Friday Links: Posts and Resources on Social Enterprise

Every Friday we connect you with some of our recent favourite links. This week:

Posts and resources from the social enterprise movement

10 Lessons From 10 Years as a Social Entrepreneur – Huffington Post

Ten years ago, I shipped the world’s first fair-trade avocados from small-scale farmers in Mexico to Europe – and my social enterprise was born. At the time, I’d never heard of a “social entrepreneur”. I just wanted to use my business skills to help small-scale farmers transform their lives. Now, I identify as a social entrepreneur down to my bones, and my enterprise has scaled around the globe and impacted thousands of farmers in many countries. Our mission is far from complete, but the anniversary is an occasion to reflect on the key lessons learned during 10 life-changing years.

A Business Solution to Poverty – The Business Solution to Poverty

“Right now the number of people living on $2 a day or less is more than the entire population of the world in 1950. These 2.7 billion people are not just the world’s greatest challenge — they represent an extraordinary market opportunity. By learning how to serve them ethically and effectively, businesses can earn handsome profits while helping solve one of the world’s most intractable problems.”

Slavery In The Supply Chain: What Are You Doing About It? – Forbes

There are slaves in your supply chain. Yes, you read that right. According to the International Labour Organization (ILO) there are more than 20 million forced laborers around the world today. And it is likely that some of those slaves work for you or your suppliers.

Unintended Consequences for the One-for-One Business Model – Poverty Cure

It’s trendy, it’s cool, and it has taken the West by storm in recent years. The one-for-one model, popularized by TOMS, offers the unique opportunity for a consumer to support not only the company that makes a particular product, but those outside of this supply chain, sometimes thousands of miles away… Though innovative and well-intentioned, there is a hidden and negative byproduct of this model: the displacement of local business in the areas where these products are dispersed.

The Next Generation of Social Entrepreneurs – World Economic Forum

I know a lot of colleagues and funders who say, “It’s never about the money.” It’s always something else they need. And that’s true. Unless you don’t have any money. And then, guess what? It’s really about the money. So, I think the capital support — financing — is really important. Secondly, community. And by community I mean both infrastructure — a place physically that you go to where you interact with other people — and a community of human resources — people and peers you can engage with to support to, to try out ideas, to get inspired and supported by. So, capital, community, infrastructure.

Image via Poverty Cure