The Social Creatives: A Movement Towards

a Sustainable Economy

Dania Bianuni, Giovanna Di Lauro,Roberta Rispoli, and Laura Vargas Pelayo

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SOCIAL CREATIVES:A Movement Towards a Sustainable Economy

Dania BianuniGiovanna Di Lauro

Roberts RispoliLaura Vargas Pelayo

Università degli Studi di Milano, ItalyCORSO DI LAUREA MAGISTRALE IN

COMUNCAZIONE PUBBLICA E D‟IMPRESACorso di: Sociologia della Globalizzazionea.a 2010/2011, Prof. Adam Erik Arvidsson

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This report analyzes the movement of Social Entrepreneurship and those who call themselves Social Entrepreneurs in the city of Milan. Employing a qualitative interview method, we seek to understand who are the people who participate in these initiatives and why they do it: is it a matter of status admired amongst the elite, or are this Social Entrepreneurs motivated by the personal satisfaction of creating social change. Then the thesis suggests that Paul H. Ray’s Cultural Creatives have developed into a sub-culture that finds self-realization entirely correlated to social impact.

Introduction

Society has seen, through its numerous centuries, economies sustained by different means, ranging from agriculture to industry and finance. These types of economies have cycles that define its sustainability and which can be illustrated with a bell-curve: in its decline phase the curve shows how the economy is no longer able to sustain itself and must find a new market to invest in. Many economists and sociologists today, believe that we have reached this point of decline and that a new type of economy must rise in order for society to continue its own logical development. To support this thesis, Muhammad Yunus highlights in his book Creating a World without Poverty that 94% of the income generated in the world belongs to the richest 40% of the world population, whilst a staggering 6% is left for the remaining 60% (17, 2008). Even though such impacting figures cannot be left unattended, the world has seen little change throughout the years, and interest to this issue has not conceived concrete results. In recent years, however, a growing interest in social change has steadily risen within important social structures, and today it seems as if the desire for social improvement had resulted in a prosperous harvest of social change that could mark a decisive point in the cycle of our economy. First of all, we have all been witnesses to the increasing concern of major multinational companies in Corporate Social Responsibility and the attention given to environmental issues and humanitarian causes, and it is easy to imagine an ever-more-vigilant society in which we all care for the well-being of our neighbors. Nonetheless, this is not necessarily the case, as companies may be prone to be involved in Corporate Responsibility because they have discovered a monetary gain from the better reputation it generates, and members of the elite may donate millions to non-for-profit organizations, because this is a requirement to be considered elite in this global society. Secondly, we are introduced to the concept of Social Entrepreneurship, which Business Week describes in an April 2009 article as: “enterprising individuals who apply business practices to solving societal problems, such as pollution, poor nutrition, and poverty” problems that neither government, charity, nor traditional capitalism have been able to solve.1 A social movement, which has been slowly catching the attention of entrepreneurs who feel the need to apply their knowledge of business to improve our society, and thus in a way, dissolve the separation between for-profit and non-for-profit organizations. Ashoka suggests that “Social Entrepreneurs often seem to be possessed by their ideas, committing their lives to changing the direction of their field.”2 And so, the question arises of whether the people involved in this movement have hidden agendas, an alternate reason for being part of a social change movement. Yunus explains that human beings have an intrinsic instinct and desire to see the lives of others improved, and that people are continuously searching for a meaning to their own lives, one that can be found in helping the world become a better place, and one that Social Entrepreneurship can offer.

This report highlights the latter reason for becoming a social entrepreneur, that of self-realization. We also focus on the evident belonging of this people in what Paul H. Ray describes as the Core Group of the Cultural Creatives, a group of highly educated people who “combine a serious concern for their inner lives with a strong penchant for social activism” (Ray 2000, p. 14). The Cultural Creatives are a subculture of demographically diverse individuals with similar values and lifestyles. However, they do not necessarily feel part of larger group of people that think alike, and often they do not realize that they are amongst many

1 1 Chrystia Freeland ‘L’economia dei nuovi ricchi’, for The Atlantic published in Internazionale, February 18, 2011, 38-46.

