Colloquium for Social Entrepreneurs

The Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) has established the Colloquium for Social Entrepreneurs. Their website has fully detailed coverage. Below are four of the core items, giving you an idea of some of the wonderful value that this dialogue circle has established:

Contents
1. What is Social Entrepreneurship?
2. Mission
3. Key Components
4. Target Audience

1. What is social entrepreneurship?
Social Entrepreneurs play the role of change agents in the social sector by:
adopting a mission to create and sustain social value (not just private value)
recognising and relentlessly pursuing new opportunities to serve that mission
engaging in a process of continuous innovation, adaptation, and learning
acting boldly without being limited by resources currently in hand, and
exhibiting a heightened sense of accountability to the constituencies served and for the outcomes created.
(J Gregory Dees, director of the Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business)

2. Mission
The Colloquium for Social Entrepreneurs (CSE) has a threefold mission:
To build capacity among social entrepreneurs and their stakeholders, enabling them to be more effective through practical skills development and networking opportunities
To increase awareness about social entrepreneurship among practitioners and in broader society, including the business school community and the business sector as a whole
To build a body of knowledge and a theory towards social change that communicates the relevance and application of social entrepreneurship.

3. Key components
‘Building to Last’ Strategy Programme
‘Building to Last’ is the flagship of the CSE programme. The objective of ‘Building to Last’ is to present the delegates with an intensive learning experience that highlights the role of the social entrepreneur at an individual, community and organisational level. Delegates consist of a peer grouping of social entrepreneurs who occupy strategic leadership positions.
Management Seminars
The Management Seminars are aimed at supporting specific social entrepreneurship needs that are currently lacking at an individual level. By addressing these needs, the CSE believes it is supporting the capacity and innovation of social entrepreneurs in addressing the organisational challenges they encounter.
Networking Events
The networking events create interfacing opportunities with fellow social entrepreneurs, the public and private sector. The networking events play numerous roles that including popularising the notion of social entrepreneurs, clarifying the needs of social entrepreneurs, creating a networking platform for social entrepreneurs to find common ground and align their work more closely.
Research: Building Knowledge in the area of Social Entrepreneurship
In the past year, the Colloquium of Social Entrepreneurship at GIBS has developed a significant body of original content in the burgeoning field of social entrepreneurship. This content includes 19 personal stories profiling individual social entrepreneurs, three academic case studies expanding on the successes and challenges of various social entrepreneurs, and a wealth of isolated documents that pull together relevant international research. To date, the CSE has developed 3 business case studies that focus on the stories of social entrepreneurs within the context of leadership and strategy. They can be accessed through the GIBS Information Centre.

4. Target Audience
Primary Focus: Social Entrepreneurs
Social Entrepreneurs are the target audience of the CSE. The core group is primarily engaged through the research and networking arms of the CSE. In most cases, social entrepreneurs have already acquired the necessary skills and are well networking within and outside of the sector. There are two main areas to tap into in enlarging the primary focus of the CSE. The first is to regionalise the CSE to include SADC. The second is to attract more social entrepreneurs who are on the fringes of the primary focus. This includes social entrepreneurs who are operating within a business context.
Periphery 1: Non Profit Leaders: NGOs and CBOs
While not a primary focus area, Non Profit Leaders are attracted to the CSE because of the affordable and relevant organisational skills development on offer. In addition, the CSE provides a strong networking opportunity to these individuals within their sector and at an interfacing level with other sectors. The CSE does not have a strong network of CBO leaders.
Periphery 2: Public and Private Sector Leaders
This secondary focus area is one that the CSE can expand on in order to popularise the notion of social entrepreneurs and how best to support them. This can include interfacing sessions between social entrepreneurs / private sector, social entrepreneurs / public sector

Go to their website>> for the full contents of what they offer.

* At last a place where meaningful dialogue can openly take place!
* What are your thoughts?