Bootstrap Homeless

Changing cardboard signs into dollar signs

Discussion Group on Bootstrap Network

CoLeads

• Martin Montero
• Bijoy

Mission

Bootstrap homeless identifies and develops entrepreneurs who are either homeless or working poor and helps them grow in their existing skills while acquiring new ones.

Description

A network for the homeless and working poor to connect with each other as well as local business people and community leaders. This will also help them get their goods and services to market.

1. Bootstrap Bootcamp
2. Monthly meeting with pre-qualified homeless bootstrappers
3. Other...

Detailed Description

The Bootstrap Homeless initiative is part of a vision to provide supportive housing and entrepreneurial development for the homeless and working poor. This vision also includes networking among the homeless, the working poor, nonprofit organizations, faith communities, and the Austin marketplace in order to work towards mutually beneficial relationships.

Bootstrap Homeless centers on working with the homeless and working poor to discover their potential and rise above their current status by harnessing the power of capitalism to create solutions to social problems.

The basic premise behind this is that life on the streets provides greater experiential training in entrepreneurship than most MBA programs. Bootstrap Homeless taps into this great resource in order to create an organic, vibrant, and dynamic network where the homeless and working poor are given a chance to create a better life for themselves and their community.

This is an amazing article that strikes at the heart of Bootstrap homeless.

"The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid"

http://www.changemakers.net/library/temp/fortunepyramid.cfm

• • • News***

Through a partnership with Foundation for the Homeless Bootstrap Homeless will soon have the ability to offer micro finance to Homeless Bootstrappers.

Examples of Successful Homeless Businesses

1. Taking out the trash from downtown bars
2. House painting
3. Back office work
4. Flyer distribution
5. Street Cleaning

Ideas

The homeless are downtown and have a lot of interaction with bars there like Halcyon, Red Fez, Maggie Mae's, etc. Can we engage these communities in this process as potential customers? Read about Homeless Bootstrapper Ohio.