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Category Archives: Social Entrepreneur
Target Hybrid Social Enterprise Business Models
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
The Chimera of Impact Investing
Much has been written about the growing size and influence of impact investing for social enterprises. I don’t disagree with the data or the pundits but is there too much marketing hype? Will the good news ultimately blind the social finance movement … Continue reading
Is Social Entrepreneurship a Distraction?
A leader in the social enterprise field, Pamela Hartigan, has written a compelling blog entitled, “Why Social Entrepreneurship has become a distraction: it’s mainstream capitalism that needs change”. It is a clarion call. See what you think.
Stakeholders Need Your Attention
I have often worked with social entrepreneurs on the Business Model Canvas. The two blocks we always start with are the Customer Segments and Value Proposition because they form the heart of your business model. All other blocks exist … Continue reading
The Fog of Ignorance
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 Social Entrepreneur, Resources, Complexity, Startup, Start-Up, failure, risk, Social Venture, social enterprise
Tagged advisory boards, startups
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Business Model Trumps Product
I’ve just finished two days of mentoring eight ventures, most social-mission driven, as part of my work as a facilitator for the LaunchYU Accelerator at York University. communityBUILD, the social enterprise initiative of ventureLAB and its three partners, has five social … Continue reading
The Power of Community
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 Community, entrepreneur, Help, social enterprise, social entrepreneur, social ventures, Support Services, ventureLAB
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Toward More Effective Impact Measurement
At the risk of sounding like a nerd, I found myself taken this weekend by an article in Stanford Social Innovation Review on impact measurement. It is entitled, “The Next Frontier in Social Impact Measurement Isn’t Measurement at All”. The authors, … Continue reading
At a Crossroads
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
The Risk of Isolation
As a mentor, I occasionally meet entrepreneurs with whom it is difficult to have a conversation about their venture because they don’t want to share their idea. They’re afraid someone will steal it once it’s revealed. I can understand the … Continue reading
