Q&A talks about social enterprise with Kate Emery, president and CEO of Walker Systems Support in Farmington. She is the driving force behind the Social Enterprise Trust and its upcoming “Beyond Business as Usual” on Oct. 5.
Q: What is a social enterprise business?
A: An organization that does business to create social good. It is a hybrid between the traditional for-profit business model and the nonprofit model. There are as many variations in the goals and methods of different social enterprise ventures, but all share these core values:
• Social responsibility
• Transparency
• Fair and equitable compensation
• Local job creation
• Net positive social impact
• Balance people, purpose, planet, & profit
Q: What is Social Enterprise Trust? What are some of its goals?
A: reSET (Social Enterprise Trust) is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote, preserve and protect social enterprise as an idea and as business reality. Our goal is to make Connecticut a hub of social enterprise through a multi-faceted approach: job creation, favorable legislation, education, research, investment support, incubation services and advocacy.
• We want to see social enterprise being taught in all Connecticut colleges and universities.
• We want to see young graduates be able to find exciting, and rewarding jobs in Connecticut, jobs that provide a living wage and a way to make a difference.
• We want to see Connecticut energized and proud of being a hub of social enterprise.
• We want the aspiring social entrepreneur to find in our incubator the resources and support he or she needs to be successful at changing the world through business.
• We want to provide funding for great ideas that will solve our communities’ problems through business.
• We want to see more nonprofit organizations become self-sustaining through social enterprise.
Q: Social Enterprise Trust is sponsoring “Beyond Business as Usual” on Oct. 5 at The Hartford Club. On your website, the phrase used is “It’s Time To Celebrate, Educate & Germinate Social Enterprise.” How does one celebrate and germinate at the same time?
A: Because our participants will encompass a broad range of social entrepreneurs along the spectrum — some already established and successful, to those who are just beginning their businesses — these two concepts fit really well. Our workshops will enable those just starting out to learn from those who have been at it awhile. For those looking to learn more about social enterprise, there will be many opportunities to learn from successful social entrepreneurs and specialists. For budding social entrepreneurs, there will be opportunities to meet people who can help them take their first, next steps, and guide them through the scary, exciting process of getting started. For those who are already shining examples, it is an opportunity to spread the word and have the spotlight on the work they’re doing and the example they are setting.
Q: Your keynote speaker is Robert Egger. Why did you select him to lead the charge for social enterprise?
A: Robert Egger, founder and president of DC Central Kitchen, was selected because of his remarkable personal path and history as a social entrepreneur. He is a man who began as a struggling kitchen worker in a restaurant and saw the need to break the cycle of unemployment and hunger. His highly-successful, nationally recognized on-the-job training and catering business started in 1989 has produced over 23 million meals and helped 800 men and women gain full-time employment.
Q: The last part of the event before the cocktail reception is the Dolphin Tank. What the heck is that all about?
A: The Dolphin Tank is a gentler version of the televised Shark Tank, in which we will have a panel of experts asks question of and offer advice to aspiring social entrepreneurs. It will be an opportunity for the participants to show their stuff. It will be informative and entertaining for the audience.
Q: How receptive is Greater Hartford to social enterprise? What are people’s impressions of it when you discuss it?
A: Connecticut has a long history of social innovation. Harriet Beecher Stowe single-handedly opened the eyes of many people to the wrongfulness of slavery. Connecticut is the birthplace of the Boys and Girls Clubs. We are home to the first public museum and the first public park. So to me, social enterprise is a natural for a state with this kind of history. Social Enterprise is not a new idea and in fact legislation recognizing this structure has already passed in nine states, including Rhode Island and Vermont, two federal Indian Tribes and is pending in 15 other states. The model is so popular in England that they have a Minister of Social Enterprise. Still, it is a new concept here.
Q: Is there an example of an enterprise starting out as social and becoming mainstream? Or are social enterprises typically niche enterprises that don’t have long-term growth potential?
A: There are many great examples: Newman’s Own, Toms Shoes and Ten Thousand Villages. These are all social enterprise ventures that have proven to be financially and socially successful, scalable, and mainstream.