About Social Enterprise Greenhouse
Social Enterprise Greenhouse (SEG) mission is to accelerate impact by providing inclusive support and networks for entrepreneurs and businesses committed to positive societal and economic change. SEG fosters an ecosystem of diverse stakeholders who work to enable a more just, equitable, and resilient economy. Its network of 1,800 enterprises and 200+ business and community leaders contribute time, expertise, and funding to grow the social impact ecosystem in Rhode Island and beyond.
SEG promotes entrepreneurs who have been historically excluded. Nearly 60 percent of SEG ventures have been women-owned and over the last three years nearly half are BIPOC-owned. Approximately 80% Accelerator graduates continue to lead operational enterprises. SEG’s portfolio of ventures are firmly rooted in social impact and span a variety of industries, including health and wellness, food and agriculture, and environment. Combined, SEG’s ventures have reached more than 5 million people. SEG’s ecosystem includes these entrepreneurs as well as a robust network of coaches, mentors, volunteers, and investors who contribute to the organization’s long-term success.
SEG’s comprehensive menu of programs and services are designed to meet entrepreneurs and small businesses where they are in terms of lifecycle, geographic location. Additionally, SEG tailors its programming to be culturally and linguistically responsive. SEG’s signature programs include an Ideator, Incubator, and Accelerator, which work as a pipeline for entrepreneurs to explore an idea, build a business, and grow their ventures. These programs are coupled with additional services such as access to capital through our loan and microgrant funds, advising from expert volunteers, coworking space, peer support forums and more. SEG’s programs and services are available in both English and Spanish.
SEG has grown rapidly in recent years - doubling its budget in the past two years through partnerships with leading funders, national and regional foundations, corporations, and government entities. The organization was recognized nationally by Vice President Kamala Harris and US Commerce Secretary Raimondo for innovation, enabled by a highly engaged and reputable board and diverse and talented team.
Headquartered in Rhode Island, SEG’s network continues to grow nationally through its digital programming. For more information on SEG, please visit here.
The Opportunity
At this important stage in its evolution, SEG is looking for a growth-oriented and entrepreneurial Chief Executive Officer (CEO) who embodies SEG’s values and is poised to lead the organization into the future, providing strategic direction, raising funds and managing key stakeholder relationships. This is a dynamic opportunity to drive change that deeply impacts the lives and economic opportunities of people from historically excluded communities. The CEO will join an organization and team, building on the foundation of a well-respected founding CEO. Reporting to the Board of Directors, the CEO will collaborate with the SEG team to continue to innovate and realize SEG’s ambitious vision, mission, and impact goals. This individual will be responsible for developing and executing the overall strategy and ensuring that staff, operations, and systems are working in support of the mission. The ideal candidate will inspire continued growth in fundraising, partnership engagement, client relationships, alumni network and visibility.
Candidate Profile
While no one candidate will possess every quality outlined for this position, a successful candidate will bring many of the following professional qualifications and personal attributes:
Passion for Mission
The CEO should be a passionate leader who will align organizational culture and systems in support of the mission. The CEO will be a champion of and have a demonstrated track record in advancing equity and inclusion initiatives both internally within an organization, as well as externally in the larger community. The CEO will be passionate about the power of social purpose business and working with historically excluded communities.
Strategic and Visionary Leadership
The CEO will be a strategic leader, who in partnership with the Board, sets and clearly articulates a vision for the future. The CEO will be able to identify new opportunities and innovative ideas and can clearly communicate those ideas and proposals to engage employees, investors, and the broader community. The CEO will be comfortable leading through change and will apply a data and metrics to propose creative, yet practical, ideas to strengthen SEG’s programs and services, while staying focused on outcomes and cost effectiveness.
Organizational Leadership
The CEO will be a team leader with a blend of strategic, entrepreneurial, and tactical skills, able to develop and articulate a vision for SEG’s next stage and inspire the entire SEG ecosystem to achieve that vision. The staff is the first constituency of that ecosystem, and the CEO should have experience building and leading high performing teams, as well as guiding team members’ growth and development regardless of their career stage or skill set. Beyond the staff, the ideal candidate will possess the ability to engage and motivate the large volunteer population who are key to SEG’s value proposition. More than 200 coaches, mentors, program instructors and others are active parts of the SEG network and have often been called the “secret sauce” of the organization’s value proposition. The ideal candidate will be adept at leveraging their commitment and passion in fulfilling the mission of SEG.
Accomplished Fundraiser and Partnership Orientation
The CEO will be an energetic and accomplished fundraiser and relationship builder who will fully embrace this aspect of the role enabling SEG to maintain its current funding base and access previously untapped support. The CEO will bring a creative and entrepreneurial approach to revenue generation and an understanding of nonprofit finance and various revenue streams, including philanthropic, government grants, corporate partnerships, individual support, and earned/programmatic revenue among others. The CEO should be an engaging speaker and writer who understands the importance of telling the story of SEG’s mission in a compelling manner, connecting with potential partners and advancing the organization’s mission. The CEO understands the importance of a robust partnership with the Board and will ensure best board practices and accountability to the Board.
Business and Financial Acumen
The CEO is an executive with staff, operational, and P&L accountability. As CEO, this individual will have strategic oversight of operations, budgeting, financial planning and reporting, compliance and risk management for the organization. SEG has a full-time team of 18 and an annual budget of approximately $2.5 million.
In addition, strong candidates will offer:
- Acts with integrity and gains confidence of people across the organization and in the community
- A solutions-focused and results-oriented approach with an ability to solve problems independently and as a team
- A high level of emotional intelligence (self-awareness, empathy, humility, and compassion)
- The ability to manage amidst ambiguity and complexity
- Demonstrated leadership, coaching, and relationship management experience
- Demonstrated success in developing and executing revenue-generating strategies
- Exceptional presentation, communication, and interpersonal skills, and the ability to serve as a compelling ambassador for SEG for a variety of audiences
- Experience as a senior leader in a creative, entrepreneurial environment
- Bi-lingual (English and Spanish) preferred, not required
Compensation & Benefits
Starting salary is commensurate with experience based on an annual band of $150,000 - $175,000 with competitive benefits package.
Contact
Koya Partners, the executive search firm that specializes in mission-driven search, has been exclusively retained for this engagement. Alicia Salerno of Koya Partners has been exclusively retained for this search. To express interest in this role please submit your materials here. All inquiries and discussions will be considered strictly confidential.
Koya Partners is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals living with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual living with a disability and need assistance expressing interest online, please email NonprofitSearchOps@divsearch.com. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.
SEG’s goal is to have staff with a diverse background, education, experience, and set of ideas. We believe in creating an inclusive environment for all employees - the more equitable we are, the better our work will be. It is our policy to provide equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all applicants and employees regardless of their age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. In addition, we will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals who are pregnant or have a disability.
About Koya Partners
Koya Partners, a part of Diversified Search Group, is a leading executive search and strategic advising firm dedicated to connecting exceptionally talented people with mission-driven clients. Our founding philosophy—The Right Person in the Right Place Can Change the World—guides our work as we partner with nonprofits & NGOs, institutions of higher education, responsible businesses, and social enterprises in local communities and around the world.
For more information about Koya Partners, visit www.koyapartners.com.
