Entrepreneurs used to be those who had an idea started a company and made money. They wrote a business plan, circulated the document to a bank, and worked tirelessly to scale their company and drive profits for themselves and their investors.
Social entrepreneurship has been in constant evolution since it first appeared in the 1990s. As for today, it is seen as doing business for a social cause by putting the general interest of society on top of economic performance. In this way, in social entrepreneurship, profit is no longer the ultimate goal of business but a means to achieve broader goals connected to improving society and the environment.
Most often formed as social purpose corporations, low profit limited liability companies, cooperatives, or benefits corporations, all these legal types of businesses are the privileged actors of the social and solidarity economy. By nature, social enterprises are managed following the principles of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and Sustainable Development.
The people running these social businesses are called social entrepreneurs.
HOW CAN STUDENTS DO SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP?
- Integrate Social Entrepreneurship Into Your Curriculum
- Connect Students to Powerful Role Models for Change
- Foster Student Generosity
- Encourage Students to Tell Their Story to a Wider Audience
Famous young people’s social entrepreneurship ventures and about themselves-
- Sharad Vivek Sagar- Born and bought up in Patna, Bihar, this 26-year-old social entrepreneur is on a mission of connecting children from the remotest area with best opportunities. Sharad believes that the next generation of leaders is sitting in the classrooms right now, and if provided with the right opportunity, can change the whole world. With this vision, he founded Dexterity Global at the age of 16 and has provided opportunities to more than 1.2 million students. Sharad is one of the few Indians to be enlisted in the Forbes 30 under 30 list and also one of few to reject a masters degree from Harvard University. What’s more, he has also been invited by the former U.S President Barack Obama to the white house for an inaugural ceremony. To keep adding to his achievements, the Rockefeller Foundation also inducted him in the list of 100 next century innovators.
- Agnishwar Jayaprakash- inspired by the former president Dr A.P.J Abdul Kalam to empower the youth of this nation, Agnishwar founded Ignite-India, a nationwide platform for students to promote innovation and entrepreneurship in high schools and colleges. Ignite India connected with over 7000 schools across the country and has been recognized as one of the best socioeconomic educational movement there is by the United Nations. Agnishwar is also a UN youth Ambassador who visions in empowering the students of the country with the 17 SDGs set by the United Nations.
- Aarushi Batra- As the name suggests, this volunteer-based organization aims at providing surplus food to the less fortunate. The volunteers of this organization collect food from restaurants and weddings, pack it with proper hygiene and distribute it among the poor. Robin Hood Army is spread over 60 cities and provided food to over 5 million people worldwide. Aarushi Batra along with her 14000 robins are constantly setting new benchmarks and do not believe in dwelling on their past success.
