Social Venture Weekend
The Social Venture Weekend at Cambridge Judge Business School is for anyone with an ambition to set up or grow a business that makes a positive social or environmental impact.
Programme details
Dates:
22-23 March 2024
Duration:
2 days
Format:
Full-time
Location:
Cambridge Campus
Overview
The workshop is an inspiring introduction to the social venture sector and a valuable opportunity to focus intensely on your own business.
In an inclusive, supportive and friendly atmosphere, you’ll have the opportunity to share and test your ideas with others and learn from the experience of successful social entrepreneurs.
You will enjoy 2 days of world-class training on topics from business models for social ventures and financial tools to market research and legal structures.
- For emerging social entrepreneurs, it’s a chance to explore new ideas and get started on your new business.
- For established social ventures, you will be able to refine your business plan and cement your understanding of business fundamentals to help your business thrive.
This was my first introduction to social entrepreneurship and I really think it could change the course of my life, my career and how I impact the world.
Course content
Our training helps emerging social entrepreneurs explore new ideas and supports established social ventures to refine their thinking. Unlike other entrepreneurial training, ours is from a social perspective, with a strong focus on social impact within the context of creating and scaling a sustainable business.
Over the 2 days, faculty from Cambridge Judge Business School and other world-class experts in social enterprise will cover:
- business planning
- market research
- legal structures
- finance.
You’ll discuss your ideas with mentors and fellow entrepreneurs, developing the story and business model around your venture.
Who attends
We welcome any business working to make positive social or environmental impact across all sectors, from employment to genomics, ageing to energy.
Our Social Venture Weekends are for anyone running a business dedicated to making social impact, whether it’s a fully-fledged business or still just a bright idea. Social Venture Weekend is for you if:
- you are starting, or already running, a business dedicated to making social impact.
- you’re ambitious to scale up rapidly, become investment ready, and secure finance.
There are no prerequisites for attendees and we do not assess you – we are here to encourage and support you. Attendees only need:
- a business idea for a new or growing venture to explore through the workshop
- a strong social mission at the core of your work
- a willingness to share and discuss your ideas with mentors and fellow entrepreneurs.
The weekend is designed for individuals who are ready with a project in mind. Please ensure you do not fall into any of the following categories before booking, just in case this is not the right workshop for you.
Important information
The weekend is hosted by Cambridge Judge Business School on Trumpington St in central Cambridge.
The fee for the weekend is £75.
If the cost will prevent you from attending, please do talk to us. Concessions are available for people who are experiencing long term financial hardship. Contact us to discuss group rates for 3 or more.
The workshop runs all day Friday and all day Saturday in Cambridge. Full details will be provided upon booking.
We provide lunches and refreshments throughout both days including on the Friday evening to give you a chance to meet the mentors and other attendees.
Dietary requirements are catered for – please make sure you inform us when you book your ticket.
Those travelling from outside Cambridge will need to arrange their own travel.
Find out more about travel directions to Cambridge Judge, including parking advice
There is no parking available at the venue, and parking around Cambridge city centre can be difficult and expensive.
Park and ride services run from five locations around the city. Visit the Park & Ride website
Parkopedia can suggest nearby parking. Visit the Parkopedia web app
Those travelling from outside Cambridge will need to arrange their own accommodation.
We recommend staying within Cambridge city, as bus services from the surrounding villages can be unreliable and infrequent. Alternatively, Cambridge is well served by train from London and other nearby large cities. Towns and villages on these train routes could be a good option.
Find out more about local accommodation options at:
We are aware that as emerging social ventures, many of us are cost-conscious!
Please let us know if you have any accessibility or learning support needs. We are very willing to make adaptations to our programme to enable you to participate.
If you have limited mobility, please let us know so that we can ensure your safety in case of fire.
Our venue (Cambridge Judge Business School) also has a number of accessibility features to improve access, particularly for people with mobility, hearing and visual impairments. We also have quiet spaces which can be used by anyone, for example people with fatigue conditions, nursing mums and neurodiverse people.
Never once did I feel like this wasn’t for me – despite not ever going to university or having been in full-time work for the past 8 years. It was welcoming, warm, and the facilitators were warm, friendly and approachable.