Annkur Agarwal's new venture was floundering, his two key employees had abandoned ship and he was seriously considering a 9-to-5 job. That's when he heard Faisal Farooqui of MouthShut, a website for user-generated reviews, speak at Startup Saturday. In his speech, Farooqui asked, "Are you preparing for failure or success?" - a remark that struck a raw nerve. Annkur gave up his idea of a day job, found an office space and got to work with a fresh perspective. Today, 13 people work in the Mumbai office from where he runs a thriving e-commerce consultancy called Onlygizmos.

Events like Startup Saturday, geared towards intellectual exchange, have often sparked innovation or helped bring about unforeseen collaborations in the field of social entrepreneurship. By bringing together innovators and lay people, they create a space in public discourse specifically for ideas.