Launch: GoodCompany Ventures, a Philadelphia-based venture-style incubator program for socially-conscious entrepreneurs

GoodCompany Ventures, a team of social finance investors and start-up experts, today announced the launch of a business incubator targeting entrepreneurs with innovative solutions to unmet social needs. The program will provide facilities, mentoring and access to a network of capital sources to qualified entrepreneurs whose business models offer investors an attractive mix of financial… Continue reading Launch: GoodCompany Ventures, a Philadelphia-based venture-style incubator program for socially-conscious entrepreneurs

The down economy is driving more MBAs down socially responsible business tracks

The down economy is driving more MBAs down socially responsible businesstracks, according to the story “What Now for MBAs?” on BNET.com. Top-tier schools like Duke and Yale have responded by creating programs to prepare social entrepreneurs. The story lays out the best feeder schools for social entrepreneur positions, the most lucrative jobs and the major… Continue reading The down economy is driving more MBAs down socially responsible business tracks

Cornell Social Entrepreneurs Go To Botswana

Gretchen sends us this story about some work that students and a professor from Cornell University are doing with a small entrepreneur in Botswana who is trying to market natural food products to improve rural livelihoods: Entrepreneur and self-described “ideas man” Frank Taylor moved from Cape Town, South Africa to Botswana seeking a challenge, trading… Continue reading Cornell Social Entrepreneurs Go To Botswana

A Worthy Read: Greed Is Good But Too Greedy Is Bad

Muhammad Yunus: It’s extreme greed. You misled people into getting involved. It’s irresponsible capitalism. The article then highlights the most interesting part: The most interesting part of the event was when Yunus talked to Michael Bishop, who’s co-written an entire book called “Philanthrocapitalism” based on the idea that the profit motive is a really good… Continue reading A Worthy Read: Greed Is Good But Too Greedy Is Bad

VisionSpring Launches A Blog: Business In A Bag

VisionSpring, an Acumen Fund portfolio company, uses a wholesale distribution and franchising model to administer vision tests and sell low-cost reading glasses to India’s poor who are suffering from reduced vision. They do this by recruiting local Vision Entrepreneurs who are trained to operate a mini franchise, and travel from village to village to conduct… Continue reading VisionSpring Launches A Blog: Business In A Bag

Global Social Venture Competition Finals- Today

Global Social Venture Finals are today. Check out www.socialvc.net for details. Here’s the page if you want to see the teams in the finals Bio Power Technology- Prasetiya Mulya Business School, Indonesia BioVolt- MIT Sloan School of Management Build Your Own Village- Gordon Institute of Business Science, South Africa Defen Safety Syringe- National Chengchi University,… Continue reading Global Social Venture Competition Finals- Today

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NY Times writes a detailed article about Compartamos, the successful microfinance bank in Mexico: Carlos Danel and Carlos Labarthe turned a nonprofit that lent money to Mexico’s poor into one of the country’s most profitable banks. But not all of their colleagues in the world of microlending — so named for the tiny loans it… Continue reading Untitled

Social Entrepreneurs In The News

Today, the once-struggling venture has morphed into a primarily for-profit enterprise. And the striking transformation of In2Books is emblematic of a larger trend: charities are changing their spots and making use of some of capitalism’s virtues. The process is being pushed forward by a new breed of social entrepreneurs who are administering increasing doses of… Continue reading Social Entrepreneurs In The News

Muhammad Yunus, An Example of Drucker’s Principles

Weekend reading from Business Week on Muhammad Yunus’ new book: Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, who pioneered the concept of microcredit—providing the poorest of the poor with tiny loans to start their own moneymaking ventures—is promoting a new idea these days. He calls it “social business,” and in his just-released book, Creating a World… Continue reading Muhammad Yunus, An Example of Drucker’s Principles