How to Start and Scale a Social Venture Today with The Resolution Project
by Mary June Navida
Margaret Mead once said: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
In this article, we will talk about The Resolution Project, an organization whose mission is to develop socially responsible young leaders and empower them to make a positive impact. The Resolution Project is indeed an exemplary example of committed people trying to change the world in their own little way.
We learned more about the organization during the webinar on October 8, 2020, which the Harvard Club of the Philippines Global in partnership with John Clements Consultants hosted. Executives and students from Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Europe made up a diverse webinar audience.
The impressive young speakers talked about their Resolution Project journey as well as their social ventures — all aimed at making a difference in society.
The Resolution Project Story
George M. Tsiatis, the organization’s Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder, briefly talked about how the Resolution Project came to be.
“The Resolution Project was founded by a group of young professionals who had attended youth leadership summits as university students and had been frustrated with being the “leaders of tomorrow.” Resolution’s founders believe that university students have the energy, idealism, and will to solve some of the world’s most persistent and challenging problems and should be leading today…”
The Speakers and Panelists
Saje Molato is a social entrepreneur specializing in youth development, ability building, and public-private partnerships based in the Philippines. He talked about how he developed his first social venture, The Model City Council. MCC works with civil society and government partners in creating a unique platform for young people to start social impact projects in their villages. They try to achieve that with the necessary mentorship, funding, and technical aid.
Apart from expressing his gratitude to The Resolution Project for supporting his social ventures, Saje also talked about Siklab Pilipinas: its achievements to date, the challenges they had to overcome, and the organization’s goals as well. Saje also mentioned that they have efforts in line. But because of the pandemic, some of these plans must wait until the Covid-19 crisis is over. Currently, they extend help whichever way they can to those whose lives the pandemic has affected.
Louise Mabulo, the second featured speaker, is the founder of The Cacao Project, a social venture aimed at equipping farmers for sustainable success, ensuring food security, and establishing resilient livelihoods. She talked about how her passion for cooking contributed to her efforts in putting up The Cacao Project.
During the talk, Louise shared The Cacao Project’s challenges, wins, and goals. Apart from the selfless goal of helping farmers and the less privileged members of the society, Louise is a featured honoree for Forbes Asia Under 30. She is also a Young Champion of the Earth under the United Nations Environment Program, Outstanding Farmer of the Year 2018.
The panel included Robert Hamlin, a principal at Portag3 Ventures. Bob is also an early-stage investor dedicated to backing the next generation of innovative, global financial services companies. Tanya Perkins, also one of the panelists, is known to help startups grow by making sure that the people, processes, and technology are in place so that teams can succeed.
The Resolution Project Fellow and Guide
One of the questions the enthusiastic crowd threw in during the webinar is how to join The Resolution Project. There are two ways to join: Become a fellow or become a guide.
Resolution Fellows are selected through the Resolution Project’s Social Venture Challenges (SVC). The qualifying process includes competitions, online submissions, and presentation of projects. And lastly, due diligence to complete the selection round.
Finalists with the best proposals and most compelling personal leadership characteristics to become Resolution Fellows get selected.
And what are the perks if you become a Resolution Fellow?
The organization provides a full ecosystem of support for aspiring young social entrepreneurs. The support does not end there. Successful applicants will gain access to seed funding, mentorship, resources, and a community of like-minded peers.
To be eligible for the Resolution Guide role, applicants should have at least a minimum of one-year work experience after graduating from college. At least two references should be sent, or one from a current Resolution team member. The applicant should also commit at least six hours a month or 1.5 hours per week. And lastly, the applicant must commit for two years to The Resolution Project.
Plans for The Future
When asked about The Resolution Project’s plan for the future, the team candidly shared the following:
Resolution’s early stage investment in youth is a unique response to a global need for socially responsible leadership. In the near future, we are looking to source more young leaders from underserved communities, continue to diversify our organization’s presence around the world (significantly in Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East), and increase our impact to more than 600 Fellows with over 3 million beneficiaries in 80+ countries!
Inspirational Words for the Youth
We asked George for inspirational words he wishes to share with the young people reading this article. And this is what he has to say:
Young people have the energy, will, and vision to solve global problems, but they often lack access to the capital, training, and support necessary to transform their ideas into reality. We offer seed funding, mentorship, and access to resources — everything you will need to launch an innovative and sustainable social venture. We also have Hubs in Nairobi, Kenya, and Kigali, Rwanda, where young social entrepreneurs can meet, collaborate, and partner with community members to build local innovation ecosystems.
Our global network of 100+ Pathway Partner organizations, including Echoing Green and Ashoka U, as well as our corporate partnerships with leading global firms such as Deloitte, Gerson Lehrman Group, DuPont, and General Electric, provide a wide range of pro bono resources and advisory support to our Fellows. We are always looking to expand our network of young leaders and to build intentional partnerships to share talent and opportunities with the wider social entrepreneurship sector.
If you are a young person with an idea to improve your community, we are eager to hear from you at our Social Venture Challenges throughout the year. If you are a corporate leader or someone with the capacity to support young leaders as a mentor or a partner, we would also be eager to hear from you and help create some positivity in this difficult time!
In a world where the youth are often branded as self-serving millennials, organizations like The Resolution Project is proving otherwise. The organization has proven that the youth — if mentored, coached, and guided properly — can contribute to the growth of the community, and eventually, the global economy.
Check out The Resolution Project’s website now if you want to know more: www.resolutionproject.org
Please visit and join the John Clements Talent Community.
About the author:
Mary June, or Mj, loves traveling, collecting shoes, writing poetry, and watching reruns of CSI. She hopes to witness the aurora borealis and meet Stephen King in person someday.
