Wisdom Nugget: Small businesses at the core of the "sustainability ecosystem"

by Nathaniel Whittemore · 2008-10-20 10:13:00 UTC
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With this blog, we're hoping to expand the conversation of social entrepreneurship from where it's been - largely focused on the individual stories of charistmatic leaders - to a broader systems-level look at new innovative approaches to change.

There is a great little piece on TriplePundit today by the folks at EcoUnit that suggests that small, local businesses have an important role at the core of the "sustainability ecosystem." Their assertion is that not only should local businesses have their own green policies, but that they can more dramatically see the on-the-ground impact of social and environmentally friendly (or harmful) businesses and can act both as partners and guardians for local communities.

Another example about people thinking about the problem first and letting the structure of the solution follow, rather than the other way around.

Nathaniel Whittemore is the founder of Assetmap. Previously he was the founding director of the Northwestern University Center for Global Engagement.
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