“Social Impact Entrepreneurs”


This article provides an interesting statistic: “Currently, women make up 39 percent of traditional entrepreneurs in the U.S., but 49 percent of all social entrepreneurs.”

The article discusses the compelling story of Yasmine Mustafa, whose unique experiences inspired her to create ROAR, “the social good company that makes discreet-yet-sleek jewelry items for women that double as alert systems in the face of violence.” For example, “The first product, called Athena, is as big as a quarter, can be worn on a necklace or belt, and sends a signal to friends and family alerting them that you feel unsafe or are in a dangerous situation when you push it like a button.”

The article also discusses the definition of “social entrepreneur,” stating that one definition is “based on criteria offered up by researcher Greg Dees in 2001. The ventures are formed to create and sustain social impact. Founders have a deep sense of commitment to the people they serve and the outcomes they produce — all while pursuing tenets typical of all strong, nimble businesses, with investments in product innovation, adaptation and a conscientious use of resources.” We’ve read about Dees previously, and it was interesting to see how his definition aligns with social innovators in reality.

One thought on ““Social Impact Entrepreneurs”

  1. This is definitely a great idea and this article should the importance of being a social entrepreneur. Yasmine Mustafa’s idea was extremely unique to help integrate the entrepreneurship principles of creating a product that would be socially beneficial as well. If we as entrepreneurs can perceive these ideas into our products, then we would be more aligned with social entrepreneurship to help the world become a better place.