reDiscover Center Receives First Place Award from UCLA’s Academy for Social Entrepreneurship Program

The rediscover Center on Washington Boulevard on the Culver City/Mar Vista border recently received a first place award from UCLA’s Academy for Social Entrepreneurship program.

The program creates training and mentoring programs for mission-based businesses. This past Spring Culver City-based rediscover Center participated in the competitive program geared to develop self-sustaining business models for not-for-profit organizations

Paired with undergraduate and graduate business, finance and marketing majors and mentors from within the business sector, the reDiscover Center was awarded first place and $15,000 for its business plan that expands the environmental arts organizations’ mission to include more community events and launches a brand new product line made up of entirely repurposed material.

The final presentation of the AES program, The Social Enterprise Venture Competition and Showcase gave organizations an opportunity to pitch the key elements of their business plans to a panel of judges. In each pitch, organizations were reviewed on social impact, innovation, competitive advantage, sustainability, and growth potential.

“The reDiscover Center seems poised for a breakthrough in both impact and income and we are proud to have been a catalyst for such growth,” said Betsy Densmore, president of the Academies for Social Entrepreneurship. “[reDiscover Center’s] programs are completely inspiring.”

Fifteen Southern California-based organizations participated in the five month AES program culminating in a competitive pitch made to a panel of successful business owners and foundations all concerned with the advancement of the social enterprise sector. Judges for the pitch this year included Jon Banks of Pitch, Wendy Garen of the Parsons Foundation, Claudia Sangster of OrganicStartup, and Stanley Zimmerman of Home Budget Loans, Mike Mooslin of Color Me Mine and Sylvia Obagi of the Annenberg Foundation.

“We’re truly honored to have been awarded first place with our pitch,” said Mary Beth, director of the reDiscover Center. “Our business plan, developed by an outstanding team of UCLA students, is an exciting step forward as we approach our 10th anniversary. Social enterprise is a growing sector and we look forward to fully stepping into this arena.”