By: Shanza Anwaar
Are you an entrepreneur looking for a challenge?
Do you want to make a real difference in your community?
Social innovation allows entrepreneurs to take advantage of new opportunities in order to create lasting social change. The Centre for Social Innovation describes the concept as a way to “resolve existing social, cultural, economic and environmental challenges for the benefit of people and planet.” Altitude Accelerator is deeply committed to supporting both innovation in the traditional sense as well as this evolving concept of social innovation. We offer comprehensive seminars and networking opportunities for innovators to thrive in their fields. If you are an entrepreneur interested in pursuing a social innovation, read below for current trends in this field:
1. Resourceful Funding for Social Entrepreneurs
Perhaps the ultimate dilemma for social innovators is sustaining funds to remain relevant in industries driven by profit. Government Grants, Seed Funding, Crowdfunding and Fundraising are a few of the methods through which social entrepreneurs get capital.
2. An International Network of Social Entrepreneurs
Social innovation has generally operated on a global scale. Hence, international bodies, such as the Social Capital Markets, have been formed to create co-operation between like-minded social enterprises from around the world.
3. Product-Driven Ideas
Service-based social organizations are focusing more on creating products to generate social change. An example of a social product is a ‘low cost portable incubator for babies in the developing world.’
4. Social Evolution as a Professional Career
Social entrepreneurship is now making its presence felt in the academic sphere. Several universities, including New York University, offer programs on social entrepreneurship.
On January 25th, Altitude Accelerator has partnered with Sheridan Applied Research and Innovation as well as HalTech Regional Innovation Centre to bring you Social Innovation with Kanika Gupta. Kanika Gupta, named one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women and founder of social startup Sojo, will be speaking about social entrepreneurship, innovation and how to get started. Register here and learn how to make the world a better place.
Shanza joins the RIC team as a Social Media Intern. Pursuing two undergraduate majors in anthropology and professional writing at the University of Toronto Mississauga, Shanza is also a co-editor and content writer at the Digital Enterprise Management Society. She hopes to make her mark as a Social Media Consultant.
The RIC blog is designed as a showcase for entrepreneurs and innovation. Our guest bloggers provide a wealth of information based on their personal and professional experiences. Visit Altitude Accelerator for more information on how RIC can accelerate your ideas to market.
