The Tamer Fund for Social Ventures recently completed its fourth funding cycle and selected four new early-stage ventures to add to the portfolio. The following Tamer Fund for Social Venture awardees were selected out of almost 100 applicants after participating in an application screening round, a due diligence process with student teams as part of a Business School course, and a final pitch to the Fund’s Investment Board: Plentify: Plentify, founded by Jon Kornik, BUS’11, provides households in Africa with reliable and sustainable energy and water services that are more affordable than the grid. They do this through a smart network of distributed utility devices such as solar water heaters and grey water recycling systems. Alina Vision: Alina Vision, founded by Ben Midberry, BUS’13, will build a global network of eye care hospitals that provide high quality sight-saving surgery to low-income communities at affordable prices. Folia Water: Folia Water, co-founded by Jonathan Levine, CC’04 / SEAS PhD’11 and Theresa Dankovich, produces affordable nanosilver-infused water filter papers that eliminate bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens, making water safe to drink for only 1¢/person/day. Made in Brownsville: Made in Brownsville, founded by Quardean Lewis-Allen and advised by Professor Justin Garrett Moore GSAPP’04, is a youth creative agency creating economic mobility for under-resourced Brownsville youth through apprenticeship in design and technology. With the addition of the four new ventures, the Tamer Fund for Social Ventures portfolio has grown to 16 ventures. The founding teams of these ventures represent diverse schools across Columbia University including the School of International and Public Affairs, the Business School, the Law School, the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science, the Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia College, and the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation. To learn more about the social ventures and their founders, please visit: www.gsb.columbia.edu/socialenterprise/socialventures/portfolio More information on the Tamer Fund for Social Ventures and the online application are available at: www.gsb.columbia.edu/socialenterprise/socialventures/apply Application Deadlines: August 15 and March 1, annually ### About the Tamer Fund for Social Ventures Established in 2015, the Tamer Fund for Social Ventures provides seed grants of up to $25,000 to early-stage nonprofit, for-profit, and hybrid social and environmental ventures. In addition to funding, the ventures gain subsidized co-working space at the Columbia Startup Lab or elsewhere, support from the Center’s Social Venture Advisory Network, connections to pro bono legal services, Columbia student pro bono consulting teams (e.g. Pangea Advisors, the Columbia Impact Investing Initiative, and the Small Business Consulting Program), as well as the opportunity to hire university students to work full-time through the summer as Social Enterprise Summer Fellows. The Tamer Fund for Social Ventures was made possible by a generous donation by Tony and Sandra Tamer.