Social Entrepreneur

Call for Nominations: 2011 Gleitsman International Activist Award

2011-05-19T13:31:00.000-07:00

The Gleitsman Program for Leadership in Social Change encourages individual commitment and leadership by recognizing the exceptional achievement of innovators who have sparked positive social change. We seek those individuals whose vision and courage inspire others to join with them in confronting and challenging injustice.

The Gleitsman International Activist Award, was created in 1993 by the late Alan Gleitsman to honor leadership in social activism that has improved the quality of life in countries and inspired others to do the same. The honoree receives $125,000 and a specially commissioned sculpture designed by Maya Lin, the creator of the Vietnam War Memorial. Past honorees have included Nelson Mandela, Muhammad Yunus, activists such as Dr. Jaya Arunachalam and Dr. Sakena Yacoobi, and, most recently, Karen Tse, founder of International Bridges to Justice.

For more information and to download the application materials, visit the Gleitsman Program's web site.

Vote your favorite social ventures!

2010-03-25T14:08:00.000-07:00

Check out Best Buy and Ashoka Youth Venture's @15 Community Impact Challenge, in which five teams of young social entrepreneurs will be chosen from 15 finalists for prizes of up to $5,000. Cast your vote today. And, with inspiring ventures that are helping communities locally and around the world, everyone is a winner!

Call for Nominations: 2009 Gleitsman International Activist Award

2009-03-19T13:49:00.001-07:00

HARVARD KENNEDY SCHOOL

The Center for Public Leadership Requests Nominations for the 2009 Gleitsman International Activist Award

Nominate individuals you believe have made a difference in their communities or countries. The award will be given in the fall of 2009 and includes a $125,000 prize and a specially commissioned sculpture designed by Maya Lin, the creator of the Vietnam War Memorial. For more information go to www.hks.harvard.edu/leadership/gleitsman.

Deadline: April 17, 2009 [Nomination and supporting material]

Win a scholarship for your social venture

2009-02-04T12:50:00.001-08:00

Invent Your World is an international campaign sponsored by the Lemelson Foundation and Ashoka GenV to support young inventors in creating social change. Youth wishing to use new or adapted technology to address global challenges are encouraged to launch a "social venture" and implement their invention. Ashoka GenV will provide mentorship and seed funding to 50 new ventures. In addition, Lemelson and Ashoka will choose the best teams and offer additional support, including a visit to MIT to take part in a global roundtable discussion and $20,000 in scholarships.

Visit www.inventyourworld.org to learn more and enter an invention idea!

All things solar

2008-07-12T18:08:00.000-07:00

Lately, I have been spending a lot of time reading about solar technologies. Since I think that there is a lot we can all learn about solar energy, I created a new Squidoo lens about the topic. Check it out and let me know what you think. (As for all of my other lenses, all proceeds from this Squidoo lens support the work of Young Inventors.)

Social Entrepreneur Chronicles

2008-07-01T20:40:00.000-07:00

Some weeks ago, I received a really interesting email from Peep Laja about Sarah, a social entrepreneur who is chronicling her experiences about building her venture on her blog. I like Sarah's collaborative approach to building her start-up. I thought that Peep described Sarah's quest so aptly that I asked for his permission to re-post his entire email verbatum.

"A friend of mine is starting a social venture where she is helping to empower the indigenous women of Ngoble-Bugle (a tribe living in northern Panama) through giving them access to the world market by selling their amazing handicraft to the world. These women make the most amazing bags from plant fiber. It takes 2-3 months to make one bag, and they are awesome.

Until now these women had no access to the market. There are hardly any roads leading to where they live, not to mention anything else. Sometimes a buyer goes to the villages and forces these women to sell their bags for just a couple of dollars. Couple of dollars for bags which took over a thousand years to design and over 2 months to make. Now Sarah (the social entrepreneur in the making) is giving them a fair price for the work and providing these women access to the whole world.

She started a blog where she is talking about each step of setting up this venture. A great way to see positive change happening step by step.

