Team and Project Introductions - Social Entrepreneurship

We are Ivaney and Esther from Makerere University Business School and Anne and Sigrid from Copenhagen Business School. We are doing research on social entrepreneurship in Kampala. There is no general agreement among scholars on how to define concept of social entrepreneurship; some even question if it is a distinct concept in itself. Social entrepreneurship can be anything from a non-profit organization using a business model with income generation as a means to a social goal, to a for-profit business with CSR activities on the side. In our study, we are exploring how Ugandan social entrepreneurs fit into the structures described in the literature. 

So far we have talked to seven entrepreneurs, and although we are still discussing the extent to which some of them can be defined as social enterprises, we can all agree that they are undoubtedly inspiring people with impressive stories to tell. Among others, we have met Bwaise slum youth with a mission to transform their home community through singing, dancing and theater performances, and Benedicte, first ridiculed, but now famous throughout Uganda for founding a business making bags out of used straws and using the profits to finance her community NGO. We are looking forward to our last interviews in the field the coming days.