Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/54913
tain way of looking at the world. That's because, as Oxford's Hartigan says, "the best way to get students infected with the social entrepreneurship virus is to bring successful entrepreneurs to campus to share their experiences." At NC State, to introduce stu- dents to many different sectors where entrepreneurship is essential, Townsend brings in speakers from industries as diverse as energy and biomedicine. At TCU, students learn about entrepreneurs like John Mackey of Whole Foods and Tony Hsieh of Zappos, who have created wildly successful enterprises built on expressed values. But they also meet more local heroes. "I find people in the community who are doing stunning things, and invite them in to tell their stories," says Smilor. "That's a powerful way to help students understand the key elements involved in social entrepre- neurship and for outsiders to com- municate the spirit and challenge of running a social enterprise." Students also have a chance to meet role models in a TCU class billed as the "entrepreneur's road trip." They tour the state visiting companies to learn what makes them successful and how the owners have engaged with the community in ways that reflect their values. 5. Take it outside the classroom. In 2010, Babson launched an initia- tive called From Day One: Making a Difference, an all-day event that took place directly after freshman orienta- tion. During the day, students could participate in a variety of activities related to social responsibility and entrepreneurship, including complet- ing service work with nonprofits, hearing guest executive speakers, and 30 May/June 2011 BizEd watching video snippets of social entrepreneurs discussing their busi- nesses. At lunch, food services sup- plier Sodexo provided a meal that was completely sustainable, locally sourced when possible, and labeled so students could see the origins of menu items. The day was capped off with a presentation by Ron and Arnie Koss, organic food icons who founded Earth's Best baby food. "Students could choose which activities to participate in, but we provided this 'marketplace of social entrepreneurship' to let them know this is what Babson is all about," says Kiser. From Day One is part of Bab- son's effort to integrate its SEERS approach—a focus on social envi- ronmental economic responsibility and sustainability—into every aspect of the curriculum and school expe- rience. The school underscores its commitment to social entrepreneur- ship with optional evening programs that cover topics such as cleantech and sustainable food sourcing. Intro- ducing freshmen to this focus during their orientation, explains Kiser, is one way that the school makes it clear from the beginning how closely it focuses on social innovation. 6. Offer real-world experiences. Any educational experience is richer when students can learn by doing, and that's true for social entrepreneurship as well. In one Babson course, a professor takes students to Turkey, where they write case studies about social entrepreneurship in that country. In another Babson course, fresh- men take turns pitching ideas to the class, which chooses two. Then students divide into teams to create those companies, choose their busi- ness strategies, source and manu- facture their products, sell them, repay their loans, and use those funds to give back to society. 7. Prepare students for a wide range of jobs. Graduates with a passion for social entrepreneurship no longer have to look for jobs within a narrow range Nonprofits and For-Profits David Townsend is an assistant professor at NC State, which recently received a US$40 million naming gift for the Poole College of Management. Part of the money, Townsend says, will be used to expand the school's focus on entrepreneur- ship and sustainability. While many people give lip service to the profitable aspects of social entrepre- neurship, that's not enough. Capital markets for for-profit ventures are far larger than they are for nonprofits. If we could leverage all that capital and turn a profit that benefits the shareholders and simultaneously drastically improves the lives of people around the world, we would have the classic win-win. My research is focused on recognizing that social entrepreneurship isn't linked to the nonprofit organizational form. I think it's critical for more research to address how busi- ness models are formed and what effect they have on firms, particularly if companies have double- or triple-bottom-line goals and multiple shareholders. Those issues will affect how firms organize, how they set up value chains, how they manage operations and accounting. I expect a lot of discussion around this topic in the next few years.