It’s not safe out there for the complacent. Too many passions and ideas and movements in the air.
Knee deep in Chicago Ideas Week, we are in the thick of a season ripe with opportunities for invigorating and engaging discourse on social innovation and entrepreneurship. It’s infectious. Symptoms of acute inspiration include:
- Sudden motivation to create and complete lists of projects and tasks
- Increased collaboration and open lines of dialog
- Feverish belief in social causes
- Wild gesticulation
- Loss of fear of the word “No.”
- Compulsive learning
- In some cases, an evangelical enthusiasm for starting and supporting locally sustainable business models may cause individuals to restructure their priorities and daily lives in accordance with their values and wildest dreams
6:00 – 9:00 PM
Union League Club
This year’s event will feature keynote speakers, Michael Schlein, CEO of ACCION International, and Jake Nickell, Founder of local favorite Threadless. Both speakers, long afflicted with tremendous passion and extraordinary work ethics, will offer attendees their insights and anecdotes about their own experiences with acute entrepreneurship. I had a chance to speak with Jenny from ACCION Chicago, whose thoughts on the event paint a promising picture:
Mr. Nickell is a neat example of a local entrepreneur who, like many of our clients, has had to rely on limited resources in building his business and and in continuing to lead Threadless in the face of our current economic reality. He started the business as a hobby while working as a pizza delivery man, and he’s spent the last ten years leading Threadless’s organic growth into a multimillion dollar business and internationally recognized company that represents a mix old school entrepreneurship and new media and technology. We really encourage anyone interested in microfinance or local business to attend.
In addition to providing a fun, interactive atmosphere powered entirely by ACCION clients and a tremendous networking opportunity for anyone interested in ACCION’s clients, staff, community and corporate partners, local entrepreneurs and business owners, and socially-conscious supporters, the Taste of ACCION is offering half-price tickets for all employees of nonprofit organizations and students.
Be sure to mark your appointment with ACCION for November 14, take comfort that your fervent desire to invest in yourself and your community will not be in vain, and as always, hydrate well.
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