Vandra Thorburn went into business for herself later in life – at 62 – motivated by both a cause and being laid off from her job. Necessity is the mother of invention!

A Nonprofit Case Study: Nonprofit Taps Technology Benefits to Improve Services and Save Money, Time

by Geri Stengel on Jul 29, 2010 - 7:00am

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It's hard to believe but true: Some nonprofits aren't taking full advantage of technology. But perhaps they'll be inspired by the experience of the Council of Senior Centers and Services, a New York-based advocacy group.

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Social Entrepreneurs Find Business Ideas in Their Own Needs

by Geri Stengel on Oct 22, 2009 - 1:13pm

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An idea, a passion, an observation: Any one of these can change your life and, depending on how you handle it, many other lives as well. Take Kyle Berner: He combined his own desire for comfort – flip-flops – with the desire to create social change. Voila! Feelgoodz Flip Flops was born.

Celebrity Entrepreneur Shows His Grit

by Geri Stengel on Aug 12, 2009 - 10:55am

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Not sure many of you would think a former t-shirt salesman would have much in common with Isaac Newton, but they both have grit. One went on to discover the mechanics of gravity and the other became a TV icon. In my last blog post, Grit: The Must Have Quality for All Entrepreneurs, I talked about the importance of perseverance as the crucial ingredient for success.

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Entrepreneurship: Bringing the American Dream Abroad

by Geri Stengel on Aug 4, 2009 - 11:10am

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I know it’s been in the news a lot, but the facts often bear repeating:

entrepreneurs create new jobs at a faster rate than larger companies
entrepreneurs develop new products and services
entrepreneurs innovate processes and approaches improving the way we get things done
entrepreneurs (re)invigorate economies

Kitchen Incubator Serves Up Profits for Entrepreneurs and Nonprofits

by Geri Stengel on Jul 23, 2009 - 1:37pm

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Food industry veteran Kathrine Gregory conceived Mi Kitchen es su Kitchen in 1996, as a time-share rental facility available for up-and-coming food entrepreneurs. However, over time, what has evolved is another business model, which provides extra income to nonprofits that have commercial kitchens that are underutilized.

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A Social Entrepreneur Turns Children Into Young Heroes

by Geri Stengel on May 27, 2009 - 9:47pm

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I suppose you could say all social entrepreneurs are heroes, but only one has started an organization to support and acknowledge other heroes. These heroes are far too young to have taken on this responsibility, for they’re responsible for their own care and feeding: They have been left orphaned after their parents died of AIDS in the country that has the world’s highest rate of HIV/AIDS.

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Room by Room: Making a Social Impact Meets Reality Show

by Geri Stengel on May 26, 2009 - 8:35am

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You never know where and when you’ll meet a kindred spirit. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised that I met one on the online. After all, making connections with like-minded people is what the Internet is all about.

There Is Never a Bad Time to Start Up a Company

by Geri Stengel on May 21, 2009 - 10:58am

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Recently I presented at the New Haven, CT Professional Net Impact chapter at Yale University. The task at hand: talking about why starting a company during the biggest recession since the Great Depression isn’t crazy.

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Social Enterprise 101: Lessons Learned From a Bunch of Jerks

by Geri Stengel on Apr 16, 2009 - 4:57pm

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Tucked away in the verdant hills of St Ann, Jamaica, just 30 minutes outside of the tourist mecca of Ocho Rios, is a quaint village with some remarkable lessons to share about entrepreneurialism, job-creation, sustainability and profit-making.