Social Entrepreneurship in Myanmar
[caption id="attachment_1574" align="alignleft" width="300"] The streets of Yangon[/caption] This November we conducted an initial exploratory visit to Myanmar to better understand the current context given the recent major changes in the country, to explore the social entrepreneurship sector and to assess how Synergy could contribute to its development. As with all our exploratory trips, we make a point to meet with a full range of stakeholders including government, multi or bilateral donor agencies, private sector companies, civil society groups, nonprofits, social businesses, philanthropists, investors and intermediaries. Our visit to Myanmar began the ...
The Danger of Funder-Driven Social Entrepreneurship
I work with start-up social entrepreneurs and people often talk to me about new ideas they are hatching up. These conversations are usually full of energy and excitement, with the aspiring entrepreneur talking a mile a minute about a great idea they have for a venture and why it will be a great solution to a particular problem. These individuals are passionate about the impact they want to create, but also passionate about starting a business to do so. Their excitement and willingness to take on the challenges that come with launching a venture shows. Recently, however, I've had some conversations ...
Finding Entrepreneurial DNA in Cambodia
Some say that entrepreneurs are born not made. At Synergy, we often get asked to help organizations become more entrepreneurial?, but it's not that simple. I don't believe that you can make an entrepreneur. The traits and characteristics that make someone a successful entrepreneur just can't be taught. I don't know where they come from and can't quite describe them in words, but I know them when I see them. On a recent field visit to Cambodia I met two individuals who, despite growing up in Cambodia, an environment that has generally not been conducive to producing entrepreneurs, have that ...
GSVC South East Asia & Social Enterprise Symposium 2012
[caption id="attachment_1192" align="alignright" width="350"] Dr. Ed Rubesch & GSVC participants during a mentoring session[/caption] This March I was excited to be invited back as a judge to the South East Asian round of the Global Social Venture Competition. The competition is held annually in Bangkok and organized by Thammasat University, whose MBA program is a leader in the region in incorporating sustainability and social entrepreneurship into its curriculum. ...
Financing Social Returns in Southeast Asia: Synergy Social Ventures
[Re-posted from SocialFinance.ca. See the original post from 15 February 2012 here.] Part 1 of this blog post highlighted some difficulties faced by social entrepreneurs in Asia; Part 2 profiles Synergy Social Ventures, which supports social enterprise, and ties in lessons for the broader world of social finance. Synergy Social Ventures is a not-for-profit organization that was created in response to the challenges we saw preventing social enterprises from accelerating in Southeast Asia and China. In our work with entrepreneurs throughout the region, we identified a number of commonalities. Firstly, the vast majority of ventures are in ...
Financing Social Returns in Southeast Asia: Barriers
[Re-posted from SocialFinance.ca. See the original post from 14 February 2012 here.] The concepts of social enterprise and social entrepreneurship are newer to Southeast Asia and China than to other parts of the world. If someone was asked to name the most successful social enterprises globally, it is unlikely that an individual or organization from Southeast Asia or China would be the first to come to mind. But a closer look at the region reveals many entrepreneurial individuals and teams creating impact in innovative ways and striving to develop business models that will financially sustain and ...
Vancity
I’ve spent this past week in Vancouver before I head off to DC for the Aspen ANDE Conference and then to San Francisco! Every time I’m back in Vancouver, I feel really lucky to call this awesome city home. But on this trip back, there is something I’m appreciating more than ever, and of all things it’s the financial institution I worked with during my last 5 years in Vancouver. It may sound strange that I suddenly feel so much connection with and appreciation for my former employer, let me explain. Vancity Savings is based in Vancouver ...
Non-profits & Measuring Impact
I recently had the opportunity to spend an afternoon discussing impact measurement with nonprofit leaders in Singapore at an event hosted by the Lien Centre for Social Innovation at the Singapore Management University. I shared my own views on measurement in philanthropic and impact investing, but also learned a lot from the participants. As I often work with nonprofits or social ventures on designing their own impact measurement systems it is always interesting to hear what issues and challenges these organization face when measuring their impact. My co-panelists at the session were Anjan Ghosh from Singapore’s ...
