Cynthia Lang

Action For India’s mission is to help entrepreneurs overcome barriers to scale and achieve greater impact, especially in reaching unserved markets and unaddressed needs. AFI is positioned in the heart of the social enterprise ecosystem in India, offering national and regional forums, networking events, competitions and online platforms to mobilize growth resources for young social entrepreneurs (e.g. suitable technology, government contacts, impact investors.) We also seek fruitful collaborations with the government and public policy initiatives that might offer even greater scale and long-term funding for innovative solutions. AFI is inspired by and formed with the support of Sam Pitroda, advisor to the Prime Minister of India and Chairman of the National Innovation Council of India.

SV2 is a learning community of innovative givers committed to accelerating equity in the Bay Area through grantmaking and impact investing. For over 25 years, SV2 has been a trusted social innovation leader for shared learning and action. Our mission is to unleash the resources and talents of the Bay Area community to achieve meaningful social impact. Grantmaking We take a trust-based philanthropy approach to grantmaking, supporting mission-driven nonprofits in the Bay Area with unrestricted multi-year grants and Beyond the Dollars support. We focus on funding organizations with diverse teams representative of the communities they serve. We also invite current and alumni Grantees to participate in Grant Round funding decisions – this participatory approach helps us all learn from their expertise and lived experiences. Impact Investing SV2 makes investments in early-stage companies with social or environmental impact at the core of their business model. We are especially focused on allocating capital to founders from underrepresented backgrounds – a big part of our value add is investing in talented founders who have historically been overlooked by venture funding. SV2 looks for three types of return: social or environmental impact, financial return, and “return on learning” – our Partners learn by doing, as they hear pitches, conduct diligence, and allocate SV2’s pooled capital. Immersive Learning We aim to activate and engage givers in their learning journeys, offering content that will help Partners grow in both their practices and their values as givers. Our “SV2 Essentials” curriculum offers workshops and learning experiences focused on grantmaking, impact investing, and equity work. Structures range from 90-minute workshops to multi-session cohort experiences to immersive multi-day trips, allowing for a spectrum of engagement. For more, see SV2’s latest Impact Report found at www.sv2.org

Action For India’s mission is to help entrepreneurs overcome barriers to scale and achieve greater impact, especially in reaching unserved markets and unaddressed needs. AFI is positioned in the heart of the social enterprise ecosystem in India, offering national and regional forums, networking events, competitions and online platforms to mobilize growth resources for young social entrepreneurs (e.g. suitable technology, government contacts, impact investors.) We also seek fruitful collaborations with the government and public policy initiatives that might offer even greater scale and long-term funding for innovative solutions. AFI is inspired by and formed with the support of Sam Pitroda, advisor to the Prime Minister of India and Chairman of the National Innovation Council of India.