Category Archives: Complexity

Target Hybrid Social Enterprise Business Models

Posted on October 1, 2016 by

  Jyoti Sharma has written a thought-provoking blog in The Stanford Social Innovation Review entitled, “A Neoliberal Takeover of Social Entrepreneurship?“.  Although I take issue with the the focus on neoliberalism as a destructive force, I agree with the importance of hybrid … Continue reading →

Posted in Business Model, Challenge, Complexity, risk, social enterprise, Social Entrepreneur, social entrepreneurs, social impact, Social Venture | Leave a comment

The Fog of Ignorance

Posted on June 12, 2016 by

On looming source of risk for an early-stage social entrepreneur is not knowing what you don’t know:the fog of ignorance.  If you’re entering a new industry your area of ignorance is huge; the problem is that you don’t know it until … Continue reading →

Posted in Complexity, failure, Resources, risk, social enterprise, Social Entrepreneur, Social Venture, Startup, Start-Up | Tagged , | Leave a comment

The Power of Community

Posted on May 22, 2016 by

Your isolation as an entrepreneur is a danger to your mental health and to the success of your venture.  This is especially so if you’re a lone entrepreneur without a team around you.  I’ve been there.  You stand, staring out into … Continue reading →

Posted in Challenge, Community, Complexity, Resources, risk, social enterprise, Social Entrepreneur, Social Venture, Social Venture Pipeline, Startup, Start-Up, ventureLAB | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

At a Crossroads

Posted on April 2, 2016 by

While mentoring an early stage social venture today, I was reminded that it’s so easy to get lost in the weeds while developing your business and impact models.   You are always at a crossroad where there are so many variables to … Continue reading →

Posted in Business Model, Challenge, Complexity, Social Entrepreneur, Social Mission, Startup, Start-Up, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Recipe for Impact

Posted on March 24, 2016 by

  At ventureLAB we are meeting increasing numbers of social ventures that are focused on issues related to food.  In fact, we seem to be creating a cluster, a community. These entrepreneurs are creating new business models that have the potential … Continue reading →

Posted in Complexity, Food Entrepreneur, Funding, Innovation, Social Entrepreneur, Social Mission, Uncategorized, ventureLAB | Leave a comment

Tackling Complexity

Posted on February 15, 2015 by

The Challenge of Complexity I am facing the challenge of complexity in helping to build an initiative  in York Region (a region of nine municiaplities with over 1 million residents north of Toronto) called communityBUILD.   Our social mission is to … Continue reading →

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