Link: http://www.bagsmakeadifference.com"

Inspired by printer toner

2008-05-26T07:12:00.000-07:00

Inspiration can strike anywhere! Technology Review reports that researchers from the Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) looked to printer toner particles in developing a low-energy water filtration system. Because the filter is low-energy, it is more cost-effective than other filters.

Money for green

2008-04-18T15:16:00.000-07:00

Got a green idea? Check out the ConocoPhillips Energy Prize, which will give away $300K for green energy projects.

Get $1,000 for your Socially Innovative Idea

2008-01-15T12:18:00.000-08:00

I recently received information about an idea competition run by Conscious Lifestyles, a nonprofit organization that empowers students and schools to be more socially responsible.

---------------

Are you passionate about making the world a better place? Have an idea about how to make your fellow students and your school more socially responsible? Want to turn that idea into a reality?

Conscious Lifestyle is accepting applications for its 2008 venture program.

Submit an application for the chance to win:

* Up to $1,000 in start-up funding
* Web space on consciouslifestyle.org
* Monthly skill-building workshops
* Personalized support
* Access to a network of social entrepreneurs

To learn more and download an application, visit www.consciouslifestyle.org/2008ventureapp.

Global Young Social Entrepreneurs

2007-11-04T08:05:00.000-08:00

The Global Knowledge Partnership has announced its 100 Global Young Social Entrepreneurs.

My favorites (in no particular order):
Agroecommerce Network Pvt Ltd, India
Bright New Ideas, Nicaragua
DUTO, Colombia

Cutting Carbon Emissions

2007-10-01T07:25:00.000-07:00

The National Geographic proposes ways to cut CO2 emissions.

Secrets to Entrepreneurial Success

2007-09-23T21:31:00.001-07:00

On October 1st, join YII for a webinar with Barbara Carey, author of The Carey Formula and an inspiring entrepreneur.

As a taste of what's to come, check out Barbara's tips for innovators and entrepreneurs:

SIMPLE SECRETS TO SUCCESS

Words of Wisdom

Surround yourself with people who can do the things you can’t…
Doing everything and being everything to everyone can become exhausting. Use the people around you for creativity and inspiration. The saying, “Two heads are better than one” is often the best solution to staying positive and creative.

Know your customers intimately…
Do as much research as possible on your target market. Whether you conduct focus groups, send out survey or take polls go the extra mile to get to know who’s buying so you know who to sell to.

Building Relationships…
Not only is the relationship with your consumer market important, so is the relationship with your manufacturer. Do what you say you’re going to do. Follow up and be thorough. They won’t know what you want unless you’re specific. The better relationship you have with your manufacturer the easier and quicker things get done.

Keep it Simple…
Don’t get ahead of yourself - you’ll get overwhelmed. Take one step at a time and keep it simple. Start with a simple plan and add to it as you’re ready.

Virtual Interview with Social Entrepreneur

2007-08-26T12:19:00.000-07:00

YII is launching a virtual interview series with social entrepreneurs.

I will post the answers to the first two questions on the blog; you can find a complete interview transcript on the YII online community (you will have to register to access the interview).

First up is Jim Poss, Founder and CEO of Seahorse Power, which makes the Big Belly Trash Compactor.

Please briefly describe your business.

We make the world’s only solar powered trash compactor. Basically, it’s a trash can that can compact trash automatically to 1/5th of it’s size. This reduces costly and polluting collections by 5X.

How did you come up with the idea for the business?

I always wanted to be an inventor, and I tried many times to make prototypes of things that people wanted (I would test things out on friends and family). In college, I studied environmental science, and “got the bug.” I decided to devote my career to that, since it seemed so important. Years later, I got a job at a small electric vehicle manufacturing company. There, I learned all about motors, gears, batteries, solar panels…all the things that make the BigBelly work. Again, year later, it just hit me – by connecting a battery to a motor to a solar panel, you could compact trash. This would clean up litter and displace expensive garbage truck trips. And guess what, they do.

