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The beginning | What drives us | About our founder | Acknowledgments | Contact us |
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What is a social entrepreneur? The rise in social entrepreneurial activities has been well documented in recent years, most notably in David Bornstein’s 2004 book How to Change the World. There are many descriptions of a successful social entrepreneur. Here are a few:
The most powerful force for change in the world is a new idea in the hands of a leading social entrepreneur. “The job of a social entrepreneur is to recognize when a part of society is stuck and to provide new ways to get it unstuck. He or she finds what is not working and solves the problem by changing the system, spreading the solution and persuading entire societies to take new leaps. Social entrepreneurs are not content just to give a fish or teach how to fish. They will not rest until they have revolutionized the fishing industry. “Identifying and solving large-scale social problems requires a social entrepreneur because only the entrepreneur has the committed vision and inexhaustible determination to persist until they have transformed an entire system… Social entrepreneurs go beyond the immediate problem to fundamentally change communities, societies, the world.”
A social entrepreneur is a different kind of social leader who: • Identifies and applies practical solutions to social problems by combining innovation, resourcefulness and opportunity. • Innovates by finding a new product, a new service, or a new approach to a social problem • Focuses first and foremost on social value creation and in that spirit, is willing to share openly the innovations and insights of the initiative with a view to its wider replication • Doesn't wait to secure the resources before undertaking the catalytic innovation • Is fully accountable to the constituencies s/he serves • Resists being trapped by the constraints of ideology or discipline • Continuously refines and adapts approach in response to feedback • Has a vision, but also a well-thought
out roadmap as to how to attain the goal Author David Bornstein’s views on social entrepreneurs “What business entrepreneurs are to the economy, social entrepreneurs are to social change. They are the driven, creative individuals who question the status quo, exploit new opportunities, refuse to give up -- and remake the world for the better.” Mr. Bornstein interviewed more than 100 social entrepreneurs and concluded that: “The most successful… were the ones most determined to achieve a long-term goal that was deeply meaningful to them. Accordingly, they tended to be more systematic in the way they searched for opportunities, anticipated obstacles, monitored results, and planned ahead. They were more concerned with quality and efficiency and more committed to the people they employed and engaged with in business or as partners. Finally, they valued long-term considerations over short term gain.” (source: www.changemakers.net , excerpts from Mr. Bornstein’s “How to Change the World – Social Entrepreneurs and the Power of New Ideas” published in 2004 by Oxford University Press and available through www.amazon.com
• An unending dissatisfaction with the status quo. • An unwavering belief in the innate capacity of all people to contribute meaningfully to economic and social development. • A driving passion to implement their idea, be it in the form of a new invention, a different approach, a more rigorous application of known technologies or a combination of all three. • A healthy self-confidence… willing to be lonely, to make tough decisions and have the buck stop with you. • The discipline to plan and execute the plan. • A healthy sense of impatience….a social change agent who makes things happen. • Concern for detail. • Sound knowledge of your constituency base, the issues and similar organizations that are focused on these same issues. • Sound knowledge of the financial dynamics of their organization • A healthy understanding of risk. • Understands that talent and adrenaline should run deep through your organization and that talent isn’t concentrated at the top. • Passionate work ethic. • Cultivates an environment where team can enjoy the natural highs that come from achieving milestones along the way • Fire in their belly. True entrepreneurs have such a strong achievement orientation that winning the battle becomes a compulsive need.
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