2 ‘Making a Profit and a Difference’ , Bloomberg Business Week, http://bx.businessweek.com/social-entrepreneurship/view?url=http%3A%2F

%2Fwww.businessweek.com%2Fsmallbiz%2Fcontent%2Fmar2009%2Fsb20090330_541747.htm (accessed March 21, 2011).2 3 ‘What is a Social Entrepreneur?’, Ashoka, http://www.ashoka.org/social_entrepreneur (accessed March 21, 2011).

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others who live in a similar manner. The social entrepreneurs of Milan seem to have begun their development alone, but quickly realized that there were others who shared their beliefs. They work alone, or in small groups, but they all feel part of a larger community with shared values, the community that we here call the Social Creatives: those who fit the description of a Cultural Creative in terms of values and lifestyles, but who have focused their attention specifically in the development of social business. We suggest that these people have entered into this field seeking self-improvement before social change, but who are very content with the idea that their own self-realization can also produce positive results for the society. We differ in this point from the Cultural Creatives, who according to Ray have very socially conscious lifestyles and values, and we suggest that our Social Creatives, even though they share the same values, are interested in their own well-being and not in a simple form of altruism. They do not think of business as something negative, but as something that must be modernized and valorized with social ideas. More importantly, they believe that Social Entrepreneurship is the logical next step for our economy, and it can generate an income to allow for a lifestyle, such as the one of the Cultural Creatives.

Research Questions and Hypothesis

This research seeks to fill a gap of information regarding the people who participate in the initiatives of Social Entrepreneurship in Milan: who are they and why do they choose to enter this field? Are they sincerely motivated by helping our society or are they more interested in the status level that social responsibility offers? Are the people involved only seeking a personal reward or are they honestly interested in helping society with its pivotal issues. The research also strives to find a trend that could predict the future impact and success of the Social Entrepreneurship industry.

Social Entrepreneurs are individuals who participate in the movement not only for the personal satisfaction of creating social change, but because of the social status that such a career can bring. This hypothesis was only partly verified and in the following chapters, we will explain the true motivations of the social entrepreneurs.

Methodology

This thesis is based on a qualitative approach, through face-to-face interviews and analysis of texts and websites, in order to study those who consider themselves social entrepreneurs. This method was chosen for its particular usefulness in bringing to the light elements that have not been scientifically proven, but that are considered to be noteworthy in the social environment. This allows for a closer look into the perspective of these individuals, which can then be analyzed from a social standpoint to give a general meaning to their experiences. The majority of empirical data was obtain during the months of March and April 2011 through semi-structured face-to-face interviews3 with two types of people: individuals who are currently active in the creation or development of their own social business and consider themselves social entrepreneurs (we refer to this individuals as active), and experts of the field, such as university professors and banking professionals, who simply offer their opinion of the phenomenon. The latter were not a considered in the analysis of data and were simply used to build a context and formulate a contrast with the data retrieved from the active interviews. The research consists of a sample of 18 interviews (16 active and 2 experts) conducted by four researchers, and analysis of texts. Many of the interviews came about from an introduction to The Hub Milano and participation in the fair Fa’ la cosa giusta, as well as online research and word-of-mouth4. Several websites of Social Entrepreneurship in Milan were analyzed in the attempt to discover a trend, but given the lack of discussions by its participants and therefore the lack of information relevant for this research, a netnography-based study was excluded.

3 The face-to-face interviews were done either by meeting directly with the entrepreneur or by video conferencing via Skype. 4 Several of the interviewees provided us with the contact details of acquaintances that worked in the same field in order to have them

participate in the research. 3

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Given the desire to understand the background of these individuals, no distinction of age was made in the selection of the sample, thus the ages of the active interviewees range from late 20’s to early 50’s. To limit the research geographically, only individuals working in the Milan province were chosen. They can be separated also between those who are capable of financial sustainability from their social business alone, and those who are working towards this goal. The interviews were conducted using a realistic approach, letting the sample describe a factual reality of their own lives, and focusing on certain aspects that would enable us to better understand their motivations. Having asked the same stimulus questions to all the interviewees we were able to analyze the data also in a compare/contrast scheme to find common factors, and having the interviewees freely narrate their story gave us insight into their emotions and details of their social life, which allowed us to build a profile that characterizes the social entrepreneur of Milan.

