CORPORATE INNOVATION & ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND SUSTAINABILITY
What is Social Entrepreneurship?
A social enterprise is a for-profit business driven by a social or environmental purpose. Some companies include social and environmental responsibility in their brand and communications, but for social enterprises, it is their reason for being.
Like any enterprise, a social enterprise must still win in the marketplace, offer value that outcompetes alternatives, and effectively manage financial resources and operational realities from supply chain to marketing to managing employees.
The abundance of research and practice in social enterprise, such as that shared via the Stanford Social Innovation Review (SSIR) or showcased by organizations like Skoll Foundation, Ashoka or Acumen.
This means you must run a profitable enterprise and an impactful one.
Examples of social entrepreneurship successes
Trinity Oaks Winery is a social enterprise addressing the issue of deforestation in tropical areas of the world. The business researches where deforestation has created the biggest detrimental impacts on the community and has committed to planting one tree in these areas for every bottle of wine they sell.
Abahizi Rwanda is a luxury bag manufacturing business in Masoro, Rwanda that transforms the lives of females by employing women and offering them opportunities to better their situations. The business has created and funded numerous vocational training and empowerment programs that teach employees leadership skills, financial literacy, and English for business purposes. This has led to improvement in the local economy by equipping women to take leadership roles and aid those around them.
Stroopies, a bakery in Lancaster PA, is a social enterprise featured in Penn State startup week’s social entrepreneurship panel discussion in 2021. The bakery has committed to aiding a large influx of immigrating refugees in the community by employing them in their facilities. This offers refugees a meaningful employment while giving them a comfortable environment to acclimate to American culture and language.
Learn about more sustainability concepts within this major.
ADVANCE YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF CORPORATE INNOVATION & ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND SUSTAINABILITY
Learn what sustainable supply chain is all about and its importance
Learn the important things to know in this field
Learn how sustainability fits into your courses
Learn how sustainability relates to your career