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We help social entrepreneurs
find financial freedom and create a positive legacy for future generations.
Welcome to the Polk Institute Foundation
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What is Social Entrepreneurship?
Social entrepreneurship is a recognized business model that combines the disciplines of market capitalism with innovative approaches to solving societal problems. Social entrepreneurs have both a passion for business and compassion to make a positive impact. They understand the Triple Bottom Line, or the new 3Ps : People, Planet, & Profit.
Polk Institute Foundation (Pi) Cohort Program
Pi Academy - PHASE 1
40 Weeks / 10-12 Workshops
Pre-Seed + Early Stage – Existing
Practitioner Driven Workshops Designed to increase your chances for success as a Fundable CEO
Training & Technical Assistance
Mental Fitness & Financial Literacy
Soft Skills Certification
Virtual Workshops
Tuition Free
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Pi Accelerator - PHASE 2
Practitioner Driven
26 weeks / Monthly 1-on-1 coaching
Mentor Driven Meetings Designed to
Implement Go to Market Strategy
Focus on Business Modeling
Team Building
Financial Pitch to Angels
+ VC + ECF/LCF + CDFI
Pi Access to Capital - PHASE 3
Ongoing Capital Raise
Target Angel + VC + CDFI + ECF or LCF
Government & Corporate Partnership
Pitch Competitions
Pi Alumni Program - PHASE 4
Monthly CEO Advisory Meeting
Ongoing Master Level Technical Assistance
Designed to Provide CEO Support for Sustainability
In Person Meetings
Pi Academy
Phase 1 Course Offering
The Fundable CEO & Ethical Leadership
Facilitator: Gary Polk
The Fundable CEO & Ethical Leadership begins the journey to becoming a fundable CEO. Starting with developing your “WHY! Simon Sinek says before one can discuss, “what we do”, or “how we do it” we must start with why we are in business. Your Mission, Vision, and Values will be developed. Then our teachings will shift to the importance of equity and that entrepreneurship is a team sport. Team building is vital to long-term success.
Social Entrepreneurship and the B-Corp
Facilitator: Andrea Chase
This course discusses the intricacies of being a true social entrepreneur and what it takes to become certified as a B-Corporation with the IRS and function under the rules and guidelines set forth by that government agency.
Financial Literacy for
Entrepreneurs
Facilitator: Grecia Iniguez
Personal finance takes our candidates down the road of responsible financial practices. They learn about credit, interest rates associated with it, different types of financing available as well as other practices that are accessible to the candidate to manage their own personal financial management system. You can’t run a business if you can’t handle your own personal financial house.
Entrepreneur Finance
Facilitator: Michael Manahan
Personal finance takes our candidates down the road of responsible financial practices. They learn about credit, interest rates associated with it, different types of financing available as well as other practices that are accessible to the candidate to manage their own personal financial management system. You can’t run a business if you can’t handle your own personal financial house.
Operations essentials for Entrepreneurs
Facilitators: Murphy Witherspoon and Tim Dura
Murphy and Tim are both retired entrepreneurs who went to the educational side of entrepreneurship. Murphy did a lot of consulting and designing of lean operations in existing businesses to help increase their bottom line. Tim was on the small business side showing individuals common sense business practices to get the most out of each dollar going out as an expense to increase the amount of dollars coming in to elevate the bottom line.
HR for Entrepreneurs
Facilitator: Celeste Ramos-Young
Celeste comes to the Polk Institute as an active HR person consulting with businesses that are primarily related to the food service industry. She was an employee with the Denny[s organization and eventually ended up in a regional level position in charge of Human Resources. She ended up leaving the Denny’s organization and began her own restaurant and food service consulting business emphasizing HR issues for these businesses.
Market Research & Customer Discovery
Facilitator: Debbie Goldfarb
A comprehensive introduction to market research, marketing and branding are introduced in this 4-week workshop. Debbie takes the cohort through defining target market segments, demographics, psychographics, geographics and buying patterns in exploring viable target market segments. She then takes the cohort through how to market to these segments to increase exposure and sales. Branding is a large part of this so Debbie emphasizes your brand and how important it is that you pose a positive impression upon your target market.
