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Divya Dhulipala- Week 2 Entry

6/22/2015

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I think social entrepreneurship is the future of positive social change. To me, social entrepreneurship means business. Business with a positive social impact. It’s for those who want to make a mark, put a dent in the world, create a unique legacy for themselves, follow their passions, break the mold, and make money, all while making the world a better place and helping alleviate, or maybe even solve, a certain problem. It’s not do-gooding. It’s not cold-hearted business—not that I’m making any judgment calls about being on either extreme end of that scale. It’s the happy medium, and it fluctuates towards right or left, based on the company itself. That social entrepreneurship has become the new, hip, novel thing makes me happy. It’s important because business is important, money is important, and working, profiting companies are important, but doing good is important too. Social entrepreneurs are further emphasizing to the world that you don’t have to sacrifice making a difference for making money.

Detroit Dirt is an example of this. It is one of the most celebrated social entrepreneurship ventures in this city. Its founder, Pashon Murray, has become a symbol of Detroit’s social entrepreneurship scene, as her company is at the forefront of Detroit’s revitalization and renaissance. This company, which she co-founded, combines manure from zoos with food scraps from Detroit’s restaurants and eateries to create a compost, which in turn fertilizes soil, thus making for healthier locally-grown fruits and vegetables. The more products she sells, the closer she gets to expanding her business and hiring local employees rather than having to rely on volunteers. Her goal is to create a closed-loop food system, in which Detroit’s waste fuels its food products and no resources are leaked. I’m currently researching her company in order to understand the nature of environmental innovations in Detroit and better understand my own job at Detroit Future City. Detroit Dirt is innovative, resourceful, impactful, and incredibly beneficial for the local economy and agricultural environment. I think it is the paramount example of what it means to be a social entrepreneur.

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