Social Entrepreneurs, How Influential Are They?
In the last 10 years, the term and field of Social Entrepreneurship have been on a steady up-swing and gaining in popularity. Now according to an article in this week's Economist, businessmen and politicians are seeking them out in an unprecedented fashion to help them solve the many of society's problems creatively.
The hottest trend for corporations is to become socially corporately responsible, which means corporations are creating innovative and more entrepreneurial in their approaches to affect change; social entrepreneurs. But for the most part social entrepreneurs have been known as the ones who do well by doing good, but in recent history they have become known as the ones who deliver on what they say they can deliver on. Which makes their expertise a hot commodity. The Economist article further points out that one of the reasons why social entrepreneurs now have this reputation, is due in part to the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to Muhammad Yunus, the founder of Grameen Bank a couple of years ago.
The article goes on to report that this past week, leading social entrepreneurs worldwide gathered near Zürich at a summit hosted by the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship. According to the Pamela Hartigan, who runs the foundation, these social entrepreneurs all a commonality, they are all unreasonable people. Hartigan along with John Elkington, the founder of Sustainability, a consultancy, have written a book on social entrepreneurs. The Power of Unreasonable People: How Social Entrepreneurs Create Markets and Change the World. The book outlines two key areas in the future of social entrepreneurship, one is that businesses should watch what and be ready to invest in social entrepreneurship. Social entrepreneurs know where profitable opportunities are and they usually are among the poor consumers. Social entrepreneurs according to the book also are likely to discover new industries. In addition, social entrepreneurs are looking for ways to work more closely with governments. The Economist also cited that in the early days, the practice for would have been to back away from business and government for social entrepreneurs, but now, the practice is to leverage contacts with business and government. Expectations have been raised for social entrepreneurs are actively seeking partnerships with business and government.
The future for social entrepreneurs, Hartigan and Elkington go on to say, will be ever evolving and if all goes well, business and government will improve the world.
Noteworthy: Hartigan and Elkington base their book on the following quote by playwright George Bernard Shaw~
The reasonable man adapts himself to the world, the unreasonable one persists to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man.
The hottest trend for corporations is to become socially corporately responsible, which means corporations are creating innovative and more entrepreneurial in their approaches to affect change; social entrepreneurs. But for the most part social entrepreneurs have been known as the ones who do well by doing good, but in recent history they have become known as the ones who deliver on what they say they can deliver on. Which makes their expertise a hot commodity. The Economist article further points out that one of the reasons why social entrepreneurs now have this reputation, is due in part to the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to Muhammad Yunus, the founder of Grameen Bank a couple of years ago.
The article goes on to report that this past week, leading social entrepreneurs worldwide gathered near Zürich at a summit hosted by the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship. According to the Pamela Hartigan, who runs the foundation, these social entrepreneurs all a commonality, they are all unreasonable people. Hartigan along with John Elkington, the founder of Sustainability, a consultancy, have written a book on social entrepreneurs. The Power of Unreasonable People: How Social Entrepreneurs Create Markets and Change the World. The book outlines two key areas in the future of social entrepreneurship, one is that businesses should watch what and be ready to invest in social entrepreneurship. Social entrepreneurs know where profitable opportunities are and they usually are among the poor consumers. Social entrepreneurs according to the book also are likely to discover new industries. In addition, social entrepreneurs are looking for ways to work more closely with governments. The Economist also cited that in the early days, the practice for would have been to back away from business and government for social entrepreneurs, but now, the practice is to leverage contacts with business and government. Expectations have been raised for social entrepreneurs are actively seeking partnerships with business and government.
The future for social entrepreneurs, Hartigan and Elkington go on to say, will be ever evolving and if all goes well, business and government will improve the world.
Noteworthy: Hartigan and Elkington base their book on the following quote by playwright George Bernard Shaw~
The reasonable man adapts himself to the world, the unreasonable one persists to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man.
Comments