Mark E. Van Ness

Mark Van Ness is a global leader in the Social Enterprise movement. He is the founder of several social enterprises as well as a financier and speaker in the field.

Founder of Social Enterprises:

• Founder- Real Leaders Magazine – Inspiring Better Leaders for a Better World. A Social Enterprise magazine read by 19,000 CEOs in over 100 countries.
• Co-Founder and Education Chair – Young President's Organization (YPO) Social Enterprise Networks (over 3,000 CEO members)
• Founder – Social Enterprise Institute Leadership Forums (Now HUB and Academies for Social Entrepreneurship). Created peer-to-peer leadership forums for several hundred NGO leaders from Hong Kong to San Francisco.
• Co-Founder – Annual Social Innovation Fast Pitch at the University of Southern California (with USC and Social Venture Partners)
• Founder/retired CEO- Sperry Van Ness, a national commercial real estate firm in 150 cities and Sperry Van Ness Legacy Fund (providing PRIs to Social Enterprises)
• Founder- Bazillion Books for Kids!- a social enterprise to end child booklessness.

Social Enterprise Financing:

• Founder – Social Enterprise Loan Fund (SELFund) at OC Community Foundation. Helped secure over $30 Million in financing for social enterprises in three years.
• Director on the Board of Impact Assets (Formerly part of Calvert Foundation) that invests in Social Enterprises.
• Impact Investor including HUB San Francisco and Berkley, Good Capital and Social Capital (SOCAP) Conferences in US and Europe, Dignity Fund (micro-finance)

Social Enterprise Speaking:

• Hong Kong Council of Social Service
• Social Enterprise Alliance International Conference
• Alliance for Non-Profit Management
• Young Presidents Organization European Leadership Conference in Athens
• Nonprofit Association of Oregon
• Social Enterprise Networks International Summit at University of Oxford
• USC, Pepperdine, Chapman
• Member of Advisory Board at University of Southern California Society and Business Lab

Mark's work has been featured in many publications including USA Today, Business Week, Real Leaders and Forbes.