The Second Annual Unreasonable Institute will unite 25 of the world’s most promising entrepreneurs who are relentlessly working to tackle the world’s greatest social and environmental problems.  Over the course of the 8-week Institute in the summer of 2011, these entrepreneurs (deemed Unreasonable Fellows) will work and live with 60 world-class mentors, pitch their ventures to investors and foundations in five major entrepreneurial hubs across the United States (San Francisco, Boulder, Boston, New York City, and Washington D.C.), learn from top consulting organizations, and gain unprecedented exposure, training, mentorship, and access to the seed capital needed to give their ventures wings.

Ultimately, the Institute is relentlessly focused on one objective: accelerating ventures that will measurably improve the lives of 1,000,000 people and that future generations will remember as having defined progress in our time.  Read about everything that an Unreasonable Fellow gets and see the requirements to apply.

If you are confident that you have what it takes and you are amongst the world’s most promising entrepreneurs, click here to apply! Applications close November 10th, 2010.

Fellows will engage in personal growth and business skill modules where they will step outside of their comfort zones and hear from thought leaders in the community. Fellows will receive guidance and mentorship from upperclassmen students who coordinate the program at their schools. They will be connected to internship opportunities that allow them to gain hands-on experience. Finally, Fellows  will each receive the resources necessary to launch a social business venture that encompasses their passions and enables them to develop financially sustainable solutions to pressing social issues.

Meet the 2011 Fellows Here!

Last week CSRwire did its first Compass Fellow feature about Junho Lee and his venture, Apollo Talent.  As the Compass Fellowship begins to welcome a new group of 75 Fellows in three cities, these stories promise to be inspiring and interesting!

CSRwire is the leading source of corporate social responsibility and sustainability press releases, reports, and information. CSRwire members are companies and NGOs, agencies and organizations interested in communicating their corporate citizenship, sustainability, and socially responsible initiatives to a global audience through CSRwire’s syndication network and weekly News Alerts. CSRwire content covers issues of Diversity, Philanthropy, Socially Responsible Investing (SRI), Environment, Human Rights, Workplace Issues, Business Ethics, Community Development, and Corporate Governance.

Every student participated in Compass Partners’ Project H2O simulation, a social business activity that simulated a water crisis facing the fictitious third-world country of the Gavel Republic. Students were challenged to solve the water crisis by assuming roles in either a start-up company, MicroSolutions,  a large commercial beverage company, Orbital Beverage Co., or through a position in the Gavel Republic. Following an introduction video created by the Compass Team, each student received an extensive guide detailing the scenario and assigning a set of resources and constraints for each of the three groups. The students worked in small teams to create a creative solution to the crisis and then presented their ideas to the rest of the congregation.

The overarching theme of Project H2O was to enforce that some of the greatest issues facing our world can be solved by assuming a social entrepreneurial role, whether that be from the position of a small business, a large corporation or the government.

Here is a post from 2010 Compass Fellow Nick Maida:

My name is Nick Maida, student at Georgetown University and founder of Africa Unite. This time next week things are going to be a little bit different to say the least. I will be half way around the globe in one of the most impoverished nations in the world, Ethiopia, in an effort to work towards the launching of Africa Unite. The experience will prove to be an eye-opening one. I have repeatedly been told, “no matter what expectations you may have, you are going to be shocked.” The two-week trip will be filled with opportunities to network and work with microfinance institutions, NGOs, and possible business partners.  However, the intangibles cannot be overlooked in building relationships and making ineffably valuable contacts.  The African business culture is very much relationship-oriented and the process of becoming an insider, rather than outsider, is a process that will certainly extend past the short two-week trip.  I will be staying in a home in Addis Ababa, the capit

al, and the city of Dima with a friend whose extended family lives there.

I approach this trip with a great deal of excitement. The emergence into the culture, living with a local family, and the opportunity to get an insider’s perspective will be invaluable to furthering the success of Africa Unite. And needless to say, it will be an amazing adventure and a lot of fun.  The Africa Unite website is now up and running at www.AfricaUniteOnline.com. I will be blogging and posting video on a daily basis so that you can follow my trip. I hope you will come along for the ride.

Angela presents her venture, "Headlines," at the Gala

The following is a post from one of our Fellows, Angela Morabito:

This past Monday night, when most Georgetown students were celebrating the last day of classes, the Compass family had something extra to celebrate.  Lohrfink Auditorium was full of Compass members and supporters for the graduation of the 2010 fellowship class.

Getting there was a process none of us will forget.  From weeks of modules, coffee meetings, and mentor group activities came the community of socially-minded, creative people we call Compass.  At some point, everyone was stressed.  At some point, everyone was a little nervous about their ventures.  At some point, everyone had to lean on each other.  But at that point, on Monday night at the Gala, everyone was happy.

We were happy because we knew that the Gala was not the end of Compass.  It was just the beginning of Compass, as both a program that will bring the joys and challenges of social entrepreneurship to schools across the nation, and as an ever-expanding group of friends that all of us cherish.

