I will continue to update this post with more information about social entrepreneurship.

What is a social entrepreneur?

I define a social entrepreneur as follows:
Social entrepreneurs build businesses that unlock resources for previously underserved populations.
Don’t just take my word for it, though:

• Ashoka defines social entrepreneur
• Schwab Foundation answers the question, “What is a social entrepreneur?”
• Skoll World Forum tells us about social entrepreneurship
• Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship answers, “What is social entrepreneurship?“, and also, “Who are social entrepreneurs?” on the same page
• What is a social enterprise? By the Social Enterprise Alliance
• Stanford Social Innovation Review (SSIR) makes a case for definition
• Unreasonable tells us why they don’t like the term social entrepreneurship

What is the difference between an entrepreneur and a social entrepreneur?

Traditional entrepreneurs use profit models to accumulate personal wealth. Social entrepreneurs use profit models to sustain projects which tackle social problems like inequality and climate change.
Both use traditional business models to generate revenue. The entrepreneur starts her company with the end goal of generating revenue. The social entrepreneur notices a need in the community and creates value for the citizens, and then attaches a revenue model to sustain the value creation.

Social Enterprise Reading List

I collected the most comprehensive social enterprise reading list just for you.