Social Enterprise

As the founding volunteer director for Thistle Farms I have long ago bought into the myth that beggars can't be choosers. As a professional beggar and priest for more than 20 years, I now understand beggars have to be choosy.

Just when we thought that creativity and a touch of lunacy (the good kind) had been explored in the entrepreneurship world to the fullest, they pull o...

Don't get me wrong, I'm as hopeful and altruistic as the next guy. But the practical reality is that the more value CEOs see in being a sustainable and social enterprise, the more will fully embrace it.

The more CEOs educated on the virtues of CSR (and there are many practical bottom line benefits like motivated employees, reduced supply chain costs, and loyal customers), the more they will rationally drink the Kool-Aid.

Both Krochet Kids and Sseko are not only helping some of the most disadvantaged people on the planet, East African women, but are also stimulating economies by empowering these women with a respectable wage.

How do you scale a social enterprise in a sustainable manner? The unlikely answer to the question is found in Girl Scout cookies, or more specifically, in the scaling strategy used by Girl Scouts nationwide to sell over 200 million boxes annually and generate over $700 million.

I believe that all human beings have intrinsic value: Regardless of their ethnicity, religion, etc. For those of us who have faith we were all created by the same Creator and therefore should respect ALL of his creations.

Janessa Goldbeck is a woman on a bicycle -- and a mission to ride 4,200 miles for her country. But she needs your help. Janessa's not a professional ...

While the job market and small business climate may continue to look bleak, it is inspiring to hear stories about booming innovative social enterprises, even in the worst of times.

It's the holiday season again and like all of you, I'm left wondering what to give this year that's more meaningful than another nice sweater for my dad or a pair of pajamas for my grandma.

Whatever we don't like about the world we live in, whatever doesn't work the way we think it should, has, believe it or not, been designed to work pretty much exactly that way.

Every day, 3 billion people in developing countries are exposed to toxic smoke when preparing meals. Cooking on traditional stoves and open fires causes almost 2 million deaths per year, mainly affecting women and young children.

Prior to starting the Taproot Foundation, I worked in two technology start ups in the Bay Area. As anyone who has worked at a start up knows, it's a ...

PopTech is often called the "other TED." This is meant as a compliment, but it's actually a disservice to the gathering in Camden, ME, that celebrates social innovation. PopTech is so much more.

The most populated city in east Africa, and one of the fastest growing, Nairobi, Kenya has become an extremely strategic regional center for business, banking, development, and politics.

I have been grappling for some time with the question of where Jewish entrepreneurs fit into the landscape of innovation. How do you define them?

There are many other lessons to be learned and shared when it comes to supporting the launch and growth of community-based social enterprises in the nonprofit sector.

We all know collaboration is a good idea. In politics, call it compromise. In business, call it a strategic alliance. Whatever you want to call it, teamwork produces results.

I spoke with Tom Tierney, co-author of "Give Smart," and Leslie R. Crutchfield, co-author of "Do More Than Give," on the motivations behind their books, key findings of their research, and the culture of philanthropy today.