Social entrepreneurship is attracting growing amounts of talent, money, and attention, but along with its increasing popularity has come less certainty about what exactly a social entrepreneur is and does.
In the world of social enterprise, why do some ideas survive and others die? Stanford Graduate School of Business Professor Chip Heath reveals the secret in this audio lecture. He provides frameworks and advice to help social innovators launch their endeavors.
Can businesses deliver strong returns to shareholders while also promoting the health of people and the planet? In this audio lecture recorded at Bridging the Gap, the 2005 Stanford Net Impact conference, Gary Hirshberg, the phenomenally successful pioneer of the organic foods industry, utters a resounding yes.
Have you ever thought about launching your own social venture? Are you curious if you have what it takes to become a social entrepreneur? What funding sources are available to you? What are the challenges of running a social venture? This panel discussion brings together people from both sides of the "start-up" fence—those who started with large financial backing and those who had none.
The most successful nonprofits pay close heed to their markets.
Oil dependence is an unnecessary problem, argues Amory Lovins, an internationally recognized expert in energy policy. In this audio lecture, Lovins demonstrates how, by the mid 2040s, the United States could reduce its need for oil completely and strengthen its economy in the process. Addressing the 2005 Stanford Net Impact conference audience, he talks about the fundamental shifts that the American society needs to undergo to make this scenario a reality.
Can business add value to the education field? Pioneers and market leaders who have built successful businesses around the many unmet needs in education talk about the business opportunities in education today in this panel discussion from Bridging the Gap, the Stanford 2005 Net Impact conference organized by the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
When approaching funders and volunteers you must "come from a space of opportunity and not from a space of need," argues Pamela Hawley at the 2007 Nonprofit Boot Camp. In this audio lecture, drawing from her experience with UniversalGiving and VolunteerMatch, Hawley describes what it takes to create a successful social entrepreneurship organization.
Alice Tepper Marlin created some of the most innovative models for corporate social responsibility. Her energetic work over decades has helped provide concrete research and practical methods for bringing companies, investors, consumers, and workers together to address issues of environmental and economic justice worldwide. In this audio lecture, Tepper Marlin traces her own history from her early days on Wall Street to her ongoing work in the not-for-profit sector, providing blueprints for social entrepreneurs.
An entrepreneur combines the vision to see the next thing over the horizon with the restless energy and problem-solving skills needed to set that change in motion. These qualities are shared by business and social entrepreneurs alike, representing a positive force that can help address the world's toughest problems. In this audio lecture, Bill Drayton takes a thoughtful look at Ashoka's mission and highlights its programs designed to nurture the current and future generations of talented entrepreneurs making a difference all over the world.
