Social Entrepreneurship attempts to transcend the oftentimes shallow goal of turning a profit by holding at an equally high standard the values of beneficial social impact and environmental responsibility. The general terminology for this sort of value system is the Triple Bottom-Line, with the bottom-lines being profit, people, and environment. To some, this seems like a more civically minded form of capitalism, and to others it might be considered a new way to sustain the good work that nonprofits engage in without having to rely on the perpetual financial patronage of donors. Patronage instead comes from consumers who desire to buy the commodity or service offered by the “social business” and, as an added bonus, may even support the business because of its commitment to good work in the community.
What I think has become of a hallmark of good social business is the commitment to being local — local in impact, local in patronage, and local in its employees and founders. The problem of “parachuting in” plagues nonprofits whose reach extends beyond that of a community, like a city or town. Without local knowledge or understanding the deep-rooted histories that have created problems of systemic poverty or injustice, large non-profits run the risk of throwing money aimlessly toward unsuccessful solutions or, even worse, furthering the harm already being done to the community in need. Social businesses place themselves, physically, in the midst of a neighborhood or a community. Their physical address, their employees, and oftentimes their homes exist within the area they hope to serve.
Detroit, increasingly, is becoming the home to an eclectic bunch of social businesses whose innovative solutions to social and environmental injustices are giving a new hue of hope to a city in need. Just the fact that a business can survive starts a new chapter in Detroit’s narrative.
What I think has become of a hallmark of good social business is the commitment to being local — local in impact, local in patronage, and local in its employees and founders. The problem of “parachuting in” plagues nonprofits whose reach extends beyond that of a community, like a city or town. Without local knowledge or understanding the deep-rooted histories that have created problems of systemic poverty or injustice, large non-profits run the risk of throwing money aimlessly toward unsuccessful solutions or, even worse, furthering the harm already being done to the community in need. Social businesses place themselves, physically, in the midst of a neighborhood or a community. Their physical address, their employees, and oftentimes their homes exist within the area they hope to serve.
Detroit, increasingly, is becoming the home to an eclectic bunch of social businesses whose innovative solutions to social and environmental injustices are giving a new hue of hope to a city in need. Just the fact that a business can survive starts a new chapter in Detroit’s narrative.
Angela (my coworker/fellow Duke Engager) and I work in a co-working space called the Green Garage (GG). Our internship is through the Detroit Food Academy, one of 53 "businesses-in-residence" at the GG!
I wrote a little bit about it in my last blog, but I have fallen in love with the Green Garage (GG). The GG is a for-profit business that, as co-founder Peggy stated during our tour, “is making a profit”. After a couple of years spent in deep reflection on how they could create an environmentally conscious and social beneficial office space, Peggy and her husband began drafting the blueprints for the Green Garage. When renovating the warehouse-soon-to-be-coworking-space, 75% of their building materials were either reused from the original warehouse or repurposed from other venues (like a fallen ash forest, or an abandoned apartment complex, or a junkyard). The building is designed to be as self-sufficient as possible, with skylights reducing energy costs and usage of installed lights, 5000 gallons worth of rain water stored in various bins around the complex, and gentle reminders throughout the working space for business residents to practice sustainable habits too. By fitting 53 businesses within its walls, a diverse community is fostered in which members network to find better solutions. For example, if an urban agriculture company needed help procuring land, they could talk to the environmental law firm or the sustainable development company just a few feet away.
But the GG doesn’t just benefit its business community and the environment. It also benefits the greater community of pedestrians and passersby with its innovative “Green Alley”. Back alleyways are often the scenes of horror films and real crimes. Just the word, alley, evokes an image of a space badly lit and trashed with refuse. The GG reimagined the back alley by creating a space that is well-lit (thus, safer), permeable to rainwater (assisting both the environment and the ever-stressed Detroit storm water system), and lined with native plants for uplifting aesthetics and a positive environmental impact.
But the GG doesn’t just benefit its business community and the environment. It also benefits the greater community of pedestrians and passersby with its innovative “Green Alley”. Back alleyways are often the scenes of horror films and real crimes. Just the word, alley, evokes an image of a space badly lit and trashed with refuse. The GG reimagined the back alley by creating a space that is well-lit (thus, safer), permeable to rainwater (assisting both the environment and the ever-stressed Detroit storm water system), and lined with native plants for uplifting aesthetics and a positive environmental impact.
In another effort to impact its community, the Green Garage hosts a weekly “Brown Bag Lunch” open to all. During this time, the “businesses-in-residence” will introduce themselves as will visitors at a friendly “get to know you” session. Then, depending on the week, either a topic is put on the table to spur on discussion or one of the businesses makes a presentation on some of their innovative new work. Most recently, the Mayor Duggan of Detroit spoke on the “Spirit of Detroit”, which was quite the surprise to get to see him!
Mayor Duggan speaking on the "Spirit of Detroit"!
The story of the Green Garage is an inspiring one. Businesses cohabitate in a community composed of members diverse in passions and expertise, yet committed to the values of social impact and environmental stewardship. Even the fact that the Green Garage exists affords the city of Detroit a whole slew of positive outcomes because it acts as the home to these 53 social businesses, many of which might not have even gotten off the ground without a space to work.
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