“One who undertakes” – this is the French origin for the word ‘entrepreneur’. In the world today, we certainly have many tasks to undertake. Even with our seemingly boundless prosperity, there are still large pockets of the world with ill healthcare, poor schools, or and widespread poverty. For years, foreign aid has been poured into these areas, but in many cases the effect has been negligible. In our time of abundance, the need for entrepreneurs is greater than ever.
Social entrepreneurship is a growing field that attempts to address social issues, not just with more money, but with smarter ideas. Some of these ideas have been revolutionary, such as the introduction of the microfinance institution by Muhammed Yunus 30 years ago, which started a new industry providing small loans to millions of the world’s poor to start businesses and pull themselves out of poverty. Others have been less visible, but no less revolutionary, such as D.light Design’s new solar lighting systems, which aims to bring millions out of darkness by providing a cheap, safe, and renewable alternative to kerosene lamps in the developing world.
Social entrepreneurs are individuals who don’t wait for public policy to provide change – rather, they use their creativity to spur it themselves. Some social entrepreneurs are now even using for-profit business models to fund their projects. Without needing to rely on outside aid, they are able to build sustainable projects that are socially as well as economically successful. Such projects encourage more resources to be directed towards these social issues.
In the end, social change will not be a product of any single policy or aid plan, but of the creative ingenuity of change-makers worldwide. These entrepreneurial endeavors and the people who spur them can take many forms, but they all start with the same thing: a problem, a person, an idea, and the courage to undertake.
Here are some great resources to learn more about social entrepreneurship:
Skoll Foundation: Youtube channel featuring their “Uncommon Heroes” series along with other learning material.
Ashoka Foundation: Various resources for social entrepreneurs.
Echoing Green: Features profiles of amazing social entrepreneurs on their home page.
