Welcome to Social Change Nation
If you're a startup Social Entrepreneur, then you've found yourself in the right place. This is THE community for cause based leaders who want to make a dollar AND a difference.
This start page is where you get the ball rolling...so, check out our 'What is Social Entrepreneurship' video below, then read a bit about what we do and who we do it for.
What is Social Entrepreneurship?
This ain't corporate social responsibility or philanthropy like you probably know it - we in cause based business hold ourselves to a different standard, here's what makes us unique:
- We Start with Story - Yes we're entrepreneurs, we've got business smarts, but that's not what fundamentally drives us. We got into this business because we have a social cause that we care deeply about - one that burns so fully inside us that it was impossible for us to ignore.
- Social Mission = Business Mission - For us, our social and economic missions run in tandem. For example, LSTN Headphones exists so that the world may hear AND so that the world may have amazing headphones made from sustainable materials.
- We're AND agents - For us, it's not "either we build a great business, or we devote ourselves to a cause", we do both, and we love it. We seek and solutions to society's most pressing problems - we have a business and a social mission - create profit and purpose - we make a dollar AND a difference.
- We Build Crusades - Our customers are our crusaders. They buy fully into our products and our purpose. They devote themselves to our cause just as we have - and use our brand to spread our mission throughout their communities.
How Can you get Plugged In?
1.) Check out our podcast. It features interviews with the world's leading social entrepreneurs. What better way to learn about this amazing world than from people in the trenches? Click any of the buttons below to listen in:
2.) Have a look at our resources page. It's the most comprehensive page out there for a startup social entrepreneur. Check it out to get the tools that no change agent should be without. Click the button below to go straight there.
3.) Check out the SCN Manifesto:
-We provide thoughtful, inspiring, and useful content for business that makes a dollar AND a difference. We interview social entrepreneurs from all over the world –these people are changing the world, and we want to learn from them – what works, what doesn’t, and what drives them so that we can provide the best advice possible.
-We believe that everyone can start doing something right now to change the world. This mantra is the fiber of our being – it is the mojo that holds this entire organization together. Because of this, we interview all kinds of folks, from social entrepreneurs who are running multinational social service organizations to the guy (or gal) down the street who got fed up with a social injustice in your neighborhood, and found an innovative solution to it.
- We will CHALLENGE you to become a part of this movement. A pitiful number of people are involved in social change – Social Change Nation WILL TRANSFORM THAT. We will not shy away from calling out and criticizing individuals and organizations who should be doing something, but are doing nothing. Don’t be shocked if something here makes you uncomfortable or uneasy – that’s good. Social Change is that way.
-We don’t shy from tough conversations. Not because we have all the answers, but because we must stimulate discussion on social justice if we seek social change.
-You don’t get a free pass for being a non-profit. We never assume an organization is automatically doing good because it is a ‘non-profit’ – all organizations we feature will be challenged to show that they are engaged in for purpose work, regardless of their economic model.
-Business is not automatically evil. In fact, socially minded businesses who focus on making a dollar AND a difference can be the greatest force for good in our society – transforming systems takes influence, strength, and sway with people. Businesses have this.
-Profit is not bad. To the contrary, it can be the key to an organization that sustainably and effectively resolves social problems. Organizations must seek not only to create social good, but also to measure it and weave it into the fabric of who they are. It is when these components are lacking that profits can give way to greed and injustice.
-We are not a tool for politicians. Our philosophy is just that: ours. We are not beholden to any Democrat, Republican, Tea Partier, Liberal, Greener, or Libertarian. Social Change Nation belongs to this nation. We speak TRUTH.
-We will change business as usual. Social change is possible – moreso than ever before. Social Change Nation vows to use every tool at its disposal to build and engage an army committed to social change.
-We will shift the course of humanity. Is that a bold statement? Yes, it is. But our time is now. Never before in the history of human interaction have we been presented with a better opportunity to build a social justice community. Never before have we had the resolution of so many social problems at our fingertips. Never before has my destiny been so dependent on yours. Because of this, Social Change Nation’s goal is nothing less than this: the establishment of universal social justice.