Issue 42 | Greater Philadelphia's Social Innovations, Social Enterprises, and Public/Private Partnerships

Dear Readers,

Jean Monnet, the architect of European Unification said, “People of ambition fall into two groups: those who want to do something and those who want to be someone.” Many social entrepreneurs spend decades quietly, steadily, and unremittingly advancing their ideas, influencing people in small groups or one-on-one. Often, they become recognized only after years of working in relative obscurity. A person must have a very pure motivation to push an idea so steadily for so long with so little fanfare.  

This edition celebrates Greater Philadelphia Social Sector Leaders and Social Entrepreneurs as they often go without the recognition they deserve as they are too busy “doing” and creating change than promoting themselves. This edition recognizes these people as "the mavericks" who refuse to accept the status quo as they look at the world, are dissatisfied with what they see, and resolve to change it. They are both dreamers and doers; imagining a brighter future and setting about making that dream into a reality. They are true social entrepreneurs; innovators who are passionate and resourceful, who are prepared to take risks and who apply their energy, drive, and ambition to effecting social change...” ¹

We hope this edition and its articles will inspire social innovators to continue sharing their ideas and inspiring new ideas across the globe. Join us on this journey to change the world in the belief that the potential for good ideas to inspire more good ideas cannot be underestimated and the value that entrepreneurs and innovators bring to local communities and regions across the nation needs to be harnessed and shared. Please take the time to read and share these articles which, ideally, will provide you with the inspiration, knowledge, and tools to become a civically-minded innovator to improve your local, regional, and/or national health, education, social mobility, and human services challenges to ensure dignity and respect for everyone.

Sincerely,

Nicholas Torres
Tine Hansen-Turton
Co-Founders

¹  http://www.socialentrepreneurs.ie/pages/social-entrepreneurs.php

The Social Innovations Journal’s mission is to promote innovative ideas and incubate social innovation and thought leadership (i.e. teaching leaders “how” to think and not “what” to think) to spark a culture of innovation to create new models and systems change. The Social Innovations Journal (SIJ) takes a regional approach to sourcing social innovations and enterprises. Since 2008, SIJ has published hundreds of articles and convened thousands of people to discuss social innovations and social sector models at the local level. SIJ has a regional, national, and global following reaching millions of readers across the globe daily. 

Issue 42