Social Entrepreneur Award Recipients

2014 – Suzi Sosa, VERB  – Awarded the Social Entrepreneur Changemaker Award

2013 – Joyce McDonald, Frameworks Community Development Corp.

2012 – Frank Fernandez, Green Door

2011 – Lisa Fielder, College Forward

2010 – Jerry Davis, Goodwill Industries of Central Texas

2009 – Melvin White, Digital Workforce

2008 – Richard Halpin, American Youthworks

2007 – Steve Jackobs, Capital IDEA

2006 – Susan McDowell, LifeWorks

2005 – Walter Moreau, Foundation Communities

2004 – Margo Weisz, PeopleFund

What is Social Entrepreneurship?

Just as entrepreneurs change the face of business, social entrepreneurs are the change agents for society, tackling a defined social problem, seizing overlooked opportunities by improving systems, inventing new approaches and creating sustainable solutions to transform society for the better.  Social entrepreneurs are constantly searching for superior ways to solve the social problems that plague society (Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship, United Kingdom).

Social entrepreneurship is about innovative, market-oriented approaches to societal challenges underpinned by a passion for social equity and environmental sustainability. Ultimately, social entrepreneurship is aimed at transformational systems change that tackles the root causes of poverty, marginalization, social inequity, individual and community distress, environmental deterioration and accompanying challenges to human dignity.