Sectors unite behind social enterprise as ‘the next business model’
SE conference to examine how rural ventures can create social impact
Some of the biggest organizations from civil society and business will gather on October 20 and 21 to discuss strategies for sustaining rural communities through profitable social enterprises. “Social Enterprise: The Next Business Model” will be held at the Intercontinental Hotel in Makati.
The Peace and Equity Foundation (PEF), which is celebrating its 10th year of helping alleviate poverty, is the main conference organizer in partnership with the League of Corporate Foundations (LCF), Management Association of the Philippines (MAP), Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) and PinoyME Foundation.
Local practitioners and promoters of social enterprise have been invited to share their journeys toward achieving financial sustainability and social impact. Different examples will be showcased at the two-day event—from traditional businessmen who successfully brought community-based products into their supply chains to non-government organizations that ventured into profit-making activities to help advance their social aims.
The conference will examine some current working models of social enterprises, tackle the constraints encountered across the value chain, suggest organizational enhancements, and find out how social enterprises can tap into a supportive ecosystem. Chairing the conference organizing committee is renowned social entrepreneur and PEF board member Chit Juan.
“Social enterprises are real-world businesses where you have to be financially viable in order to attain your goal of creating social impact,” said Juan, founder of one of the biggest local coffee chains and a pioneering retailer of sustainable lifestyle products. “More and more entrepreneurs are finding greater fulfilment in doing business while helping a poor community gain access to the retailer or the consumer. This conference will break new ground locally as the first to propagate successful business models of social enterprise.” Find out more about the conference by visiting socialenterprise.ph or pef.ph.