Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation: International Case Studies and Practice

Social innovation and social entrepreneurship look for creative and affordable solutions to specific societal problems. Fuelled by the spread of the internet and the ubiquity of mobile phones, there are more people working to solve pressing social and environmental problems in the world today than ever before. Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation presents the journeys of pioneering - and often accidental - social innovators who, faced with a problem, used their courage, tenacity and creative thinking to find a solution.Using their own words to reflect upon their experiences, these cases do not gloss over the setbacks and the dead-ends social entrepreneurs can face. Instead, readers will gain a realistic insight into the challenges and an engaging look at the problem-solving mindset needed to overcome them. From a life-saving project to bring solar-powered lighting to midwives in Nigeria, to a news dissemination service that's grown from small beginnings to have a global impact, each case study draws out the lessons learnt by the innovators, providing guidance and advice for those looking to follow in their footsteps. Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation is an invaluable resource for social entrepreneurs and innovators looking for new ideas and insight into what really works - and what doesn't.

About the Author

Bill Drayton is a social entrepreneur and CEO&founder of Ashoka, an international non-profit organisation that promotes social entrepreneurship by affiliating individual social entrepreneurs into the Ashoka organisation. Internationally lauded and recognised as a visionary for pioneering the field of social entrepreneurship, Bill Drayton has been named one of America's 25 Best Leaders by US News&World Report in 2005-6. He has been a speaker at the World Economic Forum, and has addressed audiences around the world.