In the last week of September, the Entrepreneurship Program for Not-For-Profit Organizations gathered representatives from 17 civic organizations that have started or are about to start their entrepreneurial projects.

The winners in the previous edition met for the last time as participants in the accelerator of the Program. During the individual consultations preceding the trainings, they shared the progress of their projects, the difficulties and the dilemmas they face in their realization.

"The classmates" (as they call themselves) experienced a variety of emotions during their visit in the day center of the World of Mary Foundation. There they talked about the challenges and plans they have in the future and heard friendly advices from each other and from Stanislav Sirakov, co-founder of LaunchHub Ventures, who personally follows and provides with consultations all participants in the Program in the recent years. The second part of the visit was a "cooking lesson" by the catering specialists of Bon Appétit, the social enterprise of the Foundation (one of the ideas that received funding in the 2016/2017 edition of the Program).

What followed was a direct sales training led by Polly Yankova, founder of MindHub. Although she was participating in the Program for the first time, Polly quickly won the minds and hearts of our entrepreneurs with an emotional narrative about creating and managing MindHub, as well by giving them practical tips on how to sell what they produce in a convincing and successful way.

Our partners from TELUS International were as well kind hosts of "Breakfast with Cause" - an event where social entrepreneurs met with professionals from TELUS and SAP Labs Bulgaria in the field of communications, finance, strategic project management and corporate social responsibility. During the meeting, which was led in an interactive format, the participants shared their successes and challenges and, together with the mentors, sought optimal solutions.

Special emotions for all participants brought the meeting between the winners from the previous edition of Entrepreneurship for Non-For-Profit Organizations and the participants in the current edition of the Program. The first told about the achievements and the difficulties that they have been through, about the good and the bad moments that inevitably accompany anyone heading for entrepreneurship. The new participants listened and asked questions enthusiastically and with thirst for the lessons learned from the difficulties encountered. Convinced of the cause of the business and its role in achieving financial independence, all participants were sure – the way to achieving a cause could be more successful if it is accompanied by a well thought, planned and executable entrepreneurial idea!

For the participants who were part of the Program for the first time we prepared two training sessions. Stanislav Sirakov gave guidance on how to make financial forecasts and planning and Dilyana Stoyanova, senior manager of sponsorship and events at UniCredit Bulbank, told about the meaning of brand-building and its importance for the good positioning of any entrepreneurial idea. During a special discussion, facilitated by Stanislav Sirakov, Pavleta Alexieva (Program Director of BCNL) and Lyuben Panov (European Center for Not-for-Profit Law) the participants received feedback on their business plans and identified elements that can be upgraded and optimized.

The biggest surprise at this stage of the Program was provided by our partners from Accenture Bulgaria. For the first time and specifically for Entrepreneurship for Not-For-Profit Organizations, they presented their work on creating a platform for online sales of products and services offered by social enterprises. The idea is by using this platform the entrepreneurs to be able to reach a new and larger audience that shares the values of a business with a cause and that is ready to contribute to its success by purchasing a good or service.

The meetings with the participants in our Program took place for only three days, and the autumn bouquet of emotions, new knowledge and practical experience can hardly come together in a few words. Most importantly, all of this was shared between and experienced by people who possess common values and ideas, believe in the business with a cause, and in its power to change attitudes, people who break stereotypes and contribute to the positive change in the world that surrounds us.