mc-12911-e1437173794378-300x225The inaugural Social Venture Institute / Hudson Valley will be presented by Antidote Collective, On Belay Business Advisors and Re>Think Local in partnership with Omega Institute and Social Venture Network this weekend.
This weekend retreat will be held at Omega Institute near Rhinebeck, NY, May 9-11, 2014.

Headline-worthy local and national presenters include:

Raphael Bemporad, BBMG — expert in values-driven brand strategy, innovation strategy, cause marketing and public affairs
Jeffrey Davis — writer and creativity consultant; researches, interviews, and works with creative innovators, scientists, and social psychologists
Marissa Feinberg, Green Spaces/Impact Hub New York — co-founder of go-to NYC coworking space for world-changing companies and publicist
Heather Jassy, Etsy — entrepreneur, therapist and VP of member operations for Etsy
Dal LaMagna, IceStone — description below
Mike Oates, Hudson River Ventures — CEO of the Sean Eldridge-founded fund that empowers entrepreneurs throughout the region
Amy Soucy — yoga and meditation instructor and singer-songwriter
Amanda Steinberg, DailyWorth — description below

We interviewed Scott Tillitt of The Antidote Collective about this new approach to sustainable local business collaboration. He had some interesting ideas.

GGN: What inspired you to develop the SVI workshop?

ST: We believe that socially responsible, triple-bottom-line businesses and innovative nonprofits will lead our communities to a place of vibrancy.
GGN: What motivated you to focus the weekend on “problem solving”?

ST: Our aim is to not only inspire folks but give them actionable tools to maintain their organization on a sustainable path to the success they’ve defined for themselves. Unlike most conferences. It’s not meant to be a quick crack high. And it’s not just about learning a new tactic or discovering a new resource.

It’s about harnessing collective intelligence in an inspired setting to actually work through creative solutions to vexing challenges. It’s about injecting new life into one’s business (or organization). It’s a welcoming, safe place to learn and grow with peers and gather specific tools to minimize failures and maximize dreams.

GGN: Are there outcomes for participants beyond the weekend you hope to see?

ST: We hope people leave ready to act, ready to implement things to help their world-changing venture. And circling back, those ventures will lead our communities to a place of vibrancy.

GGN: Supporting local entrepreneurs visioning process is so important would this event be appropriate for early stage businesses, start ups, idea phase businesses?

ST: It’s appropriate for all stages — and perhaps even more so for startups. We say it’s a retreat for emerging social entrepreneurs.

GGN: Mixing it with yoga! What do you hope to achieve?

ST: Transcendence! (Too airy-fairy?) We not only need to continually stimulate our intellect and creativity, we need to open our body and hearts to fresh possibilities and remember for whom and what we’re doing our work.