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May 6, 2010
Renowned social entrepreneur and co-founder of Ethos Water, Jonathan Greenblatt, says his guiding principle in determining his path in life has always been "how can I make an impact".
Mr Greenblatt was the guest speaker at a recent presentation hosted by the Centre for Social Impact and the United States Study Centre. He discussed the future of social innovation, drawing on his personal experiences working with the Clinton and Obama administrations, and in starting up Ethos Water, a premium bottled water, now owned by Starbucks, that helps children around the world access clean water.
He said the secret to success was in "creating a space so that everybody can win - the beneficiaries, the investors, the employees, and now the corporate parent".
"Ethos made money for people who needed it and brought them clean water and sanitation. It also brought money to the investors and today it also brings money to Starbucks," said Mr Greenblatt.
Mr Greenblatt also spoke about the role of government in supporting social entrepreneurship. He served on the Technology and Innovation working group of the Obama-Biden presidential transition team, which laid out a blueprint for "bringing the lessons of social innovation into the Obama administration".
"There is now a White House Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation. We laid out the plan that was subsequently signed into law. This included a social innovation fund - a pool of venture capital that is being invested to scale up high-impact non-profit organisations across the country," said Mr Greenblatt.
"I think we are seeing the answers, not from politicians, but from social entrepreneurs; individuals and innovators who are creating the next generation of companies, which are addressing the problems of our day," he said.