To insure internal reliability amongst the four interviewers, the stimulus questions were decided before hand, voice recorders were used, and the analysis of data was made comparing results in periodical meetings. Nonetheless, limitations to this method exist, such as subjectivity on part of the interviewers and representativeness of the sample. In order to strengthen the validity of the research instruments we support the data with existing material by Muhammad Yunus and Paul H. Ray, amongst others. The research must be considered a support to the study of Social Entrepreneurship, allowing for and encouraging further development in the future.

Social Entrepreneurs in Milan

In recent years, Milan has seen a consistent increase in the attention given to sustainability issues. Such interest can be perceived by considering the attendance to the Milan fair Fa’ la cosa giusta, which increased by 30% from 2009, having over 65,000 participants in 2010. 5 The Hub Milano, a networking space for social entrepreneurs, has over 330 active members and over 3,600 followers on Facebook 6; this year the Il piu bel lavoro del mondo contest by Make a Change has 46 participants7; there are hundreds of ONLUS co-ops based in Milano; the private universities Luigi Bocconi and Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, have included studies of Social Entrepreneurship in their MBA programs. This broadening interest in Social Entrepreneurship in Milan is part of a much larger global trend towards making the world more sensible to all sorts of issues related to sustainability, and a key to understanding the motives that lead certain individuals to enter the world of Social Entrepreneurship.

We identified two reasons for entering this form of business, and in either form, it was evident that the main concern of the entrepreneur was their business. Regardless of the intense desire to create social improvement, these entrepreneurs are engrossed in the process of developing their business plan, meaning they are mostly interested in the entrepreneur factor of the business and not necessarily the social factor. Indeed, they are extremely aware of social problems, perhaps more than the average person, but their goal is clear: create a successful business. The difference here is that they believe achieving their goal should not be aloof from being socially conscious. They are extremely concerned with the utility of their work, doing something that is useful as a whole, and not simply measured in economic terms.

It’s an entrepreneurial formula, not a feel-good or desperate formula. It’s not about moral and ethic issues, but a balance of both components, economic and social.8

5 Figures taken from a press release of Fa’ la cosa giusta, http://falacosagiusta.terre.it/sezione04/43/

6 Interview, woman, works with The Hub Milano, March 2011.

7 Make a Change, ’46 team in corsa per il piu bel lavoro del mondo’, April 4, 2011. http://www.makeachange.it/notizia/46-team-in-corsa-per-il-

piu--bel-lavoro-del-mondo.asp, 8 Interview, man, participated in Make a Change contest, March 2011.

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The distinction was made considering when the entrepreneurs entered the social business world: the ones that had had a long and prosperous experience in the corporate world, and the ones that had had little to none. After having been part of the “standard” business world, the first detached them selves from the profit-making culture, convinced that globalization and the economic and political world powers fell short from filling the needs of society. They began questioning the very principles that society had established as necessary for happiness, those corresponding to financial success. In the business world they had weighty incomes and high standards of living, and they chose to leave the comfort of a dependable income and become social entrepreneurs as a conscious, well-thought decision motivated by self-improvement or self-realization, and finalized to a higher degree of satisfaction with their own lives. They had the benefit of having experienced the business world and are more likely to be financially sustained from their social entrepreneurship alone, mostly because of an initial high level of capital to invest in their efforts. They describe their decision as one necessary to find happiness, given that financial success had not provided the level of contempt they had expected at the beginning of their careers. They realized that economic gain was not sufficient, and that space for self-development was pivotal for satisfaction with life. Creativity becomes an important factor, and many of these entrepreneurs believe that their work in the business world did not permit them to fully develop it due to the high requirement for rational thinking.

[Social business] allows for the development of competences that in the standard for-profit world you can’t attain. In this sector, you can experiment with different tasks and put your capacities to the test. People are more motivated because they are not pushed by the will to maximize profits, and do not require only technical ability, but also the will to be involved 360 degrees.9

This issue was also considered by the individuals who entered the world of Social Entrepreneurship immediately or soon after finishing their university studies. They experienced how hierarchy in the normal business world removed all sorts of creativity from their jobs, because their ideas always weighted less than those of their superiors. Nonetheless, they express that their desire to leave this form of business was not centered only on the impediment to express their creativity, but mostly on their desire to make their work have useful retributions for society. They convey a higher desire to do something positive for society, to create social innovation and find new ways to help society. Furthermore, they believe that their own happiness can be found only through conscious living and concern for their surroundings, and that the standard business system could in no way provide such satisfaction.

