I used to think social entrepreneurship was a buzz word. It sounded cool, but I never thought it actually meant anything. Moreover, before I came to Detroit, I never actually cared about what it meant. I failed to understand or even realize the importance of this concept. My experiences in Detroit, however, have quickly shown me otherwise. I’ve already come across various people who claim that what they do as their profession is in the spirit of social entrepreneurship. This forced me to actually question, what is it? I’ve realized it’s simple. It’s entrepreneurship that strives to tackle some of society’s toughest problems. It’s the pursuit of taking on financial risk not to obtain large sums of money or fame, but rather to establish success among society. This definition makes it somewhat obvious as to why social entrepreneurship is so important in the world we live in. Without talented individuals willing to implement risky yet innovative ideas that have the potential to solve threatening societal issues, who would?
One company I learned about over the past couple weeks is The Empowerment Plan. This company makes sleeping bags that turn into coats. This company is creating capital for the economy while providing jobs for people in poverty. This company helps their employees come out of poverty and helps them move into affordable housing. This is one of the many social enterprises that I have learned about and is a prime example of this top.
Especially in Detroit, a city that has been struggling with difficult economic problems over the years, I see how crucial social entrepreneurship is to rebuilding the city. Especially the startup I work for, Build Institute, sheds light on how difficult ventures like these breathe life into seemingly lost cities like Detroit. Build Institute is a social impact support organization. It’s an incubator that support entrepreneurs throughout different stages: from bringing customers’ ideas to fruition to building their businesses into bigger and more sustainable ventures. Build Institute has had over 1000 graduates over the past 5 years and continues to expand the programs it has to offer. Working for Build has given me a first-hand experience with understanding what the true intentions of a company like this are. I see how these people solve challenges daily with the ultimate goal of helping people achieve their entrepreneurial dreams. This insight has truly helped me understand the fulfilling yet crucial aspect of social entrepreneurship.
One company I learned about over the past couple weeks is The Empowerment Plan. This company makes sleeping bags that turn into coats. This company is creating capital for the economy while providing jobs for people in poverty. This company helps their employees come out of poverty and helps them move into affordable housing. This is one of the many social enterprises that I have learned about and is a prime example of this top.
Especially in Detroit, a city that has been struggling with difficult economic problems over the years, I see how crucial social entrepreneurship is to rebuilding the city. Especially the startup I work for, Build Institute, sheds light on how difficult ventures like these breathe life into seemingly lost cities like Detroit. Build Institute is a social impact support organization. It’s an incubator that support entrepreneurs throughout different stages: from bringing customers’ ideas to fruition to building their businesses into bigger and more sustainable ventures. Build Institute has had over 1000 graduates over the past 5 years and continues to expand the programs it has to offer. Working for Build has given me a first-hand experience with understanding what the true intentions of a company like this are. I see how these people solve challenges daily with the ultimate goal of helping people achieve their entrepreneurial dreams. This insight has truly helped me understand the fulfilling yet crucial aspect of social entrepreneurship.