Social entrepreneurs battling

Isolation blamed for depressing influence in emerging countries

SOCIAL entrepreneurs in emerging countries fear their mission to set up businesses that profit while doing good is being hampered by a lack of support networks, leaving them isolated and lonely.

Increasing numbers of social enterprises have emerged globally in recent years, accompanied by a raft of new networks and organisations – so-called “social enterprise ecosystems” – to run events, mentorship schemes, and give advice on funding.

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There are more than 1 000 social entrepreneur accelerator programmes globally, according to Conveners, a US-organisation that lists events and training programmes for the sector that aim to tackle issues ranging from homeless to climate change.

About 180 are in the US, which has one of the largest social enterprise sectors, according to the Miller Centre for Social Entrepreneurs, a US training scheme.

But these ecosystems barely

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exist

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in poorer countries with fast-growing economies, said experts at the 2019 Skoll World Forum, Britain’s leading conference on social entrepreneurship, which they said was holding back growth.

Carla Grados Villamar said she struggled to run two social enterprises she founded in Peru without a support network, so in 2014 she co-founded one.

A 2016 survey of social enterprise experts in 45 countries by the Thomson

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Reuters Foundation found mixed views on whether social entrepreneurs could get the non-financial support needed such as legal and financial advice, training, and coaching.

Singapore, Sweden and Britain were the countries where people were most confident that these services were available.

Michelle Arevalo-Carpenter, CEO and co-founder of Impaqto in Ecuador, said her organisation “fixes loneliness” for social entrepreneurs with a

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co-working space and network.

Anastasiya Litvinova, a social investment consultant, said social entrepreneurs often lacked financial knowledge.

Many social enterprise hubs are styled on the tech startup accelerator and incubators in California’s Silicon Valley, said Erika Wiese, head of portfolio management at South Africa-based Innovation Edge, that invests in businesses to help children. |

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