Social Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship
Nurturing social innovation and entrepreneurship can create lasting positive change in our community. By fostering a culture of creativity, collaboration, and shared responsibility, the Social Innovation Hub aims to facilitate the development of solutions that are not only innovative but also sustainable, advancing the capacity of our community to tackle systemic and institutional inequalities.
The Hub brings together innovators, entrepreneurs, and change-makers to share ideas and resources. Through this process, we aim to facilitate enhanced community capabilities, leveraging of local assets, and building of resilience against social and environmental challenges. We believe in the power of community-driven innovation to strengthen the local economy, foster social inclusion, build social capital, and promote sustainable development.
Social entrepreneurship is integral to our approach, embodying a business model that prioritises social and environmental impact alongside financial sustainability. It represents an innovative response to social and environmental issues, leveraging technology and business principles to empower marginalised communities and promote sustainable practices. At the Social Innovation Hub, we see social entrepreneurship as a vital component of social innovation, driving forward solutions that are both impactful and sustainable.
Business for Better Series
The Business for Better series of lectures involves discussing various key aspects of starting a business - business models, business plans and registering businesses. The series is more theoretical and involves engaging with peers and broadening knowledge about entrepreneurship. The series also encompasses the social aspect of business and how it can be incorporated into any enterprise.
Three of the sessions are facilitated by the Rhodes Business School. The remaining two sessions cover topics of interest that emerge from the group discussions.
Session 1: Forms of Businesses
Session 2: Business Models
Session 3: Digital Marketing
Community Assets for Social Innovation Research Project
CASI is a research project and training programme encouraging the use of community assets for social enterprise development. The course focuses on holistic development and relational wellbeing of participants.
The programme will equip participants with the skills and insights that can contribute to enacting positive social change and developing enterprises that have a social impact. The topics of the programme include: understanding what social innovation and changemaking is, identifying complex problems, identifying community assets, using design thinking to generate ideas for effective solutions, developing a project, commercialising a project and mindfulness.
Sessions:
- Positioning and mindfulness and Questionnaire 1
- Understanding Social Innovation
- Generating Ideas through Asset-based Community Development and Focus group 1
- Photovoice
- Digital Marketing
- Showcase
- Scaling or commercialising and Focus Group 2
- Questionnaire 2
Last Modified: Wed, 20 Mar 2024 12:32:48 SAST