Fortune 500 Executives, Venture Capitalists and Celebrity Philanthropists Talk Social Transformation at Social Innovation Summit in Silicon Valley

 (3BL Media / theCSRfeed) Palo Alto, CA – November 29, 2011 – Waggener Edstrom Worldwide, a multiservice communications agency, is proud to sponsor the Social Innovation Summit taking place at the Four Seasons Palo Alto on November 30, 2011.  Organized by Landmark Ventures, the Social Innovation Summit will engage leading minds from high-profile companies across various sectors in Silicon Valley and beyond – including the United Nations, the White House, Facebook, Twitter, and Microsoft – in a day-long private forum focused on solving some of the world’s biggest social challenges through innovative business models and unique partnerships. Celebrity philanthropists Wyclef Jean and Dikembe Mutombo will lend their voices to the conversation in a closing keynote conversation about international development.    The Social Innovation Summit is a private, invitation-only forum that will explore the next big ideas, as well as the tools and business innovations that are creating social transformation across the corporate, financial, government, and non-profit sectors.    Attendees will include some of the biggest names in innovation, including Fortune 500 corporate executives, venture capitalists, government leaders, emerging market investors, foundation heads and social entrepreneurs eager to discuss social challenges, analyze novel approaches for problem-solving and build lasting partnerships that affect positive social change.    Speakers will address the most urgent and compelling topics in social innovation including:  

• How integrating social good with the business agenda leads to social benefits and ROI

• In-depth conversation with Microsoft, Intel and the X Prize Foundation about best practices in driving effective social innovation

• A fireside chat with Jonathan Greenblatt since his new White House appointment as Director, Office of Social Innovation

• Leveraging social media for innovation from the perspective of Facebook and DonorsChoose.org

• Celebrities’ work in international development, featuring Wyclef Jean, Musician and Founder, Yéle Haiti Foundation and Dikembe Mutombo, Philanthropist and former NBA All-Star   

“Silicon Valley has a long history of innovation and is now embracing the power of Social Innovation.  We live in an unprecedented time when businesses are joining forces with leading governmental agencies, social enterprises and non-profits to develop game-changing solutions to some of the world’s toughest problems, and it’s happening right here. Waggener Edstrom is very proud to partner with Landmark Ventures and to help showcase and amplify the conversation surrounding some of the most exciting innovations of our time,” says Jean-Louis Robadey, Senior Vice President of Social Innovation at Waggener Edstrom, who will be speaking at the event. 

Live video of the proceedings will be streamed at: http://www.ssireview.org/stream/siswest2011. On Twitter, please follow the official event hash tag #SIS11 and @Landmark to track and engage in the conversation.

For additional information, please contact Virginia Stratford at vstratford@waggeneredstrom.com or 415-547-7022.

Landmark Ventures was founded in 1995 as a family office and today has grown to encompass a broader footprint as a global investment bank and corporate advisory firm. Our business activities focus on opportunities within the Innovation Economy (technology, media, communications, semiconductors, internet, cleantech and healthcare) where we provide mergers & acquisition advisory, corporate development and capital raising services for a unique client roster of growth-oriented private companies, leading public companies and investment funds. The Social Innovation Summit was founded as part of Landmark Ventures’ corporate philanthropy program, with the goal of leveraging our passion for fostering growth and innovation in the for-profit sector and applying the same business principles to the non-profit sector. 

Waggener Edstrom Worldwide (WE) is a global, integrated communications agency. For more than 25 years the independently owned firm has developed strategic communications programs for innovative and world-changing clients, working to influence markets, inspire people and improve lives. In 2011, the agency was named Digital PR Firm of the Year by PR News, and received Bulldog Reporter’s Stars of PR Communications Agency of the Year. In 2010, The Holmes Report named WE the Technology Agency of the Decade, and PRWeek US included WE in its Editor’s Choice: Who to Watch list and presented its PR Innovation of the Year award to WE for its twendz™ application. The agency has more than 800 employees in 16 offices around the world, and its Global Alliance partners expand the agency’s reach to more than 80 additional international markets. WE has seven global practices: Analyst Relations, Consumer, Corporate, Healthcare, Public Affairs, Technology and WE Social Innovation, along with its WE Studio D® digital strategies group. To learn more, visit http://www.WaggenerEdstrom.com. 

The Waggener Edstrom® mark, the Innovation Communications® mark, the twendz™ mark, the WE Studio D® mark and other marks used herein are registered or unregistered trademarks of Waggener Edstrom Worldwide Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the registered or unregistered trademarks of their respective owners. Unauthorized use is strictly prohibited.

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