50 Social Enterprise Tips

Interviews with Entrepreneurs Changing the World

— July 16, 2014 — Social Good
One of our readers' favorite parts of SocialBusiness.org is definitely all of the social enterprise tips that arise from our interviews. More than mere tips, however, they're stories. They're normal people who were born -- or became -- entrepreneurs. They work hard. They fail. They have high hopes for their social innovations because what else could you do? Well, working usually trumps hoping and lots of the entrepreneurs we interview count coffee as one of their best friends. The entrepreneur lifestyle is no joke.

Social enterprise tips and creative rituals include: dancing like nobody's watching (Promise or Pay's Jay Boolkin); staying drenched in color (PopNod's Stephanie David); taking action (Omer Khan's Social Startups); and, last but not least, being outside whether it's walking, running and swimming (Pop Up Repair's Sandra Goldmark).
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Popularity
Activity
Freshness
46
Dwight Chestnut of the Middle Class Financial Empowerment Project (INTERVIEW)
Dwight Chestnut of the Middle Class Financial Empowerment Project (INTERVIEW)
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45
Barbara Wolff, Head of the 360° Sustainable Program (INTERVIEW)
Barbara Wolff, Head of the 360° Sustainable Program (INTERVIEW)
VSPT Wine Group
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44
David Robertson, CEO of Talk2One (INTERVIEW)
David Robertson, CEO of Talk2One (INTERVIEW)
Accessible Canadian Communication
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43
Jes McKay Gilmore, Creator of Species Spectrum (INTERVIEW)
Jes McKay Gilmore, Creator of Species Spectrum (INTERVIEW)
Animal-Aware Greeting Card Company
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42
Sandra Goldmark, Creator of Pop Up Repair (INTERVIEW)
Sandra Goldmark, Creator of Pop Up Repair (INTERVIEW)
An Eco-Friendly Mending Store
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41
Dan Gigante, Founder and President of You and Who (INTERVIEW)
Dan Gigante, Founder and President of You and Who (INTERVIEW)
Conscious Wearable Art
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40
Jay Boolkin, Founder of Promise or Pay (INTERVIEW)
Jay Boolkin, Founder of Promise or Pay (INTERVIEW)
Online Motivation Benefiting Charities
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39
Samuel Miller of Bombastic Plastix (INTERVIEW)
Samuel Miller of Bombastic Plastix (INTERVIEW)
Upcycled Goods Made from Balian Plastic Bags
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38
Kimberly Robertson, Chief Seed Sower at Light of Mine (INTERVIEW)
Kimberly Robertson, Chief Seed Sower at Light of Mine (INTERVIEW)
Tees Eradicating Global Hunger
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37
CharitySub (INTERVIEW)
CharitySub (INTERVIEW)
An Online Platform for Simplified Giving
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36
Chase Layman, Creator of ISSSUE (INTERVIEW)
Chase Layman, Creator of ISSSUE (INTERVIEW)
Sustainable Subscription Services
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35
Sarah Chayes, Founder of Arghand Cooperative (INTERVIEW)
Sarah Chayes, Founder of Arghand Cooperative (INTERVIEW)
Afghanistan-Sourced Materials
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34
Stephen King, Founder of SocialBusiness.org (INTERVIEW)
Stephen King, Founder of SocialBusiness.org (INTERVIEW)
A Place to Find Positive Social Change
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33
Stacey Horowitz, Founder of Shopping for a Change (INTERVIEW)
Stacey Horowitz, Founder of Shopping for a Change (INTERVIEW)
Supporting Global Artisans
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32
Dr. Ashton Kaidi, Co-Founder of Marula Beauty (INTERVIEW)
Dr. Ashton Kaidi, Co-Founder of Marula Beauty (INTERVIEW)
A Cosmetic Product with Social Benefits
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31
Tony Fitzpatrick, Creator of Little Footsteps (INTERVIEW)
Tony Fitzpatrick, Creator of Little Footsteps (INTERVIEW)
Early Childhood Educational Campaigns
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30
Eric Shumny, Partnership Manager of Sevenly (INTERVIEW)
Eric Shumny, Partnership Manager of Sevenly (INTERVIEW)
A Generosity-Focused Clothing Company
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29
Mark Hillen, Co-Author of Social Enterprise Unraveled (INTERVIEW)
Mark Hillen, Co-Author of Social Enterprise Unraveled (INTERVIEW)
Book on the Dutch Landscape
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28
Tara Rogerson, Director of Social Enterprise at Evergreen Brick Works (INTERVIEW)
Tara Rogerson, Director of Social Enterprise at Evergreen Brick Works (INTERVIEW)
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27
Jonit Bookheim, Partner at Mata Traders (INTERVIEW)
Jonit Bookheim, Partner at Mata Traders (INTERVIEW)
Facilitating Fair Trade Fashion
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26
Marc Sachdev, Founder and CFO of Aquavation (INTERVIEW)
