Members of the 100x Impact Accelerator's first cohort celebrate Summit Day 2023
Last week, 100x Impact Accelerator celebrated its first-ever cohort of social ventures at its flagship event – Summit Day. The event brought together nearly 200 individuals from across the impact community, including partners, experts, policymakers, funders and the media.
Eight high-impact social ventures that collectively received £1.2 million in funding from LSE took to the stage to showcase their innovative solutions to the world’s most pressing issues. The diverse cohort comprises organisations from across the globe, from India to Jordan, from Tanzania to the United States.
Richa Gupta, the CEO and co-founder of Labhya, who delivered the day’s first pitch, said: “Summit Day provided a unique platform for us. You usually don’t get such an opportunity to discuss children’s social-emotional learning issues in a room full of investors, experts and policymakers. We are glad that our solution has been amplified to this impactful community and are hoping for the connections made from this programme and event to help propel Labhya to greater heights.”
Stephan Chambers, the Director of the Marshall Institute at LSE and the event host, said: “100x Impact Accelerator is uniquely placed at the London School of Economics and Political Science, which is a powerhouse of expertise, resources, and global networks. Summit Day aimed to leverage this position to foster connections, facilitate investment and grant-making opportunities, and amplify the impact of these exceptional social ventures, and we are pleased that this was realised today.”
The event was carefully designed to focus on social ventures and to celebrate their solutions to global problems. It was also a space for thought-provoking discussions, with a panel discussion and a keynote address delivered by LSE partner UBS’s Global Head of Social Impact & Philanthropy Services, Tom Hall.
Other speakers included 100x’s Founding Director, Leslie Labruto, Head of Impact Investments, Fan Gu, Head of Programme, Nell Lemaistre and members of the 100x Impact Investment Committee Jerome Misso, Mohammed Osman, and Robyn Scott.
Summit Day is a culmination of 100x’s 12-week programme, where founders covered topics such as end-game theory, scaling strategy, fundraising, impact measurement and wellbeing. Programme sessions also included guest talks from experts and established social unicorn founders.
Now, the cohort, having completed the programme, will embark on implementing their learnings, and collaborating with new contacts, to elevate their impact. 100x aims to nurture a robust alumni network, offering continued support through follow-on funding, events, research, and partnerships.