7 Inspiring Examples of Social Entrepreneurship in Action (2025)

Summary

This video provides seven inspiring examples of social entrepreneurship in action, highlighting individuals and organizations making a positive social or environmental impact. From Gia Schneider and Natel Energy's eco-friendly hydropower solutions to Brett Isaac's efforts with Navajo Power in renewable energy, the video showcases a diverse range of social entrepreneurs. Examples include Nivea Chanta's climate action community, Dean's Beans' ethical coffee trade, Shamani Donna's sustainable fashion, and Madeline Shaw's reusable period products. The video emphasizes that social entrepreneurship can drive systemic change, offering solutions that balance profit with positive societal impact.

Takeaways

• 😀 Social entrepreneurship is the practice of creating businesses or enterprises with the goal of achieving positive social or environmental impact.
• 😀 Gia Schneider and her company, Natel Energy, designed a fish-safe hydropower turbine that balances renewable energy production with ecosystem restoration.
• 😀 Brett Isaac's company, Navajo Power, focuses on maximizing the economic benefits of clean energy for tribal communities, aiming for both environmental and social equity.
• 😀 Micromedia social entrepreneurs like Nivea Chanta and Brandon Harvey use digital platforms to inspire action on climate change and spread positive news to engage communities.
• 😀 Nivea Chanta's Soapbox Project is focused on helping people turn climate anxiety into action through community-building and climate justice education.
• 😀 Brandon Harvey's Good Good Good highlights solutions-based news, aiming to inspire hope and positive action instead of despair over global challenges.
• 😀 Dean Saikhan’s company, Dean's Beans, is an example of a social entrepreneur challenging exploitative practices in the coffee industry by offering ethically sourced coffee.
• 😀 Shamani Donna’s company, Donna Inc., demonstrates the concept of circularity by turning overstock materials and old t-shirts into new products, emphasizing sustainability and reducing waste.
• 😀 Madeline Shaw’s company, Aisle (formerly Lunapads), revolutionized the period products market by providing reusable, sustainable alternatives to disposable options.
• 😀 Providers in social entrepreneurship, such as Madeline Shaw and Jeremy Lange, innovate in existing markets by creating more sustainable and accessible alternatives to everyday products.
• 😀 The video also emphasizes that social entrepreneurs can adopt any business model, including nonprofit and community-driven projects, to achieve their goals.

Q & A

What is the main definition of social entrepreneurship as described in the video?

Social entrepreneurship is defined as the undertaking of a business or enterprise for the purpose of positive social or environmental impact.

How does Natel Energy's approach to hydropower contribute to environmental sustainability?

Natel Energy has designed a new hydro turbine that creates 'high performance, fish safe hydropower,' which helps make hydropower more widely available without the traditional drawbacks like river ecosystem degradation.

What makes Brett Isaac and Navajo Power a notable example of social entrepreneurship?

Brett Isaac and Navajo Power focus on maximizing the economic benefits of clean energy projects for tribal communities, emphasizing sustainability and equity in the clean energy economy.

How do micromedia social entrepreneurs like Nivea Chanta and Brandon Harvey differ from traditional social entrepreneurs?

Micromedia social entrepreneurs like Nivea Chanta and Brandon Harvey use media platforms to raise awareness, inspire action, and build communities digitally or physically. Their focus is on spreading positive news and creating actionable plans for climate justice.

What does Dean's Beans contribute to the coffee industry in terms of ethics and sustainability?

Dean's Beans offers ethically sourced specialty coffee with a strong focus on indigenous rights and environmental sustainability, challenging exploitative practices in the coffee industry.

What is the core mission of Shamani Donna’s company, Donna Inc.?

Shamani Donna's company, Donna Inc., focuses on reusing materials that would typically be discarded, like overstock fabrics and old t-shirts, to create sustainable and meaningful products, such as the circular memory jacket.

How does Madeline Shaw's company, Aisle (formerly Lunapads), promote sustainability?

Madeline Shaw's company Aisle promotes sustainability by providing reusable period products, offering a more eco-friendly alternative to disposable options in the menstrual product market.

Why is the social entrepreneur archetype of 'the provider' important in sustainability?

The 'provider' archetype is important because these entrepreneurs look at existing markets and identify the lack of sustainable alternatives. They innovate to offer better, more sustainable products that are both accessible and affordable, helping consumers make conscious buying decisions.

How do social entrepreneurs like Jeremy Lange and Sarah Keck contribute to environmental sustainability?

Jeremy Lange's company Pila introduced the first compostable phone case, while Sarah Keck’s Beeswap created a compostable food storage wrap, both offering sustainable alternatives to widely used plastic products.

What role does the community play in the work of social entrepreneurs like Brett Isaac and Nivea Chanta?

For social entrepreneurs like Brett Isaac and Nivea Chanta, the community plays a central role in driving social change. Brett's work emphasizes benefiting tribal communities economically through clean energy, while Nivea builds community through actionable climate justice plans and engagement.