Marc Sachdev, Founder and CFO of Aquavation (INTERVIEW)
'Motivation Through Hydration'
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25
Zack Rosenberg, Founder and CEO of DoGoodBuyUs (INTERVIEW)
Zack Rosenberg, Founder and CEO of DoGoodBuyUs (INTERVIEW)
'Marketplace for Social Good/s'
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24
Tammy Allen, Founder/CEO of Do Good Get Rewards (INTERVIEW)
Tammy Allen, Founder/CEO of Do Good Get Rewards (INTERVIEW)
Platform to Encourage Volunteers
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23
Yahya Fallah, CEO of Equal for All (INTERVIEW)
Yahya Fallah, CEO of Equal for All (INTERVIEW)
Learn More about the Socially Driven Business Model
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22
Daniel Zing, Co-Founder of recess (INTERVIEW)
Daniel Zing, Co-Founder of recess (INTERVIEW)
Leather Wallets with a Story
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21
Worldstock (INTERVIEW)
Worldstock (INTERVIEW)
In Commemoration of the Passing of World Fair Trade Day
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20
Iman Fadaei, Founder of Ethical Art (INTERVIEW)
Iman Fadaei, Founder of Ethical Art (INTERVIEW)
Fair Trade Artwork Supporting Education
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19
Davis Smith, CEO of Cotopaxi (INTERVIEW)
Davis Smith, CEO of Cotopaxi (INTERVIEW)
Outdoor Gear Benefit Corporation
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18
Alok Appadurai, Founder of Fed by Threads (INTERVIEW)
Alok Appadurai, Founder of Fed by Threads (INTERVIEW)
Providing Meals to Americans in Need
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17
Ajay Godhwani, Founder & CEO of Intuary (INTERVIEW)
Ajay Godhwani, Founder & CEO of Intuary (INTERVIEW)
Verbally for iPad
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16
Bridget Hilton, Founder of LSTN Headphones (INTERVIEW)
Bridget Hilton, Founder of LSTN Headphones (INTERVIEW)
Socially Conscious and Eco-friendly
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15
Stephanie David, Founder of PopNod (INTERVIEW)
Stephanie David, Founder of PopNod (INTERVIEW)
Learn More About This Entrepreneur's Journey
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14
Katherine Neumann, Founder and Director of House of Wandering Silk (INTERVIEW)
Katherine Neumann, Founder and Director of House of Wandering Silk (INTERVIEW)
Social Business
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13
Alli Blum, Director of Marketing (INTERVIEW)
Alli Blum, Director of Marketing (INTERVIEW)
What's New with United By Blue's Partnerships
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12
Matthew Clough, Founder of Stone + Cloth (INTERVIEW)
Matthew Clough, Founder of Stone + Cloth (INTERVIEW)
Ethical Backpack Designer for Tanzania
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11
Alexander Aquino, CEO/President of Barnabas Clothing (INTERVIEW)
Alexander Aquino, CEO/President of Barnabas Clothing (INTERVIEW)
Lifestyle Brand
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10
Omer Khan, Founder of Social Startups (INTERVIEW)
Omer Khan, Founder of Social Startups (INTERVIEW)
A Program for Global Change Makers
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9
Zehra Abbas, Founder of YTGA (INTERVIEW)
Zehra Abbas, Founder of YTGA (INTERVIEW)
Youth Troopers for Global Awareness and Studio89
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8
Ann Oliver, Founder of XENI Collection (INTERVIEW)
Ann Oliver, Founder of XENI Collection (INTERVIEW)
Couture Fashion for the Physically Disabled
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7
Todd Masonis, Co-Founder of Dandelion Chocolate (INTERVIEW)
Todd Masonis, Co-Founder of Dandelion Chocolate (INTERVIEW)
'Bean-to-Bar' Production
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6
Camille van Gestel, Co-Founder and Business Director of WakaWaka (INTERVIEW)
Camille van Gestel, Co-Founder and Business Director of WakaWaka (INTERVIEW)
Safe Light Sources
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5
Alex Hyssen and Andrew Lenjosek, Co-Founders of Koge Vitamins (INTERVIEW)
Alex Hyssen and Andrew Lenjosek, Co-Founders of Koge Vitamins (INTERVIEW)
Changing the Industry
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4
Jimmy Ostholm, Founder & CEO of The Porteur Foundation (INTERVIEW)
Jimmy Ostholm, Founder & CEO of The Porteur Foundation (INTERVIEW)
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3
Merete Mueller, Writer & Producer of The Tiny Documentary (INTERVIEW)
Merete Mueller, Writer & Producer of The Tiny Documentary (INTERVIEW)
Small Home Movement
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2
Calvin Kwok, Designer of STITCH & LOCKE (INTERVIEW)
Calvin Kwok, Designer of STITCH & LOCKE (INTERVIEW)
How This Vegan Men's Wallet is Standing Out
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1
Adriana Herrera, Founder and CEO of Fashioning Change (INTERVIEW)
Adriana Herrera, Founder and CEO of Fashioning Change (INTERVIEW)
People- and Profit-Driven Brands
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