The Social Entrepreneurship Diaries Andreia Barbosa, SE.lab, EMES Research Network and Impact Hub Amsterdam

Helping to build a more inclusive society is something that all third sector organizations aim at. Inclusion is a complex notion, but one thing is very clear: employment is a key ingredient. There is a kind of organization that springs from this very idea: the WISE (Work Integration Social Enterprise). Providing disadvantaged populations with work opportunities is the mission of WISEs. They come in all shapes and sizes across Europe, reflecting each country’s culture, history and politics. What can be learned from this variety of European experiments?

Social Entrepreneurship is about achieving social goals, often with innovative means. The identity of social enterprises and third sector organizations springs from what they do. But what about who they are? How do they look like from the inside? In this episode, we explore different approaches to governance, questioning how true democracy can be achieved inside organizations and on a broader level.

In the social entrepreneurship sphere, everybody talks about community building and community empowerment. But what exactly is community and what makes it so desirable? Digital technologies have shattered the concept of community and are building it up again in all kinds of shapes. In this episode, we explore how community is being reinvented and how it can engender political and economic justice.

All social entrepreneurs struggle with the same issue: how do I pay for my project’s wings? There are enormous amounts of wealth out there – an ocean of money, as Prof. Mohammed Yunus puts it – but how can it be captured into the production of social good? In this episode, a social entrepreneur, a … Continue reading Ep. 04 – Financial Means for Social Ends →

We all know that good intentions are not enough. A sexy idea that makes a lot of buzz and attracts all kinds of support is no guarantee for real sustainable change. So how can organizations ensure that they really are achieving their mission? Are they humble enough, and ambitious enough, to adjust their trajectory if needed? There are methodologies and tools that can help organizations to deal with these issues. Social Impact Measurement is a rapidly growing field, and the mission of this episode is to explore it. The subject can become a bit technical – beware – but it dives deep in the soul of social entrepreneurship.

All social entrepreneurship projects share one underlying characteristic: hybridity. Pursuing social goals with business means in order to maximize impact and sustainability, or doing business in a socially responsible manner in order to increase the reputation of a company and engage talented employees, there are different mixes and combinations along what is sometimes called the hybrid spectrum. This episode examines a few hybrid organizations and strategies, looking at the opportunities, and dangers, of “the hybrid spirit”.