McKinsey’s What Matters

McKinsey has recently published a series of essays on social enterprise on its new forum: ‘What Matters‘.  The forum represents a new direction for a wing of the world’s most recognized and acclaimed management consultant firm, and aims to bring together a wide array of important thinkers on the pressing topics and problems of tomorrow.  The “Social Entrepreneurs” segment of the website has been added and updated with several essays within the last couple of weeks, in order to coincide with the 2010 Skoll World Forum on Social Entrepreneurship which was conducted last week in Oxford.

The collection of essays is notable in the scale of the topics addressed; everything from how business presents an enormous engine for change, to how companies are already leveraging that energy, to the next step, how social entrepreneurship must be active in driving cultural revolutions to shift the pattern of how business is conducted globally.  The What Matters forum itself is also worth visiting for the depth and style of the  conversation that is being generated there, unusual for most online forums.  Take a look and  see how some of the best minds in the area are defining the problems and the targets for social enterprise in the twenty-first century.

Skoll Foundation on the Impact of Social Entrepreneurs

The Skoll Foundation recently released an eight-minute video describing the spirit of social entrepreneurship.  Part history of the movement, part definition of the term, and part motivational speech, the video draws on a number of the pioneers in social enterprise, and is worth a viewing if you are new to the concept.

The Skoll Foundation was created by Jeff Skoll in 1999, and aims to promote and support social enterprise in the US and abroad.  The foundation also hosts a number of other videos about specific individuals using business models to drive social change.

Skoll Global Threats Fund Launches Website

The Skoll Global Threats Fund website has launched.  The organization seeks to combat large scale environmental and social threats, “the things that could bring the world to its knees”, including global warming, water scarcity, and nuclear proliferation.  Impressively, the organization staffs top names in social entrepreneurship, including Jeff Skoll and Larry Brilliant.