Richard Pratt on Social Entrepreneurship

Richard Pratt, for those who might not know is the cardboard king of Australia. Perhaps even the world. His family owned company, Visy is, after all, the largest privately owned packaging & recycling company on the face of the planet. So it is no surprise that he is also ultra rich- our third richest man in fact (#387 in the world). In addition he is also one of our biggest corporate and community philanthropists.

All round good bloke is our Dick! So much so that was recently recognised by the Melbourne University with its highest award, the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws.

His excellent graduation address focussed on entrepreneurship and leads into the interesting idea of social entrepreneurship:

"It's not what you do that makes you an entrepreneur. It's how you do it.

There are entrepreneurial manufacturers, retailers, and builders; there are entrepreneurial lawyers, doctors and professionals. There are entrepreneurial hairdressers, fashion designers, and sports stars.

One of the most striking features about entrepreneurship is its essential optimism and hope, and I believe that entrepreneurs are the indispensable agents of change, growth and improvement in free societies.

They're unconventional. They're often unreasonable. And they're nearly always driven individuals who drive and inspire others.

They're driven by many things: a willingness to take risks; a restless problem-solving energy, an ability to live with uncertainty, a determination to prove the sceptics wrong and a relentless persistence in the face of seeming failure. It's the entrepreneurs who develop technology, reinvent the workplace, and promote creativity and innovation.

(But) until recently I had given up on any chance that the entrepreneur and his contributions would be more widely understood and encouraged outside the realms of business.

But in the past few years the business entrepreneur has acquired a younger sibling- the social entrepreneur.

The social entrepreneur finds what isn¹t working in a community, and solves the problem by changing the system.

He or she then spreads the solution, and persuades others to work for change.

Thus the social entrepreneur is not content just to give someone a fish, or even to teach someone how to fish.

He or she won't rest until they've revolutionized the fishing industry.

To paraphrase an American think tank on social entrepreneurs, the academic has done his job when he expresses an idea; the professional succeeds when she solves a client's problem and the manager calls it quits when he has enabled his organization to succeed.

But the social entrepreneurs can't stop until they change their communities, their societies, and the world."

Comments

[yeche]

I love you and your website
greenys turn me on!
save the trees!!!
save the world!!!!!!!!!!
peace out man

Love always
yeche
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[Yeche]

kill the trees!
Screw the world!
no wait I love u!
Will u be the one for me?!!!!!!!!!!!!
please!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i'm desprit
Love you always (i mean 4 eva!)
Yeche
ps you turn me on!!!

i will make your headache go away 4 eva!!!

[Mick]

Your gushing aprasial of Richard Pratt isn't worth the paper it's written on. You should look at how the workers are treated in his factories and I'm sure you'd change your mind.