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

Monday, June 25, 2012

MANILA, Philippines – “We want to make social entrepreneurship sexy,” says Karl Satinitigan, the 24-year-old director of Gawad Kalinga’s Center for Social Innovation or CSI, a program that trains aspiring social entrepreneurs.

During CSI Night, held every Tuesday at the GK Enchanted Cafe, something seems to be cooking: something big, exciting and unstoppable. It’s called social entrepreneurship.

One entrepreneur has quit his executive position from a multinational company, another used to be a public counsel. Apparently, compassion is fast becoming the new sexy.

According to Tony Meloto, founder of Gawad Kalinga and trailblazer of social entrepreneurship in the Philippines, social entrepreneurship is social innovation. It is people who are committed to change coming together to make it happen.

Social entrepreneurship is also change in how people do business. “The faults of old capitalism are cut-throat competition, excessive consumerism and unbridled greed wherein you want maximum profit. Social enterprise is enlightened capitalism that believes that doing good makes good business,” he says.