Ever since I carried my first picket sign at age 13, I have been an advocate for a wide variety of social causes. In recent years, spurred by the 9/11 tragedy, Iraq war, and Hurricane Katrina, I’ve felt a growing urgency to incorporate more social change activities into my work. I spend a significant portion of my time these days coaching entrepreneurs with a social mission, writing and speaking about social change topics, and serving causes such as the Send Girls to School Project, Ashoka Youth Venture, Social Enterprise Alliance, A Good Deed Tea, and the Global Initiative to Advance Entrepreneurship. You can find out more about my social change work by visiting Social Entrepreneur Coach or my former blog How to Become a Hero. On this site, you’ll find a selection of my social change articles (below), details about my books and audios, and announcements of upcoming events.

There’s a quiet revolution going on in the world of business. A 2005 survey by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce reported that 81% of business executives believe that “corporate citizenship” should be a priority, and 75% report their businesses are actively involved in bettering their communities. In a 2006 survey of MBA students by Net Impact, 81% thought businesses should work toward the betterment of society. Read More

Baby Boomers have often been characterized as the “Me Generation,” self-centered, self-indulgent, and focused only on their own happiness. Not so, according to a report released by the AARP. In reality, 70% of Boomers feel a responsibility to make the world a better place, 57% try to buy from companies that give back to their communities, and 24% recently volunteered for a charitable cause. Read More

I was one of 39 speakers in this free series of webcasts/teleclasses, the Social Entrepreneur Empowerment Series, which took place in 2011. Although the series has ended, you can still listen to my session and many others at no charge. The series is designed for socially-conscious entrepreneurs, mission-based business owners, and agents of social change, and includes interviews with Bill Drayton, Marianne Williamson, Van Jones, Lynne Twist, and many more. My interview was on the topic How to Get Started with a Social Venture. To listen to replays of many of these sessions, all you have to do is register here.

Who are your coaching clients? This basic question about how we practice coaching can be the most critical factor in determining our impact on the world around us.

If we choose to coach anyone who can afford to pay us, the likely result is that those with the most disposable income will receive the most coaching. Is this truly the impact we would like to have on the world? On the other hand, when we decide to coach a population whose increased success creates a shift we would like to see in society, we become positive agents of change. Read More

Building a Culture that Supports Women Entrepreneurs

Supporting entrepreneurship in the developing world has long been considered one of the best approaches to “teach people to fish” and build sustainable local economies. In recent years, studies by the United Nations, World Bank, and others have shown that women entrepreneurs are more likely to contribute to community development than men, and are therefore better candidates for support programs. Read More

If you’d like to see more of my writing on life purpose and social change, please visit my former blog How to Become a Hero.