For more information, including Jim's tips for student entrepreneurs, why he decided to run a social venture, and what resources he found most helpful, visit the YII online community.

Entrepreneurs for Making a Difference

2007-08-03T20:12:00.000-07:00

Looks like Richard Branson is not only a maverick entrepreneur, he's also a social(ly conscious) one!

Apart from enjoying this article, I also look forward to the launch and growth of The Elders.

I'm glad to see that Virgin is involved in charitable work. I wonder if they have a program for offsetting pollution from jet fuel... .

Responsible Competitiveness

2007-07-12T03:57:00.000-07:00

I recently received word of AccountAbility’s State of Responsible Competitiveness report, which is a global ranking of countries balancing responsible business practices with growth.

I like the idea of clustering the countries in the rankings as innovators, asserters, compliers, and starters (I like categories). The regional studies were interesting, too. There are also bits about corporate social responsibility.

The Nordic countries top the Responsible Competitiveness Rankings. Canada rounds up the top 10. The U.S. comes in 18th.

Social Entrepreneurship Metrics

2007-06-24T08:28:00.000-07:00

A while ago, I was wondering about metrics for social entrepreneurship.

A team at Harvard has some hard numbers from social entrepreneurship investments.

Cool Car

2007-06-23T20:57:00.000-07:00

I've always wanted a Prius. Now, I want the Chevy Volt.

From the Treehugger web site:

"There are two things that make the Volt’s E-flex drivetrain noteworthy. First, it is a series hybrid, which means power is fed directly to the motor, not the battery. It can be plugged into a household electric socket and charged fully within about six hours. Completely charged it can drive roughly 40 miles on electricity alone. According to GM, more than 75 percent of Americans live within 20 miles of where they work, meaning the Volt would get them to the office and back on 100% electricity with no direct emissions."

Note from Social Entrepreneurship Media Network

2007-06-17T11:05:00.000-07:00

I recently received an interesting email from American Public Media that I thought would be of interest to other social entrepreneurs wanting to get the word out about their good works:

American Public Media's public radio business show Marketplace (www.marketplace.org) reports on entrepreneurs and the issues they face. American Public Media is also doing a new kind of journalism that involves reaching out to communities of people with knowledge, expertise and experience on a topic.

To support Marketplace's entrepreneurship coverage, APM is building a Public Insight Network of entrepreneurs from around the country (and the world) to inform reporting. And you're getting this email right now because Marketplace wants to explore social entrepreneurship in particular.

Tell APM your experience, become a source for public radio, and help shape national media coverage of entrepreneurship.

Tell APM what it takes to be a social entrepreneur, here: http://americanpublicmedia.org/pin/socialentrepreneurship/

Give a more general description of your business, here: http://marketplace.publicradio.org/entrepreneurshipquery/

Sign up for the Public Insight Network without filling out either survey, here: http://americanpublicmedia.publicradio.org/publicinsightjournalism/contact_signup.php?dom_name=entrepreneur

(Being in the Network means receiving an email about once a month asking for your insight on stories APM is working on.... respond if the questions connect with your experience, delete the email if they don't....no spam....being a confidential news source....and you can unsubscribe any time.)

If you have any questions, contact Joellen Easton at American Public Media: jeaston AT americanpublicmedia DOT org, or 213-621-3481.

Social Ventures in Business Week

2007-06-16T13:30:00.000-07:00

Here's an article from Business Week discussing social entrepreneurs and the double bottom line.

I like the mix of high tech and low tech businesses. The growth from 500 to 3,000 social ventures in the last decade is encouraging. (Budding social entrepreneurs: also note the increase in community investment assets to $20B.)

While reading the article, I wondered how many social ventures existed before the concept was popular and how social ventures in the particular study above were identified. Also, I was a bit unclear as to the meaning of "community investing assets."

Regardless, I am excited by the exposure of social ventures in the media.

Working the Social Venture Network

2007-06-01T14:12:00.000-07:00

While doing some research today, I came across xigi.net, a site that provides information on the space of social investing (CSR and social VC). There is a lot of information on the site even though it's still in beta; it's definitely worth a look.

