This article, “50 Inspirational Entrepreneurs to Watch in 2017,” is particularly relevant given our recent class discussions about industries that are struggling despite doing everything right. We’ve compared and contrasted and general national framework of what is necessary for growth with the entrepreneurial framework for what is necessary for growth. This article aligns with those common discussion topics.

The article states: “There are an incredible number of people moving and shaking the existing global business environment. They’re doing this by disrupting industries that previously were starting to feel a bit stale to those in those industries or reliant on their products and services. These entrepreneurs’ passion is all about injecting excitement and enthusiasm into their industries by tackling many of the business- and consumer-focused issues that have yet to be solved.”

The article describes 50 entrepreneurs whose innovations align with Christensen’s depiction of “disruptive innovation.” Describing the entrepreneurial endeavors of Ekta Sahasi, for example, the vice president of the U.S. Business Innovation Center, the article states: “[H]er team seeks out new places to invest in disruptive technology that can advance the company’s competitive advantage.”

The article also focuses on cultural aspects of entrepreneurial innovation, which we discussed in depth after watching Poverty, Inc. Again speaking of Ekta Sahasi, for example, the article notes: “Sahasi helps startups understand how they can enter Asian markets and work within those cultural parameters.” This focus on “cultural parameters” is present in the majority of entrepreneurs listed, reiterating our class discussion that success is most likely when entrepreneurs truly understand the mission of their work and are a part of the very system that they are trying to change.

Also notable is that many of the entrepreneurs listed are involved in more than one company. For example, the article states of Roger Bryan: “Bryan is a serial entrepreneur with two successful exits: a marketing agency and an ecommerce business.” Perhaps unsurprisingly, however, given that we’ve often discussed and blogged about articles stating that the best entrepreneurs are those who “do what they know,” it seems like there is overlap between the multiple companies where a single entrepreneur takes on responsibility. For example, the above example of Roger Bryan shows that the two different companies may require similar knowledge, as marketing it a part of ecommerce.

Finally, many of the entrepreneurs listed are social entrepreneurs—and many draw on their own experiences in creating their mission. Perhaps most striking is Annie Lobert. The article states of Lobert: “Lobert is founder of Hookers for Jesus, which helps women like the founder, who herself was a victim of sex trafficking and became a drug addict, struggling to survive. The organization provides programs to help women get off the street and away from sex trafficking by offering counseling, support and a way to heal from these traumatic experiences.” Her path to social entrepreneurship is very personally connected to her background.

Not only is it fascinating to read about these entrepreneurs’ very different paths to success, but it is also interesting to see that the article’s insight into these different individuals overlaps with our class conversations and blog.