Businesses that not only have "profit" as their bottom line, but also "social contribution". If we had more businesses with these, we'd all live in a much better world!
Business people with a heart ~ that's what we need. And that's what Elim Chew is. Although she runs a hugely-successful business - fashion chain, 77th Street - she has always had a passion for the youth & the arts. And she's somehow managed to marry the two bottom lines.
And there are more & more like Elim rising up in Singapore...
MP Penny Low & Elim Chew sharing about social innovation.
In fact, what started as a small local gathering of like-minded social entrepreneurs four years ago has since enjoyed a quantum leap! In 2006, the Social Innovation Park (SIP) launched the Social Innovators Forum with just 5 speakers (3 local, 2 foreign). Last year, the forum saw 50 speakers & 300 delegates from 22 countries...
This "humble gathering" is now renamed the Global Social Innovators Forum, and this year will see over 60 distinguished speakers from around the world.
It's hard not to be infected by the passion & enthusiasm of Penny Low, President & Founder of SIP, and Member of Parliament for Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC. You can tell she's driven to make this ideal a reality - and she's bent on getting as many on the bandwagon with her as she can. After our interview, we chatted outside the studio for another half an hour!
If you'd like to find out how your business can gain from embracing social innovation, how you can be part of the "Green to Gold" movement (yes, social enterprises can make billions!), why not make time to head down to the forum? Here are the details:
Global Social Innovators Forum 2009
1 - 3 Oct
8am - 5pm
Fusionopolis
No comments:
Post a Comment