I think one of the cooler ideas is the xigimaps, which provides visualizations of social ventures and their networks.

Fun with Statistics

2007-04-04T07:54:00.000-07:00

Check out Gapminder - a cool non-profit that uses statistics to visualize human development.

Hans Gosling's presentation about Gapminder was a hit at this year's TED Conference (and for good reason).

Sustainability Start-Up

2007-04-04T07:45:00.000-07:00

I recently came across SustainLane, a cool start-up that aims to raise awareness about sustainability through three offerings:

1. Rankings of sustainability of various US cities (top 3: Portland, San Francisco, Seattle)
2. Webisodes of the always-amusing-yet-informative Unsustainables (particularly great for a young audience)
3. Reviews of products and their impact on sustainability (they're seeking entries of products - you can win an eco-friendly car!).

What I like best about the site is that it has a very clear focus and a powerful message delivered in easily understandable (and easy to absorb) formats.

Best Practices in Social Entrepreneurship

2007-03-22T15:32:00.000-07:00

Somewhat related to my metrics post a few weeks ago, I've just come across Duke's Case Studies Database for Scaling Social Impact.

These are mostly cases used for teaching, but there are also many lessons to learn by any social entrepreneur.

"Bridging" Knowledge about ICTs and Entrepreneurship

2007-03-18T11:08:00.000-07:00

Bridges.org has a number of interesting reports on promoting entrepreneurship in developing economies. The organization also offers a large number of case studies relating to ICTs and grass-roots technology initiatives.

I really like their model of bringing experts together online. As stated in their overview, one of the benefits of connecting online is preventing environmental damage caused by air travel.

Win €20.000 for your social venture

2007-03-12T20:27:00.000-07:00

The BiD Challenge is an international business plan competition organised each year by the BiD Network Foundation. Their mission is to contribute to sustainable development by stimulating entrepreneurship in developing countries. Find out more at www.bidnetwork.org. The deadline is May 31st and you can win up to €20.000.

Winning Social Capitalists

2007-03-12T20:16:00.000-07:00

I know that Fast Company's Social Capitalist Awards winners list has been out for a while, but I only recently had a chance to peruse the ventures.

There are a few mainstays:
ACCION International
Ceres
Endeavor Global
Grameen Foundation

Teach for America

Among the recipients, there seems to be a very clear trend toward providing access to education in the United States and around the world.

I've come across Endeavor Global before and was very excited about their success and business model to help entrepreneurs in Latin America and Africa. Likewise, EcoLogic Finance provides support to coffee growing entrepreneurs.

(And, as per the earlier discussion about metrics, maybe the Nonprofit Finance Fund offers some insight...).

Follow Up on Comments

2007-03-12T20:01:00.000-07:00

As per Erik's comments on my last entry, I agree that with metrics there comes a danger of "teaching to the test."

That is part of the challenge of developing appropriate metrics (that take into account cultural aspects of the community served, for example). However, metrics are important to determine the impact made on the community and, although at times they may be difficult to qualify (or, even more so, quantify), they can help to make the most significant impact (and make sure that the venture continues to maintain its standard of service/support over time).

Despite the danger of "teaching to the test" with metrics, I assume that social ventures aim to make a positive impact. I think that being able to measure some aspects of the impact attests to the societal value of the organization (whether the metrics are quantitative or qualitative). I guess these metrics have to be very specific to the organization, however, in order to avoid the problem of broadly-defined outcomes that might encourage "teaching to the test." However, if teaching to the test means that there are some positive societal outcomes, it might not be a negative approach.

I Like Metrics

2007-02-16T06:01:00.000-08:00

Recently, I've been thinking about measuring returns to social entrepreneurship.

Returns are usually measured by profits and, perhaps, profits indicate that a social venture is run well. However, how should we measure returns to society-at-large?

Medical Devices that are Changing the World

2007-01-13T09:00:00.000-08:00

One of Young Inventors' members and executive of Aerovax, Jose Gomez-Marquez, has a cool new blog about medical technology and how it's changing the world.

