During my time in Detroit, I have had the opportunity of examining what social entrepreneurship is and how it can be misconstrued. In my opinion, social entrepreneurship is the process of creating and innovating a sustainable solution to a neglected or diminished social issue or inequity. Oftentimes, social enterprises will sell a good, product, or service. Then, it will reinvest profits gained back into the organization. With this model, the enterprise is sustainable and espouses a robust course of action as a for-profit organization or business would do. Social entrepreneurship is very important in the world that we live in due to the inability or capacity of for-profit organizations or government institutions to adequately address or double down on social issues. So far, I have observed an expansive social entrepreneurial ecosystem in Detroit. I think so many individuals have entered this space due to Detroit’s recent economic troubles where numerous firms who had a niche in Detroit exited the Detroit business space. Personally, I think that social entrepreneurship is an attempt to reinvigorate the landscape with social consciousness. In my internship experience at GreenLight Fund, I have actively developed a visual and organized overview of the social entrepreneurship landscape in Detroit and its main players, sectors, models, etc. One of the most interesting organizations I have found is Rebel Nell, a Detroit based social enterprise that empowers women, creating Graffiti Jewelry from chipped paint and offering classes in financial success. Earlier in the summer, we as a group got the opportunity see the organization in action in Ponyride, a 30,000 square foot building in Detroit, committed to facilitating the growth of social missions within artists, entrepreneurs, makers, and nonprofits. By hiring previously homeless women or women in shelters for jobs, Rebel Nell addresses the social problem of the lack of workforce development in the population of homeless women in Detroit. Through this immersive work experience, the women gain skills and increase their human capital and are more able to independently sustain themselves and transition out of homelessness and/or financial insecurity. Rebel Nell’s sustainable solution of workforce development in a neglected potential workforce population engages with numerous social issues like homelessness, human capital development, income, and female empowerment. Rebel Nell’s success in Detroit attests to its innovative and creative approach to the social issues listed above. I am excited to explore more of the booming social entrepreneurship scene in Detroit!
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