Dear All,

Our two forthcoming speakers demonstrate different approaches to social change. John Bird set up the Big Issue as a model of how a social business, as opposed to a charity, can be a solution to homelessness and social exclusion. Sir Tom Hunter has pledged to give away over £1 billion of his fortune through The Hunter Foundation. This uses adventure philanthropy to invest in capital and intellect to tackle the root causes of societal problems through holistic and systemic interventions. Come and judge for yourself the effectiveness of these approaches and hear their amazing stories.

There is still time to apply for the OE committee, see below to apply for a position in one of the most dynamic committees in Oxford.

All the best,
Alasdair

Contents

1. John Bird - THIS MONDAY
2. Join The Oxford Entrepreneurs Committee
3. Sir Tom Hunter - Speaker Event
4. Intern in an MBA’s Entrepreneurship Project
5. MEDICAL IDEAPRENEURS- could you be the next Branson?
6. Real World Awards 2008
7. Are you ready to take the leap?
8. Interested in Travel, Culture and Business?
9. Hot Enternships
10. Opportunity to work for the Times
11. Odds and Ends

1. John Bird - THIS MONDAY

Monday 28th January (3rd Week)
6:45pm registration for 7pm start
Said Business School

John Bird, was a poor boy, orphan, thief, inmate, artist and poet before going on to found the ground-breaking social initiative that is The Big Issue. Since the inception of The Big Issue in 1991, John has overseen its development into the UK’s most successful social enterprise, stretching from Tokyo to Totnes and helping thousands of homeless people worldwide.

John has become an authority on motivation and the ascendancy to achievement. Amongst the places he has spoken are the UN in New York, Nairobi and Istanbul, Downing Street and Buckingham Palace. Come and see him talk to Oxford Entrepreneurs.

Sign up now! http://www.oxfordentrepreneurs.co.uk/index.php?s=john+bird

2. Join The Oxford Entrepreneurs Committee

Due to our website being hacked we have extended the deadline til Wednesday. Full details are shown below.

In the past year Oxford Entrepreneurs has grown to become the largest free student society at Oxford. The Committee attracts our most talented and interesting members - most of us want to start businesses on graduation, if not already doing so. We’re getting great experience from building the society, running it in a way which is a model for our members in terms of innovation, quality and ambition. We embrace diversity - our committees have included people of various nationalities - Russian, Nigerian, Portuguese, Indian, Thai, Chinese amongst others!

The roles we are recruiting for are Creative Director, Secretary, Membership Officer, Relationships Manager and Treasurer. Job descriptions and general committee guidelines can be found at http://www.oxfordentrepreneurs.co.uk/archive/2008/01/14/applications/

If you want to join us, send a CV and covering email to our Personnel Officer: Aniket Tavare personnel@oxfordentrepreneurs.co.uk. Please tell us about your interests, where you’re at in life, what you can contribute and what you hope to gain. Open applications are welcome.
Basic Guidelines for Committee Positions

Investment:

* Six hours / week during Full Term, two hours / week during Vacation * Attend weekly Committee Meetings Sun 4pm during Full Term * Attend our events
* Pioneer your role and help refine it for subsequent years

Return:

* Exclusive dinners with top speakers
* Ultimate networking position within the Society * Media coverage
* Gain experience in professional and dynamic venture * Work with a great team
* Agreed business expenses paid
* Personalised OE business cards

Creative Officer

Function: Set the creative strategy to approach our market

* Work with the marketing officer to maintain and improve the brand and aesthetic of the Society
* Create promotional materials which are funky, functional and, well, fun. * Maintain a digital database of all OEs artwork. * Put your mind to thinking up unheard of, exciting and award winning promotions.

You are: a stylish, clear communicator with an eye for design and a neat expression. You get a buzz from producing high quality marketing materials. This is a skilled role and relevant experience is necessary.

You get: your work showcased before audience of upcoming and successful entrepreneurs; chance to work with a funky, high-profile brand; work with a talented, dynamic team.

Treasurer

Function: Document and control the flow of money and prepare termly reviews and annual accounts. Also assist with the management and sourcing of sponsorship.

* Be active in corresponding with corporations to propose sponsorship * Negotiate sponsorship deals with potential clients * Maintain all administration relating to our finances * Liaise with the bank
* Keep receipts and invoices
* Assess expense claims
* Be one of the signatories for outgoing payments * Write financial reviews and assist the auditors

You are: very well organised, resourceful, pay attention to detail and have a flair for numbers. You are encouraged to have at least some prior experience in handling accounts.

