How To Start & Sustain Social Impact: The Essentials of Social Entrepreneurship with Jack Graham

Whether you're an aspiring changemaker or an established leader in the social sector, the essential rules of strategic and sustainable growth don’t change – that’s what we’ll be exploring today.

In this episode, I have the pleasure of chatting with Jack Graham, a UK-born, Brooklyn-based queer social change strategist and writer. Jack's journey from founding Year Here, a fellowship for aspiring social entrepreneurs, to consulting for nonprofit clients in the U.S., is both inspiring and educational.

In this episode, Jack shares his experiences, offering valuable insights into the world of social entrepreneurship. We break down the essential rules of growth and delve into the practicalities and philosophies of both starting and sustaining social impact ventures.

What You Will Learn:

1. In-depth Understanding: The power of deeply understanding social issues cannot be overstated. This knowledge is crucial in developing effective solutions.
2. Balancing Impact and Sustainability: Successful social enterprises strike a balance between creating social impact and ensuring financial sustainability.
3. Learning Through Experience: Real-world experiences offer richer learning opportunities compared to theoretical knowledge.
4. Simplifying Business Models: A complex business model isn't always better. Simplification can lead to more focused and effective outcomes.
5. Collective Action: The future of social change lies in collective efforts and movements rather than isolated ventures.

Your Start-Up Roadmap: A Step-by-Step Process

• Frontline Placement: Start by gaining real-world experience with the problem or issue that you’re working on. Gain both a frontline and a systemic understanding of the problem.
• Consulting & Service: Integrate your personal insights and expertise into what you’re learning about the problem.
• Lab Test: Develop and test solutions fueled by insights from your frontline experience.
• Incubate: Secure network and funding support for the development of long-term solutions based on what you’ve learned

Your Start-Up Toolkit: Resources Mentioned

• Year Here: A fellowship program for social entrepreneurs. Learn more here.
• Giving Tuesday: A global generosity movement unleashing the power of people and organizations to transform their communities. More info here.

Quotes from Jack Graham:

1. "Social change happens with people not to them, for them, or at them. It's about being a friend and a partner to people living through tough realities."
2. "There's no growth or learning without the prospect of real failure. Learning in the real world is so much richer than in a lecture hall."
3. "The solution part will flow much easier the more you invest in really deeply understanding your problem."
4. "Social enterprise and social entrepreneurship are explicitly modeled on commercial entrepreneurship, but we don't even copy and paste that well."

Connect With Jack:

LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/jackdgraham Instagram @jackdgraham Twitter @jackdgraham

Connect with Brooke:

• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• YouTube