My column this week at the Tennessean is about the growing trend of social entrepreneurs in our culture:
There is a new breed of entrepreneur in America. Rather than using entrepreneurship as a path to wealth, they are using it as a means to create positive social change.
They are known as social entrepreneurs — a trend that can encompass any organization, profit or nonprofit, that has a social mission.
Social entrepreneurs are increasingly approaching social change in a different way than we’ve seen in the past. Rather than rely on fundraising and grants from foundations to grow large nonprofits, these young social entrepreneurs attempt to blend free market capitalism with their favorite social causes.
You have accurately described my latest part time project to help homeowners reduce energy emissions. After reading this entry from my google reader, I had to post a comment confirming your statement. I think part of it stems from growing up post 60’s generation, where we are free to wear our hearts on our sleeves. My mother a hippy and my father a Republican, gave me fundamental “do the right thing” foundation coupled with a keen sense of business. “Good Business is Good Business” is the calling of social entrepreneurs, because it just feels right. It is challenge with a purpose, the true spirit of capitalism…