Hybrid Engine
Deconstructing social enterprises.
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In this issue: Yesterday, I made a pit stop at Pepperdine’s Social Enterprise Collective to hear and share insights with other founders of social enterprises. This week I’m deconstructing what social enterprises are, how they work, and why they matter.
Head-to-Head
Social enterprises are hybrid engines: they are both for profit and for social impact. The term social enterprise was derived in the 1970s to identify business models with social objectives that benefited society.
Unlike traditional for-profit models, which are designed to maximize profits, the primary objective of a social enterprise is to solve a persistent societal problem. Whereas non-profit organizations are dependent upon external funding sources and social entrepreneurs leverage existing business strategies, social enterprises balance commercial pathways for generating revenue with reinvestment into their stated social cause.
One example: Warby Parker. Warby Parker sells eyeglasses and for every pair sold, they donate a pair to someone in need. In theory and practice, social enterprises demonstrate how business interests align with societal impact to drive social change forward.
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Arcade Alley
Arcade Alley gives readers a behind-the-scenes look at some of the gaming features and design approaches that have informed our creative process on Probable Cause.
Compulsion Games’ latest action-adventure release, South of Midnight, explores the folklore of the Deep South. In the aftermath of a hurricane, Hazel is on a quest to save her mother, confronting ancient myths to discover her own story along the way.
In the world of Probable Cause, lived experiences and imagined situations merge lanes to reveal the complexities of personal choice.
More Recommended Stops:
Watch Senna.
Read Seth D. Kaplan’s Fragile Neighborhoods.
Listen to Obama’s Keynote at the 2024 Obama Foundation’s Democracy Forum.
However you’re able to help fuel Route 24’s work and mission, thank you for coming along for the ride!
Stay the course,
Sam
Tread Lightly
See a hilarious road sign? Send it to (route24@substack.com) with Tread Lightly in the subject line for a chance to be featured in a future issue.
Route 24’s Navigators Circle attempts to solve for persistent cognitive biases by jumpstarting deeper conversations. When policies alone may fail to change course, let stories be your guide.