SANTA CLARA, Calif., June 17, 2021 – Social entrepreneurship leaders from India, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam who are focused on solutions that address vulnerable populations suffering disproportionately from climate change in the areas of energy, water, and climate-smart agriculture, have been selected to participate in a program designed to help scale their organizations.
The 2021 Miller Center Climate Resilience Asia Pacific Accelerator, supported by Chevron, launched today with 11 social enterprises that are focused on one or more of the following:
- Energy, by providing access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy
- Water, ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation
- Climate-smart agriculture, implementing sustainable food production systems and resilient agricultural practices to increase productivity and production
According to the World Bank, climate change has not slowed down and its connection with human wellbeing and poverty is increasingly visible. Unchecked, it will push 132 million people into poverty over the next 10 years, undoing hard-won development gains.
“Miller Center’s climate resilience accelerator supports social enterprises in Asia Pacific that share common goals of improving people’s lives and building resilient communities in the face of climate change,” said Brigit Helms, executive director, Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship. “Our experience accelerating more than 1,200 social enterprises globally – especially those in energy, water and climate-smart agriculture – make us true believers in the power of social entrepreneurship to ensure that the most vulnerable not only survive, but thrive in the face of the climate crisis.”
Chevron is supporting the program through a $250k grant. The six-month, online accelerator provides practical tools, proven curriculum, online workshops and “best practices” based on Miller Center’s deep experience helping social enterprises attain operational excellence and prepare for investment. Each of the social enterprise leaders also benefits from global executive business leaders who mentor the entrepreneurs.
“We believe that the future of energy is lower carbon and organizations like Miller Center share our aspirations. Our support for Miller Center’s Climate Resilience Asia Pacific Accelerator is one way we can help create a more prosperous and sustainable world,” said Nigel Hearne, president, Chevron Eurasia Pacific Exploration and Production.
The social enterprises selected for Miller Center’s Climate Resilience Asia Pacific Accelerator range from supporting underserved areas with access to clean energy and food security; bringing breakthrough technologies to impact marginalized farmers and increase food production; and, delivering water to people who previously had no access to it. There is no charge to participate.
“Our partnership with Chevron is in line with our ambition to eliminate global poverty and supports an affordable, reliable, and lower-carbon future,” said Karen S. Runde, associate program director, Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship.
Participating social entrepreneurs lead for-profit, non-profit, or hybrid organizations with a clear commitment to and pathway toward an earned revenue model with the potential to scale. Each is focused on creating social impact for people living in poverty, has been in operation for one or more years, and has a minimum of US$50K in revenue. The complete list of social enterprises can be found here.
About Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship
Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship is the foremost university-based social enterprise accelerator in the world. With an emphasis on climate resilience and women’s economic empowerment, we accelerate social entrepreneurship to eliminate global poverty. Located at Santa Clara University (SCU), we have served more than 1,200 social entrepreneurs, engaged 162 SCU students in field research, and currently work with 370 business leaders from around the world who participate as mentors in our programs.
About Chevron
As a leading energy company in the Asia-Pacific region, Chevron provides affordable, reliable, and ever-cleaner energy for millions of people. We create local economic opportunity, contribute to the energy security of the region’s nations, and strive to empower people to meet their full potential. We are active in Australia, Bangladesh, China, Indonesia, Myanmar and Thailand. With some of the most productive and long-established energy basins in the world, we are applying human ingenuity and advanced technology to develop major capital projects, increase production from mature fields and explore for new energy resources.
Media Contacts
Rhonda Brauer for Miller Center, rhonda@rbrauerconsult.com (310) 508-0426
Cam Van Ast, Chevron, Cameron.vanast@chevron.com +61 9216 4462
