Social entrepreneurship is now booming. Samuel Gervais, the founder of The Esplanade, a collaborative work space and a social enterprise incubator, talks about a trend that seems built to last.Social entrepreneurship is a fashionable word often confused with social economy, philanthropy, social responsibility and social commitment. Although they have some common features, these concepts are all very different from each other. “The social entrepreneurship project is to tackle a challenge, be it, social, environmental or economic by proposing a solution or a service. Our approach goes beyond mere corporate social responsibility, ” Samuel Gervais explains.
The social entrepreneurship project is to tackle a challenge, be it, social…” -Samuel Gervais
Regardless of the legal structure, a social enterprise focuses as much on social action as financial sustainability. The entrepreneur who says he is social rejects the status quo, helps to improve society and has a passion for change.
Founded in Montreal April 13, 2015, The Esplanade is the first collaborative space dedicated to social entrepreneurs and innovators in Quebec. It is a physical place and more importantly, a community of entrepreneurs and citizens passionate about social entrepreneurship.
Link Green, a company that promotes an eco-friendly shift in pharmacies, is among the first companies to participate in the collaborative workspace. The Esplanade also hosts two business accelerators; Impact8 and À Go, we change the world!, which offer training and funding opportunities to new social entrepreneurs.
Socially active companies
The dynamism of social entrepreneurship in Quebec is undeniable. Besides The Esplanade, many socially innovative projects have emerged in recent years. For example, to counter food waste, the SecondLife Market decided to give a second life to “ugly” vegetables by offering more affordable healthy products. Exeko, for its part, is dedicated to social reintegration through cultural and intellectual mediation. This organization is particularly interested to reintegrate in the society homeless people and those with impairments.
As in any business, the sustainability of social entrepreneurship relies on funding. “We must not lose sight that our first and foremost priority is the social impact, warns Mr. Gervais. We must have the right tools to measure our impact collectively. We must raise public awareness in our action and try to mobilize the key players in the business community to show investors that we can help change the world.”
