What is a social entrepreneur?

I've been having a lot of conversations lately about social entrepreneurship (not least because I've been talking to a lot of social entrepreneurs). I'm really psyched about the positive potential as more and more people explore the possibilities i n that arena.

While the idea has gotten a lot of play in the media of late, I've also found that there is no single tidy definition of it. With that in mind, it was interesting to find this collection of social entreneur definitions over on PBS' Enterprising Ideas site. They give their own definition first:

A social entrepreneur, in our view, is a person or entity that takes a business approach to effectively solving a social problem.

They then go on to offer definitions from a variety of organizations:

Social entrepreneurs...

Are individuals with innovative solutions to society's most pressing social problems.
Ashoka

Act as the change agents for society, seizing opportunities others miss in order to improve systems, invent and disseminate new approaches and advance sustainable solutions that create social value.
  PBS "New Heroes" Program

Are driven by a social mission and a desire to find innovative ways to solve social problems that have been neglected by either the market or the public sector.
  Kauffman Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership

Are pioneers of innovation that benefit humanity.
  The Skoll Foundation

Use the disciplines of the corporate world to tackle daunting social problems.
  Fast Company

Recognize a social problem and uses entrepreneurial principles to organize, create, and manage a venture to make social change.
  Wikipedia

Social entrepreneurship is...

The art of "simultaneously pursuing both a financial and a social return on investment (the double bottom line)."
Institute for Social Entrepreneurs

--

Curt Rosengren, Passion Catalyst ^TM

 

Comments

[Barbara Ruth Saunders]

Thanks for all of these definitions. It made me think about my own orientation. I have found it hard to put together a career approach because I have a traditional nonprofit background combined with intolerance for their failure to use corporate disciplines (i.e., modern management methodologies) and the desire to cast an evolving, "outside-the-system" work role for myself!

[Curt Rosengren]

You're welcome, Barbara. Glad it sparked some reflection. Sounds like the social entrepreneurial world might be just the thing for you!