5 Things Every Social Entrepreneur Should Know Before Hitting the Launch Button

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5 Things Every Social Entrepreneur

Should Know Before Hitting the Launch
Button
by 3p Conferences on Monday, Aug 4th, 2014

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5 Things Every Social Entrepreneur Should Know Before Hitting the Launch Button

Lauren Walters of Two

Degrees Food doing his best
to help undernourished
children.

By Julian Fishman
I had the pleasure of hearing some of the Bay Areas most innovative social
entrepreneurs share their stories and peer into the future at the recent Idea People:
Thinking for Good event held at the SFJazz Center in San Francisco.
The event was curated by Five Thot, a forward thinking design and event organization
that encourages people to imagine the world as it could be, rather than as it is today. As a
shout-out to Five Thot, here are five themes that will help big thinkers and dreamers get
their ideas off the ground:

1. Problem + Passion = Opportunity

The vast majority of the entrepreneurs on show took an unconventional path to arrive at
the helm of their social enterprise. IndoSoles founder, Kyle Parsons, spent his teens
working in a recycling center with the occasional surfing trip to Bali. Kivas founder Matt
Flannery was inspired by Mohamed Yunus to search for a more impactful job and found
himself giving up the corporate world for microfinance in Uganda. Lauren Walters
(pictured), founder of 2 Degrees Food, witnessed first-hand the extreme malnourishment
of Rwandan children at a time when Toms Shoes one for one business model was
starting to gain traction.
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5 Things Every Social Entrepreneur Should Know Before Hitting the Launch Button

While the paths these entrepreneurs traveled are seemingly incongruous, they all got to
where they are today by feeling a deep connection to a problem that provided the courage
to find solutions to the seemingly insoluble. Ideas at the confluence of problem and
passion provide fertile ground for making an impact.

2. Bring it to the masses

Kornbluths award winning

documentary Inequality for All

In the words of Ideo.orgs Patrice Martin, good design starts with the human element first.
While everyone enjoys the safety of preaching to the converted, the most meaningful
impact can be achieved by generating interest in demographics not typically concerned
with the issue at heart. This perspective was echoed by award-winning film maker Jacob
Kornbluth whose movie Inequality For All (pictured) was crafted to resonate with people
who do not necessarily feel passionate about income inequality like he does.
Its important to understand that serious problems dont necessarily require serious
solutions. Who would have thought that the creation of cartoon characters and nail salons
in Africa could be the vehicle to educate young African women about the importance of
safe sex? By meeting people where they are, you will exponentially enhance your
chances of making the desired impact that brought you into the world of social enterprise.

3. Resilience
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5 Things Every Social Entrepreneur Should Know Before Hitting the Launch Button

Solving complex problems is not for the faint hearted and requires a thick skin to
surmount the obstacles that are put in your path. As many social entrepreneurs are
pushing boundaries and taking the road less travelled (or not travelled at all), a strong will
to succeed is imperative. As Robyn Goldberg, CEO of the Minerva Institute highlighted,
the challenge of building a radically different educational curriculum from scratch fills her
with doubt on a frequent basis. It is critical to positively channel this fear of failure to allow
the realization of big and bold dreams.

4. Partner with like-minded people

Without each other, Back to the

Roots would never have got off
the ground.

Closely related to resilience, is the need to partner with like-minded people and
organizations. Greatness does not happen in a vacuum and partnerships are a creative
way to build scale, support and credibility for an idea. IndoSole moved from a figment of
Parsons imagination into a serious business idea when he partnered with an Indonesian
manufacturer that provided the technical manufacturing competence to transform old tires
into dope kicks. Similarly, Back to the Roots was founded by two grads from UC
Berkeley, Nikhil Arora and Alejandro Velez (pictured), who were united in their curiosity
that spent coffee grounds could be used to grow edible mushrooms. While both were
destined for the corporate world post-graduation, the strength and enthusiasm they found
in each other was instrumental in their transformation from would-be investment bankers
to urban farmers. Partnering with like-minded people creates power in numbers that
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5 Things Every Social Entrepreneur Should Know Before Hitting the Launch Button

provides the fortitude necessary to tackle the impossible.

5. Emotional dividends
While most social enterprises hope to make money with their ventures, there is clearly a
higher cause in focus. It was impressive to hear the myriad of a ha moments that drove
these entrepreneurs to dream big. Kivas founder Matt Flannery could not have imagined
that funding a freezer out of his own pocket to help a Ugandan entrepreneur could have
provided such emotional warmth. Somas founder Mike Del Ponte knew he had found his
calling when he saw the expression on a 76 year old Ethiopian mans face as he drank
clean water for the very first time in his life. Products and services that generate emotional
dividends and deeper connections provide the authenticity to tell your story in a manner
that compels people to join you for the ride.
Do you think you have what it takes to build an impactful social enterprise? Hopefully
these tips will put you in good stead to go out into the world and make an impact. Dream
big, make connections and tell your story. Go on!

We maintain a strong staff of reporters and guest authors in various locations with
an interest in your subject matter. Get in touch with us if you would like to have
one of our writers present at your event to cover it and write up big picture ideas
that transpire or interview conference speakers and attendees on the air. If we dont
have a contributor in your area were happy to work with someone you know.
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ONE RESPONSE
Dan Dupree August 5, 2014 at 4:05 pm
Nice recap!

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5 Things Every Social Entrepreneur Should Know Before Hitting the Launch Button

Comments are closed.

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