StartingBloc Fellowship App

Institute for Social Innovation NY’13

Juan Taveras Question Número Uno

GROWTH!

Mentorship

Resources Knowledge

Community

What do I hope to gain from the StartingBloc Fellowship?

Mentorship

Life is tough to navigate! Having the right guides and maps is not

only important but, at times, necessary. As a StartingBloc Fellow I know I will be better

equipped to find my path. The mentorship that I will receive

from leaders and innovators in various fields is sure to jump-start my business idea. I am

excited to gain from their wisdom, knowledge, and

experience to accelerate my progress.

Resources

Resources come in many different forms (information, technology,

capital etc.) and each is important. The trick is knowing where to find them and how to use them properly. The kind of support and guidance that I will receive from the StartingBloc

community will help me figure out exactly what I need to start and operate a successful business. It

will also show me how to best utilize those resources to ensure

growth.

Knowledge

The best kind of knowledge is that gained through experience. The StartingBloc community has

a vast amount of experiential knowledge that it shares via

networking, presentations, and training sessions at the various institutes. I am hungry for this

kind of learning and am eager to hear directly from passionate

leaders that have initiated and managed successful social

ventures.

StartingBloc Me

Knowledge

Community

Community represents diversity of cultural perspective,

experience, and thought, as well as a sense of togetherness via

shared goals and interests. What attracts me to the StartingBloc

community is its mission to foster the development of

individuals. This is refreshing in a time when most entrepreneurial fellowships emphasize the idea or project over the individual’s potential to innovatively tackle

social issues..

Growth

My niece recently asked me, “Tío, what do you want to be

when you grow up?” I thought it was cute – but it really got me

thinking. Do we ever stop growing, learning or wanting

more? The answer for me and for the folks that make up the

StartingBloc community is NO. This fellowship will catapult me

into the next phase of growth by providing me with the right level

of exposure and support. I am eager for my next challenge.

Exposure

Support

Pathway to GOALS!

How will the Fellowship help me achieve my goals?

Exposure

All living things need exposure to the elements. As such, ideas and projects need exposure to “hole-pokers”, question-askers, thought partners, and investors

(to name a few). An idea will remain stagnant if it is not exposed to other people or

shared with a community. My idea is far from complete;

meanwhile, it could use a little sunshine. StartingBloc will

provide me with that exposure.

Support

Rooted in the five things I hope to gain from the fellowship is a

sense of support. There is nothing like being understood and encouraged by a group of like-minded individuals, and

being mentored by veterans of the industry. StartingBloc will introduce me to the network

and opportunities that will set me up to achieve my goal of

starting my own social business venture.