Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship

What Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship does

Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship is a Santa Clara University "Center of Distinction" that operates as a nonprofit social enterprise accelerator and global impact platform. Founded in 2003, the organization runs an annual in-residence Accelerator in Silicon Valley for select social entrepreneurs, supported by a network of 350+ executive mentors drawn from companies such as Apple, Dell, and Stanford. It also operates the Lewis Family Fellowship, a fully funded summer field research program with a $5,000 stipend for Santa Clara University juniors, and Impact Quest as a legacy student fellowship track.

The Center's product portfolio comprises nine interconnected programs — Accelerator, Entrepreneur Network, Miller Center Capital (an in-house debt-financing impact investment fund), Lewis Family Fellowship, Impact Quest, Internships, Mentors, Faculty, and Partners — rather than a single unified software product. Underlying technology is limited to a Salesforce-based community portal, TFA Forms and Smartsheet application systems, a searchable alumni directory, and standard web publishing tools; no proprietary AI or ML capabilities are disclosed. A 2025-2026 rebrand to "Miller Center for Global Impact" suggests broadening of mission scope.

The business model is nonprofit: revenue is generated through philanthropic donations (facilitated via a dedicated "Give" page and EIN 94-1156617), institutional support from Santa Clara University, and recycled returns from Miller Center Capital's debt investments in alumni social enterprises. The organization is sustained by an executive director (Brigit Helms), a small staff of 11-50 employees, and an extensive volunteer mentor and SCU student bench. To date, the Center reports having accelerated 1,600 social enterprises across 100+ countries, with alumni claiming 200M lives improved within three years post-program.

Name

Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship

Legal name

Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship

Website

https://millersocent.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship is a Santa Clara University Center of Distinction operating a Silicon Valley accelerator, mentorship network of 350+ executives, student fellowships, and an impact debt fund for social enterprises across 100+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Enterprise Accelerator

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Business Incubators & Accelerators (EDAMAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Entrepreneurship, Innovation & Venture Creation Centers (EDAHAHAH), Scholarship, Financial Aid & FAFSA Support (EDAMAKAF)

Keywords

• Social enterprise accelerator
• Impact investment fund
• Executive mentorship program
• Student fellowship program
• Nonprofit capacity building

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Clara

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Philanthropic donations: Nonprofit center that solicits charitable contributions via a dedicated 'Give' page on the website (EIN 94-1156617).
2. Miller Center Capital impact investment returns: Internal impact investment fund provides debt financing to top-performing alumni; generates financial returns (interest/principal) that are recycled into the fund's mission.
3. Institutional / university funding: Operates as a Santa Clara University 'Center of Distinction', implying baseline institutional support from the university.

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship runs an annual Accelerator In-Residence program that selects cohorts of social entrepreneurs and brings them to Silicon Valley for world-class mentorship, coaching, and investor-readiness support. It supplements the accelerator with Miller Center Capital, an internal impact investment fund that provides debt financing to top-performing alumni enterprises. The center also operates the Lewis Family Fellowship, Impact Quest, paid Internships, a 350+ executive Mentor network, an evergreen Alumni/Entrepreneur Network, a Faculty collaboration program, and a Partners program for organizations supporting social enterprise acceleration.

Product overview

Miller Center for Global Impact is a Santa Clara University Center of Distinction that operates a portfolio of interconnected programs rather than a single unified software product. At its core is the Accelerator, an annual In-Residence program for select social entrepreneurs that, since 2003, has accelerated 1,600 social enterprises across 100+ countries. Surrounding the Accelerator are several supporting modules: Miller Center Capital (an impact investment fund providing debt financing to top-performing graduates), the Miller Center Lewis Family Fellowship (a fully funded summer field research fellowship for SCU juniors paired with a $5,000 stipend), Impact Quest (a legacy student fellowship), paid Internships for SCU students, an Entrepreneur Network for ongoing alumni engagement, a Mentors program drawing on 350+ executive mentors, a Faculty collaboration program, and a Partners program. Together these modules form a continuous pipeline supporting social entrepreneurs from student learning through scaling and impact investment readiness.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Miller Center Capital: Miller Center's in-house impact investment fund providing debt financing to top-performing graduates of Miller Center programs.
• Miller Center Lewis Family Fellowship
• Impact Quest

