Entrepreneurs using technology to create social impact – and the investors who fund and support them – spent a day in San Francisco on November 30 sharing ideas, discussing challenges and offering advice at the 2nd Annual Millennial Tech & Change Summit.
This year’s Summit focused on four key themes:
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- Smart Cities
- Diversity & Inclusion
- The Environment/Climate Change
- Healthcare/Health Services
There was also a live Pitch for Purpose session where entrepreneurs with businesses focused on creating social impact in one of the four thematic areas above presented their ideas to a panel of VC judges. The winning entrepreneur, Elizabeth Lee and her company OnlineSOS, received $25,000.
Co-founder and Executive Director, Elizabeth Lee, was ecstatic. “Pitching in front of a live audience and the VC panel was an incredible experience. I feel so honored and grateful to have been selected. The VCs also spent a lot of time with me and gave me some incredibly valuable advice, so that was an added bonus beyond receiving the $25,000 award from Comcast.”
Speakers and panelists at this year’s event included:
- CA State Senator, Scott Wiener
- John Battelle, Co-founder and CEO of NewCo. Read more about John’s perspectives on his panel in this article called Good Companies Can Change the World.
- Sean Duffy, Co-founder and CEO of Omada Health
- Jesse Draper, Founding Partner, Halogen Ventures
- Freada Kapor Klein, Kapor Capital
- Amy Banse, Director and Head of Funds at Comcast Ventures
- Ellen Pao, Author of “Resist: My Fight for Inclusion and Lasting Change” and Investment Partner at Kapor Capital
- Amy Wilkinson, CEO & Founder of Ingenuity, Author of “The Creator’s Cod
- Jory DesJardis, Co-founder, Blogher
- Zoe Dunning, Founding Member, Women Vets in Tech
- Sean Plaice, Co-founder and CTO, Postmates
Entrepreneurs from BlocPower, Health Sherpa, Copia, Pinch, Hustle, Honeybook, Founder Gym, Natel Energy, Impossible Foods and VCs from Tencent, Acumen, GGV Capital and 137 Ventures also spoke on various panels.
The day’s agenda was emceed by Scott Budman, Business and Technology Reporter at NBC News.
For more on the event, check out the video.
