So, you’ve got your big, world-changing idea. You’re up and running, it’s going well, and now you’re looking to take things to the next level. Whether that means hiring staff, boosting your technological capabilities, or expanding geographically, you’re going to need money. One way to get it is through social venture capital.

While there are many different social venture firms, each with its own philosophy and process, leaders have begun to emerge within the nascent space.…

Here’s a riddle: What do a techie, a Grammy-nominated recording artist, an innovative Danish edcuator, and a 24-year-old athletic director from New Orleans have in common? Honestly, probably nothing. But a few weeks ago, they all gathered to speak at the Feast conference here in New York, and they were all inspiring as hell.

A while back, I wrote about the importance of conferences for networking. Beyond that, however, the truth is that a lot of…

Last time around, we talked about the importance of design and branding. In that article, I put out the call for suggestions. I wanted to know who you thought was doing a fantastic job with innovative design and branding, and I got a lot of great responses.

A number of readers were impressed by the efforts of charity: water. I couldn’t agree more. Scott Harrison’s messaging has been incredibly effective—and incredibly beautiful. From his organization’s minimalist…

The face of the philanthropist is changing. The people making a difference aren’t just the stereotypical elderly benefactors. They’re creative people, business people, Apple people, Obama people, working-class people—change is coming from all over.

And as the identity of the humanitarian changes, so, too, must the identity of the cause. But how? As technology continues to make communicating with the masses and soliciting donations exponentially easier, how will organizations stand out among the crowd? How can they…

There’s an old expression: “Good writers borrow from other writers. Great ones steal outright.” It’s the same with business. It’s always helpful to pick up tips and tricks from people who have done it before. You can learn from their mistakes and glean powerful insight from their successes. And thanks to the internet, it’s never been easier to get inside the minds of talented people.

Nearly all the entrepreneurs I know start their days with some…

As we’ve discussed, social entrepreneurship is rife with challenges. Even if you’ve managed to avoid most of the early mistakes, you’re bound to hit some hurdles. As with any business, many of them will revolve around money. You’ll often need things (lawyers, accountants, designers, consultants), all of which will cost you. So, how can you obtain the services you need while still managing your (presumably) small budget? At this point, it’s time to introduce you…

Starting a business never ceases to be exciting. There’s always a new challenge, a new opportunity. Will you land that big meeting? Have to face some unforeseen crisis? It’s almost impossible to predict what any day will bring. However, there’s one thing on which you can always count: mistakes. At some point, you’re going to screw up.

The good news? Once you start getting out there, building your team, and meeting people, you’ll quickly realize that…

If you’ve been reading this column over the last few weeks, you’ve learned what makes a strong business plan and how to take one for a test drive. This time around, we’re going to talk a bit about something more concrete—an element that is absolutely vital to getting your business off the ground: People.

Once you’ve got your idea, you have to find the right folks to make it happen. Putting a team together might be the…

A few months ago, I found myself standing in front of a room full of people. Potential investors, heads of philanthropic organizations, and leaders from all areas of the social space were there to hear me speak. I wasn’t in a boardroom, mind you; I was in a business plan competition.

From a field of more than 50 teams, only four remained, and I was terrified. Nonetheless, I stepped up, introduced myself to the judges, and…

Our business columnist is back to explain why you totally need a business plan (even though they’re a pain in the ass to make). He’ll be here every two weeks to share his successes, failures, and to answer your questions.

There are a lot of conflicting opinions about the utility of business plans. If you ask me, though, I’ll tell you that business plans are incredibly important—you just need to learn how to use them.

Constructing…