Check out Little Devices that Could

Fusion

2006-09-24T20:10:00.000-07:00

Leave it to Google to lead change in social entrepreneurship. Google Foundation is a for-profit organization with a charitable mandate, building market incentives to promote returns-on-investment in philanthropy.

From Google Blog

Grantsmanship Center

2006-07-25T20:50:00.000-07:00

The Grantsmanship Center offers a list of granting bodies in the U.S. I was impressed with the number of resources in their database.

Tension

2006-06-27T16:36:00.000-07:00

In an HBS Working Knowledge Interview, Jed Emerson talks about the need for management expertise in running nonprofits that can effectively bring about positive change. The article also examines such traditional issues relating to entrepreneurship as risk, competition, and accountability.

Emerson highlights a topic close to my heart: raising funding for creating the managerial and operational infrastructure for non-profits. Since funding for management and operations of most non-profits is deemed as money diverted away from "the cause," non-profits find it difficult to attract talent and build sustainable ventures that do not have to depend on survival based on grants. That reality alone is enough to motivate social entrepreneurs to consider sources of renvenue other than just grants.

Green Banking

2006-06-22T08:39:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I was introduced to RecycleBank in Philadelphia.

This fascinating social enterprise offers an incentive system for households who recycle.

Using special recycle bins, RecycleBank identifies the amount of waste generated by a household during recycling pick-up. The amount of the recycables automatically translates to a credit on your account. As you accumulate credit, you receive reward coupons from retailers such as Starbucks and Whole Foods.

I'm enthralled with the idea of "Incentive Based Recycling" - motivating people to do good (and well!) by offering them rewards.

Take Action!

2006-06-16T17:46:00.000-07:00

Practical Action, a not-for-profit originally founded by economist EF Schumacher to combat poverty, offers many resources for social entrepreneurs seeking to make a positive (and practical!) impact in poverty alleviation.

What's in a Name?

2006-06-13T17:49:00.000-07:00

I realized today that I am still struggling with the definition of social entrepreneurship.

A few weeks ago, a fellow graduate student pointed out that by defining a social entrepreneur as someone with a mandate to make the world a better place as well as generating revenues, I was inviting interpretation of "making the world a better place."

For example, innovation in weapons for the defence of democracy could be seen as a positive social innovation.

I am thus struggling with the definition. Maybe I could broaden the understanding of "the world" in a more universal way; that is, saying that the social entrepreneur must not harm any others.

However, what of medicines that draw on scarce natural resources to heal millions of people from a disease?

I know I have not yet arrived at a definition that satisfies me.

I did, however, find helpful the Institute of Social Entrepreneurs' glossary.

NGOs working with the UN

2006-06-02T09:21:00.000-07:00

If you run an NGO and are interested in working with the UN, a great place to start is the UN NGLS (Non-Governmental Liaison Service).

Measuring Up

2006-05-31T09:23:00.000-07:00

Since my first days studing NGOs and working with international organizations, I have wondered about appropriate metrics for measuring the "effectiveness" (whatever that might be) of social enterprises.

Recently, I came across a very interesting rubric from RISE. I like its double bottom line approach of financial and social assessment factors. It's also sufficiently straightforward to be broadly applicable yet sufficiently thorough to provide metrics that can be used to measure changes in performance over time.

Knowledge and Empowerment through Education

2006-05-19T17:58:00.000-07:00

I think that knowledge is power.

That is why in areas of the world where access to knowledge is limited, providing knowledge to poor, remote populations can empower, embolden, and drive people toward higher standards of living (and more choices for better lives).

I recently came across a fascinating article in the MIT Technology Review about EduVision, a company that provides appropriate information technology tools for the classroom. "Appropriate technology" means that the technology can be adapted to the environment in which it can be used and to the users, without making assumptions about the users understanding of the technology based on out-of-context generalizations.

From the EduVision web site: "To lower the overall cost of primary and secondary education, EduVIsion aims to replace physical textbooks, notebooks and stationary items with a single integrated system (EELS) which will follow each student throughout the course of their education."

