Time for the Tipping Point

“Do not pretend that things will change if we always do the same. The crisis is the best blessing that can happen to people and countries, because the crisis brings progress. Creativity is born from the distress, as the day is born from the dark night. It is in crisis that invention, discovery and large strategies are born. Who ever overcomes crisis, outdoes himself without being overcome (…) There’s no challenge without a crisis. Without challenges, life becomes a routine, a slow agony. There’s no merit without crisis. It’s in the crisis where we can show the very best in us. Without a crisis, any wind becomes a tender touch. To speak about a crisis is to promote it. Not to speak about it is to exalt conformism. Let us work hard instead. Let us stop, once and for all, the menacing crisis that represents the tragedy of not being willing to overcome it.”

Albert Einstein.

Was Einstein an entrepreneur?

Because by reading again his words I can say he is describing the sprit of social entrepreneurship, where a problem can be the inspiration for creating solutions with a positive social impact. As he says, times of crisis are opportunities more than obstacles in our way, is the right moment to use creativity and innovation to create change.

Einstein opens saying, “Do not pretend that things will change if we always do the same.” Perhaps some had heard him and have begun doing things differently. And although many more are not aware of the world conflict yet, social entrepreneurs, social intrapreneurs and sustainable companies are all around the world.

We are witnessing the business revolution and the two scenarios in which is preforming. For one side, companies have finally realized that they cannot grow in a world full of hunger, within an unequal society and a damage environment. Some of them are now aware of the benefits that bring to do sustainable business with a positive social, economical and environmental impact and where corporate responsibility strategies guidance all their actions. For the other side, we are seeing how idealists and innovators are considering the crisis and problems as the opportunity to create business that solves those social issues.

Therefore, maybe if they all -sustainable business, intrapreneurs and entrepreneurs- continue doing things in a different way, what Einstein was encouraging us to do, can actually materialize one day soon.

Hopefully, one can say that capitalism approach is changing. I want to be positive and think that values are again the base for all relations. Brands and companies are now developing their strategies, vision and actions based in their values; employees are being empower by their companies to do more than a task but also to innovate, give something to the community and share their knowledge for the social good; consumers are buying more than a product, they are relating with brands in which they trust and have respect because of how they are acting towards social and environmental issues.

Social media and new technologies had empowered consumers; nowadays they are the ones that drive the market and construct the dialogue. This can be also the opportunity to position social entrepreneurship initiatives and sustainable actions as big part of the solution for the global crisis. The collaboration era is about all getting together to change, empower and generate action and we have the influence of social media as a channel to achieve it.

Each day companies are more inclined towards developing business plans based in sustainable practices, more employees are willing to volunteer, more people is recycling, more bicycles are being used, but steel we live in a world ruled by inequality. However, I want to focus in the solution and be positive. I want to believe that together, social entrepreneurs, sustainable business, brands, society and governments, who are working for a meaningful social impact will reach soon the tipping point.

“The Tipping Point is that magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire”

Michael Gladwell

Comments Off on Time for the Tipping Point / 27 Mar 2014 por anamariarocha
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Against The Current

Crisis left us times of big challenges. As we already know, crisis means opportunity, time of change, new challenges. Global economy is recovering slowly, environmental awareness start coming up while years of deterioration, population is growing and governments struggle citizen needs.Nowadays, we run with the opportunity that we are more connected than ever, and that give us the advantage to share ideas and solutions to different challenges. And between all this messes, is where the social entrepreneur comes up. People that bring solution instead of problems, people who see a challenge when threats are seeking, people who create value instead following the crowd.

They want to built economy, create jobs and take risk. They help the community and make things together engaging the people. Social entrepreneur is interested in social needs and peace. An entrepreneur goes through start ups, manage and organize. Motivate people by practical commitment and responsibility. Commitment is part of the external calling which is very much irresistible for entrepreneurs than for the people. Social entrepreneur are the ones who brings social and environmental good. Demanding motivation and leadership, and leaderships should to be in every social entrepreneur. Some are beside making profit, and another are without making it.

Social entrepreneur are breed of leader. They adopt missions and create value from them. They engage with the process. Discover new opportunities to serve. They, adapt and learn from every mission. Develop the mission even no resources are available.

