UnLtd - The Foundation for Social Entrepreneurs
UnLtd - The Foundation for Social Entrepreneurs is a charitable organisation in the United Kingdom set up by seven organisations that promote social entrepreneurship. The organisation offers cash awards, networking and mentorship opportunities for social entrepreneurs in the UK, and has affiliate organizations in a number of other countries. (Wikipedia)
From interview with CEO of UnLtd
Our belief is that, if we enable social entrepreneurs to flourish and create an environment & infrastructure that is supportive of social entrepreneurs, that then they will be able to tackle many of the social issues that affect our country, and that they will create role models for business, for public sector and for non-profits on how we can combine the best of those three sectors.
What we find is that the most important thing is that you inspire the social entrepreneur, that you take the passion and the idea they have and you let them thrive with it.
The main trigger is experience of adversity: what we find is that someone who has the capabilities, the leadership, the energy, the passion, the resilience of having lived through quite often difficult situations, whether it’s long term unemployment, whether it’s a health crisis, whether it’s being homeless. These people have within themselves the potential to change and come up with solutions that change how society interacts with homeless people or unemployed people. So, that’s what we do. We help those people get started, and what we find is that they often know best and they come up with the solutions that society needs.
We have three types of awards: try it award, do it awards and grow it award.
What’s important is both to do the leadership development piece, to support people who have an idea, who have values, passion, and purpose and to get them going, and to do a piece around organizational development.
What we find is that the most important thing is that you inspire the social entrepreneur, that you take the passion and the idea they have and you let them thrive with it.
The main trigger is experience of adversity: what we find is that someone who has the capabilities, the leadership, the energy, the passion, the resilience of having lived through quite often difficult situations, whether it’s long term unemployment, whether it’s a health crisis, whether it’s being homeless. These people have within themselves the potential to change and come up with solutions that change how society interacts with homeless people or unemployed people. So, that’s what we do. We help those people get started, and what we find is that they often know best and they come up with the solutions that society needs.
We have three types of awards: try it award, do it awards and grow it award.
What’s important is both to do the leadership development piece, to support people who have an idea, who have values, passion, and purpose and to get them going, and to do a piece around organizational development.
Some advice:
1. Get in the market as soon as possible
2. Building great skills by doing it
3. Team up and solve a challenge
4. Big secret is not giving up
5. Ask for help. Find mentors. Listen to advice from experts but don’t be afraid to disagree.
1. Get in the market as soon as possible
2. Building great skills by doing it
3. Team up and solve a challenge
4. Big secret is not giving up
5. Ask for help. Find mentors. Listen to advice from experts but don’t be afraid to disagree.
This blog post is based on my learnings from the course on ‘social entrepreneurship’ offered by Copenhagen Business School through Coursera (2014).
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