The project is financed by Bridgeworks Capital, a Swiss venture capital firm with a mandate to commericalize technologies that address global concerns.

Environmental X-Prize

2006-05-14T09:12:00.000-07:00

The U.S. Government has announced that it will make funding available for the "H-Prize," which is a $10M reward to drive innovation in using hydrogen as an alternative fuel.

The prize is modeled after the X-Prize, which offered a $10M prize for the development of a manned space flight vehicle developed by private citizens (as opposed to NASA).

The benefits of the prize extended beyond just the winning design. Since many teams around the world were working toward a solution, more solutions were proposed and developed - and continue to be developed (by the Canadian Arrow Team, for example).

Hopefully, the H-Prize will drive the development of many technologies - and raise public interest in the topic - regardless of who wins the competition.

Vinod Khosla on Energy 2.0

2006-05-12T19:35:00.000-07:00

I just found out about a really cool event - the Energy 2.0 conference at MIT on May 13th.

The event features live webcasts of the keynotes:

8:30 AM - 8:45 AM (EST) - Ernest Moniz, Former Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy
8:45 AM - 9:30 AM (EST) - Joseph Romm, Author, "The Hype about Hydrogen"
2:45 PM - 3:30 PM (EST) - Vinod Khosla, Founder, Khosla Ventures, Partner, Kleiner Perkins

It's a great chance to hear a vision for Energy 2.0 straight from visionaries - and "actionaries" (i.e. people who take action).

Taxi for the World

2006-05-10T07:34:00.000-07:00

While in Boston, I took a PlanetTran cab to the train station.

Even at 4:30 AM, I had a riot!

Reasons why I really liked PlanetTran (and hope to see it in other cities):

1. The cab was a Prius (I fell in love with the Prius while driving it in San Diego).
2. The driver was waiting for me and we got to the train station in record time.
3. The tip is included and I was told my total charge when I called for reservations, so there were no surprises.

IDEAS Competition Continued

2006-05-07T16:30:00.000-07:00

Participating in the IDEAS competition was incredibly exciting. As I had mentioned, the caliber of the participants was impressive.

Some of the teams that received prizes are also, coincidentally, finalists in the Sloan School's Social Impact Competition.

Check out the descriptions for Aerovax, AllHeal, and TurnPure, which also did well in the IDEAS competition.

Apart from making amazing progress in the eight or so months since the inception of most of these ideas, the teams participating in the competition were incredibly well-rounded. I was also quite impressed with the attention that the teams allotted to the protection of intellectual property. I am sure that we will see a lot more from all of the participants!

Room for Innovation

2006-05-02T16:42:00.000-07:00

Today, I had an opportunity to sit in on a design class at MIT, with a focus on innovation in humanitarian removal of land mines. The class featured a presentation by two representatives from the United Nation's Mine Action program. Students in the class had an opportunity to present innovations in the field.

Prior to the class, I had not given a lot of thought to land mine removal technologies. It is an incredibly intricate process that involves a diversity of equipment. The initial focus in land mine removal is on reducing areas suspected of having land mines as quickly as possible, not necessarily on removing as many land mines as possible.

Since many minefields are located in particularly fertile areas, minefields represent not only a clear danger, but also an obstacle to development. Granted, I am a complete novice to the field and technologies, but it seems as though there is a room for a lot of innovation. There are still humans and dogs that are used to detect mines (or at least do quality control on areas sweeped by robots and other devices) (!).

Judging IDEAS

2006-04-29T09:03:00.000-07:00

This week, I'll be at MIT, judging the IDEAS competition for social entrepreneurs.

The technologies tend to fall mostly (although by no means exclusively) into three categories:

Medical devices
Environmental technologies
Support mechanisms for organizing resources (funds-microcredit, volunteer efforts, etc.)

There were also a few ideas for improvements in habitat and agriculture.

I'll keep you posted about some of the luminaries... .