Products and services

• Accelerator In-Residence Program Flagship In-Residence program that brings a select cohort of exceptional social entrepreneurs to California each year for world-class mentorship, coaching, and investor-readiness support in Silicon Valley. Designed for founders and CEOs of early-to-growth-stage social enterprises working on poverty alleviation, women's economic power, and climate resilience in 100+ countries. 100% of program participants leave with a more integrated, credible, and investable plan for scaling.
• Miller Center Capital Impact investment fund providing debt financing and investment readiness support to top-performing graduates of Miller Center programs. Channels capital from impact investors to vetted social enterprises aligned with women's economic power and climate resilience themes. Functions as the integrated capital pathway following accelerator participation.
• Miller Center Lewis Family Fellowship Award-winning, fully funded summer social enterprise field research-based experience for Santa Clara University junior-level students. Combines two quarters of classwork and academic research with field placements at social enterprises in Africa, Asia, Latin America, or the United States. Includes a $5,000 stipend plus fully covered summer expenses (airfare, housing, transportation, interpreter, visa, vaccinations, food) and ELSJ academic credit. Has produced 207 alumni, 92 completed projects, 17 Fulbright Scholars, and 3 university valedictorians.
• Impact Quest Legacy student fellowship program offering social entrepreneurship experiential learning opportunities for Santa Clara University students.
• Internships Paid internship opportunities for Santa Clara University students supporting Miller Center and social enterprises working on poverty eradication, women's economic power, and climate resilience. Roles may include marketing, finance, graphic design, and data analysis, including virtual placements at social enterprises.
• Entrepreneur Network (Alumni Programs) Evergreen network of support for Miller Center program graduates, providing ongoing opportunities for connection, mentorship, and collaboration well beyond the initial accelerator program.
• Mentors Program Network of 350+ executive mentors offering advice, empathy, and guidance to social entrepreneurs. Mentors include senior leaders from companies such as Apple, Dell, and Stanford University, supporting entrepreneurs as they grow and seek next-level investment.
• Faculty Programs Faculty collaboration initiative designed to provide at least 10% of all graduating Santa Clara University students with opportunities to learn about social entrepreneurship through coursework, fellowships, internships, research, and dedicated classes.
• Partners Program Strategic partnership offering for organizations collaborating with Miller Center to support social enterprise acceleration.

Quantifiable outcome

• 300+ artisans receiving a 300% increase in income via Someone Somewhere
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Santa Clara UniversityflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerMiller Center operates as a Santa Clara University 'Center of Distinction' (EIN 94-1156617). The university hosts the Accelerator In-Residence program in Silicon Valley, underwrites the Lewis Family Fellowship for SCU juniors, offers paid internships for SCU students, and integrates social entrepreneurship into coursework via faculty collaboration. Co-branded as a Center of Distinction of SCU.
• Someone SomewherecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured Miller Center Accelerator alumni social enterprise based in Mexico. They collaborate with rural artisans in Mexico's poorest states to create sustainable livelihoods and preserve cultural traditions. Outcomes include 300+ artisans receiving a 300% income increase and 130,000+ miles of artisanal fabric made with recycled threads. Featured as a flagship alumni case study on the Miller Center homepage.
• Mukuru Clean StovescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured Miller Center Accelerator alumni social enterprise operating in Africa. Repurposes locally sourced waste metal to manufacture clean, reliable cookstoves. Outcomes include 90% reduction in household air pollution and 2,000,000 people benefiting from cleaner cooking. Founder Charlot Magayi serves as featured CEO on the homepage.
• ONOWcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured Miller Center Accelerator alumni social enterprise operating in Southeast Asia (Myanmar). Enables female migrants to become financially capable entrepreneurs through business coaching, digital support tools, and access to capital. Outcomes include 173,000 participants equipped with business skills and $500,000 in capital unlocked.
• AppleminorOthersDaphne Luong, Senior Director of Machine Learning & AI at Apple, serves as a Miller Center executive mentor supporting social entrepreneurs in the Accelerator program.
• DellminorOthersPaulette Altmaier, Former Vice President & General Manager at Dell, serves as a Miller Center executive mentor supporting Mukuru Clean Stoves and other social enterprises in the Accelerator program.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Acumen: Global impact investor and accelerator supporting social enterprises in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Closest comparable to Miller Center because it pairs an accelerator pipeline with a patient-capital investment arm (Acumen Capital), mirroring Miller Center Capital's role.
• Ashoka: Global network identifying and supporting leading social entrepreneurs via a fellowship model. Highly comparable to Miller Center's accelerator alumni network and long-term support framework across 90+ countries.
• Echoing Green: Fellowship provider for emerging social impact leaders offering seed funding, leadership development, and community. Directly comparable to Miller Center's Accelerator in function and target entrepreneur profile.
• Unreasonable Group: Runs accelerator-style programs connecting impact entrepreneurs with mentors, capital partners, and corporates. Closely aligned with Miller Center's mentor-driven, cohort-based accelerator model.
• Village Capital: Peer-selected venture support organization running impact-focused accelerators for early-stage entrepreneurs in emerging markets and the US. Comparable cohort-based, mentorship-led accelerator approach.
• NESsT: Supports social enterprises in emerging markets through accelerator programs, capacity building, and patient capital. Directly comparable operating model and enterprise target segment to Miller Center.

Broad incumbents

• Skoll Foundation: Large-scale impact philanthropy and award program backing social entrepreneurs worldwide. A broader incumbent in the same impact-acceleration category with materially larger capital base than Miller Center.
• Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE): Network of organizations supporting SMEs and entrepreneurship in emerging markets. Comparable mission of accelerating impact ventures, though operating as a network convener rather than a direct accelerator.

Others

• Santa Clara University Leavey School of Business: Host academic institution and parent of Miller Center. Comparable as the broader university ecosystem (centers, institutes) that enables Miller Center's student fellowship and faculty integration.
• B Lab: Global nonprofit certifying and supporting B Corporations with a focus on social and environmental performance. Thematically adjacent — both serve the social enterprise ecosystem — though B Lab certifies rather than accelerates enterprises.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/MillerSocent
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/millercenter
• Instagraminstagram.com/millercenterglobal
• Xx.com/MillerSocent

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship