Social Enterprise Alliance announces new chapter

Social Enterprise Alliance (SEA), a nonprofit network of members and regional chapters aimed at promoting social enterprise across the United States, has launched its Detroit Regional Chapter. SEA Detroit, which will be the seventeenth chapter across 15 states, will direct its focus throughout Michigan. SEA President and CEO Kevin Lynch made the announcement. "Detroit is home to many passionate, civic-minded people and we're excited to help build an optimal environment in which they can thrive," said Lynch. "SEA was founded in 1998 as a network to help usher positive social change and provide the resources to help social enterprise reach its fullest potential and succeed." SEA Detroit was cofounded by some of the top talent for social enterprise throughout southeastern Michigan. Romy Gingras, who will act as the chapter's chairperson, is the managing partner of Gingras Global, a for-profit social enterprise development, consulting and services firm that connects business people and their resources to global social enterprise. Jennifer Oertel, who will serve as vice-chair, is a partner at Jaffe, Raitt, Heuer, & Weiss PC, and leads the firm's Not-for-Profit practice group, advising social entrepreneurs and impact investing funds on an international, national and local level. "Although we are based in Detroit, our goal is to promote expansive social enterprise growth both within the city and across the state of Michigan," said Oertel, vice chair. "We're hopeful others will follow our lead and launch regional chapters throughout Michigan." The Detroit Chapter will focus on the six main building blocks to support social enterprise throughout Michigan: best practices, creating a marketplace, public policy and advocacy, creating and assisting funding into social enterprises, talent identification and gathering and health and well-being of social entrepreneurs. The Board is in the process of convening people interested in joining working groups on each building block. SEA Detroit has already hosted its first educational event, Social Enterprise Challenge, in June before the Michigan Corps. During the event, Jaffe attorneys, Gingras Global representatives and others shared their insight regarding the recent legal and business issues currently faced by social entrepreneurs. "In addition to accomplishing a great social good for our region, our team is equally as focused on securing the finances to make the biggest impact," said Gingras. "We haven't reached our goal as an organization until we facilitate more sustainable enterprise cash flow to this sector." Also supporting the launch of the SEA Detroit Regional Chapter are Secretary Jake Albers, the assistant director for the Center for Advancing Social Enterprise at Eastern Michigan University's College of Business; Gary Dembs of 4th Sector Consulting, a consulting firm that aides non-profits to look at more sustainable futures through earned revenue opportunities such as social enterprise; and Angela Barbash of Reconsider and Revalue, two organizations involved in advancing the social enterprise ecosystem in Michigan. For additional information about SEA, visit www.se-alliance.org. Published: Fri, Nov 14, 2014