The Business for Peace Foundation, Oslo, has awarded an Honour to a Danish social entrepreneur. Telehandelshuset is a social firm, functioning both as telemarketing bureau and [...]]]> Thank you to our Associate Partner ENSIE (European Network of Social Integration Enterprises) for sending us this information. (See associate partners of the Erasmus Mundus social economy project here)

The Business for Peace Foundation, Oslo, has awarded an Honour to a Danish social entrepreneur. Telehandelshuset is a social firm, functioning both as telemarketing bureau and as a telemarketing education unit. The telemarketing consultants of Telehandelshuset, of which most are blind or visually impaired, work as role models and coaches to the students in the daily training.

The  Business for Peace Foundation report that Ms. Connie Hasemann, Denmark, founder and CEO of Telehandelshuset AS. Hasemann is a strong advocate for social change through sustainable business. With a mission to help disabled people show they are a valuable labour resource on equal standing with others, Hasemann established what is now one of the leading social enterprises in Denmark. Her drive and dedication break down barriers, and are appreciated across national borders. Connie Hasemann has developed a business model that demonstrates a new concept of comprehensive rehabilitation of disabled people, where the outcome is employment. This business model is both scalable and adaptable across sectors and national borders.

Congratulations to Connie Hasemann!

See this year’s other awards here. They include Dean’s Beans Organic Coffee Company: more than 25 years on development issues in indigenous communities, including coffee-producing villages around the world. The enterprise shows that businesses can promote positive economic, social and environmental change in developing countries, and be profitable at the same time.

The series of TED and TED related events are a great tool for the classroom. In less than 20 minutes, each video posted on the ted.com site affords [...]]]> The Power of Ted in the Classroom and Beyond

Guest post from Tina Lee Odinsky-Zec, Director of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Zagreb School of Economics and Management, www.zsem.hr

The series of TED and TED related events are a great tool for the classroom.  In less than 20 minutes, each video posted on the ted.com site affords a students’ a way to connect to “ideas worth spreading”.  Since many themes on Ted meet at the interface of the world’s greatest problems with today and tomorrow’s most innovative minds, they offer a glimpse into emerging social enterprises at various stages of developments.

I first started to incorporate TED talks into the classroom while on a visiting professor assignment at Rouen Business School in France (1 of 100 ZSEM partner schools) in May 2010.  The class was organized for 28 Master’s in Global Management students and the course offering was titled Entrepreneurship and Innovation.  The assignment was simple but the results were nothing short of amazing.  After establishing a base for understanding what is innovative and some inspirational examples of entrepreneurs pursuing multiple definitions of profit (money, mission, and mother earth), we did a brainstorming session to decide challenges facing the world today they felt needed the most urgent attention.  We clustered the issues into categories and then groups of students were assigned to find ted.com talks that were addressing those areas.  The next day each student would have 15 minutes to make a presentation that would retell at TED talk of their choice and they could use a short excerpt from the original video.  Due to the number of students in the class it ended up being a marathon day.  The classroom was filled with laughter and tears from 9 in the morning to 5 in the afternoon.  It has to be one of the most memorable days of my teaching career.

I can share with you some of the favorites of that day…

Theme	Student	Title
Environment	Najoua Gueddari	The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
Watch it here – http://www.ted.com/talks/william_kamkwamba_how_i_harnessed_the_wind.html
Healthcare	LIU Juan & LUO Wanrong	The Warm Embrace
Watch it here – http://www.ted.com/talks/jane_chen_a_warm_embrace_that_saves_lives.html
Children	Li Yang	Five dangerous things you should let your children do
Watch it here – http://www.ted.com/talks/gever_tulley_on_5_dangerous_things_for_kids.html

 

The University of Northampton has received international recognition for its commitment to social innovation and entrepreneurship by being designated a ‘Changemaker Campus’ by Ashoka U.

Ashoka U is the global association of the world’s leading universities supporting social entrepreneurs – people working together to create solutions for the world’s most urgent [...]]]>  

The University of Northampton has received international recognition for its commitment to social innovation and entrepreneurship by being designated a ‘Changemaker Campus’ by Ashoka U.

Ashoka U is the global association of the world’s leading universities supporting social entrepreneurs – people working together to create solutions for the world’s most urgent social problems.

The University of Northampton is the first in the UK to be awarded this honour, and one of only 22 in the world to receive the designation, joining prestigious institutions such as Cornell University, Duke University, the University of Colorado and Tulane University. By showing an exceptional level of understanding and commitment to social innovation and entrepreneurship, the University of Northampton proved its dedication to producing social entrepreneurs and change makers of the future.

Michele Leaman, from Ashoka U commented: The University of Northampton’s commitment is so powerful it can be seen everywhere you look across the institution. For particular attention the panel highlighted the University’s strength in leadership, commitment to the student experience and curriculum and its efforts to measure impact on society as a result of this commitment. Social innovation and entrepreneurship is on every corner at Northampton, offering a unique example of a Changemaker Campus.

