opportunities.

Ideation in entrepreneurship refers to the process of generating and developing new business ideas. It is the first step in the entrepreneurial journey, where entrepreneurs identify a problem or opportunity and brainstorm ideas for potential solutions of that problem. The goal of ideation is to come up with innovative and viable ideas that have the potential to be turned into successful businesses.

The process of ideation involves researching the market, identifying consumer needs and trends, brainstorming and testing different ideas, and refining the ideas based on feedback and analysis. This process often involves collaboration with others, such as potential customers, industry experts, and fellow entrepreneurs, to gather diverse perspectives and insights.

Ideation is crucial to the success of any entrepreneurial venture, as it lays the foundation for the entire business strategy. It is important to generate ideas that are unique, feasible, and scalable, and to continually refine and adapt them as the business evolves.

The Business Model Canvas is a strategic management tool that provides a visual representation of a business model. It is a one-page template that helps entrepreneurs and managers to develop, analyze, and communicate their business model. The canvas was developed by Alexander Osterwalder and Yves Pigneur and is widely used by startups and established companies.

The canvas consists of nine building blocks, which represent the key elements of a business model. These building blocks are:

1. Customer Segments: The specific groups of customers the business aims to serve.
2. Value Proposition: The unique value the business offers to its customers.
3. Channels: The channels used to reach and engage with customers.
4. Customer Relationships: The types of relationships the business establishes with its customers.
5. Revenue Streams: The ways the business generates revenue.
6. Key Resources: The resources necessary to create and deliver the value proposition.
7. Key Activities: The critical activities required to execute the business model.
8. Key Partnerships: The key partners and suppliers required to operate the business.
9. Cost Structure: The costs incurred to operate the business model.

The Business Model Canvas allows entrepreneurs and managers to visualize the key components of their business model and identify areas that need improvement. It helps to ensure that all aspects of the business model are aligned and integrated with each other, leading to a more coherent and effective strategy. 

A pitch is a short and persuasive presentation of an idea or a proposal made to an audience in order to convince them to take action. In the context of business and entrepreneurship, a pitch typically refers to a presentation made by an entrepreneur or a startup to potential investors or partners in order to secure funding or support.

A pitch usually lasts for only a few minutes and should be concise, engaging, and memorable. It typically includes a description of the problem the entrepreneur is solving, the proposed solution, the target market, the business model, and the team behind the venture. The pitch should also highlight the unique value proposition of the product or service and explain why it is superior to existing solutions.

A pitch can be a challenge: A successful pitch should capture the attention of the audience and convey the potential of the business in a compelling way. It should be tailored to the specific audience and take into account their interests and concerns. A good pitch is often supported by visual aids such as slides or prototypes, and it is usually rehearsed multiple times to ensure a polished and effective delivery.