Entrepreneurship has proven to have a positive impact on today’s global challenges. Each one of us, by developing and using our strengths and skills, are agents of social change. As stated by the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, over 43% of the global population pictures themselves starting a business in the next six months. Entrepreneurship is becoming a global rising trend, not just because it fosters individual economic development, it also presents real business opportunity for all.
Social entrepreneurship is a model that has been gaining momentum, it creates shared value, having both a positive effect in the community and for those leading the businesses.
Today, entrepreneurs become the agents of change that transform their communities through innovation. Some of the benefits that characterize the entrepreneurial ecosystem are:
- Employability. Entrepreneurs are aware that they can foster job creation in their regions. North America is the area with the highest employment development, followed by Asia, Europe, and South and Central America.
- Technological capacity. Social entrepreneurs have known how to take advantage of adverse situations such as inequality or lack of opportunities. Technology has enabled companies to meet basic social needs.
- Profitable enterprise. The ecosystem of social entrepreneurship is gaining strength, not only because innovative ideas are being supported, but because the model itself is being profitable and sustainable. As stated in a recent report by Ashoka, this increase in profitable models has grown in the same speed as investments by the private sector, which lead to both, social and financial gain.
- Social impact. Social problems demand a multisectoral work of government, private sector and civil society. Fortunately, in today’s world population of 7.6 billion people, there are potential entrepreneurs and technology experts that have a social mindset, and will integrate it when designing strategies.
- Partnerships. To develop skills and transfer knowledge that enable community development, companies partner with organizations for the creation of support programs for entrepreneurship. An example, is the CEMEX-Tec Award, which in alliance with other organizations, such as Ashoka, MassChallenge amongst others, developed a program that annually recognizes entrepreneurs and students who develop high-impact initiatives, foster sustainable development, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
To date, the CEMEX-Tec Award, has received more than 4,000 people and 1,500 projects from 16 countries, positively impacting more than 22 thousand people. This year it opened its global call, which will receive global projects until May 31st, 2018.
Social entrepreneurship is a path we can take to strengthen economic development and contribute to tackling the worlds global challenge. We can contribute to alleviating poverty, fostering education, reducing the inequality gap, amongst other, as stated by the United Nations in the Sustainable Development Goals.
Let’s change the world one entrepreneurship at a time!
