Saint Leo University Launches Social Enterprise Program for Nonprofit Leaders

Saint Leo University is assembling a team of social enterprise, leadership development, and impact measurement experts to offer the Social Enterprise Accelerator program for nonprofit leaders. The first cohort launches on January 26, 2023.

The 14-week online program will help nonprofit leaders strengthen their organizations’ social impact, while also moving them from financial dependency on grants and aid to self-sufficiency through earned income and diversified revenue streams.

“Nonprofit leaders can no longer rely on tired models of organizational development if they are to keep their programs dynamic and financially sustainable,” said Dr. Mark Gesner, vice president of Community Engagement & Communications at Saint Leo University. “Our Social Enterprise Accelerator is designed for professionals who have the desire and drive to be more innovative, more entrepreneurial, and more in sync with the current and future trends of nonprofit leadership.”

Participants will benefit from individual leadership coaching; business development and impact measurement consulting; connections to potential partners, investors, and supporters; and access to Saint Leo University resources.

The program will be taught by a team of experts, alongside a variety of noteworthy guest speakers. The staff team includes Dr. Matt Wagner, noted entrepreneur educator and chief program officer at Main Street America; Sandye Brown, a master certified leadership coach and founder of Wide Awake; Jeff Montanez-Jones, a social impact measurement specialist and founder of Basil Data; Tammy Charles, an award-winning social change strategist and founder of Inovo Strategic Consulting; and Dr. Nancy Stanford Blair, author of five leadership books and a professor emerita of leadership studies. Gesner, who is also an award-winning social enterprise educator and leadership author, will direct the program and be supported by Program Coordinator Mehak Arora, a Saint Leo MBA student.

Up to eight organizational teams, each comprised of two or three leaders, will be accepted into the first cohort. Weekly online sessions will take place on Thursdays from 9:30 a.m. to noon EST. Coaching and consulting sessions will be scheduled separately. The cost to participate in the program is $2,500 per person. Business sponsorships are encouraged for those needing financial support to attend.

Additional information and program applications can be found on the university’s Center for Alternative Pathway Programs website. There is a rolling admissions and acceptance process. Applications received by December 16, 2022 will receive full consideration. Please contact Program Coordinator Mehak Arora at mehak.arora@saintleo.edu for further details.