Social Innovators Converge in Economic Self-Reliance Conference

PROVO, Utah – Oct 26, 2009 – Individuals and organizations interested in eliminating poverty worldwide will meet at Brigham Young University for the 12th annual Economic Self-Reliance Conference Nov. 5–6. The BYU Center for Economic Self-Reliance will host the event at the BYU Conference Center and invites researchers, practitioners, faculty and university students to participate.

"The conference provides a wealth of knowledge and connections for participants who attend yearly," says Todd Manwaring, managing director of the center. "It also creates a platform for the discussion of new and innovative ideas for alleviating poverty."

The conference highlights leading research and practices of social entrepreneurs that are creating positive changes both domestically and internationally. Plenary and breakout sessions will focus primarily on the intersection of social entrepreneurship and the fields of education, engineering and business. Featured presenters include representatives from pioneering economic development organizations, such as the Grameen Foundation Technology Center, Unitus and VisionSpring.

The Social Innovator of the Year award will also be presented to Jim Fruchterman, CEO of Benetech, a nonprofit that focuses on creating technology for underserved communities.

Past participants say the conference allows them to collaborate and develop strong networking ties. Miriam Stone, vice president of business development at VisionSpring, gives credit to the conference for her organization's successful partnership with Cause for Hope in Nicaragua and Honduras.

"I'm realizing just how fruitful our participation in the ESR Conference has been," Stone says. "It's amazing how many partnerships have come out of it. We look forward to participating again this year."

The conference will also include two events free to students. Jim Fruchterman will speak on using technology to benefit society on Nov. 5 at 11 a.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall. The BYU Net Impact club will also host a career panel featuring various conference participants Nov. 6 at 1 p.m. in 260 Tanner Building.

Those interested in attending can find more information, including a schedule and registration costs, at esrconference.byu.edu. Online registration closes Nov. 4.

Founded in 1998 as the Rocky Mountain Microcredit Conference, faculty and students at the BYU Marriott School of Management sponsored the event to give social entrepreneurs a chance to share their innovations. The conference was later renamed the MicroEnterprise Conference and in 2005 became the Economic Self-Reliance Conference in order to reflect the broader set of development innovations presented at the conference.

The Marriott School is located at Brigham Young University, the largest privately owned, church-sponsored university in the United States. The school has nationally recognized programs in accounting, business management, public management, information systems and entrepreneurship. The school's mission is to prepare men and women of faith, character and professional ability for positions of leadership throughout the world. Approximately 3,000 students are enrolled in the Marriott School's graduate and undergraduate programs.