Across the world, socially aware entrepreneurs are working on revolutionary business concepts that will help create a more sustainable, equal world. Supporting them as they incubate their ideas is Halcyon House, a U.S.-based nonprofit known for its intensive residency programs.

Today, Halcyon and Amazon Web Services are opening applications for a program aimed at helping female tech entrepreneurs in the Middle East.

“This new intensive partnership is designed specifically to support tech-oriented social enterprise startups that are founded by women and based in Bahrain,” said Kate Goodall (pictured), co-founder and chief executive officer of Halcyon House.

“It sits really nicely at this intersection of Halcyon’s goal of supporting entrepreneurs who are often underserved or underrepresented and AWS’ very clearly stated goal of diversifying leadership in tech,” she said.

Goodall spoke with  John Furrier, host of theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s livestreaming studio, during the AWS Public Sector Summit Online event. They discussed Halcyon’s mission and the 2021 Bahrain Women’s Intensive. (* Disclosure below.)

Double bottom-line model brings profit and social impact

The program guidelines state that applicants need to be women-founded, Bahrain-based, tech-oriented social enterprise start-ups. The ideal candidates would be women who have a strong purpose behind why they are starting their business and a good idea for a tech start-up that can be rapidly scaled and has a double-bottom line structure.

“As the business model succeeds and scales and achieves, so too does the impact that is inherent in that model,” Goodall said.

Entrepreneurs that are selected for the program will receive “some serious training,” according to Goodall. This includes an assigned mentor and project-specific skills training, as well as intensive education on business basics, such as creating a business plan, learning about the market, pitching investors and building a brand. In addition, they will receive AWS technical support and cloud computing credits.

An example of a Halcyon incubated idea that is gaining traction is an attractive oxygen monitor that is worn like an earring. “It turns out that’s actually really a useful piece of technology during COVID,” Goodall said.

Another is an app that converts texts into postcards and sends them to prison inmates so families can easily stay in touch.

“We’re looking for people that are thinking about healthcare, thinking about the environment, thinking about education, and creating a sustainable business model that will help them to scale that idea,” Goodall said.

Getting the word out to all possible applicants is important, so “if anyone knows any great social entrepreneurs in Bahrain, please let them know,” Goodall stated.

More information can be found on the Halcyon website, or contact @halcyoninspires via social media.

Here’s the complete video interview, part of SiliconANGLE’s and theCUBE’s coverage of the AWS Public Sector Summit Online event. (* Disclosure: TheCUBE is a paid media partner for the AWS Public Sector Summit Online event. Neither AWS, the sponsor for theCUBE’s event coverage, nor other sponsors have editorial control over content on theCUBE or SiliconANGLE.)

Photo: SiliconANGLE