Still not convinced? Social entrepreneur provides a framework to business with the aim of helping others in the pursuit of their success. Social entrepreneurs are motivation for people, communities and over all, for young people, us, generation Y, because our skepticism with the traditional business work.

Comments Off on Against The Current / 27 Mar 2014 por sofiagarcia-carretero
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That “Monday Morning Feeling”

Thoughts on Social Entrepreneurship and happy Mondays

I think we all know this Monday morning feeling, where we just don’t want to get up but rather continue to stay in our warm bed, surrounded by comfort and dreams. Dreams about a world where we can follow our passion and do something meaningful instead of gaining the only joy in life from our monthly pay check and from planning our next vacation.

You want to stop dreaming and change something in your life? First of all, it is up to you what you are doing with your life. For many years, social entrepreneurs have decided to leave their routine in order to turn their real passion into business. Into social enterprises that are driven by a strong motivation, a passion to tackle a social issue, an idea that creates social value and a solution to a real need. A business that is visionary, replicable, aims to transform and is yet financially sustainable. Somewhere in the grey area between a private company and a NGO.

You think that this is not possible, that profit must be your only goal? Well, not with the right idea and the right people. Social entrepreneurs are the people behind these businesses, but there is no definition or one face for a social entrepreneur. Social entrepreneurs are as diverse as their ideas. They can be young or experienced, starting their day with an empty stomach or with their pockets full of money, from India, the US, China, Latin America or Europe. Everyone has the chance to become a social entrepreneur and the capacity to think big.

You think this is too risky, because a social entrepreneur is working alone on an idea, which is likely to fail? To be honest, becoming a social entrepreneurs implies some risks. Many ideas come to nothing or they face financial problems. But the great thing is, that social entrepreneurs are not alone. They help each other out, share their ideas and have many possibilities to gain support from various organisations, such as Ashoka or the Schwab Foundation.

All of this still sounds too risky for you and you want to stay in your company? Don’t worry, you don’t have to change your life completely, in order to make a change. So called INTRApreneurs are people who have identified a social issue that is linked to the company’s business model in which they are working in. INTRApreneurs create a win-win situation for the company and their project. Driven by their passion, they have managed to establish a social project that not only benefits from the resources of the company, but they also give something back: Social projects can be carried out as a way of gaining competitive advantage, while earning revenues.

As you can see, there are many questions about social entrepreneurship and a lot to think about. Why don’t we start thinking about our own passion and how we can turn it into something feasible, a social enterprise that pays our bills simultaneously tackles a social issue? Let’s think big in order to turn our dreams into reality and to start our Monday mornings with a smile.

Comments Off on That “Monday Morning Feeling” / 27 Mar 2014 por claravalentinakupper
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Business or Philanthropy?- Just Social Entrepreneurship!

Perseverance, Inspiration, Passion and Innovation are just some of the perfect characteristics of social entrepreneurs. Being a social entrepreneur is having the burning desire to have a positive impact in society. It is about having a vision in life and being willing to act. Failures are part of our lives. Nonetheless, the challenge is to overcome such failures without giving up. That is what social entrepreneurs do. They believe that if Plan A fails there are may other letters in the alphabet!

We, as individuals, always see the impossibility where there is potential. Only after one person achieves a goal which in the first run was seen as unattainable, we start considering its viability. We tend to wait for someone to take the first step. Social entrepreneurs do not wait, they just come out on to the field and play.

It is time for change. But this change starts in our minds and in our behavior. All of us have to be change in order to be able to see the world changing. So, let´s take the opportunity that we are being given to think about solutions to tackle today´s social problems.It is true that many agencies are already addressing and are in charge of the most vulnerable part of society. But we can not stand with our arms crossed. We have to act and we have the ability to do it.

Altruism is fantastic but we need to earn a living. Finance is not the prime objective but let´s be realistic. So, why not using businesses as a tool to have an indelible and enduring print in society?

Comments Off on Business or Philanthropy?- Just Social Entrepreneurship! / 27 Mar 2014 por inescamarero
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Time to change direction

Replicable individuals or clones could be the words that can define our character and our actions throughout the centuries. More and more individuals going in the same direction, working in the same type of business, with similar focus in their careers and taking steps towards one and unique desired outcome: Money.

source: billstation.com

But is it worth it?

Why not making our job part of our live? Developing a certain action that cannot just give us an economic output, but also something that can make us, and others “richer” than what we are. Challenging yourself, taking risks and seeking for your limits, as well having freedom in your decisions, and the right to decide which path you want to take.

