Social entrepreneurship is hot! Whether you've purchased a pair of Toms Shoes, enjoyed a latte from Denver's Purple Door Coffee, or grabbed lunch at Cafe 180 on South Broadway, you've supported the growing movement of social ventures changing lives through business. Across the metro area churches, nonprofits, and entrepreneurs aspire to offer a "hand-up rather than a hand-out", but how do we do it well?
How can social entrepreneurs faithfully combine profit and purpose, margin and mission?
Effective social ventures redefine “charity” by increasing a community’s performance capacity. As Don Eberly explains in “Philanthropy, Civil Society, and the Cultivation of Social Capital”:
Under the highest standards of human dignity, the most caring philanthropic work would produce free, independent, self-sufficient living in community that cared deeply about the demands of human dignity. Human progress requires a focus less on the fragmentary pieces of social problem-solving, and more on building societies in which the individual can truly go as far as his talents and motivation will carry him; a society, in other words, in which the obstacles to human development are steadily declining. (Emphasis added.)
Beginning this Thursday, Denver Institute for Faith & Work will host a three-session seminar series to help social entrepreneurs (or budding entrepreneurs) deepen their thinking regarding job creation, Christian distinctives of social entrepreneurship, and best practices in the metro area. We’ll investigate how Scripture provides a framework for social entrepreneurship and learn from social ventures in our own community.
Join us to deepen your understanding and connect with other entrepreneurs! We will meet from 12:00-1:30 pm at Hope Community Church to discuss the following topics on the dates listed below:
Thursday, 7/16: “Defining Social Enterprise” – Speaker: Professor David Beefus, Northwest College, author Where There Are No Jobs
Thursday, 7/30: “Christian Distinctives of Social Enterprise” – Speaker: Chris Horst, Hope International
Thursday, 8/13: “Next Steps for Social Enterprise in Denver” – Facilitator: Dan Kaskubar, Hope Community Church
Space is still available--Please visit the DIFW website to register. Attendance at all three sessions is encouraged, but discounted registration is available for those only able to attend two sessions (contact joanna.meyer@denverinstitute.org for details.)
