Call it the “death of distance” or “democratization of data”, call it the “flat world” or call it globalization, call it what you will, the fact remains that business has changed. Economic environment in the twenty first century is about saturating western markets while profitable markets are to be had in developing countries(1). Social entrepreneurs are working in this new eco-system, where the potential constitutes 4 billion people who live on less than $2/day (2). Their approach is to create opportunity for the underprivileged so that they can participate in the economy thereby creating a virtuous cycle of market development and sustainable growth. As corporate social responsibility evolves from compliance to a proactive involvement in the global agenda, social entrepreneurship models of doing business gain great relevance.

However, investors view any business plan which includes a social mission with healthy skepticism because there is not enough evidence yet that it really is possible for a business to “do well by doing good” (see Note at end). Indeed, economists delineate the roles of the private and public sectors to ensure fiscal responsibility among entrepreneurs and corporate leaders and social responsibility among political and foundation leaders.

Nevertheless, at one time, even software as well as internet businesses lacked well understood business models and the winners were the ones who foresaw the possibilities. If the need for new strategies and business models for a global economy is acknowledged, then making the leap from business entrepreneurship where the success criterion is the health of the individual and the business, to social entrepreneurship where the success criterion is the health of the community and the business, is possible.

Three women led enterprises have been studied whose social mission has become a differentiating and competitive strategy for the business. These enterprises operate in distinct geographies and cultures but all three address a social gap to deliver value. The study spans innovation in multimedia communication to engage at-risk youth, technology usage to enhance education in rural areas and social inclusion for low skill workers. These cases are:

• Southwest Creations Collaborative, a 501c3 non-profit enterprise in New Mexico, integrates a successful contract sewing and handwork business with a social mission to enhance dignity in the lives of families. Website : www.southwestcreations.com


• Digital Equalizer, a flagship program of the American India Foundation, is charted with bridging the digital divide by taking advantage of computer and internet technology to engage, educate, enrich and empower India’s underserved children. Website: www.aifoundation.org


• Vamos Blogar (Let’s Blog!), a Reuters Digital Vision Project at Stanford University, is aimed at improving employability of at-risk youth in Brazil through an innovative literacy curriculum based on multimedia web logs. Website : blogar.org

In all three cases, out-of-the-box thinking and a willingness to take risk resulted in social as well as economic wealth generation where more traditional approaches had failed.

Evolution of “Leading with Economics”

Southwest Creations Collaborative (SCC) is making a difference in the lives of women with low employability due to lack of education and language skills by providing them an income and social support.

Soft goods, glass and ceramic manufactures in the US often face a conflict between their need for speed and customization and the necessity of reducing production costs through offshore manufacturing. This is where SCC steps in. SCC has created a business by solving this important problem for its customers by filling custom orders for quick delivery and in many cases, managing off-shore partnerships so SCC customers can take advantage of lower cost offshore production for high volume products seamlessly.