Unreasonable Entrepreneurs

culled from:enterpreneur.com

We call them the new heroes, agents of change, philanthropists, or simply unreasonable. John Elkington, world authority on corporate responsibility and sustainable development, calls him just that in his book The Power of Unreasonable People: How Social Entrepreneurs Create Markets That Change the World. One way or another, social entrepreneurs are here to leave a deeply engrained footprint.

Recognized as eager, restless individuals, proactive and innovative, social entrepreneurs don’t leave the problem-solving to governments or the business sector and take matters into their own hands to solve complicated problems impacting communities.

But what makes for the sudden explosion of this type of entrepreneur? Before did they not exist? In the history of humanity there have always been people interested in the common good, but in the past decades thanks to the presence of the Internet, new technologies and media that allow needs and ideas to spread from all over the world and, fortunately, the ideas that intend to resolve them, socially motivated entrepreneurs have found an essential niche.

“The reasonable man adapts himself to the world, the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man". George Bernard Shaw

Actually, for the first time since its creation, Forbes magazine decided to launch in November of last year the first ranking of the 30 social entrepreneurs with the highest impact in the world. Forbes decided to expand the definition of what it means to be a social entrepreneur. No longer is it limited to those who work in non-profit organization, but also those that use businesses, products and services as a way to solve social problems.

From portable lamps that use solar energy, to combatting the injustices of the American education system, Forbes list includes a diverse list of projects all with consideration to improving the common social good.

One of the entrepreneurs chosen by Forbes is Lisa Rottenberg, co-founder of Endeavor, a network that is turning Latin America into a key area for entrepreneurs, and that since 1997 has nurtured high-impact entrepreneurs, connecting them to international mentors and strategic local business leaders. In the last decade, Endeavor has expanded outside of Latin America.

Teach for America, an organization that recruits the most talented university graduates to teach in low-income communities for two years, is another great example. Discover the story of Teach for America from its founder, Wendy Kopp, in the following exclusive WOBi video.

Another case of a social entrepreneur worth getting to know is Rupert Scofield, President and CEO of The Foundation for International Community Assistance, a financial service organization that responds to the needs of over 750 million people in some of the most poverty-stricken areas of the world through microcredits. Along with Grameen Bank, Scofield’s institution is considered one of the most influential microcredit institutions in the world. The case of Grameen Bank is of course emblematic, given that its founder Muhammad Yunus won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006.

But for entrepreneurs to successfully carry forward their projects it is essential to have the knowledge and tools necessary that allow them to spread their message and put into practice their plans, making training and formation key.

Organizations such as Bid Network prepare entrepreneurs in emerging markets to gain investment, offering access to mentors and financial aid; while the initiative of The Green Pitch hold an event where the most impactful social projects in Latin America can present themselves in front of renowned angel investors and institutions.

What does the future of social entrepreneurship bring? Without a doubt, a lot of work and challenges. As such, the social entrepreneur network Ashoka asks of the following protagonists all over the world how the world will be in 2020, and what they are doing to move us in that direction. Discover their answers here.

Would you get involved, or have you ever been involved in a social initiative?