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from the editors Business with Passion M y friend Lee has a master's degree in social work, a passion for social justice, and a teenage son with Asperger's syndrome. He's fast approaching his 18th birthday, at which point he'll age out of the public school system, into a world with a paucity of services for adults on the autism spectrum. Lee has been seized by a new ambition: to found an agency that will support these individuals and their families as they look for jobs, housing, and social services. She's not sure where to begin—but she's auditing a social entrepreneurship class at Washington University in St. Louis as she figures it out. She's picked the right field of study as a place to start. "Social entrepreneurship combines opportunities, resourcefulness, and leverage to create markets where they don't exist because of market failure or government failure," says Pamela Hartigan of the University of Oxford in the U.K. Social entrepreneurs are launch- ing enterprises intended to address needs as diverse as combating infant mortality and providing clean drinking water—and more business schools are offering pro- grams designed to educate and support these entrepreneurs. At the same time, more schools are stressing the business side of socially focused ventures, ensuring that the enterprises are not grant-dependent, but self-sustaining—even profitable. Such an approach allows even young entrepreneurs just entering the work- force to give back to society without waiting until they've earned enough money working at jobs that might pay more but be less fulfilling. In this issue of BizEd, we present several articles that focus on social entrepreneurship and the role of business in society. "Profit and Pur- About This Issue If you think BizEd looks different, you're right! We're officially launching our redesign with the May issue, which many of you will see for the first time at AACSB's ICAM in New York. Our fresh new look includes a cover design that emphasizes the topics most important to business schools today. It also features more quick-read items and bullet points to make it easier for readers to quickly find information. The makeover is just one of the ways we're celebrating BizEd's ten years in publication. Drop by www.bizedmagazine.com and let us know what you think! pose" examines the changing nature of social entrepreneurship through the eyes of five business educators. "Case in Point" takes a closer look at two very different social entrepreneurship programs in place at Rutgers Business School and the Wharton School. "Lives, Not Just Livelihoods" offers dean Carolyn Woo's very personal perspective on the compact businesses and business schools must make with the world at large. My friend Lee will face daunting challenges as she attempts to create a new agency in a space where almost nothing has existed before. But if business schools can turn idealists with social agendas into successful entrepreneurs, they can help redirect both business and society. 6 May/June 2011 BizEd RAQUITA HENDERSON