Role model of social entrepreneur

Ben Simon

Ben S. is a senior at the University of Maryland, College Park studying government and politics and nonprofit management.  He brings five years of nonprofit experience, and 23 years of not being able to stand good food going to waste. He is also the Founder of MyMaryland.net, Co-founder of The Love Movement, and a former opinion columnist for The Diamondback. Ben likes songwriting, swimming, Indian food, long walks at 2 AM, and pick-up volleyball. He is excited at the amazing opportunity to scale Food Recovery Network across the country, and sees it as part of a larger movement toward a sustainable, socially just, and prosperous way of life. Ben was recently recognized by ABC News and Uni-vision as one of their Top 10 Social Entrepreneurs of 2012.

Social Entrepreneurship

Social entrepreneurship is 

• About applying practical, innovative and sustainable approaches to benefit society in general, with an emphasis on those who are marginalized and poor.
• A term that captures a unique approach to economic and social problems, an approach that cuts across sectors and disciplines grounded in certain values and processes that are common to each social entrepreneur, independent of whether his/ her area of focus has been education, health, welfare reform, human rights, workers' rights, environment, economic development, agriculture, etc., or whether the organizations they set up are non-profit or for-profit entities.
• It is this approach that sets the social entrepreneur apart from the rest of the crowd of well-meaning people and organizations who dedicate their lives to social improvement.

Social entrepreneurs drive social innovation and transformation in various fields including education, health, environment and enterprise development. They pursue poverty alleviation goals with entrepreneurial zeal, business methods and the courage to innovate and overcome traditional practices. A social entrepreneur, similar to a business entrepreneur, builds strong and sustainable organizations, which are either set up as not-for-profits or companies.

 Social entrepreneur is a leader or pragmatic visionary who:

• Achieves large scale, systemic and sustainable social change through a new invention, a different approach, a more rigorous application of known technologies or strategies, or a combination of these.
• Focuses first and foremost on the social and/or ecological value creation and tries to optimize the financial value creation.
• Innovates by finding a new product, a new service, or a new approach to a social problem. 
• Continuously refines and adapts approach in response to feedback. 
• Combines the characteristics represented by Richard Branson and Mother Teresa.

Social entrepreneurs share come common traits including:

• An unwavering belief in the innate capacity of all people to contribute meaningfully to economic and social development 
• A driving passion to make that happen. 
• A practical but innovative stance to a social problem, often using market principles and forces, coupled with dogged determination, that allows them to break away from constraints imposed by ideology or field of discipline, and pushes them to take risks that others wouldn't dare. 
• A zeal to measure and monitor their impact. Entrepreneurs have high standards, particularly in relation to their own organization’s efforts and in response to the communities with which they engage. Data, both quantitative and qualitative, are their key tools, guiding continuous feedback and improvement. 
• A healthy impatience. Social Entrepreneurs cannot sit back and wait for change to happen – they are the change drivers.

http://www.schwabfound.org/content/what-social-entrepreneur

http://www.pbs.org/opb/thenewheroes/whatis/

https://www.ashoka.org/social_entrepreneur

4 Lessons in Success From Millionaire Entrepreneurs

• Accept failure as part of the journey.

"The great ones treat failure as a necessary part of their journey. It's not win or lose. It's always win or learn," says Eric Lefkofsky, CEO of Groupon. Lefkofsky shared several anecdotes of past ventures that failed, including Brandon Apparel Group and Starbelly, which he says led him to the brink of bankruptcy in 2001. That year, he started InnerWorkings, a print procurement company that was a success. Lefkofsky insists there was no magic to what worked and what didn't. He kept working and trying new things until eventually he developed InnerWorkings and things clicked.

• Keep your eyes open for opportunities.

For the founder of Honest Tea, inspiration came at the grocery store. Dr. Barry Nalebuff, a professor at Yale School of Management, was just looking for a good glass of tea. While there were dozens of beverage options already in the marketplace, Nalebuff found water was boring, soda to be liquid candy, and diet drinks dangerous.

He applied economic theory to the beverage market, and found that the best product should be less sweet: Less calories for the customer, less cost for the manufacturer. Nalebuff knew tea was the world's cheapest luxury good, and teamed up with a former student, Seth Goldman, to create Honest Tea in 26 days back in 1998 (they sold Honest Tea to Coca-Cola in 2011). Nalebuff calls it the "Princess and the Pea" theory, after the children's tale: "If something out there's annoying you, that's an opportunity," Nalebuff says.

• When opportunity knocks, be ready for it.

After Honest Tea launched, Nalebuff was at a yoga retreat and noticed Oprah Winfrey on a nearby mat. Because he always carried samples with him everywhere he went, Nalebuff offered Winfrey a drink, and Honest Tea was subsequently featured in her magazine. "When opportunity strikes, you have to be prepared for it," Nalebuff says.

