The USC School of Business and Economics Center for Social Entrepreneurship (SBE CSE) hosted a seminar on Social Entrepreneurship last Friday, August 3, 2018 at the Gansewinkel Hall at the USC Downtown Campus.
Over 80 participants learned how social mission can be integrated into business ventures. Participants included owners of micro and small enterprises in Cebu province who are either affiliated with the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. (RAFI) Micro Finance Inc. (RMF) or with Kapamilya Negosyo Na (KNN), a program of the USC SBE alumni association.
Social entrepreneurship was presented as a solution to alleviating poverty among fellow Filipinos. Newly appointed Director of the USC Community Extension Service Fr. Roger Bag-ao, SVD encouraged the participants to use their entrepreneurial acumen to go beyond self and profit-seeking. RMF Chief Operating Officer Tess Catipay inspired the participants further, urging them to contribute to the development of the local economy.
SBE Assistant Dean Dr. Larry Silapan introduced concepts of social entrepreneurship to broaden the participants’ understanding. Two social entrepreneurs, Jesalee Rose “Jet” Ong (CEO, Fishers and Changemakers, Inc.) and Ana Patricia Loren (CEO, Orgunique) also shared their success stories.
Ong recounted how Fishers and Changemakers empowered fishermen from Bantayan Island, Cebu to produce high quality seafood products and at the same time adhere to responsible and sustainable fishing practices. Loren shared how Orgunique began as a start-up enterprise that distributes a variety of natural and organic products such as tea, jams, and sauces.
A highlight of the seminar was the launching of the Makauswagon Entrepreneur Awards to incentivize RMF member-entrepreneurs to become models of inspiration for exemplary accomplishments in their personal businesses and in the performance of their functions as RMF members. RMF Business Strategy Officer Jonar Dorado presented the details of the awards.
The USC SBE Center for Social Entrepreneurship is a project of the School of Business and Economics in partnership with RAFI and Santa Clara University aimed to capacitate and accelerate the success of promising social entrepreneurs on their path to positively impact society with a bigger and wider reach. See related story here.
by Dr. Cora G. Anzano, Manager, USC SBE Center for Social Entrepreneurship
Tags: Business and Economics, Entrepreneurship