Seeing Red

2006-01-28T08:44:00.000-08:00

Peter, thanks for your question about the recently-launched "Product RED" founded by AMEX (launched by CEO Robert Shriver and endorsed by Bono at Davos).

"One percent of money that customers spend on the card will go to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tubercolosis and Malaria, which supports nearly half a million people on AIDS treatment and a similar number of children orphaned by the disease." - From Reuters Foundation

I think that this is a great idea - and a more direct approach to what iGive.com has been doing for years. It should be viewed as an essential aspect of any triple bottom line (TBL) approach.

According to the BBC, Bono warned that the project has to beware of "link[ing] up with the wrong partners." I am glad to see this word of caution at least mentioned.

Also, there may be concerns that companies will try to "cop out" as TBL responsible companies by subscribing to Product Red while continuing main operations that at the same time are detrimental to society. That, however, may be a problem with any TBL effort, mitigated somewhat (perhaps and hopefully) by efforts to establish and maintain certain TBL standards (perhaps like the UN's Global Compact for Social Responsibility).

And I know that there can be problems with enforcement of such standards. I think that the best we can hope for is to raise awareness about the TBL (to customers and to companies - and particularly young people, the "next generation" of customers) and support companies that truly do abide by its basic principles. By adopting a roster of popular items in its fundraising efforts, RED may be able to raise some awareness among youth about the importance of giving back to society. But it will be up to those who recognize that TBL is not only about "seeming good," but about "doing good" to call attention to changes that must take place.

Talent

2006-01-14T11:50:00.000-08:00

In my studies of innovation clusters, talent was always one of the indicators of the success of economic development. Thus, attracting, training, and retaining talented innovators and entrepreneurs seems to be a key ingredient for regional growth.

In a recent Globe & Mail commentary, Roger Martin, the Dean of the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, attested that Canada does not have a problem in churning out talented scientists and innovators. The problem, according to Martin, is a shortage of skilled managers.

I agree with Martin; managerial (and entrepreneurial) talent is in shortage (not only in Canada). An MBA or in-classroom education is only one of the ways to develop successful managers. The other component is on-the-job training and the bestowing of responsibility (and, thus, being tolerant of occassional failure).

Job training through internships, mentorship programs, and fostering of start-ups among MBAs complements the financial, human resource, and marketing skills honed in an MBA program. There is much to be said for a standardized and organized processes learned in a classroom. But there is much to be said for the unpredictability of managerial circumstances. (Can entrepreneurship be learned, for instance? That's a topic for a separate post!).

Corporations are beginning to set up mentorship programs for those on managerial tracks (both pre- and post-MBAs). The transfer of tacit skills learned as apprentices to mentors can be invaluable to young innovators, entrepreneurs, and managers. (I must mention that mentorship programs are inherently difficult to structure and implement; there must be a strong committment from both sides to achieve specific and measurable goals).

My hats off to the many corporations that offer mentorship to employees (check out Sun's SEED Program) and students (like the University of Toronto's Rotman School).

Triple Bottom Line

2006-01-14T11:39:00.000-08:00

I'm currently planning a conference at MIT to engage student innovators in developing a business development plan for an entrepreneurial company with a focus on the triple bottom line - fiscal, environmental, and social benefits and accountability.

The concept of the triple bottom line has always fascinated me. I first came across it in my work in the corporate philanthropy department of a Canadian corporation. More and more large corporations are focusing on the triple bottom line, which is encouraging. The United Nations has even created the Global Compact, which sets out guidelines for establishing the triple bottom line.

I am very excited to be part of an initiative that helps start-up enterprises to focus on the triple bottom line from the outset, particularly because the Global Compact does not admit companies that have fewer than ten employees. My thoughts: foster the start-ups and educate young entrepreneurs about starting enterprises that benefit the world. Perhaps the triple bottom line will be come the only bottom line for the next generation of innovators, entrepreneurs, and managers.

Acumen Fund

2005-12-05T21:33:00.000-08:00

I was recently referred to the Acumen Fund, which is a venture fund that uses entrepreneurship to solve global problems of global poverty; this is definitely a web site worth visiting.

