Building on our commitment to strengthening local economies, Machik has launched a Social Business and Sustainable Entrepreneurship initiative for 2009-10. In partnership with the Tibet Sustainable Governance Program (TSGP) at the University of Virginia, this year-long initiative will involve a series of roundtables, workshops and a forum on social business and entrepreneurship, both in the US and in the Tibetan region.

The Social Business Initiative is animated by the idea that markets have the power to transform social reality, and yet too often they leave the vast majority of the poor and disadvantaged behind.  The concepts of social business and sustainable entrepreneurship offer new avenues for envisioning the role of markets in expanding the capacity of communities to become more self-reliant.  By tying market mechanisms to social objectives, business principles can provide an opportunity to harness the power of markets to better meet collective social needs.  But how might profit-maximizing enterprises be designed to also optimize social benefits--whether poverty alleviation, education, gender parity or environmental protection--in the Tibetan region? 

Through the Social Business Initiative, Machik and TSGP will convene Tibetan entrepreneurs and community leaders from the plateau, along with business leaders and global innovators of social entrepreneurship concepts, to explore new possibilities for advancing practical strategies for Tibetan sustainable business.  The Initiative will seek to spark new ideas, promote social investment in community-oriented ventures and provide the tools and knowledge to enable Tibetans to compete successfully and sustainably in the marketplace. 

Upcoming SBI Events:

• Tibetan Social Business Conference
  Dartsedo, Kham, Sichuan - July 17-18, 2010
  

Recent SBI Events:

April 2010 Social Business and Sustainable Entrepreneurship Symposium  (click here to learn more)