There is a commonly held view that business as usual is no longer going to cut it in a world where there are rising levels of inequality, a fragile planet and persistent problems such as homelessness, poverty and the threat of climate change. It is little surprise that social entrepreneurs are on the rise. With big, bold ideas to tackle injustices and global challenges, they are increasingly founding businesses that put social action above maximising profit.
While these entrepreneurs have extraordinary vision, they sometimes lack the access to funding and business nous that will enable them to scale up their ideas. Without the capital and the support, the desired impact can end up watered down. Helping entrepreneurs avoid this pitfall is a massive open online course called Accelerating Investment Readiness or AIR MOOC for short. The aim? To make connections between social entrepreneurs and the impact investors who are looking to use money to solve pressing 21st-century issues.
No one would claim that 2020 has been an easy year. Dominated by a global pandemic that shows little signs of abating, the wide-ranging and complex consequences are still largely uncertain. For some, the hit is personal; for others working in certain sectors, it’s a financial catastrophe.
Many social entrepreneurs are facing cash flow challenges with funding that is often unpredictable and tight. Meanwhile, fundraising is more difficult as things move online, investors shore up their own portfolios and tighten their belts to reduce their exposure to risk. …
One of Melissa Garren’s earliest memories of the ocean is going bodysurfing with her father and feeling both in awe and terrified of the powerful waves. She has long since overcome her fear of the ocean, but not her fascination with it.
As a marine biologist, the ocean has become her life’s work, spurring her on to lead conservation efforts through the development of innovative technology. It’s on this basis that she recently founded Working Ocean Strategies, a consultancy that helps organisations amplify their positive social and environmental impact on coastal communities.
Once underestimated and dismissed, Arlan Hamilton started her own venture capital fund with just $25,000 and steely self-belief. Now, she has a book that talks about her journey from being penniless to becoming a force to be reckoned with.
The name Arlan Hamilton may not mean much to people outside the rather insular worlds of venture capitalism and finance. Yet her story has the potential to have mass appeal, not least because of its unlikelihood.
Despite the positive benefits of renewable energy, around 80% of American households cannot install solar on their homes. Steph Speirs, CEO and co-founder of Solstice, explains how neighbourhood solar farms are making green energy a possibility for low- and moderate-income households.
Climate change is a global problem. Greenhouse gas emissions, released from the burning of fossil fuels, are causing rising temperatures and extreme weather, impacting health, crops and wildlife. And developed countries with their cars, large houses and consumerism are some of the biggest polluters.
If you’re lucky you get to make a living from something you are truly passionate about. Ruben Walker is one of the lucky ones. Not only that, but the business he co-founded has the potential to save millions of lives.
African Clean Energy addresses the massive problem of indoor air pollution, something that contributes to the premature deaths of nearly four million people every year. Exposure to this pollution doubles the risk of childhood pneumonia and contributes to lung cancer, stroke, heart disease and pulmonary disease. Yet many of us are unaware of the scale of this problem among people living in Africa on only a few dollars a day.
Imagine you have a business that improves the quality of people’s lives and helps build healthier and happier communities. But there’s a snag: you need to raise capital to implement some of your plans, which are critical to your success.
What if you could get the word out to a group of motivated investors who want their money to do good? That’s what Ethex does. As an investment platform in the UK, it lists a range of products for people looking to align their money with their morals, while also earning them a financial return.
Being an entrepreneur means being comfortable with taking risks. There are few safety nets when you are the sole founder of a business and the buck most certainly stops with you.
Rahama Wright knew this when she founded Shea Yeleen, a social enterprise that sells ethically produced shea butter products and empowers the women in Africa who make them. With 15 years of experience behind her and numerous highs and lows in that time, even Rahama was taken aback by the devastating, overnight impact of Covid-19 on small businesses such as hers.
“You cannot plan for the entire political, social…
It’s true that leaders emerge during times of crisis such as these. However, the best leaders are those who eventually work themselves out of a job, argues one social entrepreneur.
Some business leaders will try to hold on to power for as long as possible, no matter what comes. Others will recognise when it’s time to let go. Ayla Schlosser falls into the latter camp, for reasons that may come as a surprise — her business wasn’t a failure, it was a huge success. So why would she choose to step away?
With much of Africa living in informal settlements, one enterprising young woman decided to bring quality healthcare to the people who previously couldn’t afford it.
Melissa Menke was living in New York and working in the affordable housing sector, a job that was satisfying and helped others — but she wanted to make a deeper impact on a larger scale. In Kenya, she saw the opportunity to address a massive social problem. Almost a decade on, she’s founded a social enterprise that provides affordable, quality healthcare for people living in informal settlements and only earning between $3 to $5 a day.
Invest for Good
Through her blog, Invest For Good, Alexandra Court brings together ideas, insights, strategies and people who are determined to create a better future #impinv