Mental Fitness for The CEO
Facilitator: Tiberius Brown Aktisson
Mental Fitness for the CEO is paramount to the success of your business. It is lonely at the top, you have no one to talk to, confide in or just let-down your guard to. This course teaches you techniques to preserve your sanity which in turn shows a positive, can-do attitude with your employees and instills confidence in them that all is well.
Capstone
Facilitator: Tim Dura
Pitch Coaches: Gary Polk, Mike Manahan, Erin Thompson, Alton Takabayashi and Alix Williams
The capstone workshop is designed to tie everything the cohort has learned and get them ready to present their business plans and pitch decks to potential investors at their founder meets funders event scheduled for January 15th, 2022. They will be taught ways to effectively present their pitch decks, put the final touches on their business plans and get ready for the roll out of their business through the Founders Meet Funders event in January of 2022.
October
CLASS 1 – Legal Workshop Series – Facilitators (Michael Chuah, Mark Kremer)
CLASS 2 – Biz Plans 101 – Facilitator (Tim )
November
CLASS 3 – Access to Capital, Get to know your banker (Al Paisley)
CLASS 4 – Getting in the Game (Matt Crowley) HR for Employers (Linda Artiano)
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Polk Institute Foundation (PI) Legacy Cohort Program
Monthly CEO Advisory Meetings
For Entrepreneurs that have been in business for at least 10 Years
Sales Growth Strategy
Management Succession Strategy
Certification Procurement Strategy
Financial Review
In-Person meetings
Membership Fee Driven
Marketing Pitch
Who is our ideal candidate?
1. Coachable = New Learning
2. Grit = No Quit
3. Vision = Grow a 1 million Business in 3-5 Years
4. Social Entrepreneur
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Facilitators
All of our facilitators are experts in their fields of expertise and great in transferring their knowledge – teaching skills are supported by our teach coach program.
We are open and accepting applications for new facilitators.
Our Cohort: Minority Small Business Owners with emphasis on those serving the Black and Brown communities
Our goal is to expose social entrepreneurship as a viable Business option and method to find true financial freedom to 70% of our targeted trainees – women and veteran-led entrepreneurs, and underrepresented Black & Brown minorities. Our students are serious about wanting to own a business.
Admission requirements include preparing and presenting a one-page business plan, along with a 5 minute pitch and interview. Graduation requirements include a capstone thesis and a 10-minute investor quality pitch presented at our Founders Meet Funders Demo Day showcase and gala event.
Pi Vision: Launch 1,000 Social Entrepreneur...SHIPS by 2032
For the last 31 years, Gary Polk & Mike Manahan have been Collegiate Educators and Business consultants. During this time the college student debt has escalated to $1.6 Trillion. This is why the Polk Institute Foundation (Pi) offers its workshops tuition-free.
Pi is a 501c3 nonprofit that is an Innovation-Driven Enterprise (IDE). Pi offers a robust four-phased program designed to develop fundable CEOs who will build sustainable businesses.
Our Vision
From the challenges created by the novel coronavirus in March 2020, the Polk Institute Foundation was founded with a goal to help Social Entrepreneurs find financial freedom and create a positive legacy for future generations.
Our Core Values
CHARACTER: Doing the right thing when no one is watching. COLLABORATION: Entrepreneurship is a team sport.
CULTIVATION: If coachable, we can teach entrepreneurship to anyone.
RISK FAILURE as a normal part of the journey to grow and find success. Never quit.
Our Mission
Serving Social Entrepreneurs to Help Make the World a Better Place.
PEOPLE + PLANET + PROFIT
PI Academy
Be A Part Of The Vision!
Our intention is to launch Cohort classes each February and to have our trainees launch 1,000 Ships (business ventures) by 2032. To accomplish this vision, we need your donations to the Polk Institute TODAY! If you believe in our mission and would like to learn more, support or collaborate with us, please send us an email below.
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