Social Entrepreneurship"Entrepreneurs are essential drivers of innovation and progress. In the business world, they act as engines of growth, harnessing opportunity and innovation to fuel economic advancement. Social Entrepreneurs act similarly, tapping inspiration and creativity, courage and fortitude, to seize opportunities that challenge and forever change established, but fundamentally inequitable systems. Distinct from a business entrepreneur who sees value in the creation of new markets, the social entrepreneur aims for value in the form of transformational change that will benefit disadvantaged communities and, ultimately, society at large. Social entrepreneurs pioneer innovative and systemic approaches for meeting the needs of the marginalized, the disadvantaged and the disenfranchised - populations that lack the financial means or political clout to achieve lasting benefit on their own." -Skoll Foundation "Social entrepreneurs are individuals with innovative solutions to society's most pressing social problems. They are ambitious and persistent, tackling major social issues and offering new ideas for wide-scale change. Rather than leaving societal needs to the government or business sectors, social entrepreneurs find what is not working and solve the problem by changing the system, spreading the solution, and persuading entire societies to take new leaps. They are both visionaries and ultimate realists, concerned with the practical implementation of their vision above all else." -Ashoka
U.S. Government Support for Social Entrepreneurs: Since entering the White House, the Obama Administration has been vocal regarding its commitment to social innovation. In June of 2009, the President announced the creation of the Office of Social Innovation, requesting $50 million from Congress for seed money aimed at identifying and expanding effective, innovative organizations. To learn more about this new initiative, please follow the links provided below: Appointment of Sonal Shah
President's Request for Seed Money
First Lady Michelle Obama's speech on Social Innovation
President Obama and Social Innovation in New Orleans
Resources to Prepare You for Your Participation in the 2010 Washington, D.C. Fulbright Enrichment Seminar: Please review the following articles for an overview of what social entrepreneurship entails, as well as to understand the future direction of the industry. You will draw on this research during discussions and workshops at the Enrichment Seminar: Social Entrepreneurship in the News: Investing in Good Karma - Lisa Auret, CNBC
Seeking Social Change - Diana Middleton, Wall Street Journal
Social Entrepreneurs Go Mainstream - Andrew Tolve, Ode Magazine
The Faces of Social Entrepreneurship - New York Times Magazine
Thoroughly Modern Do-Gooders - David Brooks, The New York Times
The Business of Giving - Kristi Heim, The Seattle Times
The New Heroes - "What is Social Entrepreneurship", PBS National Organizations and Leaders in Social Entrepreneurship:
Below is a sampling of national organizations and leaders involved in social entrepreneurship: Ashoka - Ashoka is the global association of the world’s leading social entrepreneurs; men and women with system changing solutions for the world’s most urgent social problems. Since 1981, they have elected over 2,000 leading social entrepreneurs as Ashoka Fellows, providing them with living stipends, professional support, and access to a global network of peers in more than 60 countries. (http://www.ashoka.org/)
Schwab Foundation - The Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship is a not-for-profit, independent and neutral organization, founded in 1998, with the purpose to advance social entrepreneurship and to foster social entrepreneurs as an important catalyst for societal innovation and progress. (http://www.schwabfound.org/sf/index.htm)
Skoll Foundation - The Skoll Foundation was created by Jeff Skoll in 1999 to pursue his vision of a sustainable, peaceful and prosperous world. The group’s mission is to drive large-scale change by investing in, connecting and celebrating social entrepreneurs and other innovators dedicated to solving the world’s most pressing problems. (http://www.skollfoundation.org/)
Echoing Green - To accelerate social change, Echoing Green invests in and supports outstanding emerging social entrepreneurs to launch new organizations that deliver bold, high-impact solutions. Through a two-year fellowship program, we help our network of visionaries develop new solutions to society’s most difficult problems. To date, Echoing Green has invested over $28 million in seed funding to over 471 social entrepreneurs and their innovative organizations. (http://www.echoinggreen.org/)
New Profit Inc. - New Profit exists to help innovative social entrepreneurs and their organizations dramatically improve opportunities for children, families, and communities. New Profit focuses their portfolio investments on innovative nonprofit organizations with the potential to create significant, long-term impact on the social mobility of low-income Americans.(http://www.newprofit.com/)
Omidyar Network - As a philanthropic investment firm, they support market-based approaches with the potential for large-scale, catalytic impact. Grounded in the belief that each sector has a role, Omidyar makes investments in for-profit companies as well as grants to nonprofit organizations. Regardless of the sector, they invest in organizations that have the potential to embody innovation, scale, and sustainability or help bring them about within their industry. (http://www.omidyar.com/)
Social Edge - Social Edge has become a site where social entrepreneurs, philanthropists and other practitioners of the social benefit sector connect to network, learn, inspire and share resources. Social Edge has an audience of tens of thousands of social entrepreneurs around the world. (http://www.socialedge.org/)
Grameen Foundation - Grameen Foundation provides micro-lenders in poor communities access to the capital they need to make micro-loans to women who are working to develop or expand a small business. In many of the poorest regions in the world, micro business creation is the only way for families to escape poverty and build a better future for their children.(http://www.grameenfoundation.org/)
Nashville Social Entrepreneurs and Organizations:
Social entrepreneurship is a growing concept in Nashville and it resonates in a wide range of industries. Below, we have provided links to organizations based in the Nashville area:
Giving Tree LLC - a privately held for-profit social enterprise in the prepaid card market with a mission to bring philanthropy to the masses. (http://www.givingtreelife.com/)
J. Gowdy Consulting - has helped businesses of all sizes, non profits, government, and universities to formulate, execute and communicate strategic sustainability initiatives (http://www.jgowdyconsulting.com/)
Fair Trade Teas - Since 2001, Fair Trade Teas has been linking tea growers with tea lovers to improve the lives of both. Modern times are witnessing a new kind of revolution, as the world’s love for tea is being used now to promote sustainability, education and brighter futures for tea workers. (http://www.fairtradeteas.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=14&Itemid=29)
Net impact - Net Impact is an international nonprofit organization with a mission to inspire, educate, and equip individuals to use the power of business to create a more socially and environmentally sustainable world. (http://www.netimpact.org/index.cfm) |
