Learn more about the Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability (LOHAS) at ‘LOHAS: The Next Consumer Swarm?’ through speakers Adam Horler, president of Asia-Pacific LOHAS, and Tay Lai Hock, founder of Ground-Up Initiative. LOHAS represents a growing market segment of consumers who are particularly interested in issues of sustainable living, health and wellness, as well as ecology and the environment.

For this particular Social Conversation, organised by the Lien Centre for Social Innovation, there will also be a macrobiotic and vegetarian fare prepared by chef Alexandra Hsieh as well as a goodie bag from the Kranji Countryside Association for the early birds.

Date: 15 Jul 2010 (Thursday)

Time: 5.00-6.30pm

Venue: Glassroom Cafe, Level 2, School of Information Systems, 80 Stamford Road, SMU.

For more information, visit http://www.lcsi.smu.edu.sg/emailer/100715social_conversation.htm or email Jared Tham at jaredtham@smu.edu.sg . To register, go to http://www.lcsi.smu.edu.sg/prog_reg.asp.

Social entrepreneurs seek to create and sustain social value through a process of continuous innovation, adaptation and learning. Service-learning is a pedagogy that integrates community action with structured reflection in support of service to others, community development and empowerment, and reciprocal learning.  Can service-learning promote effective social entrepreneurship?

In this talk by Dr. Timonthy Stanton, he will examine the history and theoretical foundations of service-learning to consider its possibilities for strengthening the work of social entrepreneurs.

Dr. Stanton is the director of the Stanford University Bing Overseas program in Cape Town and Visiting Senior Fellow at the John Gardner Center for Youth and their Communities in the school of Education in Stanford.

Speaker: Dr Timothy Stanton, Director, Stanford University Bing Overseas Program in Cape Town, S Africa.

Date: June 21 2010 (Monday)

Time: 2pm-4.30pm

Venue: BIZ 1 #2-1, Mochtar Riady Building, NUS Business School

Caroline Casey was born legally blind but she lives beyond her disability—achieving all her dreams—to drive a race car, ride an elephant across India and start her own business. She is founder of social enterprise Kanchi which promotes inclusiveness by partnering businesses, governments, medias and the general public. She is also the first Irish person to become an Ashoka Fellow and Young Global Leader of The World Economic Forum in 2006.

Hear from Caroline yourself in Hong Kong this June. She will be sharing her life experiences as well as her work at the Kanchi Foundation. She will also be open to hearing new opportunities for people with disabilities in China and areas with potential for collaboration.

A Conversation with Caroline Casey

Date: 15 June (Tuesday)
Time: 12.30pm-2pm
Location: HKUST Business School Central, Room 1501-02, 15/F Hong Kong Club Building, 3A Chater Road, Central, Hong Kong
Organised by: HK University of Science and Technology
To register or for more information, Interested participants may contact Ivy Ngan at ivyngan@ust.hk

Mini MaD x Caroline Casey Ability Workshop

Date: 16 June (Wednesday)
Time: 2pm-4.30pm
Location: HKICC Auditorium, 135 Junction Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Organised by: HKICC (HK Institute of Contemporary Culture)
To register or for more information, Interested participants should visit http://www.M-a-D.asia

‘Who Wants to be a Social Entrepreneur?’, jointly organised by the Hong Kong Social Entrepreneurship Forum (HKSEF) and HKU SPACE, is a six-month long course that could change your life.

If you are contemplating a career in a social enterprise or as a social entrepreneur, or you are simply interested to learn more about social entrepreneurship, you should consider signing up. The course will equip you with the knowledge of what it takes to become a social entrepreneur, how to launch a social enterprise and prepare a compelling business plan for a social enterprise among others. What’s more, selected business plans will be presented to a group of potential investors.

Proposed date of commencement: 14 August 2010

Enrollment deadline: 7 August 2010

Duration: 30 hours of interactive sessions over a period of six months. Most sessions will be held in the evenings, with one to two half-day weekend sessions

Course Facilitators: Dr. KK Tse, Chair of HKSEF and advisor to several social enterprises in Hong Kong and Ms Yvonne Yeung, Vice-Chair of HKSEF and General Manager of social enterprise MentalCare Connect Co. Ltd.

Course Fee: HK5,000

Tel: (852) 2867 8473

Interested participants may contact Dr. Paul Leong (Program Director) at Ms Lydia Kan (Program Executive) at Lydia.kan@hkuspace.hku.hk or visit HKUSPACE and HKSEF for more information.

The Speaker
Chandra Shekhar Ghosh is a Senior Ashoka Fellow who is the Founder Chairman of Bandhan Financial Services.
He has over 25 years of relevant industry experience, and his grasp over the subject of microfinance and development is exemplary and has won him various accolades and recognition in the fraternity. Mr. Ghosh is also on the Governing Board of SA-DHAN – the
primary association of Microfinance Institutions of India.

The Organisation
Bandhan is a leading example of creating a market at the bottom of the pyramid. It is one of the leading MFIs in India, and was ranked 2nd in the world by Forbes magazine. Bandhan is operating in 15 states in India through a network of over 1,000 branches with a workforce of over 6,000 employees servicing over 2.4 million poor people.
Bandhan has received recognition by the Pro Poor Innovation Challenge Award by CGAP, Skoch Challenger award for financial inclusion and the Micro Finance India Award 2009 under the category of ‘Institution of the Year’.
Join us to find out :
• The reasons for Bandhan’s achievements in a short span of 8years!
• Is commercialisation is key to growth for an MFI? And how to manage social impact or double bottom line at the same time?
• Bandhan has a social entity as well as a commercial entity. What are the challenges and advantages?
• What are the key measures to ensure growth is manageable?
Get involved in the discussion and hear the success story from the Founder – Chairman of Bandhan.

Date: 5th May 2010

Time: 6:30 to 8:30pm

Snacks & tea will be served

Venue: Seminar Rooms (level 11)
Raffles Corporate Suite Pte Ltd
108 Robinson Road
Singapore 068900

Fees: $5 per person