This November, a group of international leaders will travel to Mumbai and Bangalore to connect with some of India's most inspiring social entrepreneurs -- individuals using their ideas and entrepreneurial skills to bring about social change. Together, they will share lessons in how social entrepreneurship, social business, and bottom-of-the-pyramid business models can bring world-changing ideas to life.

The collaboration is organized by the Mumbai- and London-based social business Journeys for Change. Over the past five years, the Journeys for Change team has brought more than one hundred accomplished leaders from the U.S., Europe, China and India to learn from and offer guidance to social entrepreneurs, social businesses and NGOs throughout India. The business executives have been drawn from top global companies including JPMorgan, Credit Suisse and Nike. The social sector leaders have come from major global foundations, including the Bertelsmann Foundation and the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, as well as from early-stage social ventures tackling issues from peace-building in Northern Ireland to the empowerment of trafficked women in the U.K.

The Indian social entrepreneurs that the group will visit represent a diversity of approach, structure, and scale. This year's provisional itinerary includes site visits to 1298, SELCO Solar, Dream a Dream, and Aavishkaar -- organizations that provide ambulance access, sustainable energy solutions, developmental programs for street children and social venture capital respectively.

Past journeys have yielded cross-sector partnerships, project funding, and new directions for the participants and their organisations.

"The journey had a profound impact for our organisation. It helped re-focus our social investment strategy, moving from simply writing a check to more of a social venture capitalist approach," says Kelly Lauber, Global Director of Strategic Planning, Nike Corporate Responsibility.

"Through bringing together accomplished leaders from different sectors across the world, our aim is to create a powerful leadership development experience where participants can leave better equipped to create greater change in the world," say Pooja Warier and Richard Alderson, co-founders of Journeys for Change.

For additional information, contact Ben Losman or visit www.journeysforchange.org and www.journeysforchange.org/our-brochure. To read insights from Journey 2009 participants, visit bit.ly/dq1K8W.

Journeys for Change

Journeys for Change

Journeys for Change takes exceptional leaders to learn about innovation, entrepreneurship and leadership from the world’s most inspiring social entrepreneurs.

More from Journeys for Change