2008 Social Entrepreneur's Cup Winners Announced

Minnesota's leading social entrepreneurs selected June 6, 2008 ~ Minneapolis, MN

STUDENTS TODAY LEADERS FOREVER was selected as the winner of the 2008 Social Entrepreneur's Cup at the June 5th Engaged Philanthropy Conference, hosted by Social Venture Partners Minnesota. This is the first year for the Social Entrepreneur's Cup with the goal to seek out, support, and promote Minnesota's most innovative and effective social entrepreneurs and the non-profit organizations they lead.

Students Today Leaders Forever's (STLF) mission is to develop young people's leadership through service, relationships, and action. Irene Fernando, Brian Peterson, and Greg Tehven started STLF in their University of Minnesota dorm room over cups of Ramen noodles early in their freshman year. Their idea was simple. They would take the college student spring break ritual of beer and beaches and exchange it for students going on community service road trips. Since then, what started as a college room bull session has become a national movement of youth service and leadership. Today, STLF serves students from a wide range of backgrounds in middle schools, high schools, and colleges across the Midwest.

Since the first Pay-It-Forward tour from the University of Minnesota in 2004, the concept has spread to 15 college campus chapters and two-dozen high schools. Over 3,000 young people have contributed 38,500 hours of service in communities across the country. In keeping with their goal of youth leadership development, students themselves organize and lead all STLF programs.

Judges were impressed by the young founder's entrepreneurial fervor and the hands-on leadership experience the program gives its youthful participants. Fernando, who made the Students Today Leaders Forever presentation to the panel of judges, said about the award, "To me, the Cup represents the culmination and collaboration of thousands of people, dreams, hours, and support. It gives me hope for future social entrepreneurs and innovators, and I am honored to be a part of it."

As the winner, Students Today Leaders Tomorrow will receive a $15,000 general operating grant and 40 hours of consulting services from the experienced entrepreneurs who make up the Social Venture Partners membership.

First runner up, International Breast Milk Project (IBMP), got its start when founder Jill Youse filled her home freezer to overflow with her unused breast milk and wondered what she could do with it that would be of help to children besides her own. IBMP seeks to help the youngest victims of Africa's AIDs pandemic by enabling mothers from across the United States to help infants on the other side of the world in a way that only a mother can - by providing them with their donated breast milk. Breast milk gives infants the nourishment and immunological protection that no formula milk can. To date, IBMP mothers have donated 85,000 pounds of their milk to provide 29,991 meals for African babies making IBMP one of the leading milk banks in the world.

The organization has been featured on the Oprah Winfrey Show, ABC World News, Good Morning America, NPR, BBC, Foreign Policy Magazine, and Time.com. Founder Jill Youse was recently named the ABC World News Person of the Week.

Youse says she is naturally competitive and welcomed the opportunity to go head-to-head against the other finalists. She commented, "Social Venture Partners created the American Idol of philanthropy. It was the honor of a lifetime to be selected as one of the winners by such a prestigious group of judges. I have never seen as many movers and shakers in one room in my life. To be selected as a top social entrepreneur by this group of Minnesota leaders has been life-changing." As the first runner up Youse wins $5,000 and 20 hours of consulting services from Social Venture Partners.

Receiving honorable mentions were Marnita's Table, MicroGrants, and the Minnesota Shubert Performing Arts and Education Center, all of which will receive a $1,000 grant.

At the closing awards ceremony Sandra Vargas, president of the Minneapolis Foundation, awarded the winners their prizes. The Minneapolis Foundation supported the Social Entrepreneur's Cup competition because it believes social entrepreneurship is critical to solving Minnesota's social problems. Vargas says, "The long-term vitality of our community requires us to find new solutions to very long-standing problems. Social entrepreneurship is one of the exciting emerging trends in the field of philanthropy, and the accomplishments of these social entrepreneurs are evidence of the value and impact that they are making in addressing our communities' greatest needs. The Minneapolis Foundation looks forward to deepening our partnership with Social Ventures Partners.

Judges for the event were Kate Barr, Executive Director, Non-Profits Assistance Fund; Terri Barreiro, Executive Director, Donald McNeely Entrepreneurship Center, University of St. Johns; Steven Clift, founder, eDemocracy and Ashoka Fellow; Sean Kershaw, president of the Citizens League; Dr. Melissa Stone, Director, Public and Nonprofit Leadership Center, Hubert H. Humphrey Institute; and Jeff Tollefson, former venture capitalist and current Executive Director of Genesys Works.