Environmental Entrepreneurship

2005-05-21T08:40:00.000-07:00

Yes, it has been months since I had posted.

I was on the road for most of the time, conducting workshops and seminars, and attending meetings about the commercialization of technologies.

A fascinating hot area for many social entrepreneurs appears to be environmentally-friendly technologies. Cleantech Venture Network organizes forums for entrepreneurs seeking funding for the development of environmentally-friendly technologies. They are a growing and thriving organization, and some of the companies presenting at their forums offer some fascinating leading-edge solutions.

The founder of Cleantech is also the chair of e+Co, which aims to "bring together technology, people and funding to create viable local enterprises that deliver affordable and clean energy to those in need." Definitely a cool example of social entrepreneurship.

Exemplary Social Entrepreneurs

2005-01-30T13:56:00.000-08:00

If you're looking for examples of social entrepreneurs, check out Fast Company's Social Capitalist Awards.

A Question of Leadership

2005-01-16T21:27:00.000-08:00

I agree that the definition of "effective change" depends on how the leader defines "effectiveness."

That is precisely why strong leadership and role models in the area of social entrepreneurship are so important. I think that the concept of bringing together the notions of "social good" and "entrepreneurship" are still relatively nascent, and sometimes it can be difficult to quickly and easily identify leaders in the field.

It will take a few visible, successful pioneers in the field to establish the concept more firmly. If you haven't yet read Malcolm Gladwell's "The Tipping Point," I highly suggest the book. It discusses the spreading of trends, including the importance of early-adopters and people who connect a large number of people to each other to facilitate adoption. I think that the book has broad implications for leaders in various disciplines, including entrepreneurs, policy makers, and trendsetters.

The Means ... ?!

2004-12-21T14:45:00.000-08:00

Thank you for your post, Nicholas. I have read 1984; it paints a frightening picture, indeed.

Ultimately, the smaller-scale change progressing to a larger-scale impact appears to be a more feasible way of ameliorating certain conditions (although I agree that forming cults might yield some undesirable consequences, to say the least). In this context, I think that the concept of the social entrepreneur is one that is very powerful - social entrepreneurs work within the confines of the system that organizes society to make the system and society better.

The question is: how can social entrepreneurs accomplish this most effectively?

Furthermore, how should (could?) we define "effectively"? I am tempted to say that this would mean in a way that distributes wealth more equitably; does not diminish unrenewable resources; and limits negative externalities. But I think that this is only scratching the surface.

Impact!

2004-11-21T23:42:00.000-08:00

Thanks for the encouragement, Nicholas!

The next dilemma to tackle: how can one person make the most significant positive impact on society? Should one aim at changing the system or by influencing small groups of specific constituents?

The first option - changing the system - can likely be accomplished either through the mechanisms of media or politics. The impact that an individual can have through either medium is questionable, although we can all recall singularities - Mahatma Ghandi being perhaps the most cited example in this particular category (check out M.K. Ghandi's Insitute for Nonviolence).

On the other hand, initiating change by influencing small groups and then scaling the project can also be quite successful - and perhaps a more feasible, if more lengthy and tedious, path to change. I have always been fascinated by the story of the Grameen Bank, which grew out of a small project created by a professor of Economics in Bangladesh. Professor Muhammad Yunus is an exemplary social innovator and entrepreneur.

Perhaps in the case of beginning with a grass-roots project, the key is to keep in mind scalability?

Social Huh?

2004-11-11T04:13:00.000-08:00

What is a social entrepreneur?

1. Not an oxymoron.
2. Someone who recognizes that making the world a better place and making a profit are not mutually exclusive.
3. An entrepreneur who takes into consideration the triple bottom line - the social, environmental, and economic aspects of the operations of an enterprise.

What is a social innovator?

In my humble opinion, a social innovator is an individual who creates a novel approach and offers a new solution to societal problems. According to this definition, a social entrepreneur might be a social innovator, but a social innovator does not have to be a social entrepreneur.