Economic development, however rapid, does nothing to improve the well-being of the citizens, unless it reaches down to the base of the pyramid. The trickle-down style of economic development model adopted during the building stages of our economy have proved to be ineffective. The need of the hour is to directly access this base, rather than descend from the top. Those individuals, who take upon themselves this task, while at the same time generate profit through their efforts, are Social Entrepreneurs. Social Entrepreneurs are people who recognize a social problem and use entrepreneurial principles to create, organize and manage a venture to result in fortification of the social fabric. They are ambitious and persistent, tackling major social issues and offering new ideas for a wide-scale change. In the words of Bill Drayton, social entrepreneurs are not content just to give a fish or teach how to fish, they are people who will not rest until they have revolutionized the whole fishing industry. Those individuals who strongly believe in this cause, and have an idea which they feel might revolutionize the life of the common man, may enter their ideas in Eclairez 2010, the Social Entrepreneurship Challenge organized by Entrepreneurship Cell, IIT Kharagpur.
Eclairez aims at the amalgamation of students, NGOs, incubators, social entrepreneurs, venture-capitalists and corporations to develop and encourage the spirit of Social entrepreneurship. It is a platform for Social entrepreneurs to showcase their innovative solutions to society's most pressing social problems. The event will span over a year with regular workshops, mentoring sessions and frequent field visits. The participants will get a chance to perk up their business plan with our mentorship board and convert it into a successful social venture. The mentorship board will consist of Social Entrepreneurs and Venture Capitalists that are ready to join hands to improve society by implementing these innovative ideas aimed at serving those who are at the bottom of pyramid. This event also encourages submissions from working professionals and grass root connectors.
