social entrepreneurship

Enjoy fresh Guatemalan specialty coffee while supporting the Peace Corps community. Shop at Chica Bean through March 21 and NPCA will receive 15 percent from online sales.

By NPCA Staff

Treat yourself to incredible coffee that contributes to a better world with Chica Bean — from an RPCV entrepreneur whose Peace Corps service shaped a successful business committed to producing quality Guatemalan roasted coffee, shipped fresh from their roastery to your doorstep. Stock up on Chica Bean products through March 21 and help support the Peace Corps community.

Co-founded by returned Volunteer Alene Seiler-Martinez (Guatemala 2008–12) and husband Josue Martinez, CHICA BEAN has brewed up a way to more equally distribute value between coffee producing and consuming countries. Try out Chica Bean’s Guatemalan specialty coffee — produced by women, roasted at origin, and delivered fresh to your door in the U.S. With a focus on quality, connection, and traceability, Chica Bean will help start your day with impact!

EXPLORE MORE: Listen to this special “Jobs with Jodi” podcast episode where the founders of Chica Bean talk coffee, the ways Chica Bean is unique from other coffee distributors, and how RPCVs can get involved with Chica Bean's social impact mission.

SHOP: March 17–21 and Chica Bean will donate 15 percent of sales to NPCA to support the global social impact of the Peace Corps community. Shop women-produced coffee and products.
 

Shop Chica Bean

“By roasting at origin we are cutting out a number of middle men ...it allows us a certain level of negotiating power which means we can give our clients a good price, but we can also continue to pay our producers well and still make enough to get by as a business.”
   —RPCV Alene Seiler-Martinez (Guatemala 2008–12)

Note: This is a promotion by Chica Bean. NPCA does not endorse the products or services of Chica Bean.

A new partnership for National Peace Corps Association opens up courses in social entrepreneurship and social innovation design. Deadline is Saturday, Oct. 31 at midnight. 

By Dan Baker

National Peace Corps Association has launched an initiative to empower future changemakers from within the Returned Peace Corps Volunteer community as part of the Global Reentry Program. As a first step in this direction, Social EntrepreneurU and Columbia Business School Venture for All are partnering with the National Peace Corps Association to offer social entrepreneurship and social innovation design courses for Returned Peace Corps Volunteers.

All courses are offered at discounted prices with select scholarship opportunities for live courses. 

Application deadline is Saturday, October 31 at midnight for the live course in Design Your Social Innovation. Applications for the asynchronous version may be received later.

We hope to have broad participation from the Peace Corps community for this inaugural cohort. Here at NPCA, we believe in using our connections and resources to help motivated and talented RPCVs access the knowledge, tools, and coaching they need to increase their ability to make a difference.

Courses are designed and taught by RPCV Greg Van Kirk (Guatemala 2001–03), who is an Ashoka Fellow and World Economic Forum Social Entrepreneur of the Year. Participants receive a certificate of completion from Columbia Business School "Venture for All" upon completion.

“Greg’s combined expertise in business and years of experience in social entrepreneurship around the globe give him a unique understanding about the drivers of social innovation. He has a remarkable ability to distill key strategic insights that explain success and communicate them in ways that are both accessible and inspiring.”

— David Bornstein, Co- Founder, Solutions Journalism Network / Author, “How to Change the World: Social Entrepreneurs and the Power of New Ideas”

Design Your Social Innovation

Enrollment Ends: Saturday, October 31
 

COURSE SNAPSHOT: Interested in learning how to convert inspiration into innovation and action? We've been designing social innovations for the past 20 years and provide you with the insights, tools, and frameworks you'll need to design for positive social change. Whether you're simply interested in building on your Peace Corps experience, have an idea in mind, or are already on your way, we're confident that we can create tremendous value in your social innovation design journey. 

This is a live 6 week, 4 hours per week course. Exact days and times will be decided upon polling participants. RPCV guest speakers. This is pass/fail. Participants will receive a “Certificate of Completion” from Columbia Business School Venture for All.

Cost: $650 with up to a 50 percent scholarship available from National Peace Corps Association (Hurry! Only five scholarships left). Advisory, coaching, and networking included. This price is only available for Returned Peace Corps Volunteers.

Learn more and enroll

Share this opportunity with RPCVs whose ideas and talents would benefit from this program.