Evaluating Social Venture Ideas

What is a social venture? In this workshop from Bridging the Gap, the Stanford 2005 Net Impact Conference, organized by the Stanford Graduate School of Business, leading thinkers explore specific aspects of early-stage social ventures. How do you evaluate social venture ideas? What makes them viable and sustainable? How can you predict and measure their social impact? What are the tools, measures, and techniques currently used to evaluate social ventures?

This panel brings you the advice of experts and leading thinkers from all parties involved in the creation of a social venture: a funder, a serial social entrepreneur, and a professional consultant focusing on evaluation.

To hear the discussion: http://www.siconversations.org/shows/detail910.html

Although the lively discussion seems to end abruptly we are still left with an idea of what makes social enterprise tick. There is tension between benefit and profit; why can't both be incorporated into social venture business design? We are reminded that we can create for-profit businesses that have social purpose. An important objective is to figure out how to make the capital marketplace see the value of social enterprise, which will in turn put better systems in place for funding.