Responsible Business Plan and Pitch
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ResponsibleBusinessFinalProjectResources.pptxResponsible Business Final Project
Ideas and Resources
Q: What is Social Entrepreneurship and how
does it differ from entrepreneurship?
A: The common theme of social entrepreneurs
is that they consider “the Triple Bottom Line” - their impact on people and the planet, in addition to profitability.
In other word, they seek to make profit while also achieving positive social and/or environmental outcomes.
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Responsible Business Final Project
Ideas and Resources
Where can I learn more about Social Entrepreneurship?
Ashoka has pioneered the field of social entrepreneurship, identifying and supporting the world’s leading social entrepreneurs since 1980. https://www.ashoka.org/en-us/focus/social-entrepreneurship
The Skoll Foundation catalyzes transformational social change by investing in, connecting, and championing social entrepreneurs and other social innovators. https://skoll.org/about/
Certified B Corporations are a kind of business that balance purpose and profit. They are legally required to consider the impact of their decisions on their workers, customers, suppliers, community, and the environment. https://bcorporation.net/
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Social Entrepreneur Examples
Acorns – a financial technology (fintech) company that offers a credit card that allows users to “round up” with the money being invested into interest-bearing accounts. https://www.acorns.com
Full Cycle Bioplastics - transforms organic waste into PHA, a high-performing, compostable alternative to oil-based plastics. https://fullcyclebioplastics.com/
Chez Panise - Berkely, CA restaurant that sources locally-grown, organic food. https://www.chezpanisse.com/1/about/
The Last Mile – workplace training program for at-risk high populations, training incarcerated individuals to become professional web developers https://thelastmile.org/about/
Better World Books - a B-Corporation that sells quality, affordable used books to bring literacy to the world. https://about.betterworldbooks.com/impact/
Allbirds - shoe company that uses sustainably sourced materials https://www.allbirds.com/pages/sustainability
Grameen Bank – a microlending bank that provides credit to poor entrepreneurs in rural Bangladesh https://grameenbank.org/introduction/
Seventh Generation – a B-Corporation that produces household cleaning products while striving for ingredient transparency and to reduce packaging waste. https://www.seventhgeneration.com/values/mission
Kiva – a non-profit organization headquartered in San Francisco that allows people to lend money to low-income entrepreneurs and students via the internet https://www.kiva.org/about/how
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Social Entrepreneur Resources
As a first step in creating your social venture, you may wish to consider what problem(s) you are trying to solve. For example, do you want to improve access to education or healthcare, be a leader in product design to reduce waste from landfills and protect the environment, or help other social entrepreneurs on their journey. The possibilities are endless.
Once you have an understanding of what you want to accomplish, you will want to better understand your customs, competitors, and define your brand. The Techstars Entrepreneur’s Toolkit provides a host of resources to help you learn the fundamentals of entrepreneurship https://toolkit.techstars.com/
Once you have an understanding of the problem and your solution, think about how you want to structure your company and how you would potentially pitch your idea to investors or future partners. While individual business plans may differ, they typically share common elements. Here are two resources to get you started on how to structure your business plan
University of Washington Foster Business School https://foster.uw.edu/centers/buerk-ctr-entrepreneurship/start-up-resources/business-plan/
US Small Business Administration (SBA) https://www.sba.gov/business-guide/plan-your-business/write-your-business-plan
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