You get: the chance to manage a large budget. This is a senior role that leaves enough time to get involved in cross functional contributions.

Special Relations Officer

Function: Monitor and manage relationships with all individuals and organisations for the benefit of OE

* Strengthen relations with a series of key people, including the heads of Said Business School, Isis Innovation, Oxford Science, Enterprise Centre, Skoll Social Entrepreneurship Centre and the Proctors.
* Be outgoing in making new relationships.
* Meet our members and actively connect appropriate people * You’ll handle successful entrepreneurs, corporate services companies and a range of enterprise initiatives.
* Take charge of hospitality when they visit. Wine and dine them! * Sensitively decline relationships with organisations we don’t want to work with.

You are: a confident, likable, diplomatic person that can quickly grasp a politic situation and build relations for the benefit of all. Outgoing and can identify useful targets and bring them in. It is a bonus if you come with some good contacts.

You get: to know all the top people in business; become a key person for members to know; develop good personal contacts; improve your skills in negotiation and corporate relationships.

Membership Officer

Functions: Attract both quantity and quality members, and ensure they are active and appropriately connected.

* Get to know our members and actively connect suitable people - these include active entrepreneurs, alumni, MBAs and graduates.
* Be outgoing in making new relationships.
* Conduct campaigns to increase membership, primarily by coordinating Freshers’ Fair * Ensure our members are active on YouNoodle
* Be outgoing in making new relationships.
* Be the first person to meet members at events and administrate registration * Assess and authorize external applicants

You are: someone that enjoys putting people together and can get passionate about spreading our vision. You are a good judge of character, able to assess people quickly, motivate them, and solve problems.

You get: a prime view of our membership; meet and help rising stars early on; be an important person to know. You also get experience of handling a great team, the chance to test your judgment skills, and experience in recruitment.

Secretary

Function: Design and maintain the cogs of the machine that allow us to have any outputs at all.

* Set the agenda and keep minutes from weekly Committee Meeting * Ensure the Proctors’ requirements are fulfilled * Take responsibility for keeping the Society’s documentation up to date * Handle disciplinary cases and complaints
* Monitor the project activity within the Committee and ensure things get done.

You are: very well organised, a good motivator, responsible, attentive to detail and reliable.

You get: experience in business administration and the best insight into how the organisation really works. You will also know more about the projects and activity of the Committee than anyone. This is one of the top three most senior management positions.

3. Sir Tom Hunter - Speaker Event

Monday 4th February (4th Week)
6:45pm registration for 7pm start
Said Business School

Sir Tom Hunter rose from humble beginnings selling trainers from the back of a van to become Scotland’s first billionaire. In 1984, he founded the Sports Division chain of sports shops. He built this up into a leading retailer. In 1998, he sold the chain to JJB Sports, making over £250 million. In 2001 he co-founded the West Coast Capital investment firm and by 2006 was named the richest man in Scotland.

Tycoon Tom Hunter isn’t content to live the life of the idle rich, and has pledged to use his fortune for the benefit of mankind. The Hunter Foundation aims to, over time, invest £1 billion in venture philanthropy.

http://www.oxfordentrepreneurs.co.uk/archive/2008/01/13/tom-hunter-%e2%80%93-speaker-event/

4. Intern in an MBA’s Entrepreneurship Project

The Entrepreneurship Project (EP) is a 5-member business plan project due at the end of Hillary for MBA students. It challenges students to develop a complete business plan and present it to a panel of invited venture capitalists and other practitioners. Completed plans must be attractive to an investor. The numbers must add up, patents must be in place, the competition must have been understood and a winning strategy developed.

‘MBA EP - OE intern’ is a great avenue for OE members to work with experienced MBA students as they go about attacking an idea from all facets of business feasibility, using tools they have learnt in Strategy, mktg, finance, operations etc to produce a formal Business plan. MBA EP teams would benefit no end from having enthusiastic young Entrepreneurs from the OE contribute to the process.