We all have a passion inside us, maybe you have never thought deep on it, but we do. Have you ever though that this passion that you have can work towards a better society, satisfy a specific social need, or even affect positively a certain community? Maybe then you are a social entrepreneur without even being conscious of it. But now your probably asking yourselves: What is a social entrepreneur?

Social entrepreneur is someone who recognizes a certain problem or demand in society and decides to use the entrepreneurial spirit plus the social attitude to reach the change. It’s the fusion between business and doing good socially. It’s the future.

source: hksocialinventor.blogspot.com

Taking this role in society is today’s business, as the traditional business is becoming day after day completely obsolete. If you take a stop and have a small think, you can easily come to the conclusion that having a good product or service can’t be define as “good” product, if you don’t care about your customers or the way you produce the product (employees). A good product or services is also defined by its responsible actions. Society needs people compromised with the now, with the people, with reality. Customers demand more than a service or a good, they demand a reason, a passion and a solution.

It will be hard, probably harder than starting a new conventional business, but with some essential ingredients like an innovative idea, a bit of creativity and with a high social impact it will be worth it.

Why not trying to make things better than they are? Trying to change the direction of some fishes that go one way and make them start to search for other options. It’s the moment for the change, is the moment for earning more than material things, gaining personal satisfaction by giving something demanded and necessary to others as well as sharing a solution, looking at what you can reach with your hard work and with individual’s help, to get a closer look towards how a better world would look like.

Comments Off on Time to change direction / 27 Mar 2014 por mariagutierrez
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THE BLACK SHEEP

Many times we see people who think differently as “black sheep”. Someone who does not follow the rules, but do the same but otherwise is the “black sheep” of the group. But think carefully about something, being the black sheep could be a good thing?

Why these individuals do that? What drives them to take such decisions which affect actions? What makes them so different?

They are individuals who have born to make the change. They see a need and want to solve in a way that only they understand. They have such passion coursing through their veins that they spread it to many people and achieve to follow them. They come up with innovate solutions to society’s most pressing social problems and mark the start of that idea from dream to reality. They are not afraid to make decisions to follow their dream. They are fearless of leaving everything to fight for what they love. Those people are the social entrepreneurs.

“My dream is to find individuals who take financial resources and convert them into changing the world in the most positive ways.”

Jacqueline Novogratz, Founder of Acumen Fund.

They do not just sit there waiting for things to happen, they act. They realize that many before we live in a society with people who talk to people, people who laugh with people, people suffering with people, people who depend on people. They seek a new way to solve a social problem .They see opportunities in crisis. Solutions in problems.

They are driven by this passion for the impossible and love to the world.

What is it that they want to achieve? A better world for all of us.

Now I ask you a question, are social entrepreneurs important to society?

To answer that question I will leave you with a personal thinking : Without people behind the ideas, the ideas are nothing.

LET’S START MOVING FORWARD. FOLLOW THAT BLACK SHEEP.

Comments Off on THE BLACK SHEEP / 27 Mar 2014 por Gabriela Pella Fernández
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License to Operate: Do Good by Doing Well

I believe that a company is founded in order to serve a cause, fix a need, and make a contribution all the while churning a profit. A company is created in order to improve the welfare of humanity, be it the owners and their families, employees, or society in a broad context. The end game of an enterprise isn’t necessarily only to make a profit, but profit does make all of the ends and aims possible. A profitable enterprise can be an engine for technological growth, innovation, social improvement, employment, and more. I like how Peter Drucker outlines this concept by saying, “Profit for a company is like oxygen for a person. If you don’t have enough of it, you’re out of the game. But if you think your life is about breathing, you’re really missing something.” Clearly, there’s much more to business than inflating the bottom line.

So where do social enterprises come into play? How can larger companies with a more ‘traditional’ business model learn from the new guys on the block that are out to solve society’s major problems through enterprise?

It all starts with a world-class product or service. The big international players have things like Coca-Cola, or extravagant shoes, or fancy watches, or luxury cars. The movers and shakers in the world of ‘social enterprise’ find significant areas of need and manufacture solutions. They are effectively creating a world-class product because it’s exactly what fixes somebody’s inconvenience/discomfort/pain. But a social mission alone will not do the trick, and a company of any size cannot simply rely on a few words written on their website. There is a necessity to generate a significant customer base in order to have significant impact, which means selling something good. It would be a mistake to look at a social mission as something that changes the way a business functions – but that mission does make a business all the more legitimate.

