Inspiration is on the menu at the 2020 Social Enterprise EXPO from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Friday, March 13, 2020, at Cornerstone Coffee Co., 1463 Fulton St., Fresno. Enjoy a light lunch of finger foods and other refreshments while meeting local entrepreneurs who are solving community problems through interesting businesses.
The event is sponsored by the Fresno Pacific University Center for Community Transformation (CCT), which supports social enterprise through its annual Spark Tank Pitch Fest. Social enterprises use business principles to invest in people, communities and the planet. The EXPO will feature Spark Tank winners and other Central Valley social enterprises, including Rock Pile Landscaping, Haitian Bead Project, Dog’s Dig Em’/St. Francis Homeless project and Lanna Coffee. Click here for free tickets or find us at cct-expo.eventbrite.com. For more information, contact Carlos Huerta, associate CCT director, at carlos.huerta@fresno.edu.
Since 2013, the Spark Tank Pitch Fest has empowered community members to solve community problems through social enterprises that have a financially profitable revenue stream, a measurable and managed social impact goal and a plan to operate in an environmentally responsible manner. The Valley’s only social enterprise event, Spark Tank boasts a start-up success rate double the national average. Social enterprises awarded capital via Spark Tank generated $3.7M between 2016-2018 and continue to offer a range of products and services to the community as well as jobs to more than 260 people, many of whom face challenges to employment.
Spark Tank sponsors include Beneficial State Back, Bitwise Industries, Cen-Cal Business Finance Group, Central Valley Community Foundation, Every Neighborhood Partnership, JD Food, Neighborhood Industries and Lanna Coffee.
CCT connects the strengths of FPU with the resources of the region to transform cities. Part of the Fresno Pacific Biblical Seminary, CCT supports entrepreneurial creativity, spiritual freedom, economic vitality and justice, environmental integrity, cross-cultural/social collaboration and political health in the Central Valley. More information on Spark Tank and other CCT initiatives at cctfresno.org/social-enterprise/.