Thank you.
Last night, at around 8:30 PM in Columbus, Ohio, Suzy Bureau announced the teams that would receive funding and resources from the SEA Change pitch event for the 2017 Columbus cohort.
That’s about the same time that the trajectory of DACA Time and our impact on the lives of Dreamers was suddenly sent into overdrive.
You see, the judges and the organizations they represent decided to bestow upon us a tremendous gift and an opportunity to accelerate the fulfillment of our mission. We asked for help, and they responded, overwhelmingly.
Just take a look:
If you’re a Dreamer, this is further validation that the ecosystem of social enterprises in Columbus stands with you. We as a community recognize your barriers, your fears, and your perils, and we will strive to remove them however and whenever we can.
If you’re an aspiring social entrepreneur, this should reinforce that there is a vast network of people who want to see you, too, succeed and thrive with your own mission. If you are for whatever reason hedging in executing upon your idea, take advantage of this network. The time is ripe for social change.
It’s surprisingly easy to forget that we’ve been at this for just under five months. We’ve met so many incredible people — witnessed so much incredible support — that it’s hard to believe so much has happened in less than half a year.
And yet here we are, and we have so many amazing people to thank for helping us along this journey.
Seriously…Thank You.
This is by no means an exhaustive list or chronology of everyone who’s helped us along the way — that list would simply be too long. But here at least are organizations that have significantly accelerated DACA Time as a social venture.
GiveBackHack: This is where it all started. GiveBackHack brought our team together and continues to be advocates, allies, and supporters. Their collective contribution to social enterprise cannot be understated. The Columbus team also played a huge role in organizing the SEA Change pitch event and did an incredible job.
United Way of Central Ohio: The United Way is committed to ending poverty as well as to helping other organizations with adjacent missions. During GiveBackHack Columbus, they recognized DACA as a critical component to the prosperity of Dreamers in our local and national economy and generously provided us with our very first monetary award.
Social Ventures (previously the Center for Social Enterprise Development): Immediately following GiveBackHack, Social Ventures hosted a “Next Steps” event to help orient the teams toward success. The event was the first time we really started considering what building and running a social enterprise would mean, and the advice presented there continues to guide us.
Alleviating Poverty Through Entrepreneurship: Just one week after GiveBackHack, APTE’s annual summit provided us with another opportunity to spread the word about our newly-found mission and awarded us with a spot in 2017’s SEA Change Columbus cohort. This incredible event is organized by Ohio State University students and attracts social entrepreneurs from around the world.
Sundown Group: We attended one of the monthly Sundown Rundown pitch events about a month after GiveBackHack to get candid feedback and continue to refine our business model. The organization continues to show its support long after that pitch event, and we continue to attend when we can to give feedback to others in kind.
Columbus SOUP: In late May, we pitched DACA Time at the Spring SOUP event — Creative Innovations — and won the SOUP grant, enabling us to fund incorporation, legal, and marketing needs for our budding team. Quarterly SOUP events have funded 74 projects with over $42,000 in grants awarded.
WOSU Public Media: Esther Honig, a reporter with WOSU, recognized the newsworthiness of our mission and provided us with our first real media coverage. She later followed up and, in conjunction with Here & Now, ultimately introduced our story to a national audience.
Cause Collaborative via Fulcrum Creatives: This annual conference was our first real foray into the nonprofit world, providing invaluable breakout sessions and keynote speeches that helped us understand just what being a nonprofit meant for us in very practical terms.
Yocum Law Office: Mindy Yocum has helped us navigate the sometimes confusing legal processes necessary to become a legitimate nonprofit entity. Yocum Law Office is itself a social enterprise and a SEA Change alum, that strives to provide every person with access to affordable legal services regardless of income.
Festival Latino: This annual celebration of Latin American culture gave us our first real opportunity to get ourselves in front of a demographic that represents the majority of DACA applicants. We were able to connect with Dreamers, advocates, and allies during the two-day event that draws thousands.
SEA Change: Beyond the pitch event, SEA Change provided us with access to a robust community of mentors and social entrepreneurs while forcing us to assess and document our viability as a sustainable venture. Lauren Edwards and Chase Petrie, this year’s facilitators in Columbus, did a simply incredible job, constantly demonstrating their commitment to the success of this year’s cohort.
IGS Energy, The Business of Good Foundation, The Columbus Foundation, The Wells Foundation, and United Way of Central Ohio (again!): These funders and services providers have unlocked the next chapter in DACA Time’s story through their continued support and extreme generosity. Their faith in us is both humbling and validating.
And You.
Yes, you, reading this, right now.
You may be one of the countless individuals who believes in and supports us; perhaps you’re a member of an organization with whom we’ve already worked or would love to partner. Maybe you’re a complete stranger learning about us for the first time.
Whoever you are, thank you from the bottom of our heart for taking the time to be a part of our journey as it continues to unfold.
And know that we’re committed to continuing to thank you — by working tirelessly to fulfill our mission of Dreamer prosperity and by safeguarding the trust you’ve placed in us.