Both types of social entrepreneurs tend to be concerned with issues regarding humanity, worker and consumer rights, and the equilibrium, or lack thereof, between wealth and its distribution, always demonstrating a well-defined critical ability of the socioeconomic system. There is a slight age difference between these two types of social entrepreneurs, the latter being the youngest and most ideological of the two. They also face more obstacles in their process of becoming financially stable because they do not have the capital to invest in their ideas. Nevertheless, the lack of financial stability is not proportional to their optimism of future success. The desire to have a gratifying job prevails over the will of having a job that can lead to high profits. Even though they do not necessarily obtain immediate earnings from their Social Entrepreneurship, they continue having an active interest and being attracted by this form of business, certain that in a near future, they will be sustained by it. As a result, most of these individuals hold secondary jobs. They are secondary not because the income this jobs generate is lower, on the contrary these secondary jobs in many cases are the main source of income for these entrepreneurs; they are secondary because the main focus of these individuals remains the pursue of making their social entrepreneurship successful. They understand that sacrifices must be made, and thus they may not dedicate the bulk of their time and resources to developing it, but in their minds the objective of social entrepreneurship remains on top of their list. In some cases, the secondary jobs were connected in part to social development and in some others they were simply directed towards financial profits.

9 Interview, woman, previously worked in a publishing house, now has a successful social business, March 2011. 5

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A common factor in the world of social entrepreneurs in Milan is the involvement in social networks, such as The Hub Milano. Social entrepreneurs, just as standard entrepreneurs, are very independent, and enjoy working alone or in small groups to develop their business. They do not feel that belonging to a social network enhances their ability to make their business more successful, nevertheless they do feel part of something, and these social networks transform this feeling into something more tangible. A more pragmatic result of the social networks is its ability of connecting people that may have similar business ideas, and give them the possibility of acquiring experience from others and perhaps even work together. The social entrepreneurs that have found that they are part of a larger movement are excited to know that there are many like them and feel this is a motivation to continue their search for social business. They enjoy giving advice to others that may want to change the course of their professional careers and are excited about the developing interest towards their industry.

There is a special energy to want to create change from the bottom. The people that work [with The Hub] have fire in their eyes, passion for social change.10

They suggest that prosperity as a social Entrepreneur is extremely difficult, time-consuming, and stressful. However, they consider their quality of life to have undergone a profound improvement since they decided to make Social Entrepreneurship their main objective, even if it required some sacrifices.

This way of life had repercussions in my own lifestyle… traveling by bicycle, trying to work from home to limit the commute, being a very conscious consumer. One cannot live as one that makes a lot of money. You must make sacrifices, but in the end they are not even that large. It is better to do something that you like, that I find useful, than feeding a circuit that I do not share, that does not belong to me. 11

Just as discovered in the study of The Cultural Creatives, our interviewees were not easily classified in a demographic manner (p.22), coming for varied backgrounds and past experiences, but allowing for some points of comparison. The majority of our interviewees grew up in lower-middle to upper-middle class families in different regions of Italy, in families that supported creative development and encouraged the achievement of prestigious labor. They completed post-secondary education, mostly in public universities in Italy, and considered, at least at some point in their lives, that their education was crucial for their future development. The interviewees that entered the social business world while still young confess to having received some financial help from their families at the beginning, but they are all reluctant to admit that this had an effect in their decision to enter the field. In fact, they believe that their economical situation is by no means worse than that of other young university graduates that work in standard business, and they are proud of having chosen a different route and distinguishing from the standard.

Previously to entering the world of Social Entrepreneurship, and in several cases also today, most interviewees participated in volunteering work, result which makes us believe that their interest in Social Entrepreneurship had a deep root in its ability to help society: their involvement in social work began before their recognition of its ability to generate profit as a parallel to creating social improvement.

