For social workers, nonprofit leaders, consultants, facilitators, trainers, and community change-makers who want to create sustainable impact through consulting, earned-income strategies, social enterprise, and mission-driven entrepreneurship.
Many social workers are experts at solving complex problems, building partnerships, launching programs, and creating meaningful change in their communities. Yet few receive formal training in how to transform those skills into sustainable revenue, consulting opportunities, fee-for-service programs, social enterprises, or mission-driven ventures.
Build Sustainable Impact
Move beyond traditional funding and explore professional scale.
Who Should Attend?
- Social workers seeking to expand their impact
- Executive Directors and nonprofit leaders exploring earned-income strategies
- Program managers and directors interested in innovative funding models
- Consultants, facilitators, trainers, and evaluators
- Community leaders and social innovators
- Professionals interested in mission-driven entrepreneurship and social enterprise
Program Includes
- 8 Live Virtual Sessions
- Entrepreneurial Action Plan Workbook
- Templates, Worksheets, and Practical Tools
- Peer Learning Community
- Accountability and Feedback
- Certificate of Completion
What You'll Learn
Learn to recognize the market value of the skills you already use every day—including facilitation, partnership development, program design, strategic thinking, evaluation, leadership, and systems change.
Explore multiple pathways for mission-driven entrepreneurship, including consulting, facilitation, training, evaluation, earned-income programs, and social enterprise. Discover where your expertise intersects with community need and market opportunity.
Learn how to diversify revenue and create sustainability through consulting services, fee-for-service programs, training models, strategic partnerships, and other mission-aligned approaches.
Clarify your niche, define your value proposition, and learn how to communicate your expertise in ways that attract opportunities, partnerships, and clients.
Leave with a personalized Entrepreneurial Action Plan and 90-Day Implementation Roadmap designed to help you launch, grow, or strengthen your venture or professional practice.
Program Roadmap
Each session combines practical instruction, reflection, discussion, and hands-on application. Participants will build their Entrepreneurial Action Plan throughout the program.
What You'll Leave With
By the end of the program, participants will have developed a complete professional kit:
Your Facilitators
The session is led by René Castro, MSW, Principal of Facilitation Corps LLC, and Victor Manalo, PhD, MSW, President of Victor Manalo Consulting LLC. Together, they lead the NSWM's Social Work Entrepreneur Certificate program, helping social workers design and launch ethical, equity-centered practices.
René Castro, MSW, is the Principal and Founder of Facilitation Corps, a mission-driven consulting firm dedicated to connecting traditionally marginalized communities with the institutions designed to serve them. A community social worker, educator, and advocate, René brings more than 30 years of experience across the nonprofit and government sectors.
For the past 25 years, he has served as an adjunct professor in Schools of Social Work, teaching community development, community organizing, and program design. Throughout his career, he has led initiatives focused on equity, community engagement, and systems change, helping organizations strengthen their impact through strategic planning, facilitation, and capacity building.
René also served for 12 years as Vice President of the California Conference for Equality and Justice, where he led diversity, equity, and inclusion training initiatives for public, private, and nonprofit organizations.
René currently serves on the board of the Economic Policy Impact Center and previously served as Co-Chair of the Mayor’s Affordable Housing Task Force and Chair of Mental Health America, Los Angeles. He lives with his wife, Elizabeth Jimenez, in Long Beach, California.
Rene's personal mission is to foster health equity for all Californians.
Victor Manalo is a seasoned civic leader, educator, and social work professional with more than 30 years of experience in public service, local government, and community engagement. Throughout his career, he has helped shape public policy, strengthen organizations, and build partnerships that improve outcomes for communities.
As a former Mayor and Councilmember for the City of Artesia, Victor guided the city through the challenges of the Great Recession, helping strengthen its financial position through sound fiscal management and long-term planning. He also served as President of the California Contract Cities Association, representing the interests of more than 70 cities across Los Angeles County and advancing regional collaboration.
In addition to his public service, Victor has spent over 25 years teaching and conducting research at California State University, Los Angeles. Through Victor Manalo Consulting LLC, he provides training, facilitation, and strategic guidance to local government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and community leaders seeking to navigate public systems and create meaningful change.
Known for his collaborative leadership style, Victor believes that “relationships are our superpower” and remains committed to strengthening civic capacity and community impact throughout California.
