Social entrepreneurship aims to address issues and create social value. If you want to be involved, the SE minor is a great way to start! We are often asked, so what exactly is social entrepreneurship? Our SE Fellows are here to help demystify the term and introduce you to a program aimed at preparing the next generation of leaders to tackle the world’s toughest social problems.

With social entrepreneurship, profit generation and social impact are not distinct. The field aims to create sustained social value by addressing a wide variety of problems ranging from economic, environmental, cultural, social, etc. A question we often receive is how a social entrepreneur differs from a regular entrepreneur, and the difference is rooted in their end goal. As a generalization, a typical entrepreneur aims to maximize profit margins, while a social entrepreneur measures value through sustained social benefit. 

The SE minor program is UVA’s best introduction to the field. It gives students access to a wide range of disciplines to guide their exploration of social problems. Gearing them with business knowledge and design thinking skills, students graduating from this minor have a greater understanding of how to financially support change. As of 2023, the program is application based and has one prerequisite: ENTP 1010. And in total, it requires 15 credits for completion, with two concentration/capstone courses to receive the SE specialization. 

If this short summary sounds interesting to you — continue reading to hear one of our SE student fellow’s take on the discipline!

A perspective from current SE Fellow Drew Rummel

Social entrepreneurship is something that I am very passionate about and hope to participate in throughout my career one way or another. To me, social entrepreneurship is about the ability to challenge oneself to solve large problems with local solutions. It's about creating positive social and environmental impact through innovative business models that address a specific issue.

One of the things I appreciate most about social entrepreneurship is the emphasis on local collaboration. When tackling big problems, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed and isolated. But social entrepreneurship recognizes the importance of working together with the people around us to make real change happen. By collaborating with local communities, we can better understand the specific challenges and opportunities that exist and create targeted solutions that make a real difference.

In my experience, social entrepreneurship has also been a powerful way to challenge my perspective and grow my mindset through interacting with people of different backgrounds. By working with diverse teams and engaging with stakeholders from a range of backgrounds, I have gained new insights and expanded my understanding of the complex issues we are working to address.

Another aspect of social entrepreneurship that I find particularly compelling is the idea that while you are working on your enterprise or venture, you are generating impact for others. Rather than waiting for others to solve the problems we see around us, social entrepreneurship empowers us to take action and make a positive difference. By creating sustainable business models that generate both social and financial returns, we can create a lasting impact that benefits the communities we serve.

Finally, social entrepreneurship is incredibly versatile, and can be implemented in any area of interest. Whether you are passionate about medicine, the environment, engineering, technology, travel, or sports, there are opportunities to create innovative business models that address important social and environmental challenges. This flexibility allows social entrepreneurship to be a truly inclusive and accessible approach to creating social impact.

In summary, social entrepreneurship is a powerful way to create positive social and environmental impact through innovative business models that address specific issues. By emphasizing local collaboration, challenging our perspectives, and creating sustainable impact, social entrepreneurship has the potential to transform communities and drive meaningful change.