NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Our modern world is confronted with daunting 21st-century challenges that impact billions of people across the globe. Environmental degradation, food insecurity, lack ofhealthcare and access to clean water are just some of the issues requiring a new way of thinking. To meet these challenges, a new cadre of social entrepreneurs, cutting across generational, ethnic and socioeconomic boundaries, are building solutions in the form of social ventures that seek both sustainable revenue and scalable impact.

Countless individuals and organizations are daring to work around the confines of existing systems, devising creative solutions to some of the world’s greatest problems. Inspiring success stories are validating the important role of these ventures. KIPP is changing the dynamic of public education in lower socio-economic school districts, Sweetgreen is redefining the relationship between farmers, grocers and communities and Not Impossible Labs is using 3-D printers to build prosthetics for limb-loss victims of South Sudan’s civil war. These diverse ventures all represent the potential of a vibrant impact ecosystem.