We know that sometimes a social innovator’s journey can be exhilarating, and other times frustrating, lonely or challenging. We have compiled a list of organizations that exist to support innovators and entrepreneurs like yourself. We encourage you to get in touch with those that you think can support your needs.

Social Enterprise Directory

Search the national directory of social enterprises in the United States

CoWorking Spaces

• Collective Impact Center: co-working space in Normal Heights – work exchange for free workspace available.
• Connect with San Diego Venture Group: Offers professional mentoring, business networking, and access to capital.
• Connect All at the Jacobs Center:  focused on low to moderate (LMI) and diverse founders, offers collaborative FREE workspace, business resources, and networking opportunities; located in National City.
• Cross Campus San Diego (Formerly Desk Hub): coworking space with a community of support through personal introductions, programs, office resources, entertainment and philanthropy in Little Italy.
• Downtown Works: coworking space in downtown San Diego & Carlsbad, developed by entrepreneurs committed to creating contemporary, hospitality-inspired, tech-rich workspaces that support the success of high-achieving professionals and entrepreneurs.
• HeraHub: female entrepreneurial networking platform and coworking space in Sorrento Valley, Mission Valley and Carlsbad; owned by a US alumna.
• WeWork: coworking space, two locations in SD.

Incubators and Accelerators

• Stella Labs: female-focused business accelerator that works with female entrepreneurs at any stage/process of their business launch; also a coworking space,
• EvoNexus: startup technology incubator and hub, offers strategic funding for startups; best for post-idea stage with a working prototype.
• Mission Edge: offers operational services and fiscal sponsorship, a social enterprise planning and acceleration lab, and skills-based volunteers that free your organization to do more good.
• Praxis Labs: business and nonprofit accelerator for redemptive entrepreneurs, annual academy for next-generation innovators.
• Procopio LaunchPad: incubator and initial investor in technology start-up companies.
• San Diego Sport Innovators: non-profit business accelerator focused on growing sports and active lifestyle companies through business mentoring, access to capital and executive-level collaboration.
• Uncharted: Builds networks of startups tackling the same issue through accelerator programs.

**For an extended listing of Incubators, Accelerators, Coworking spaces in SD**

Networking and Leadership Development

• Ashoka Fellows: a network of change leaders, provides financial, knowledge, and logistical support.
• Bay Area Global Social Benefit Institute: For social impact work done in the SF Bay area, the Bay Area Global Social Benefit Institute (GSBI®) Boost. 
• Changemaker Residency:  The curriculum aims to empower fellows with the tools, skills, and mindsets to develop social impact projects throughout their life. Quebec, Canada. Some scholarships are available.
• CleanTech San Diego: fostering collaborations across the private-public-academic landscape, leading advocacy efforts to promote cleantech priorities, and encouraging investment in the San Diego region.
• Corkscrew Startup School: A Capetown-based summer innovation program.
• Common UnSummit: A conference for visionaries, builders, makers and social entrepreneurs in Boulder, Colorado. 
• Creative Mornings: monthly breakfast lecture series.
• Startup Events Calendar: listing of upcoming tech and startup events, group meetups, socials, conferences, hackathons, etc. 
• Startup San Diego: offers programs, mentoring, resources, and networking for startups in San Diego.
• San Diego StartUp Week: brings together entrepreneurs to share progress, exchange resources, and celebrate the thriving innovation community.
• Fieldstone Leadership: offers seminar series leadership retreats, and learning groups to strengthen nonprofit leadership.
• MiddCORE: A leadership and innovation summer program by Middlebury College. 
• Venture for America: A two-year fellowship with a vetted startup of your choice accompanied by professional development to help you found your own startup. 
• Venture Summit West: annual summit (in March) that connects investor, startup leaders, and potential partners. 

Finances, Investing and Competitions

• Ad Astra: for female founders only; 12-week accelerator program with guaranteed funding; must already have income and customers.
• D Prize: annual funding competition for new entrepreneurs who increase access to proven poverty interventions, several different categories to enter.
• Echoing Green Fellowship: Offers seed-stage funding and strategic foundational support to its Fellows. Apply in September/October to become a Fellow.
• Mission Driven Finance: Case managers to assess your business’ creditworthiness and its impact to request loans.
• RedF: accelerator that supports social enterprises focuses on employment.
• San Diego Foundation: offers grants to programs that enrich the lives of local residents.
• San Diego Impact Investors Network: Build an ecosystem to mobilize and align new investment capital to incubate and/or scale effective community solutions in San Diego.
• San Diego Venture Partners: provides funding and pro-bono consulting to strengthen local nonprofits.
• Seed San Diego: investor group connecting entrepreneurs to capital.
• Village Capital: offers training and funding for entrepreneurship, special emphasis on addressing access of opportunity for underserved communities and resources sustainability of the planet  
• Westly Prize for Young Innovators of California: funds programs helping California’s youth, requires working prototype, under age of 27.

Crowdfunding Sites

• Indiegogo: offers crowdfunding campaigns and products shipping.
• Generosity (by Indiegogo): fundraising community built for personal and social causes, launch a campaign in minutes, free.
• Classy: online and mobile fundraising platform; offers blog, webinars, and podcasts about nonprofits, fundraising, and social entrepreneurs.
• Kickstarter: community built around creativity and creative projects, offers resources and support for creators, has a weekly newsletter.
• GoFundMe: free personal fundraising platform.
• Launcht: white label crowdfunding and crowd-voting platform. 

USD Student Resources

• Change Funding: crowd funding platform for USD student projects.
• Changemaker Hub: offers support for students interested in being change agents.
• Social Change Corps: provides mentoring and financial support for students addressing a social issue, every semester.
• Venture Vetting (V2) Competition: campus-wide entrepreneurship competition, in April each year.
• Entrepreneurship Clinic: This clinic provides transactional legal services targeting high technology business startups and other emerging growth companies.