• There's no set path to success.

"There's no set path to success, there are many ways to get there." says Dan Gilbert, founder of Quicken Loans and a principal of Detroit Venture Partners, an organization that funds start-ups and is leading revitalization efforts in Detroit. Gilbert says he's most proud of creating an environment that lets his employees sell and listen to customers. Both he and Quicken Loans' CEO answer complaint calls. When asked what drives him, Gilbert says, "I like to build. Most entrepreneurs at their core like to build."

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/229565

7 Things Great Entrepreneurs Don't Do

• They don’t think about work-life balance.

They’re mostly workaholics. What that means is their work comes first. It’s what they live for. They’re not freewheeling, fun-loving people who live for the weekend. They live to do what they love, and that’s work.

• They don’t try to be what they’re not.

Probably the most damaging business myth to come along in decades is personal branding. You are not a product, and you can’t change who you are. Besides, real entrepreneurs don’t think about themselves. They think about their ideas and how to turn them into great products and services. And they deliver.

• They don’t do it for the money.

They don’t whine about how hard they work for peanuts. They just do it. And because they’re passionate about what they do and focused like a laser beam, the money eventually comes, big-time.

• They don’t have day jobs.

Great entrepreneurs don’t just dip their toes in the water. They jump in headfirst without a thought about the rocks below. They don’t do a little of this and a little of that. When they hit on something they think is really cool and exciting, they go all in.

• They don’t give in to fear.

They don’t pay attention to those voices in their heads – you know, the ones that haunt you with everything that can go wrong. They’re not fearless, mind you. Nobody is. They just don’t let their fear stop them from taking risks. They do listen to some voices, though: the voice of reason and their instincts.

• They don’t have grand visions.

While some do have grand delusions that they’re destined for greatness – a prophecy that’s often self-fulfilling, interestingly enough – for the most part, they generally don’t have grand visions for their companies. Zuckerberg, for example, wasn’t trying to create a company. He just wanted to rate the looks of fellow classmates.

• They don’t have virtual mentors.

Most people follow all sorts of writers, bloggers and tweeters these days. That’s fine, but to get somewhere in life, to do great things, you have to have real mentors in the real world. Former Intel chairman Andy Grove mentored Steve Jobs. Jobs, in turn, advised Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin. Behind every great entrepreneur is at least one great mentor. A real one.

Most importantly, real entrepreneurs don’t call themselves entrepreneurs. They don’t do what everyone else is doing. They don’t follow the status quo, conventional wisdom or popular fads. They carve their own unique path. They’re leaders of their own destiny. That’s what drives them. And that’s why they succeed.

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/229725

7 Ways to Survive and Thrive at a Startup

• Embrace the mission.

The most successful entrepreneurs are incredibly passionate about their work. It's the fire in their bellies that drives them to succeed. Similarly, if you're going to commit to working at a start-up  you have to believe in its mission. Look for organizations that are doing something you're interested in. You won't make it at a business if you're not genuinely excited about the work.

• Acknowledge the long hours -- and accept them.

If you're going to make it in the start-up world, you first need to acknowledge that the hours will be long. The second step is to accept this fact. In the beginning, it wasn't unusual for my team to work more than twelve hours a day or come in over the weekend to meet our goals. In a start-up  there's always more work to be done and not enough people to take it on. You're not hanging around the office for the sake of face time -- there's work to be done. Accept this fact and you're already in better shape.

• Set expectations with loved ones.

Not everyone in your circle of friends will understand or appreciate the commitment a start-up demands. It's very important to set expectations with your loved ones. Nothing is worse than having your family call at 5:30 p.m. to ask how your day went when your work day is far from over. To avoid these frustrations, set expectations up front such as when people can reach you and through what forms of communication.

• Take initiative.

On my first day, I was handed my computer in its box and a small packet containing basic instructions for using the company's systems and handling customer service inquiries. That day I learned two things: 1) How to set up a desktop computer on my own, and 2) that if I wanted to make it at this company, I would need to take initiative. Don't expect your company to have it all figured out already; a start-up is often still establishing its guidelines and formalizing its business. That's one of the reasons why the work is both exciting and scary. Instead of shying away, embrace the chaos and take an active role in shaping the business.

• Fill in the blanks.

In start-up land, priorities and projects can change overnight. Communicate openly and often to avoid confusion. Check in regularly with your team to ensure that everyone is on the same page and working toward the same goal. If you're unsure if a certain task is being taken care of, speak up! Don't assume someone else is working on it. It's better to over-communicate than let something important slip through the cracks.

