16 May 2006

The GIBS Colloquium for Social Entrepreneurs (CSE) is excited to announce the launch of an award programme for South African social entrepreneurs.

Over the past year since the CSE was established, we have come to a more intimate knowledge of the world and what matters to social entrepreneurs through research and networking conducted.  It is for this reason that we are launching the GIBS CSE social entrepreneurship awards in the following categories to be awarded Tuesday 11 July:

1. The Social Entrepreneur on the Brink is one who has proven entrepreneurial ability, has made his/her case, been noted, seems earmarked for great success and just needs a little nudge in that direction.
2. The Bequeathing Leader is a mature, selfless individual who starts an enterprise of great social value but moves on while it is thriving, before the organization shows signs of leader dependency.
3. The Believer is an award for the often little recognised second comer to an enterprise who supports the social entrepreneur at the forefront, through good times and bad.

The Benefactor is the corporate entity that partners with, or supports the social entrepreneur at a crucial point in the growth of his/her enterprise, which results in stability growth and ultimately more social value.  

Top executive education prizes worth over R40 000 are on offer through GIBS for the award winners in each award category. A primary aspect of the GIBS CSE mission is to increase awareness about social entrepreneurship in broader society, including the business school community and the business sector as a whole. In this light, we will be inviting a wide range of key stakeholders from business, government and civil society to attend the award ceremony as part of our efforts to further the role of social entrepreneurs in shaping our society.

Please e-mail your applications to Julian Hewitt (hewittj[at]gibs.co.za) before the application deadline is 15 June 2006.