Institute Executive Director Jerr Boschee has been an advisor to social entrepreneurs in the United States and elsewhere for more than 40 years. He has delivered keynote speeches or conducted master classes in 43 states and 21 countries.
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Click here for a selected list of events at which Jerr has been a speaker
If you would like to schedule an online presentation, please send an email to [email protected]
Some examples of the subjects covered in Jerr’s presentations appear below, but he is also available to deliver presentations customized for your particular needs
The success of social enterprises and entrepreneurial nonprofits depends heavily on an ability to make the right strategic decisions early in the game. This presentation covers seven strategic mistakes commonly committed by startup social enterprises and by entrepreneurial nonprofits (and describes techniques to avoid them): The wrong people: the wrong navigation system (driving forces, vision, mission, core values, long-term goals); the wrong niche; the wrong brand; the wrong eco-system; the wrong benchmarks; and the wrong organizational culture. Audience members leave the session with an introductory field guide to best practices, a greater awareness of the pitfalls awaiting them, and a deeper understanding of how to avoid them.
Why nonprofits are becoming more entrepreneurial (historical context, driving forces and five potential outcomes); key terminology and basic principles; examples of successful social enterprises; common stakeholder objections; and critical success factors for nonprofits adopting entrepreneurial strategies (identified by the pioneers in the field).
The characteristics separating social innovation from social enterprise; a panoramic view of how the social enterprise industry evolved, including its origins in the private sector (especially as it migrated from Carnegie to Rosenwald to Norris); the five distinct sectors in the social enterprise industry today; the single greatest danger confronting any organization seeking to launch a social enterprise; 14 critical success factors identified by the pioneers in the field; and examples of failed and successful social enterprises from a dozen countries. The presentation also explores the differences between “corporate social responsibility” and “social enterprise” — and introduces an Investment Priorities Matrix that graphically displays the contradictory motivations driving traditional investors, socially responsible investors, and two different types of social investors.
Once a social enterprise has successfully negotiated its startup and initial growth stages, it has an opportunity to take a quantum leap. Becoming a “signature” social enterprise means it can speak truth to power, influence public policy, change attitudes toward the people it serves, acquire the resources to develop new services and products, engage influential allies, and attract powerful strategic partners. This presentation covers nine challenges social enterprises encounter as they strive to create a signature brand: Understanding the driving forces affecting their products and services; raising their sights; holding to their values; changing their cultures; building world-class teams; managing growth; influencing stakeholders; swimming with the sharks; and finding resources.