In classes on the subject we talk about the transition of large companies into more socially aware entities. Corporate Social Responsibility branches have been developed within companies, and some are even taking steps in integrating this social awareness across all functions of business. Maybe the social enterprises have helped to pave a way for business model adaptation, and large ‘traditional’ companies see merit in the notion that ‘you do good by doing well.’ In my opinion, companies are slowly moving full circle into what their founders had traditionally created them for – aiming to create jobs, develop employees, provide a return to shareholders, and better serve the communities and environment in which they function.

The landscape of earth is ever changing, and the landscape of business fluctuates too. With communication capabilities and technologies where they are today, the landscape of business is most definitely different than it was 20 years ago. We need the social innovators to continue to innovate; we need to continue to set high goals for companies to meet societal needs; and we must strive to close the gap between social enterprise and ‘traditional’ business so that one day the license to operate depends on more than just NI and ROI, but RTS (return to society) too.

Comments Off on License to Operate: Do Good by Doing Well / 26 Mar 2014 por Jacob Jon Pallone
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Why do we need Social Innovation?

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Nowadays we are living in a world that chances rapidly. All of us are aware about how things has chance in terms of economy, environmental issues and sustainability. Specially since the financial crisis, people is trying to focus in another ways of thinking because the system has failed.

Within the financial crisis, a lot of important issues has come out due to the wrong behavior of companies, banks and governments. In my opinion, is a mistake of those of us who have made the actions and of those of us who have let another ones did those actions. In one way or another of all us are responsible of these situation and now is the time to act. Every crisis is also a big chance for those who are prepare to evolve. And here is where Social Innovation comes out…

When writing in Chinese, the word ‘crisis’ is composed of two characters. One represents danger and the other one represents opportunity.

John F. Kennedy

According Social Innovator Exchange, Social Innovation is just the development and implementation of new ideas to meet social needs. As I said before, we are facing a world where injustice is present everyday and unfair situations are appearing everywhere. But now, we are more conscious than ever and have more tools than ever, so battle this issues must be our next goal. In addition, we could make profits while we are helping each other. This is the new way of thinking.

The are some aspects that explain why this Social Revolution is more necessary than ever. These major opportunities are:

Technology: Every day new products are appearing trying to improve our quality of life or health. However, the other part of the world is continuing in poverty situation. Poverty and hunger are to main areas we need to focus on.
Developing Countries: These are China and India for instance. They will have a lot of responsibility in the future decisions and they are bringing new resources and perspectives to social innovation.
Community Collaborations: Now innovation need to move together and join forces for different sectors for get solutions together, not separately.
Knowledge Sharing: Thanks to internet and social tools information can fly everywhere. Social Innovation needs to take advantage of that for evaluating and measuring the results of the projects.

That old paradigm of government aid is inadequate. What we need instead are creative and innovative solutions for fostering sustainable growth, securing jobs, and increasing competitive abilities.

Kevin Chika Urama & Ernest Nti Acheampong (2013)

To sump up, many of the social challenges that the world is facing nowadays require radical innovation applying current technologies in the correct way, using networking to build human and social capital and creative fields. Critical thinking is growing step by step and people is using their own methods to create great solutions. That´s why we need to work together to use this powerful tool and react NOW.

The ability to innovate is only as good as how one can accept changes and take risks.

Franco Paolo Liu Eisma

References

Davis, S. (2013) “Social Innovation: A matter os scale” McKinsey on Society, Social Innovation.
Social Innovator, Social Innovation Exchange.
Casebourne, J. (2013) “Why do we need Innovation to get Young people into Work?”, Philadelphia Social Innovations Journal.
Chika, K. & Nti E. (2013) “Social Innovation creates Prosperous Societies” Economic Development, Stanford Social Innovation Review.

Comments Off on Why do we need Social Innovation? / 26 Mar 2014 por guillermojoselatorre
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When Social Meets Business

Before the social enterprise concept even came to life, the limit between the profit and non-profit world has never been so clear.

Social issues were addressed within the context of a non-profit organization through fundraising and humanitarian aid, whilst business was focused on profit and market share increase.

