The combination of commerce and social issues has created the need for new terms for people who want to make a positive change in society through initiatives that solve social problems. Both social entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs have the same goal but the approach to reach those goals can be quite different.
What is a social entrepreneur?
The answer is simple: a social entrepreneur is someone with the aim to build an enterprise to develop, implement or fund solutions to environmental, cultural or social issues. This approach successfully tackles social problems while generating a profit for shareholders.
Risks and rewards for social entrepreneurs
Since social entrepreneurs create their own businesses and brands, the risk of failure is higher, but so is the potential return. Social entrepreneurs enjoy the freedom of choosing the purpose of their enterprises, and where to focus their efforts. Examples of this include educational programs, finance institutions or providing services and products in areas that have been overlooked or not granted access to basic essentials that are available in more developed communities.
What is an intrapreneur?
An intrapreneur is a manager within an existing company who supports and promotes the development of innovative products. Being part of a larger business provides more stability and a lower risk, but also limits the freedom a social entrepreneur enjoys.
Social intrapreneur, a new hybrid hero
On the rise beside social entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs is a new hybrid hero: the social intrapreneur.
A social intrapreneur is an innovative thinking employee who develops a profitable new product, service or business model which creates value for society and the company they work for. As traditional business models face challenges such as slow growth in established markets and pressure from new emerging technologies, some companies see social intrapreneurship as a way to stay competitive.
What do social entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs have in common?
Creating a positive change in society through initiatives that solve social problems is the driving force behind social entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs.
Social entrepreneurs club Malmö
The social entrepreneurs club in Malmö is a meet-up group of around 500 members joined together by wanting to create a positive change for society. Through a monthly exchange of knowledge the social entrepreneurs club aims to provide support for individuals and start-ups with innovative ideas. As the world faced a new situation during the 2020 pandemic, the events for the social entrepreneurs club have been a combination of virtual and in person in order to accomodate our members and be safe at the same time..
The idea is that anyone can start a new innovative business around the world, allowing more social businesses to be connected with each other across borders.
Join the next event and find the support you need to bring your innovative ideas to life!
If you are someone wanting to start or scale your own business and are passionate about creating a better world through your products or services then book a time below and lets chat about how I can help you to reach your goals.