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ABOUT US

Miller Center is at the forefront of the global social entrepreneurship movement, with a robust track record of accelerating social enterprises since 2003.

Social entrepreneurs around the world are innovating solutions to tackle our most pressing social problems and addressing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We believe that social entrepreneurship is leading the way in transforming markets for good and ultimately propelling us to end poverty.

Our work with social entrepreneurs is creating proof points for the case that business can be a driving force for positive change. Our proven model unites the talents and expertise of our executive mentors, world-class programs, Silicon Valley’s spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship, and Santa Clara University’s Jesuit heritage of serving the poor and marginalized.

As we advance our mission, we are focused on social enterprises working in the areas of women’s economic empowerment and climate resilience for their disproportionate potential to eliminate poverty and the opportunities they provide to achieve outsized impact. By accompanying social entrepreneurs on their journeys to impact, we are committed to being part of the solution to end global poverty.

our MISSION

We accelerate entrepreneurship to end global poverty and protect the planet.

our vision

We envision a world where all people are architects of their own futures.

Our Pathway to Scale

Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship at Santa Clara University exists to accelerate entrepreneurship to end global poverty and protect the planet. We believe that entrepreneurship in service to climate resilience and women’s economic empowerment provide pathways out of poverty for communities. Further, we believe that scalable and replicable social enterprises led by local leaders are in the best position to provide lasting solutions to the Sustainable Development Goals of gender equality, clean water and sanitation, affordable and clean energy, and decent work and economic growth.

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OUR COMMITMENTS IN ACTION

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

We believe that diverse experiences and perspectives create better results, and that our team, mentors, students, faculty, investors, and other partners should reflect, whenever possible, the diverse lived experiences of the entrepreneur communities we are supporting.

 

We aim to create equitable access to the resources we manage as well as an inclusive community of belonging for all of our stakeholders to engage with our mission and the success of our social enterprise partners.

 

We believe that local leadership is the most effective approach to creating lasting social change by offering successful business solutions to end poverty because they have a deep connection to the communities they’re working in, an intimate understanding of the problems they face, and profound insight into viable solutions to those problems.

 

We commit to helping shift the status quo in the social enterprise ecosystem toward one that prioritizes investment in local leaders through capacity-strengthening programs, access to networks, and the distribution of capital. We will continue to explore and discuss, internally and externally, overcoming bias and inequities so that locally-driven models may reach their full potential.

Impact Measurement and Management

We commit to improving our credibility and transparency when it comes to impact measurement through an iterative learning process to adapt more standardized procedures that measure and report the value of our programs and the impact of our social enterprise partners.

Continuous Learning

We commit to being a learning organization that listens deeply to our stakeholders and continually evolves to better serve them. We employ feedback loops across our work, pay attention to happenings in our sector, and empower all team members to be innovators.

MEET OUR TEAM

Dedicated to the Global Good

The Miller Center team is passionate about and committed to accompanying social entrepreneurs as they create and scale their impact to end poverty and protect the planet.

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our history

Pioneers of Innovation and Entrepreneurship

GSBI®, our core methodology, evolved from the Center’s interest in the use of science and technology for social benefit; its role in co-founding The Tech Awards; collaborations with the UN Millennium Project and their influence in defining The Tech Award categories to reflect urgent challenges and the Millennium Development Goals; and concerns about the barriers that innovators faced in scaling their social impact—especially in resource constrained environments.

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A Santa Clara University Center of Distinction

Santa Clara’s three Centers of Distinction serve as major points of interaction between the University and local and global communities. Each focuses on a theme that is central to SCU’s mission as a Jesuit university and integrates rigorous inquiry and scholarship, creative imagination, reflective engagement with society, and a commitment to fashioning a more humane and just world.

Anti-Discrimination Statement

Miller Center is committed to ensuring that all members of the Miller Center community including our staff members, social entrepreneurs, mentors, students, speakers, sponsors, volunteers, vendors, consultants, donors, Advisory Board members, guests, and other community members are treated with dignity and respect. We celebrate the diverse community our programs bring together, and want all participants to feel belonging.

We pledge to provide a safe, respectful, and welcoming environment for all, that is free from harassment, discrimination, and other inappropriate conduct — regardless of age, ancestry, color, race, citizenship, ethnic origin, place of origin, creed, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, family status (including pregnancy and breastfeeding), marital status (including single status), and record of offences.

Miller Center will not tolerate harassment and violence against or by any person at any Miller Center event.

If you want to report an incident or any other concerns, please share it with any member of our staff directly or at millercenter@scu.edu. You may also use this online form to anonymously report incidents directly through Santa Clara University

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