Microlending programs for low-income microentrepreneurs have become a global priority since the development of the Grameen Bank in 1976 and the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations in 2015. Inspired to create their own microlending program, the deans of the schools of social welfare and business at the University at Albany were aided by the university's Small Business Development Center and the State Employees Federal Credit Union. This led to the creation of the Small Enterprise Economic Development (SEED) program. Following this, new faculty were hired in the School of Social Welfare and the School of Business to address social entrepreneurship and lead these initiatives. The impetus for this book emerged from these developments including three forums in which national and international contributors participated in workshops, panels, and chapters for this book. These forums were co-organized by the School of Social Welfare, the School of Business, and a new Center for the Advancement & Understanding of Social Enterprises (CAUSE) at UAlbany. Building on the example set by UAlbany, Social Entrepreneurship and Enterprises in Economic and Social Development explains how and why we should integrate social entrepreneurship and social enterprises with economic and social development. While this global movement varies in pace and scope, the volume features snapshots from countries and regions representing nearly all continents, including Albania, Argentina, Cuba, India, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Russian Federation, Taiwan, Tajikistan, and Tanzania. One of the lessons is that social policies are critical for supporting social entrepreneurs since environmental, economic, and social sustainability are core goals of these initiatives. The chapters in this volume offer different contextual frames ranging from social enterprise business plans and measured entrepreneurial orientation to displacement dynamics (and how to avoid them) and the pitfalls of non-market economies. The contributing authors examine a variety of ventures and social policies to showcase how nations are supporting social enterprises as they attempt to meet human needs and achieve financial sustainability. The resulting volume provides a rationale for, and snapshots of, social enterprises and entrepreneurship in transitioning nations.

Educating Social Entrepreneurs: From Idea Generation to Business Plan Formulation appears at a time of unprecedented environmental disasters, natural resources depletion, and significant failure of governments and global businesses to attend to worldwide social problems. In this era of downsizing, restructuring, and social changes, notions of traditional venture creation and the ways of creating social values have been challenged. We draw on examples from various parts of the business world and societies to prepare students, scholars, and entrepreneurial managers to deal with the challenges presented by a new and diverse business environment to create business plan for a social venture. Illuminating trouble-some aspects of the global social and business worlds, this workbook comprises two volumes that covers key issues. Students, scholars, and entrepreneurs who want to help a world of multiple disparities by dealing with social entrepreneurship will find this to be beneficial reading.

Educating Social Entrepreneurs: From Idea Generation to Business Plan Formulation appears at a time of unprecedented environmental disasters, natural resources depletion, and significant failure of governments and global businesses to attend to worldwide social problems. In this era of downsizing, restructuring, and social changes, notions of traditional venture creation and the ways of creating social values have been challenged. We draw on examples from various parts of the business world and societies to prepare students, scholars, and entrepreneurial managers to deal with the challenges presented by a new and diverse business environment to create business plan for a social venture. Illuminating trouble-some aspects of the global social and business worlds, this workbook comprises two volumes that covers key issues. Students, scholars, and entrepreneurs who want to help a world of multiple disparities by dealing with social entrepreneurship will find this to be beneficial reading.