Read more

The University’s Vice Chancellor, Nick Petford, talks about social enterprise in universities here:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Riara University near Nairobi in Kenya is offering a new course for social entrepreneurs. The rationale for launching the course is explained by the Business School:

Amidst us though albeit informally, social entrepreneurs have sprung up to create sustainable change for improvement of the social conditions, quality of work life and dignity of people [...]]]>  

Riara University near Nairobi in Kenya is offering a new course for social entrepreneurs. The rationale for launching the course is explained by the Business School:

Amidst us though albeit informally, social entrepreneurs have sprung up to create sustainable change for improvement of the social conditions, quality of work life and dignity of people by harnessing  opportunities that  supports communities, improve environment, increase fairness and improve livelihoods. These enterprises focus on economic, social and environmental good of a community. Rather than leaving societal needs to the government or business sectors, social entrepreneurs find what is not working and solve the problem by changing the system, spreading the solution, and persuading entire societies to take new leaps. Although most social enterprises are small, the sector has generated growing interest from policymakers, young people, entrepreneurs, funders and established businesses. Today it is emerging that social enterprises are generating more jobs than the business sector by far, yet most of the available academic curriculums have neglected the area. The higher diploma in social entrepreneurship attempts to fill this gap by focusing on various aspects of starting and managing social enterprises.

The program aims to:

• Enable learners to develop a systematic understanding of knowledge and a critical awareness of issues relating to the operational aspects of managing a social enterprise including strategy, governance, financing, staffing, and their social impact.
• Provide a basket of opportunities to learners to start own for-profit social enterprises to serve a social cause.
• Equip learners with skills on how to prepare a suitable business plan and provide information on how to seek required funds to start a social enterprise.

Prof. Abel Kinoti, Dean of the School of Business and Friend of the Erasmus Mundus Social Economy project, explains who would benefit from the course: “The programme is ideal for budding entrepreneurs intent on setting up social enterprises, social workers, environmental activists, corporate and non-profit sector managers, philanthropists, central and county governments’ employees and natural resource managers”.

It is very encouraging to see a university responding to local need and providing opportunities for social entrepreneurs to gain the expertise they need to lead and manage their enterprise. We would be very interested to hear of the plans and experiences of others in higher education in promoting and enabling social enterprise.

Margaret Meredith

“Government and the nonprofit sector are necessary but insufficient to address society’s greatest challenges. Business, the most powerful man-made force on the planet, must create value for [...]]]> ‘Certified B Corps‘ are a new type of corporation in the US which uses the power of business to solve social and environmental problems. Their website argues that,

“Government and the nonprofit sector are necessary but insufficient to address society’s greatest challenges. Business, the most powerful man-made force on the planet, must create value for society, not just shareholders. Systemic challenges require systemic solutions and the B Corp movement offers a concrete, market-based and scalable solution”.

The B Corp legislation gives businesses the freedom and legal protection to pursue the ‘triple bottom line‘  (financial, social, environmental) instead of the current legal requirement in the US and UK to maximize profit for shareholders (at the expense of any other consideration). They are  the same as traditional corporations except for three vital things that make them game-changers: higher standards of purpose, accountability, and transparency. Some international examples include: Ben & Jerry’s and Couch Surfing International. See the full list of 700 B Corps here

The legislation for B Corps has been passed in 14 US states

The changes to the law regarding the creation of the framework will take immediate effect, creating a brand new kind of European [...]]]> European parliament has today voted overwhelmingly in favour of a bill enabling the creation of a new label identifying social entrepreneurship investment funds (EuSEF), as well as introducing Europe-wide regulation of venture capital.

The changes to the law regarding the creation of the framework will take immediate effect, creating a brand new kind of European investment fund for the social economy.

Commissioner Barnier has welcomed the vote, saying “These new EU initiatives will increase opportunities for innovative start-ups or social businesses to find capital.

“Better funding for smaller companies is key for Europe’s economy and it is now up to enterprising fund managers to seize the new opportunities as a matter of urgency”.

Sven Giegold, German Green MEP and vice-president of the Intergroup for Social Economy, has hailed today’s decision as a great success:

“The EuSEF legislation has for the first time created a fund that lays the foundations for the strengthening of the social economy. A social economy is the right response to one of the key problems that has pushed us into the current crisis: the short-term pursuit of profit.”

Giegold further predicts that the amendments will lead to positive outcomes in areas such as social housing, and will unlock potential for improved fair-trade agreements with developing countries.

Filippo Addarii, Euclid Network executive director and member of the expert group on social business, hosted by DG Market, said:

“We are excited by this new development. The Commission is taking the lead in fostering a European market for social investments. We have been part of the process from the beginning and intend to support Brussels in its efforts to connect social investors from across Europe. Our ambition is to encourage the EU to extend this policy beyond the single market, applying its social investment framework to enlargement policy, aid policy and global financial markets.

See more information in Civil Society Finance

https://www.ashoka.org/changemakercampus

Ashoka U is a program of Ashoka: Innovators for the Public. Founded in 1980, Ashoka is the world’s leading network of social entrepreneurs. Ashoka U envisions a world where colleges and universities everywhere serve [...]]]> Here’s a very interesting organisation in the US, committed to supporting the development of social enterprise education in Higher Education:

https://www.ashoka.org/changemakercampus

Ashoka U is a program of Ashoka: Innovators for the Public. Founded in 1980, Ashoka is the world’s leading network of social entrepreneurs. Ashoka U envisions a world where colleges and universities everywhere serve as an enabling environment for social entrepreneurship, providing individuals with access to the resources, role models, learning opportunities, and peers needed to actualize their full potential as social entrepreneurs and changemakers. Ashoka U’s mission is to foster and accelerate teaching, research, and action in social entrepreneurship, seeking to set a new standard of excellence in the field

Their website has resources Higher Education to promote social enterprise.