Social Entrepreneurship
Mission
The mission of the Louisiana Office of Social Entrepreneurship is to advance social innovation by supporting the creation and growth of the most innovative, measurable and sustainable solutions to the social problems affecting Louisiana's citizens. In partnership with the public, private, and non-profit sectors, the Louisiana Office of Social Entrepreneurship is committed to providing meaningful capacity building around the tenets of social entrepreneurship, creating credible portals for financial and in-kind resources, and supporting improvements to public policy that enhance social innovation.
History
In the Fall of 2006, Lieutenant Governor Mitch Landrieu founded the Louisiana Office of Social Entrepreneurship. It is the first of its kind in the nation, positioning Louisiana as one of the most welcoming places in the country for social innovation. Social entrepreneurship is an emerging concept that combines business principles with a passion for social impact and demonstrates three core characteristics: social innovation, accountability, and sustainability.
In March 2007, the Louisiana Office of Social Entrepreneurship, in partnership with the Louisiana Serve Commission, launched the Changing Louisiana Initiative- a statewide initiative, consisting of city-specific conferences aimed at promoting citizen involvement in social entrepreneurship and volunteerism. Gatherings held in Alexandria, Baton Rouge, Lake Charles, New Orleans, and Shreveport attracted more than 1500 participants.
There has never been a better time to create or grow a social entrepreneurial endeavor in Louisiana. Citizens are urgently seeking solutions to the social problems that continue to affect Louisianans at alarming rates. The Louisiana Office of Social Entrepreneurship is committed to improving the lives of Louisiana's citizens and the strength of Louisiana's communities.
Resources
Social Entrepreneurship
- Changemakers.net
Changemakers.net is a pioneering e-zine dedicated to the growing profession of social entrepreneurship. It is an initiative of Ashoka: Innovators for the Public, a global nonprofit organization that identifies and invests in leading social entrepreneurs around the world. The mission of the site is to provide inspiration, resources and opportunities for those interested in social change globally. - Social Enterprise Alliance
The National Gathering for Social Entrepreneurs is the only organization that is exclusively devoted to providing support for nonprofit social entrepreneurs. More than half of the members are practitioners, the rest are funders, academics, and for-profit businesses. The nonprofit members include both early stage entrepreneurs seeking the nuts and bolts knowledge to start and run a social purpose venture and established social entrepreneurs seeking an opportunity to exchange ideas with other pioneers of the field. The Gathering links nonprofit executives who have operated in isolation with an ongoing forum for addressing the needs and concerns of the social entrepreneur. - Social Edge
Social Edge is a program of the Skoll Foundation that was inspired by Jeff Skoll's commitment to connecting people with shared passions. Social Edge is the global online community where social entrepreneurs and other practitioners of the social benefit sector connect to network, learn, inspire, and share resources.
Education
- The University Network
The University Network for Social Entrepreneurship works with professors and researchers, practitioners, and students to develop social entrepreneurship as a vocation and carry its principles into other disciplines and sectors. It is designed to be a resource hub and an action-oriented discussion forum to expand social entrepreneurship education and participation around the world. - Duke University Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship
A research and education center based at Duke University's Fuqua School of Business, the Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship (CASE) promotes the entrepreneurial pursuit of social impact through the thoughtful adaptation of business expertise. - Harvard University Catherine B. Reynolds Foundation Fellowships in Social Entrepreneurship
The Catherine B. Reynolds Foundation Fellowships in Social Entrepreneurship are designed to equip individuals for national leadership positions that bring the real-world insights of management and entrepreneurship to bear on social problems. - Indiana University Certificate in Social Entrepreneurship: Nonprofit and Public Benefit Organizations
In 2006, Indiana University inaugurated the first formal university-based Social Entrepreneurship program in Indiana. Offered to graduate students on both the Bloomington and Indianapolis campuses, the Certificate in Social Entrepreneurship: Nonprofit and Public Benefit Organizations is a cooperative program between the School of Public and Environmental Affairs (SPEA), the Kelley School of Business, and the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University. The Social Entrepreneurship certificate prepares students for innovatively approaching public needs with a combination of entrepreneurial practices and social purposes - through the for-profit, nonprofit, and governmental sectors. - Massachusetts Institute of Technology Entrepreneurship Center
The MIT Entrepreneurship Center is committed to fostering and developing MIT's entrepreneurial activities and interests in three primary areas: education and research, alliances, and community. The MIT Entrepreneurship Center offers courses in social entrepreneurship. - New York University Leonard N. Stern School of Business, Berkley Center for Entrepreneurial Studies The Stewart Satter Program in Social Entrepreneurship
The Satter Program is dedicated to making the social entrepreneurship movement a leading force for social improvement by generating interest and expertise in the field among members of the Stern community. - University of Southern California Lloyd Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies
The Lloyd Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies is among the nation's leaders in entrepreneurship education and research. With six full-time faculty and nine adjuncts who teach in specialized areas such as biomedical, social entrepreneurship, and technology commercialization, the Greif Center is uniquely prepared to meet the varied needs of students in business, science, engineering, and the arts who are looking to become entrepreneurs through business ownership or through venturing in a large corporation. - Tulane University Freeman School of Business Levy-Rosenblum Institute Programs for Entrepreneurship
The Levy-Rosenblum Institute for Entrepreneurship (LRI) trains and inspires entrepreneurs through coursework, community service projects, and internships.
