This article discusses the idea of “Social Entrepreneurship” and how businesses are combining non-profit ideology with the structure and organization of private-run companies.  There is some good commentary on the effectiveness of social entrepreneurs as well as a brief discussion of some of the skills they look to employ.

“Social entrepreneurs achieve high social and economic impact by using innovative business methods to create jobs in low-income or fragile and conflict-affected markets. Because of their strong understanding of the communities they serve, social entrepreneurs will often innovate and iterate to develop a business model that is cost-effective, but also provides value for money in low-income markets. Their products must be validated by their customers for the enterprise to stay in business.”