I am currently involved in a social enterprise fellowship called Startinbloc. For those of you who have not heard of this organization, it “educates, empowers and connects emerging leaders to drive positive social change across sectors.” It does so through intensive fellowship programs that provide prospective social entrepreneurs with the tools to become effective in their quest to achieve the so-called “triple-bottom line.”
This type of program also encourages a peer community of social entrepreneurs who share best practices and provide support while in the process of launching a social venture.
As part of the fellowship I was given a business problem that I need to resolve with a group of colleagues, similar to a management consulting assignment. Most specifically, I’m helping a social enterprise develop an effective volunteer program. I hope that my previous experiences at Junior Achievement and coordinating Global Youth Service Day will be helpful!
Posted by davilalu on February 25, 2008 | Posted in corporate social responsibility, entrepreneurship, social enterprise, social entrepreneurship, young people, youth, Youth and Social Entrepreneurship |
Wow! Obama won Wisconsin! Now he is off to concentrating in Texas and Ohio. I think that in Ohio the key group is going to be blue collar workers, who are hurting with the current economic outlook. In Texas, however, I think that the Latino youth vote is going to play a significant role in determining who wins.
Based on previous contests in states heavily populated by Latinos such as New York and California, Hillary seems to have an edge. However, I think that in the case of Texas the election is not going to be based on identity politics, but instead it is going to be a big generational rift. I am a strong believer that Obama gains support from young people after they get a chance to interact with him, but also when they realize how close he is to their concerns and issues.
This is a candidate who is not afraid to call on young people to make some sacrifices, to get involved in their communities, to stop with the same old politicking of always.This guy actually says let’s stop with the political crap and get things done! Young people relate to this! As we can see day after day, young people are becoming more involved in their communities, are volunteering more, and are creating social enterprises that foster the power of ideas to benefit marginalized communities.
For all of this, I am convinced that Obama will continue to motivate young people, especially Latino youth in Texas who are eager to turn the page, continue their engagement to social change, and finally say: yes we can!
Posted by davilalu on February 20, 2008 | Posted in latino youth, obama, youth, youth engagement |
Youth and Social Entrepreneurship
After months of research I have finally decided to fully launch my blog! I will comment on my experiences in youth engagement in sustainability, international development, corporate social responsibility and entrepreneurship!
Youth have had a lot of media attention these past few days! There is an Op-Ed article by Nicholas Kristof where he talks about youth social entrepreneurs attending Davos, and a great series of articles at the Financial Times focusing on investing in young people.
I think both articles showcase the importance of fully supporting the work of young people to better their communities. In the case of Mr. Kristof, he mentions some familiar names; Jennifer Staple is a winner of the Global Youth in Action Award that I helped to coordinate while at the Global Youth Action Network, while Soraya Salti is the leader of Injaz – the Arab counterpart of Junior Achievement, my current employer.
I believe that the main issue facing young social entrepreneurs is not lack of passion or conviction, but difficult access to resources and support. In the case of the World Economic Forum, I would challenge the organization’s leadership to bring more young people and expand its Young Global Leaders program. This would help all young social entrepreneurs (especially those from developing countries) become successful and access networks usually not accessible to them.
I am convinced that more support structures will help young people succeed as entrepreneurs promoting social change in their communities.
Posted by davilalu on January 28, 2008 | Posted in Youth and Social Entrepreneurship |
