2009 Asper Award recipient talks about social entrepreneurship

Brandeis International Business School recently honored Linda Rottenberg, CEO and co-founder of Endeavor Global, with the 2009 Asper Award for Global Entrepreneurship. Rottenberg has pioneered a model of social entrepreneurship through Endeavor, which supports promising entrepreneurs in emerging markets including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Uruguay, Turkey and South Africa. Endeavor has helped its entrepreneurs generate more than 90,000 high-quality jobs and $2.5 billion in revenues in 2007 alone.

In her remarks (PDF), Rottenberg offered optimism and inspiration for students, faculty and staff, despite the global downturn. She encouraged students to explore what is currently being overlooked by the government and the private sector, and to find the opportunity to bridge a gap. In focusing on these challenges, “New models will appear, and I suspect many more solutions will blend elements of the private sector with elements of social enterprise,” she said.

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