• Strive for balance.

I won't lie and say that it's easy to strike the right balance between work and play, but thanks to mobile technology, it's easier than ever before. Identify what matters most to you and look for creative ways to make time for those priorities. For instance, find out if you can work from home on certain evenings so you can eat dinner with your loved ones and still make the standing 8 p.m. conference call with your colleagues. Alternatively, take advantage of mobile apps like Face Time that allow you to remain connected to your family while putting in long hours at the office.

• Know when to take a breather.

The job will be stressful at times. That's why it's important to know when to walk away from the laptop so you can come back with a fresh set of eyes. Find an outlet for your stress, whether it's banging on a drum set, meditating for ten minutes in the back of the office or playing a game of darts with a colleague. Recharge your batteries and come back ready to tackle the latest challenge head-on with a fresh perspective.

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/228737

Question about How to Develop a Culture of Innovation

We see some companies where innovation thrives and others where it's nowhere to be found. What are the conditions that make disruptive innovation thrive?

Every business starts from an entrepreneurial mindset. Somebody decides to deliver a new product or service or feature into the market. As firms grow they may become less forward-thinking and less expansive. They begin to say, "I have a particular market and I want to defend that market or that customer base," and they play defense rather than offense. So, part of it is a cultural mindset. How much are we willing to embrace new ideas to continue expansive, engaged thinking? You have to ask, "Am I willing to allow the sort of conceptual structure of the business to change and to adapt as new people and new ideas or new demands emerge?"

But is changing the fundamental structure of your business is worth the risk?

A lot of entrepreneurs are afraid of giving up control of what they understand, so they don't take advantage of opportunities to change the entire market because they're afraid of change. Look at the business of heating-and-cooling equipment or software. Companies would sell a system to a business. The CEO would have this asset and have to update or maintain it and worry about depreciation. Now, many companies are maintaining ownership of those systems and selling them as a service. They didn't change the product, but they changed the entire business model. That's the kind of innovation that can change an entire industry, but it wouldn't have happened if leaders weren't open to change.

How can you help employees think in more innovative ways?

First, work on trend-spotting. Have them think through how the world is changing and where your business fits in those changes and over what period of time. Societal shifts in demographics, attitudes, and priorities are huge and can dramatically increase or decrease the demand for business. Your customers might be demanding faster service, more sustainable practices, or something else can really change how you deliver your products and services. What could you be doing now to develop solutions to those future changes? Stay aggressive and forward-looking as opposed to defensive and reactive.

Encourage them to put themselves in the customer's shoes and experience what the customer is experiencing making this purchase or engaging with your company. What are their concerns? How could it be made better? Those are opportunities for innovation. I also like Four Sight Online, a web site that helps you understand the various roles people play in innovation and helps you figure out what talents you bring to the innovation role, which can be very useful in some organizations.

Is it possible to measure innovation?

It depends on what you mean when you say innovating. You have to determine what you're trying to change with innovation and then decide on the best metrics to see how you're doing. You could say we want to generate so many ideas or convert so many ideas into products a quarter. Maybe we want to radically change our service model or our business model, or we want to measure based on revenue. If you want a certain portion of your revenue stream to come from new products, you'd better always be working on developing those ideas. You can't simply break the glass in case of emergency and suddenly be good at innovating.
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Entrepreneurial Culture

For the entrepreneurial business, its culture begins from day one. The culture is a reflection of the values the entrepreneur brings into the business. 

Culture is important for an entrepreneurial venture because it is the mechanism that institutionalizes the values of its founders.

Culture serves to socialize new employees. It helps them understand how they should treat the customers, how they should treat each other, how they should act in their jobs, and how to generally fit in and be successful within the business.

Culture is an important part of the overall strategy of the business and helps ensure a growing organization will continue to meet the expectations of customers that were established by the entrepreneur during the early start-up of the venture.

According to Prosek, the key to unleashing that creative energy is to create an entrepreneurial culture based on four pillars.

1. Authenticity 

Demonstrate your sincerity by being enthusiastic about entrepreneurial strategies and actions pursued by the business.

2. Commitment to People 

Support the professional development of your staff, celebrate exceptional work, and don't forget to have fun.

3. Commitment to the Business

Align an individual's interests with those of the business. 

4. Continuous Effort

The work of building a company’s culture never ends.  

Sustaining an entrepreneurial culture starts with who you hire.  It is essential to carefully screen prospective employees to ensure that they will fit within your culture.  An entrepreneurial culture is also sustained by your reward system, by the autonomy and respect you give to your employees, and by consistent communication about your ongoing entrepreneurial vision for the company.

http://www.businessinsider.com/building-an-entrepreneurial-culture-2011-8