But the Gala wasn’t just one big party (although it sure felt like one!).  Each fellow was charged with the task of giving a three-minute presentation of their ventures to a crowd of nearly three hundred people.  How do we fit this past year, and all we have accomplished in it, into three-minute slices?  To be honest, I don’t know how we did it – it took lots of rehearsal, and, yes, even some last-minute cramming – but Compass made it happen.

It was such an eye-opening experience to see the friends I had made throughout the year speak about their passions; there is not a single one of us who doesn’t plan on changing the world.  I got to see people I usually run into in class, at the gym, or in the dining hall in a totally new way – it made me realize how thankful I am to have these people in my life, and how their talents and dedication inspire me every single day!

When it came my turn to speak, I was extremely nervous.  All I could hear as I walked onstage was one high heel after the other.  But as soon as I started to share my project, I felt at home.  What a way to finish the Compass Fellowship’s inagural year:  I had no doubt that I was in the right place, with the right people, and doing the right thing.  I can’t wait to see where all of our ventures take us, or to meet the next group of fellows.  To the entire Compass Team:  Thank you for making my freshman year so awesome!

Hey Everyone! My name is Angela, and right now, I am the luckiest person on Lau 3. That’s because, while people flip through textbooks and crank out papers, I’m working on my Compass Venture!

Note: Compass has taught me that working smarter is just as great as working harder. So, I have spent many an hour in Lau flipping through a textbook or cranking out a paper (don’t worry, Mom and Dad…:), but now it’s most definitely Venture Time. The Compass Family has made me a better student- teaching time management but also building a community of very dedicated people who never stop being inspiring- y’all are awesome!!!

Another Note: What is my venture, you ask? It’s called Headlines: Smartwear for Women. What is Headlines, you ask? It’s an accessories line (headbands, barrettes, scarves, and hopefully even headphones someday!) that challenge negative female stereotypes.

My road to my venture idea was a bit different than most…I went from water purification systems to online dating to a bakery to spaghetti sauce before I landed on Headlines! Compass helped me hone in on a cause that means a whole lot to me– and that cause is women in society. I bet everyone can name several smart women in their lives who take real pride in their intelligence. So, why is Headlines necessary? Because the two standard images of women in the media seem to be the dorky bookworm or the HIlton/Lohan/Spears crew. (Compass has taught us that the media sends lots of messages- and the message our venture sends through the media is a crucial part of the marketing experience). Women, especially the young ones, want an affirmation that they can have the best of both worlds (smarts and fun…both of which Compass has in abundance!) I have no doubt that there are plenty of smart women out there who love fashion and mainstream culture just as much as they love to learn. (I have no doubt that there are lots of us here at Georgetown!) And it is time for us to stand up and be counted.

When I look back to the start of my freshman year, I am so thankful to Compass for helping me to gain confidence in myself and and experience new things (with great people!) along the way. From that first round of interviews to our ropes course retreat to boot camp to last night’s cupcakes- it has been a fantastic ride!

Thanks for reading! And now for a shameless plug: If you’d like to learn more about Headlines, go here! And follow the blog for updates and merchandise photos, coming soon! Check out my website.

We’ve recently been fortunate to establish partnerships with three inspirational organizations, each impacting the entrepreneurial world in special ways through their efforts. We take great pride in featuring them on our website and raising awareness of their efforts, but moreover, we’re excited to now be connecting with them regularly as members in the same community. We’re looking forward to all that will come of these great relationships. Here’s a bit about our three new partners:

The Unreasonable Institute selects 25 young, high-impact entrepreneurs from across the globe for to attend its 10-week summer institute in Boulder, Colorado. During these 10 weeks, these entrepreneurs undergo rigorous entrepreneurial training; gain access to seed capital; obtain legal advice, prototype consulting, web hosting and development services; and receive mentorship from 50 proven entrepreneurs and investors. We hope that many of the students in our community will one day become Unreasonable Fellows.

Sparkseed is a nonprofit organization that invests in the top social entrepreneurs of tomorrow as they lead social ventures today. Sparkseed provides guidance, funding, and tools to college students who will change the world. Specifically Sparkseed offers a comprehensive 2-year program for collegiate social innovators. The remarkable resources that Sparkseed offers to start-up social entrepreneurs make for an ideal next step for many of our social ventures.

Affinity Lab is an entrepreneurial launch platform serving a rich community of businesses, non-profits and start-ups. The Lab manages the shared operational needs of its member organizations, allowing them to better focus on mission and execution. Think of it as “shared office space meets incubator meets entrepreneurial club-house.” We’re looking forward to especially working closely the Affinity Lab this summer.

M3E Consulting (M3 Ethical Consulting) provides Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Consulting by trained college students. As consultants, college students gain a practical application for their studies and develop greater understanding of social responsibility in the business world. Businesses who purchase this service receive affordable but professional consulting, which produces a specific report of guidelines to develop more ethically driven operations. Businesses equally benefit from hearing the new perspective of these trained college students as well as the marketing services provided by Mission Three to all subscribing businesses. Consumers gain access to an archive of information on the ethical standing of the subscribing companies as well as a variety of virtual tools and resources to actively engage in this movement. Ultimately, this system creates a community of current and future business leaders, diverse in their backgrounds and business aspirations but united under the common values of Health, Environment and Community.

Learn more at www.m3econsulting.com.

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