The projects available are:

Social Luxe
Social Luxe targets socially-conscious high net-worth consumers. The concept evolves the Whole Foods model for luxury goods. Social Luxe aggregates the fragmented market of existing sustainable luxury goods and provides market access for new products from independent and corporate producers.The result is a luxury retail experience where each high-end product satisfies minimum extraordinary economic and/or environmental sustainability requirements
Katy.spencer@sbs.ox.ac.uk

Lifestyle services in an emerging market
The areas that the intern will get exposed to are research techniques for entry into emerging markets, pricing and marketing strategies for services, and financial modelling for capital intensive projects (the team has two finance gurus).
vijay.shetty@sbs.ox.ac.uk

Project on Hydrogen filling station
joby.babu@sbs.ox.ac.uk

Landmark and Real Time Traffic Based Mapping in Developing Countries
parmender.dahiya@sbs.ox.ac.uk

Technology Applications for the UK Industry
carlos.clavijotovar@sbs.ox.ac.uk

Somebody with programming experience required for unnannounced project edmund.mudge@sbs.ox.ac.uk

Unannounced project title
anilkumar.agarwal@sbs.ox.ac.uk

Community based sharing of Internet bandwidth
Jitin.dhanani@sbs.ox.ac.uk

Feel free to email the project leader and then confirm the details with jitin@oxfordentrepreneurs.co.uk

5. MEDICAL IDEAPRENEURS- could you be the next Branson?

An inventive talk from MR ANDY GOLDBERG, hosted by the Oxford Society for Medicine
WEDNESDAY 30 JANUARY, Lecture theatre 2, Christ Church College, 7.15pm. Refreshments provided.

Mr Goldberg FRCS is the founder of ‘Medical Futures’ - an upstart organisation which recognises and rewards medical innovation and supports the translation of medical ideas into reality. In this seminar Mr Goldberg will focus on why innovation in medicine is crucial and how this, combined with entrepreneurship, can bring about improved healthcare and advancement in an environment where doctors can exercise their creativity.

This seminar is limited to 40 places to be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. To reserve your place please send a blank e-mail with IDEA inthe subject heading to ankeet.jethwa@medschool.ox.ac.uk

6. Real World Awards 2008

Oxford Entrepreneurs have had four finalists in the Real World awards and one winner in the past three years! This year the competition splits into several categories, is the Entrepreneur of the Year reading this now!?

Apply now http://www.herecomestheboss.com/rwa/

7. Are you ready to take the leap?

Are you setting the pace in the entrepreneurial market place? Striding Out are looking for young dynamic people aged 18-30, with fresh, innovative, high growth business ideas, who are ready to takethe leap to turn their idea into a reality.

More info and registration at www.stridingout.co.uk/competition.php

8. Interested in Travel, Culture and Business?

The Government has set up a new scheme to provide 100, 18-19yr old school and college leavers a chance to visit China, India or Brazil on a free six-week placement. It’s run bythe British Council, and the deadline for applications is 29 February.

http://tinyurl.com/3yz2ay

9. Hot Enternships

Roundabout

Roundabout™ is a free technology add-in for online, European retailers to facilitate “small-change” donations at the point of sale. The add-in allows online retail customers with a facility to donate “small change” electronically to their favorite charities in a single-click, intimidation-free manner. Join them as an entrepreneurial intern.
http://www.enternships.com/enternships/83?h=1

Eastside Consulting

Eastside Consulting have an opportunity for a first class intern to work with us for 5 weeks. Eastside provides business support services to social enterprises and third sector organisations. Our mission is to increase the impact of socially-driven organisations through finance and commercial advice.
http://www.enternships.com/enternships/84?h=1

10. Opportunity to work for the Times

The Times Top 100 Graduate Employers Survey is a well respected guide to the UK’s leading employers. Companies are ranked by interviewing over 17,000 final
year students across the UK, and we are now recruiting people to carry out these interviews in Oxford for the 2008-2009 survey.

To be considered as a student interviewer you must be:

-Able to have contact with 25 or more FINAL YEAR students in order to interview them -Available for a 1 hour training session on Thursday 14th February (Week 5) -Able to carry out all your interviews in the week 14th February-21st February -Motivated with good time management skills
-Committed during survey week

In return you will receive:

-A chance to contribute to a project for the Times
-£1.50 per interview, with a bonus bumping you up to £75 if you hit 25 interviews, and £2.50 per interview thereafter
- ie. £75 for 7-8 hours work spread over a week!

This is a good opportunity to contribute to a huge project. If you would like to be involved, please send a short paragraph detailing your interest and motivations forthe project to jennifer.tsim@keble.ox.ac.uk

Deadline: 29th January 2008

11. Odds and Ends

“You make a living by what your get; you make a life by what you give. A leader knows this.” - Pat Croce, former President 76erss.

A Guide to Micro Seed Funding http://seedfunding.weebly.com/y-combinator-alternatives.html