Startup communities

I am always looking for ways to more effectively describe what is required to create a vibrant economy and a sustainable community in which entrepreneurship flourishes and decent jobs are created. The concept of an entrepreneurial eco-system is useful in this process – it highlights the importance of different systems and the interconnections between these.…

Two centres for social innovation

Creating physical and virtual centres for the promotion of social innovation appears to be an emerging trend. Here are two examples. In Toronto, Canada, the Centre for Social Innovation (CSI) is a Toronto-based social enterprise with a mission to catalyze social innovation. CSI’s shared workspace model offers office amenities to initiatives that are typically under-resourced, increasing social capital and connecting…

EARTH University, Costa Rica

Since 1990, EARTH University’s innovative educational approach has been preparing young people from Latin America, the Caribbean and other regions, including Africa and Asia, to contribute to the sustainable development of their countries and construct a prosperous and just society.  EARTH offers a rigorous four-year undergraduate program in agricultural sciences and natural resources management and…

More developing countries participate in this year's Global Entrepreneurship Week

Good to see the list of developing countries participating in the annual Global Entrepreneurship Week growing. There are about 120 countries participating in 2011 (14-20 November). The Global Entrepreneurship Week is an initiative of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation in the USA. It began in 2008 and has grown rapidly. Global Entrepreneurship Week helps map…

Local entrepreneurship ecosystems

New from the Startup Foundation with support from the Kauffman Foundation, this site focuses on startup communities are around the world. The site asks people in the target cities to add their initiatives and events. It seeks to map local entrepreneurship ecosystems. In July of 2011, Startup Weekend and The Kauffman Foundation partnered to launch the Startup Foundation in eight…