As part of our shared commitment to highlighting exemplary practice, the Social Enterprise Alliance recognized the 2008 Social Enterprise Leaders with awards presented at the 9th Summit Leadership Awards Banquet on March 11, 2008.

Enrique Balaguer led the startup of RealBenefits in 2001 guided by a simple vision; namely, that innovative web-based technology put in the right hands could transform the way lower income families learn about and enroll in health and human service programs. Today 150 organizations in 3 states use RealBenefits. They include hospitals, community health centers, local government, and community organizations. Collectively they have helped connect 110,000 eligible low income households to more than $400 million worth of food stamps, health care, energy assistance and other benefits. Under Enrique’s leadership RealBenefits is undertaking a 16 state expansion following a social enterprise model that uses earned income from sales to large health care providers to build the business and subsidize the use of RealBenefits technology by community based organizations.

Social Enterprise Leadership Award

Allen R. Bromberger is a partner at the New York City law firm of Perlman & Perlman. Allen has more than 25 years of experience representing nonprofit organizations, charities, and private foundations in a wide variety of business matters and transactions. In addition to his work with traditional nonprofit and philanthropic entities, he specializes in representing for-profit and nonprofit social ventures, nonprofit/for-profit joint ventures, commercial co-ventures, and nonprofits engaged in substantial earned revenue activities. Allen has generously offered his expertise on the Social Enterprise Alliance listserv, where he frequently responds to questions about tax, governance and structural issues posted by social enterprise practitioners. He is the author of numerous articles on nonprofit legal matters and a frequent lecturer and speaker on nonprofit legal issues. He also participates on panels and discussions about the financing and structuring needs of social enterprise and is an advocate for changes in legal and tax policy related to social enterprise.