Check out audeamus.com for plenty of links and information on the world of social entrepreneurship.
Click here for the Social Enterprise Alliance’s substantial list of resources for people looking to start social enterprises.
Jim Fruchterman, an electrical engineer-turned-entrepreneur, has made a living adapting cutting-edge technologies into affordable devices for the visually impaired and other underserved populations. As a student, Fruchterman designed a reading machine for the blind originally intended for military purposes. He was determined to keep the cost of his reading machine within reach of the largest number of users, however, and eventually founded a non-profit, Arkenstone, to develop and manufacture the system. The reading tool has now been used sixty countries, and Fruchterman has created a steady stream of other inventions for the visually impaired, including Open Book, Atlas Speaks map software, and Strider, a talking GPS locator. In 2000, Fruchterman founded another non-profit, Benetech, as an incubator for socially oriented technology applications.
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The Social Investment Forum offers comprehensive information and contacts related to socially responsible investing at their website
To get a comprehensive introduction to the world of SRI, visit their site.
Though no exact estimate exists on the size of the field, tax records indicate that the number of non-profits grew by 60% between 1989 and 1998. About 250 colleges and universities offer courses or degree programs for students interested in jobs with a social focus. Most major MBA programs now offer courses or concentrations on social entrepreneurship. And there are forty-two funds or foundations that invest primarily in social entrepreneurs, according to a 2002 study by Venture Philanthropy Partners.
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David Bornstein, author of How to Change the World: Social Entrepreneurs and the Power of New Ideas, speaks on the bright future of the social entrepreneurship industry:
“One thing for individuals to think about is that this field has become a legitimate career path. For those who are still in school, or considering a career change, the field of social entrepreneurship is rapidly growing to encompass all sorts of jobs with all sorts of job descriptions. As an individual, you have plenty of opportunities to work in a way that is challenging, impactful, and deeply meaningful.”
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