The Power Of unreasonable people
-How social enterprises create markets that change the worldWhen I started the book I got confused with the title. So the first thing I needed to
do is understand the title… What does unreasonable meen?
Unreasonable: (Un)Reasonable: No reason? , No why? Without Logic.
So after reading the book, this is the idea I have of unreasonable people: the
people who doesn´t want to accept the world as it is, its logic and want to
change the actual situation through social innovation.
This is a book with lot of data of social innovators, and while I was reading, many
times I wondered the fact of being so many good initiatives in the world and not
having heard anything about them. Unfortunately in the media we are mostly
used to see the world´s problems. But what about the solutions?
So my reflection here is, you don't need to go so far, just in TS we complain much
more easily than we build solutions. Most of the times we need to say: “Hey, let´s
bring a solution” or “Yes, and”.
So why not to change the way the media inform us with just the problems and
push them to show us the solutions. In this book there are great solutions that the
world should know.
Why people is unreasonable?
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Because they want to change the system.
Because they are insanely
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Because they are driven by emotion.
Because they think they know the future.
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Because they seek profit in unprofitable pursuits.
Because they ignore the evidence.
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Because they try to measure the unmeasurable.
Because they are unqualified.
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Because they refuse to be made into superheroes.
For building innovative enterprises is very important the Business Model. And
focusing on social enterprises, we have 3 different models:
1st: Nonprofit ventures (The founding comes from the government or foundations.)
• A public good is delivered for the ones that haven´t access to.
• Central goal of enabling direct beneficiaries to assume the ownership of the
initiative.
• Financial support: Externally!
• The entrepreneur that gives the money becomes into a figurehead (important
figure).
Example: Barefoot Collage (www.barefootcollege.org)
Anyone can become anything
Barefoot College is a non-governmental organization that has been providing
basic services and solutions to problems in rural communities for more than 40
years, with the objective of making them self-sufficient and sustainable. These
‘Barefoot solutions’ can be broadly categorized into the delivery of Solar 2
Electrification, Clean Water, Education, Livelihood Development, and Activism.
With a geographic focus on the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), we believe
strongly in Empowering Women as agents of sustainable change.
2ND: Hybrid Nonprofit ventures
• Everything is like in the previous one.
• The main difference is that the enterprise is able to recover a portion of its cost
with the products by itself.
• To sustain activities the poor receives founding from public, private, donors…
• (This enterprises tend to push this model into the next one by having more
intra-projects that allows them to have more income.)
example: Rubicon Programs-Rick Aubry (www.rubiconprograms.org)
Changing the field of social enterprise by demonstrating the enormous potential of
holistic models and social business ventures as a tool for poverty alleviation.
3RD: Social business ventures
• The mission is the same, to provide social and environmental help.
• Profits are generated but the maximization is not the 1st aim but to benefit
low-income groups and reinventing to grow the venture and serve more
people.
• There is no donations but investors.
• Social businesses can easily take on debt (asumir la deuda) and scale easily.
example: La Fageda
Dicen en broma que las vacas de La Fageda meriendan pan con chocolate. Es
cierto que, si tratamos bien los animales, no sólo estamos aplicando una
agricultura sostenible, sino que estamos favoreciendo que nos den leche
abundante y de excelente calidad.
It is normal that the social entrepreneurs jump from one business model to another.
They don´t remain static.
Creating the markets of the future:
Here I am going to describe with examples the different market opportunities that
exist in some areas.
The Condom King: MECHAI VIRAVAIDYA
He prevented VIH/AIDS contagion in Thailand by funny sexual activities with
youngsters and providing condoms and pills.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EL9TBKSdHXU (14mins).
Educational opportunity:
• TEACH FOR AMERICA (www.teachforamerica.org)
In our country today, the education you receive depends on
where you live, the color of your skin, what your parents
earn, and other factors unrelated to your potential.
Let's change that.
• CITY YEAR: (www.cityyear.org)
At City Year, we’re working to bridge the gap in high-poverty
communities between the support that students actually need, and what
their schools are designed and resourced to provide. In doing so, we’re
helping to increase graduation rates across the country, and changing the
lives of the students we serve.
Digital Opportunities:
RODRIGO BAGGIO CDI: (www.cdi.org.br)
Democracy in technological devices as a window to the world.
“People don´t die because of Hunger, they die because of lack of opportunities.”
Here the author makes a really good reflection about the Bonsai Theory.
Comparing people to bonsais. The Bonsai (originally) is small because of the land,
there is nothing wrong with the seed to become a Tree it is just that the land is less
fertile. So the same happens with people, there is nothing wrong with them to
have less opportunities than other people. It is just that society never gave them
the same base to grow.
HOW CA WE SOLVE IT?
By Social Entrepreneurship!!!!!!!!!!
Ángela del Río