They all admit having perceived, from their teenage years until their switch into the social entrepreneur movement, that happiness was attained only when achieving a merit-based prestigious position within a company, focused on profit maximization, competition, and social status. These feelings were generated by a system in which a single individual must overcome others competing in the same race towards personal wealth, not necessarily being mindful of their own surroundings. The Cultural Creatives are against such beliefs and so are our interviewees, who from personal experience can voice that their

10 Interview, woman, works with The Hub Milano, March 2011.

11 Interview, man, works free-lance collaborating with SMarketing, April 2011. 6

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satisfaction with their own lives comes from their involvement in helping the society, and not from the amount of income that they can generate.

The Cultural Creatives

The notion that the corporate world is in a predicament is today widely accepted. The global financial crisis has left society with lots of uncertainties: who is responsible for the economic crisis? Is government to blame for the financial problems? Is it truly the end of capitalism? Or, as we have pointed out earlier in this thesis, is this form of economy at its decline phase, and thus creating the need for a new type to rise?

As a response to these questions, several major cities in the world are witnessing the growth of a new entrepreneurial spirit, connected to social innovation and profitable business. They offer a new role for entrepreneurs in the quest of creating wealth, where no longer is that the only concern, but where the values are reinvented towards conscious ways of generating revenues.

The existence of a Third Sector, beyond the State and the market, becomes evident in the presence of market or State failures… The Third Sector achieves dimensions that make it capable of contributing to the collective well-being. It emerges, is consolidated, and evolves when the alternate economic players (State and market) either choose not to, or are not able to satisfy the needs of the economy. The Third Sector takes charge of the unresolved issues emerging in the civil society.12

The expert interviewed suggests that the natural step after a crisis is the development of social players that try to solve the problems of the society. However, social business suggests that the standard social players (NGO, non-profit organizations, religious organizations) are not capable of managing this sector alone and need the help of those who understand the profit-making industry.

We suggest that the movement of Social Entrepreneurship is the result of an evolution of Paul H. Ray’s Cultural Creatives for both its characteristics and values. Social entrepreneurs in Milan are strongly aware of planet issues (global warming, poverty, preservation and natural balance), they volunteer in all sorts of non-profit organizations, are optimistic towards the future and are preoccupied with earning more money than necessary. Their values can be classified in idealism and activism, self-improvement and spirituality.

Foremost, they feel it is of utmost importance to specify their distinct separation from either for-profit or non-profit. They believe that it is the blurred space in the middle that can support a change in the current system, and they feel as if these tasks belong to them as small but substantial group, the Social Creatives: a subculture that sharing the values of the Cultural Creatives applies innovative ideas to produce social change. In fact, innovation is a key to the development of these entrepreneurs, allowing for creativity and providing a feeling of being part of the creation process. The connection to the Cultural Creatives is particularly evident in this point, as Ray considers that this subculture engages “fully the idea of being part of a creation process, from the draft of the project until its realization. That’s the engine of their lives, in fact they like to emphasize the fact that they are not just there to solve a problem but to innovate, and create new methodology” (p.40). The interviewees strive to develop projects filled with creativity and innovation, which can lead to new successful businesses and in turn provoke and gain the attention of other entrepreneurs. Another point of similarity, is that the social entrepreneurs believe that people and natural resources are not the means but the end: all for-profit activities must respect human dignity and the environment that surrounds us, achieving its objectives only if they do not interfere with the natural course of life.

12 Interview with Expert, professor of Social Entrepreneurship in Universitá Commerciale Luigi Bocconi, March 2011.

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Nowadays social movements, instead of being engaged in class conflict are tied to social and political conflict, the motivations to participate are proportional to the level of satisfaction, self-realization and wellness that it can provide. Therefore the concept of social business becomes extremely attractive to young people all over the world, specially those in rich countries, where they grow up with full access to any type of consumption, with higher and further education, a creative lifestyle and in most of the cases, a precarious job. Ron Rentel defines this demographic as “entrepreneurs” with a high need for achievement, high need for independence, low need for conformity internal focus of control, love of ambiguity, propensity for risk-taking and obsession with opportunity. (Karma Queens, Geek Gods and Innerpreneurs, by Ron Rentel, 2008)

A glimpse at Milan

The scope of social entrepreneurs is to develop for-profit businesses that address social and environmental needs, focusing on innovative ideas. They hope to make a living of their social business, being financially sustained by it, and ensuring not only that it does not interfere in the progress of society, but also that it catalyzes its improvement.

