We’ve talked to hundreds of successful entrepreneurs and you know what they told us is one of the main keys to their success? Finding a mentor! Having a mentor can be the key to ultimate success, but how do you find that perfect mentor? Get away from your desk and attend a conference! That’s the key!
Any modern day social entrepreneur making their way pursuing their mission needs help along the way.
You’ve probably heard that you should get find a mentor if you want to expedite the process. Duh, right?
That’s something we can probably all agree on.
However, the bigger question that comes up isn’t, “how do I find a mentor?”. The question is, “how do I get someone to agree to be my mentor?”
You want someone who’s very successful and doing what you want to ultimately do. But the thing is, they are obviously busy and as much as they might want to help everyone they just can’t. Time is our most valuable commodity so if you want some of their time, it will take some work.
You can either offer them something in return that is of value – money or support of their business for example. Get creative.
The other thing to do is find a way to meet in person. There is nothing better or more powerful and a face to face discussion where people can see your passion and connect with you face to face.
This is such an important part of the process and many times getting someone to agree to a coffee for 15 minutes is very possible. Again, you might have to get a little creative to get them to become your mentor on a long-term basis, but this is a great way to start. So get out there and mingle! The right mentor is just waiting for you!
Here are our top 5 conferences for the social entrepreneur:
1. SOCAP 17
- When: October 10-13
- Where: San Francisco, CA
- Price: Summer sale, $1,195 (ends September 1)
Want to meet investors for your social enterprise, this is the place to be!
This is essentially the world’s leading conference on social capital markets.
What you will find here is a gathering where powerful ideas are sparked and game changing partnerships get started.
The conference brings together social entrepreneurs, impact investors, funders, business leaders and other innovators and problem solvers from across the world.
Now in its 10th year, SOCAP is a catalyst for much-needed change, creating a vibrant market for ventures that support people, planet, and profits.
2. Agents of Change
- When: September 15, 2017
- Where: Portland, Maine or Virtual
- Price: Packages range from $149 – $549
Social entrepreneurs need to scale impact so this really cool one day conference is on the list. They offer good speakers and it’s affordable! They’ve been doing it every September since 2012.
It’s great for business owners, marketers, and social entrepreneurs who want to reach more of their ideal customers through search, social, and mobile marketing.
Past speakers have included Chris Brogan, Amy Porterfield, Pat Flynn, Sue B. Zimmerman, John Lee Dumas (check out our interview with John), Laura Fitton, Chris Ducker, Mike Stelzner, Jaime Masters, and much, much more.
This year they have a lot of inspiring keynotes from Jay Baer and Rich Brooks along with breakout sessions on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter, content creation and more!
If you’re looking for great insights without the hype that will help you rank higher, engage your audience on social media, and generate more leads and business through your website, then you can’t afford to miss Agents of Change!
3. Opportunity Collaboration
- Where: Ixtapa, Mexico
- When: October 15-20, 2017
- Price: $2,950 for all-inclusive which includes: 5 nights lodging & meals, full agenda, all leadership programs & activities, pre- & post-event networking services, airport transportation, onsite internet access, recreation facilities, and gratuities.
This is a very well thought out and executed event that provides a wonderful opportunity to connect with high-caliber like minded people solving problems in the poverty space.
This meeting annually convenes 400 global leaders building sustainable solutions to poverty offering the opportunity to engage social entrepreneurs, innovative non-profit executives, grant-makers, impact investors, corporate & academic field-leaders, and aligned media working around the world to solve common challenges and spark new opportunities.
Predicated on the powerful idea that out of fragmentation can come collaboration, from diversity can come unity, and from cross-fertilization can come innovation: the power of collaboration does not presume a single outcome. Rather, it draws its power from the conviction that people of good will forge their own solutions, directions, and alliances, and uncover new ways to combine and leverage resources.
4. Skoll World Forum
- When: April 9-13 2018
- Where: Oxford, England
- Price: From $1,250 – $3,300 plus 20% VAT. This was the 2017 pricing and is subject to change for 2018. The attendance fee is determined by the sector in which the delegate works. There is no ‘early bird’ registration.
Click here for specific pricing tiers.
Imagine being a place surrounded by 1,000 of the world’s most influential social entrepreneurs, key thought leaders, and strategic partners.
Well, that’s exactly what you’ll get when you attend this iconic event at the University of Oxford’s Said Business School.
Change Creator Magazine has interviewed and shared incredible cover stories with several of Skoll’s award winning social entrepreneurs such as, Dr. Elizabeth Hausler, Dr. Alasdair Harris, Chuck Slaughter, and coming this November 2017, Taddy Blecher.
Exchange ideas, solutions, and information while building incredible relationships to help accelerate your own success driving impact.
Their mission is to accelerate the impact of the world’s leading social entrepreneurs by uniting them with essential partners in a collaborative pursuit of learning, leverage, and large-scale social change.
If you want to make it out to this event in 2018 you have to apply and can do so right here
5. Survive and Thrive
- When: September 8-10, 2017
- Where: Kent, Connecticut
- Price: $2,999 Get a 15% discount!!!
Related: 5 Powerful Truth From the Survive and Thrive Conference
We recently learned about this unique and exciting mission driven conference when a video from Daymond John and Kevin Harrington caught our attention.
If you’re really looking to find a mentor or build strong relationships, this is really good opportunity to do that.
This event is different than most others.
It’s actually held on a camp ground and rather than having thousands of people attend, they have a limited count of a couple hundred. Why? This is done to offer real impact through intimate coaching and networking with 1 on 1 mentorship, bonding with events and water sports or having drinks around a campfire.
That’s right. One minute you’ll be zip lining or building boats and the next you will be in 1-on-1 sessions with a mentor or impact investor.
It’s a really cool opportunity to get to know people in a dynamic environment.
- Learn how to write a book and create high-impact viral trailers to deepen your brand value.
- Meet with Investors and Mentors in an intimate setting of no more than 250 people.
- Participate in Club Getaway challenges (access to 20+ fun activities including zip-lining, rock climbing, water sports and outdoor leadership/teamwork exercises).
- Attend facilitated mastermind workshops and Q&A panels.
- Want a friendly ‘Shark’ in your tank? Vie for just 10 positions in the ‘Thrive Venture Finale’ on Sunday from 2-7pm and potentially walk away with funding to take your business to the next level!
Plus much more.
For more insights, you can listen to our interview with the founders. We just had to know more!
We hope you find some inspiration in these incredible conferences. We offered a variety to meet different needs. All will provide incredible value for your future.
Remember, you have to invest in yourself if you want to continue to grow and build a strong future. Connecting with people at these conferences will be priceless.
