A new report from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) highlights a growing gap between social entrepreneurs creating measurable impact and the corporate strategies that could help them scale.
The report draws on data from more than 60 economies and finds that a rising share of early-stage entrepreneurs are motivated by the goal of creating social and environmental change. More than 60% of entrepreneurs in India, Guatemala and South Africa, for example, identify impact as a primary motivation, according to the report.
Yet many of these ventures still struggle to access capital, specialised expertise, supportive infrastructure and global networks. Their business models and impact goals often do not fit traditional investment criteria, while gaps in policy and local systems can make expansion difficult.
For corporate social responsibility and ESG leaders, the report presents support for social entrepreneurs as a way to address several priorities at once, including measurable impact, employee engagement, business performance and broader systems change.
Practical support can include skills-based volunteering, strategic advice and access to corporate supply chains. The report points to examples involving product, finance and operational expertise, while companies such as SAP, EY and Reckitt have begun incorporating social enterprise support into employee engagement and leadership development programmes.
GEM argues that companies can move beyond one-off donations by building partnerships that connect employee skills, corporate resources and the needs of verified impact-driven ventures.
Source: Rowad Al Amaal