The possibility of bringing these two worlds together by introducing the human within the business and financial independency within the organization seemed to be a challenge especially when these entities were already in place and functioning.

Hence, the social enterprise was created to reconcile the business sense of a company with the social cause of an organization, within one entity.

And what globalization has introduced implicitly, is the opportunity to combine and merge different concepts and principles, that even though different from the outside, will eventually lead to innovation.

Caught between social engagement and profit, is social entrepreneurship in an identity crisis or is it an innovative concept?

For a traditional enterprise success is linked to the amount of profit that has been made, whereas for a social enterprise measuring the efficiency of the project is directly linked to the social aspect. Considering that the social or in other words the targeted community is the reflection of the success or failure of a social enterprise.

The challenge is to maintain the balance between the social purpose and the financial sustainability to keep on feeding the enterprise.

Furthermore one of the pros of social change is its contagious ability; by bringing more people on board, the replicability of the project becomes a natural answer rather than a pure financial study only focused on numbers and profit.

The passion and motivation of the social entrepreneur is significant to the sustainability equation. Whereas the selection of a meaningful career is crucial when it comes to the determination of the entrepreneur.

Being part of the social change circle, gives a personal satisfaction that leaves the social entrepreneur wanting more and working harder in order to enlarge his scope of social impact.

Whether a person is a social entrepreneur or an intrapreneur within his company, change is the main and final destination, however the road to take in order to get there is totally up to them.

We live in a time of crisis where social, environmental and economic problems are becoming part of our daily lives. Tackling these social issues leaves a lot of room for creativity and innovation.

A difference in perception is clearly what distinguishes a social entrepreneur from a business entrepreneur. Whereas by looking at the same problem, some people have the ability to see it as an opportunity for change rather than an issue to be solved by keeping it as such.

Empowerment is key when talking about social entrepreneurship, by breaking the vicious cycle of dependency that charity has created, people become more self-reliant, and in power of their own destiny.

Becoming an agent of change is a responsibility within itself, but once success comes along motivation and determination become the sustainability drivers of the social enterprise.

According to Sharad Vivek Sagar: “If money could have changed the world, money would have changed the world”.

Comments Off on When Social Meets Business / 24 Mar 2014 por rimaelkhoury
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A Salute to Social INTRApreneurs

Once, having accepted a position at one of the Big Four accounting firms, I was confronted with a great deal of criticism and taunts that I had become a ‘corporate sell-out’. Those who appreciated my passion for social progress, could not possibly understand my desire to work in a large corporation. This sprung from the outdated belief that companies have no interest and no role in social change. However, recently it has become clear that some firms do hold a recipe for this, and within it, one key ingredient: a social intrapreneur.

Social intrapreneurs are those who use their entrepreneurial spirit to reinvent their company’s business model and create a lasting social impact. Their innate value is not their need for a meaningful profession, but their willingness to add meaning to their existing job. So many of us spend our lives searching for companies that reflect our values, whereas we should actually be revolutionising the ones we already work in. Naturally, this entails us finding the economic value of a social project, but also means that a huge array of resources are available to us. Though social intrapreneurs do not have the independence of self-starters, they are already surrounded by specialists in their field and can increase the scale of a project through their company’s network.

Given the growing importance of stakeholders in corporate strategies, social projects are likelier to receive more support than opposition. Companies have begun realising that their success depends on their social impact, as illustrated by Samuel Palmisano (previous Chairman of IBM) asking “why would society allow us to operate?”[1] Though some companies have attempted to fill this requirement through philanthropic donations or small community activities, larger opportunities lie in social intrapreneurial projects. Rather than simply writing a cheque, or giving employees the day off to volunteer at a shelter, companies can use the innate skills of their workforce to create value, both for society and the corporation.

Companies with a competitive advantage in a given field simply have to identify gaps in society where their services or products could solve a major issue. This is well illustrated by the current transformation being led by Graham Simpson at GlaxoSmithKline, a company specialised in healthcare products.

Having identified the need for quicker diagnostics in Kenya, Simpson advocated for the creation of specialised kits which could be used with little professional knowledge[2]. In this manner, Simpson is effectively using the resources of his company to create deeper value for society.

This is all anyone with a social mind-set should be attempting to do within large corporations. Rather than daydreaming of quitting our jobs and finding a company with a deeper concern for society, we simply have to create the meaning we seek.