Social Entrepreneurs

In any human society, at any given time in history, there are always two kinds of individuals. One who herald the winds of change, awaken people from their deep slumbers, and elevate society at large from the recess of deprivation and denial; and there are those who just prefer to tread the oft-beaten tracks and get carried along with the momentum created by the former. Which one of these two is more important and essential will be very subjective but the fact is that both these kinds are absolutely indispensable. If one forms the foundation then other imparts the physical stature to the pyramid of human society. Here we will be talking about Social Entrepreneurship, who basically fall in the first category. These are driven individuals who have identified a social ill or malaise hampering the society at large, and come up with some innovative idea, solution or strategy that can bring about the change they want to bring in the society. Instead of sitting back and lamenting the apathy of higher authorities, they take the initiative in their hands and strive hard towards the success of their idea, thereby improving the lot of the people who have been involved with them. By identifying the root cause of certain grievances, they set to change it and then later spread the successful solution and encourage people to adopt it and take the leap forward.

Just like entrepreneurs are the harbinger of change and growth in the world of business and commerce, in the same manner social entrepreneurs are responsible for change in society. They have an amazing success rate because unlike social workers who just work on age old models, social entrepreneurs marry business and entrepreneurship principles with their skills of innovation and thus a clear roadmap and working model to embark on their respective endeavors is prepared. So, whether it is 2006 Nobel Laureate Mohammed Yunus who founded the Grameen Bank and pioneered the field of Micro Finance in the sub-continent, devising methods to distribute loans among the weakest sections of the society without any kind of collateral or Dr. Maria Montessori who developed the Montessori approach to early childhood education, they go on to become role models not only for social activists but for business professionals as well. For their stories enrich each of us through their examples of seeing opportunities where none existed before, working as a hands-on captain and emerging out to be a champion for the cause they believed in. Their lives become legends in the society, their methodology becomes case studies to be used as a pedagogical tool in elite B-schools and they become symbols of what an individual can achieve if he just has his heart, mind and passions in the right place.