Inspiring Social Entrepreneurs

Hosted ByFergal Byrne

At Inspiring Social Entrepreneurs, we talk to experienced and successful social entrepreneurs and change makers, committed to building a better world.

Working as a social entrepreneur is hugely fulfilling – yet uniquely challenging. Social entrepreneurs need to balance business and social goals to succeed, often working in extremely challenging environments, with limited resources. And it is often a lonely journey. Our aim is to share the inspiring stories, to explore the highs and the lows, learn how different social entrepreneurs have kept inspired, and draw out insights to help social entrepreneurs at all stages on their journey.


All Episodes

Episode 67: Interview with Willy Oppenheim, founder of Omprakash Foundation, a US-based international non-profit

Willy Oppenheim is an educator, a researcher, and the founder of Omprakash a social enterprise working to make international volunteering more ethical and impactful. Willy founded Omprakash (www.omprakash.org) in 2004 with the goal of creating a platform

Episode 66: Interview with Dr Marc Ventresca, Saïd Business School, University of Oxford

Marc is on faculty at the Saïd Business School, University of Oxford and a Fellow of Wolfson College.  His research and teaching focus on innovation, institutions and infrastructure, with particular empirical projects at the intersection of organizational

Episode 65: Interview with Jeffrey Hollender, co-founder of Seventh Generation and Hollender Sustainable Brands

Jeffrey Hollender is a social entrepreneur, author and activist. After a wide ranging entrepreneurial career, Jeffrey co-founded Seventh Generation and built it over 25 years into a leading natural product company recognised for its authenticity, transpar

Episode 64 Interview with Katy Ashe, Edith Elliott and Shahed Alam, co-founders of Noora Health

Noora Health is an innovative non-profit that provides health training to help patients transition between hospital and home -one of the most precarious and rushed times in healthcare delivery. Noora provides training and information to caregivers and pat

Episode 63 Interview with Ron Bills, CEO of Envirofit, a US based social entreprise with a mission to create products that reduce pollution and energy dependency

Envirofit is a global social enterprise that develops innovative smart cookstoves designed to reduce smoke and CO2 emissions and enable families to live healthier lives, while reducing climate change and increasing clean energy initiatives.  Since the com

Episode 62 Interview Taylor Downs, Co founder Vera Solutions and OpenFn

Taylor has spent almost a decade designing data systems for leading international development organizations. He co-founded Vera Solutions—an organization that works with social impact organizations to create affordable, powerful and flexible technology so

Episode 61 Interview with Professor Mariana Christen Jakob CEO & Founder seif, the Social Entrepreneurship Initiative & Foundation, based in Switzerland

Mariana is CEO & Founder of seif, the Social Entrepreneurship Initiative & Foundation, based in Switzerland.  Seif was established in 2010 to develop a wide variety of business creation and growth workshops, and support social businesses looking for fundi

Episode 60 Interview with, John Rendel the Founder and CEO of PEAS, (Promoting Equality in African Schools)

John is the Founder and CEO of PEAS (Promoting Equality in African Schools), a rapidly growing and multiple award-winning social enterprise that widens access to secondary education in Africa.  Ten years ago John began working full time on setting up PEAS

Episode 59 Interview with Deep Joshi, co-founder of Professional Assistance for Development Action (PRADAN)

Deep is an Indian social worker and NGO activist He co-founded the pioneering Indian non-profit organisation, Professional Assistance for Development Action (PRADAN), of which he was the Executive Director till 2007. PRADAN is involved in building self-he