From a more general perspective the Social Entrepreneurship movement in Milan is rather similar to that of other western countries (similar demographics, backgrounds, motivations, projects, etc), however, when analyzing the specific situation of Milan (and Italy as a whole) the main obstacle for a large-scale spreading of these ideas, is the limited and restricted access to capital investment. Firstly, there is a lack of financial instruments dedicated to the start up of this type of initiatives; for example, private investors are reluctant to participate in this type of project because they either find it too risky or do not understand it and believe it is simply charity. On the other hand, those financial resources that are available are extremely difficult to access, having complicated requirements and intricate red tape.

Nevertheless, this adversity instead of dissuading our Social Creatives, it comforts them since they feel this makes them pioneers, and pioneers are never understood at the beginning. Thus, they can exclude themselves from the majority, feeling like they know the secret to progress, and living the thrill of its uncertainty. Such feelings of reward and pride are part of the benefits of being a social entrepreneur: An increase in their social capital worth to them much more than the economic gain. The social capital can be considered from two perspectives: First, it produces a high level of personal satisfaction, which justifies the sacrifices that they make. Second, it creates a sense of belonging to a larger group who thinks alike, and even though there is no direct return of image outside this group, inside they are respected, considered valuable and their work is regarded as important.

The Makers’ View

We would also like to consider a connection between Social Entrepreneurship and the Makers’ Culture, a movement that encourages creating and building in addition to purchasing and consuming.13 It gathers a network of the so-called backyard investors, artists, high-tech artisans, and fablabs (fabrication laboratories), immerse in do-it-yourself technologies. In Milan, this scene is attracting more and more social entrepreneurs,14 perhaps because of the possibility that the Makers’ Culture might have found a new route for sustainability, which if social entrepreneurs are attentive to, they could find a structured business solution. During the interviews, we discovered that the projects that receive the most attention and financial support are those that are based on technological innovations, proving that social entrepreneurs could positively use the creative innovations from the Makers Culture to better implement their ideas.

13 Doctorow, Cory, ‘Makers’, New York: HarperCollins, 2010, http://craphound.com/makers/Cory_Doctorow_-_Makers.html.14 Niessen, Beltram, ‘Makers culture, social movements and subcultures in Europe. Paths of change and cultural fossilization’, Openwear.org,

August 30, 2010, http://openwear.org/blog/?p=4308

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If not this, what else?

The future is always a topic of great ideas and great contradictions, and this issue is not staying behind. There are several predictions of what the future holds for the field of Social Entrepreneurship and of course, we will have to wait to find out. Needless to say, all of our interviewees aspire for a prosperous market in which social businesses are the key of the economy. Given that these people work in the field, and are dedicating their time and energy to developing it, this belief is rather expected. Nonetheless, there are some interesting factors worth mentioning. First of all, there are no other concrete options being offered at the moment that suggest another alternative, apart from the not so realistic belief that the economy will heal itself and we will continue life as it is today. Second, Social Entrepreneurs are not completely idealistic and they can see the limitations of the field. Some believe that they will never make as much money as the standard business managers and they will not replace the current business form, but simply offer an alternative. A more idealistic few believe that the future market will be composed of many small businesses that are concerned with the health of society, and that large corporations will simply die away. Of course, the complete disappearance of large corporations seems a bit extreme, but it could be backed by the suggestion that the Social Entrepreneurship formula is more efficient and effective than traditional business, and has the potential of being further developed. It possesses a competitive advantage from its capacity to give value to human capital, and thus from generating motivated and passionate workers. 15

An alternative unfolding of this field, could take shape in the exploitation of the socially conscious minds in order to generate profits for the traditional market. We suggest that, as it already happens today, large corporations will use the concept of Social Entrepreneurship as a marketing gimmick. Social issues already get a large amount of international attention, and major multinational corporations spend a percentage of their profits, as small as that percentage might be, to communicate to their consumers their “concern” for the well-being of the world. Hence, there is a possibility that people may enter this industry with the sole purpose of making profits and with no desire of creating social change, or because in a future, being considered a social entrepreneur may offer a high status level. Major private universities in the world are now offering expensive MBA’s focused on Social Entrepreneurships. The question becomes whether they are honestly trying to spread the ideas of this field, or they are simply trying to increase their student body. Furthermore, the universities offering such programs are usually private (Harvard, Yale, Luigi Bocconi, Cattolica Sacro Cuore), and thus expensive and restrictive, with limited access to the average entrepreneur. Some interviewees suggested that even if the world of Social Entrepreneurship encounters some of the situations described above, the outcome would still be positive, because social improvements would still be produced, even if not as the main objective. Muhammad Yunus on the other hand, says that seeking a profit parallel to creating social change is completely contradictory and cannot be fully accomplished, because the profit-seeking objective would always overpower the pursuit of social change (‘Building Social Business’, p.12).

