Social Innovation Summit 2011 at United Nations Headquarters

(3BL  Media / theCSRfeed) New York, NY - June 6, 2011 - Waggener Edstrom Worldwide is proud to be among the sponsors of the Social Innovation Summit 2011, co-hosted by Landmark Ventures and the United Nations Office of Partnerships (UNOP), held on Monday, June 6, at the United Nations Headquarters.

The Summit is a private, invitation-only event dedicated to connecting and inspiring a unique network of global Fortune 500 business, investment, foundation, and community leaders to create social impact and affect postive change.  Attendees include change agents, entrepreneurs, investors, and many more who are actively taking initiatives to scale and encouraging others to do the same, including closing gaps identified through the United Nations Millennium Development Goals.

The Summit will explore several key themes including:

• Conversation on the role of social media activism featuring The Huffington Post, the UN Foundation and the U.S. State Department, among others

• Creating socially responsible technology enterprises with Microsoft and JPMorgan, including Nicholas Negroponte (One Laptop Per Child) and Gerald Chertavian (Year Up)

• A uniqeu "social entrepreneur" pitch session featuring high-profile judges from PwC and Venture Philanthropy Partners and presenters like Barbara Bush and Peter Thum

• World class speakers on the environment and sustainability from Gap and Intel, including closing remarks from actor and activist Ted Danson

• Discussion about accessing healthcare innovation with Abbott and DSM, inclusing a special social innovation announcement from HP on global healthcare

• Developing innovative and sustainabie corporate engagement practices that have real impact and go beyond traditional corporate social responsibility

Speakers include such notable figures as Arianna Huffington, Nicholas Negroponte, Barbara Bush, Ted Danson, Kathy Calvin, and Abilgail Disney.

The multidisciplinary exchange will allow delegates to present, discuss, and develop innovative solutions to global challenges of poverty, conflict and economic instability.

"Waggener Edstrom is excited to support the Social Innovation Summit because it brings together people from all sectors, which is necessary whien talking about innvoative solutions to the world's problems," says Marianne Allison, Executive Vice President and Chief Innovation Officer of Waggener Edstrom, who will be speaking at the event.

Live video of the proceeding will be streamed on http://www.un.org/webcast.

About Landmark Ventures: Landmark Ventures is a leading investment bank and venture development firm that works with growth-oriented information technology, digital media and life sciences companies to create and maximize enterprise value.  We serve a diverse client base of entrepreneurs, investors, and large corporations interested in driving growth through a unique platform of services including: strategic advisors, corporate development, mergers and acquisitions (buy- and sell-side M&A), capital raising, venture and business development, strategic partnering, turnarounds and direct control investment in growth-stage companies. Our philanthropic program, Doing IT For Good, serves as a catalyst for social change by supporting innovative nonprofits that are committed to improving the social and economic status of underserved communities.

About the United Nations Office of Partnerhips (UNOP): The United Nations Office for Partnerships serves as a gateway for partnership opportunities with the United Nations family.  It promote new collaborations and alliances in furtherance of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and provides support to new initiatives of the Secretary-General.  UNOP provides Partnership Advisory Services and Outreach to a variety of entities, as well as manageing the United Nations Fund for International Partnerships (UNFIP), established by the Secretary-General in March 1998 to serve as the interface in the partnership between the UN system and the UN Foundation, and the United Nations Democracy Fund (UNDEF), established by the Secretary-General in July 2005 to support democratization throughout the world.  The Office, headed by Mr. Roland Rich, Officer-in-Charge, reports to the Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon.  The Deputy Secretary-General, Dr. Asha-Rose Migiro, oversees the day-to-day operations of UNOP.

About Waggener Edstrom Worldwide: 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 changing clients, working to influence markets, inspire people and improve lives. PRWeek US name WE an agency to watch in its Editors' Choice 2010: Who to Watch list and presented its PR Innovation of the Year 2010 award to WE for its twendzTM application. The Holmes Report also named WE its 2010 Technology Agency of the Decade.  In 2009, WE was awarded Best PR Agency in North America by International Business Awards and Top Place to Work in PR by PR News.  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.

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