Our hypothesis sustains that these individuals were indeed part of a movement not only guided by generating social change, but by the satisfaction that such work can have in the lives of those involved in it. We cannot conclude from the research that this field will be restricted to a certain subgroup, as this is not the case today, but we continue to believe that certain trends reflect a potential limit of its access to a few members of the elite as the movement becomes popular and economically sustainable. This hypothesis was not verified, showing that the main motivations for these individuals are self-realization, self-expression, and well-being.

Gruppo DaLaGio

Dania Bianuni

15 Interview with Expert, professor of Social Entrepreneurship in Universitá Commerciale Luigi Bocconi, March 2011.

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After having completed her Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, Dania moved to Milan, where she attends the Public Affairs and Corporate Communications Master’s Degree program at Università degli Studi di Milano, while working part-time as a Language Trainer.

Giovanna Di Lauro

Having abandoned a career in professional tennis, which set her as one of the most promising national junior athletes in world classification until 2006, Giovanna decided to focus on her studies graduating in 2009 in Communication Science from Università degli Studi del Molise and obtaining in 2010 a diploma in Master of Social, Political, and Institutional Communication from IULM University of Milano. Today, she is a Master Degree-seeking student of Public Affairs and Corporate Communication at Università degli Studi di Milano.

Roberta Rispoli

Having completed her three-year degree in European Economy from Università degli Studi di Milano, Roberta continues her studies at the same university but this time focusing on Public Affairs and Corporate Communication.

Laura Isabel Vargas Pelayo

Obtained a degree in Communication Science from Universidad Central de Venezuela and worked for several years as a journalist specialized in Marketing and Adversiting in Caracas. Today, Laura is seeking a Master’s Degree in Public Affairs and Corporate Communication at Università degli Studi di Milano, while working part-time at Fornarina.

References

Arvidsson, Adam, Malossi, Giannino and Naro, Serpica(2010) 'Passionate Work? Labour Conditions in the Milan Fashion Industry', Journal for Cultural Research, 14: 3, 295 — 309

Doctorow, Cory, ‘Makers’, New York: HarperCollins, 2010, http://craphound.com/makers/Cory_Doctorow_-_Makers.html.

Freeland, Chrystia, ‘L’economia dei nuovi ricchi’, for The Atlantic published in Internazionale, February 18, 2011, 38-46

Lucidi, Alivernini, Pedon, ‘metodologia della ricerca qualitative’, Milano: Il Mulino, 2008.

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Niessen, Beltram, ‘Makers culture, social movements and subcultures in Europe. Paths of change and cultural fossilization’, Openwear.org, August 30, 2010, http://openwear.org/blog/?p=430

Perman, Stacy, ‘Making a Profit and a Difference’, Bloomberg Business Week,

http://bx.businessweek.com/social-entrepreneurship/view?url=http%3A%2F

%2Fwww.businessweek.com%2Fsmallbiz%2Fcontent%2Fmar2009%2Fsb20090330_541747.htm

(accessed March 21, 2011).

Ray, Paul H. and Sherry Ruth Anderson, ‘The Cultural Creatives: How 50 Million People are Changing the World’, New York: Three Rivers Press, 2000.

Silverman, David, ‘Come fare ricerca qualitativa : una guida pratica’, Roma : Carocci, 2002.(Trad. di Silvia Jelmini, rev. di G. Gobo.

Yunus, Muhammad, ‘Building social business: the new kind of capitalism that serves humanity’s most pressing needs’, Philadelphia: PublicAffairs, 2010.

Yunus, Muhammad, ‘Un mondo senza povertá’, Milano: Feltrinelli, 2008.

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