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 In the days of railroad barons and oil tycoons, it might have meant
amassing the most cash possible. These days, the idea of true
success has shifted toward the "social entrepreneur" - those who can
create thriving enterprises while bringing about positive social
change.
Everyone from Microsoft's Bill Gates to Virgin's Richard Branson are
deploying their business acumen to help the causes that are most
meaningful to them. We talked to a few of the world's top social
entrepreneurs about how they got their start.
Scott Harrison
Founder, charity: water, which brings safe drinking water to the
developing world
First job: McDonald's
"I was around 15 in Flemington, New Jersey, and applied for the job
cold. I ended up taking orders and working the takeout window for
absolute minimum wage. They did sweeten the pot with free food,
though, which for me usually meant Quarter Pounders with cheese.
"Once I volunteered to dress up as the Hamburglar to hand out
coupons because you got paid time-and-a-half. It was a pretty
ridiculous costume, with a hat so big that it was difficult to get
through doors. I had to tilt my head to one side. I was so terrified
of getting recognized by my friends.
"I remember that the restaurant floors were always slippery with
grease, which was kind of gross. And the uniform was not very
attractive on me, topped by that plastic webbed hat, not a good
look. Nowadays, I'm a pretty infrequent visitor to McDonald's,
usually in an airport somewhere. But I am partial to McFlurries."
Jessica Jackley
Co-founder: Kiva, a microfinance site, and author of "Clay Water
Brick"
First job: Art teacher
"I always had a real passion for art. Where I grew up, in a suburb
north of Pittsburgh, there was a little family-run art studio. So
after 10th grade, I started teaching skills like drawing and
painting to kids as young as three.
"Nowadays, my life has been taken over by my own boys -
four-year-old twins and a nine-month-old baby - so that art job has
served me well. As a parent, I am always walking around with a long
list of arts-and-crafts projects in my head.
"What I took away from that job was the ability to teach: To be able
to meet somebody where they are and walk them through something
totally new. I am also pretty good at getting people inspired about
something. I like to face a problem together and help them figure
out where they want to go."
Blake Mycoskie
Founder: TOMS, a retailer that provides shoes and other services to
those in need, and author of "Start Something That Matters"
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First job: Doing laundry
"I was going to Southern Methodist University in Dallas and injured
my Achilles tendon playing tennis. I couldn't carry my laundry to
the basement, so I looked in the Yellow Pages for a company that
could do it for me and nothing like that existed. So I decided along
with my college roommate to start a laundry service.
"We bought an old FedEx truck for $1,500. Our innovation was that we
recognized the target customer was the parent, not the student. So
we set up a table at check-in at the beginning of the year, and
charged one price for an entire semester of laundry, something like
$300. We were basically selling parents peace of mind.
"We were pretty successful, eventually expanding to six universities
with 50 employees, and sold it after a few years. But I absolutely
refuse to do laundry now. I did more laundry than you can ever
imagine. At the time it really sucked, but like anything in life,
you look back on it with nostalgia."
Sally Osberg
President and Chief Executive: Skoll Foundation, which invests in
social entrepreneurs, and author of "Getting Beyond Better: How
Social Entrepreneurship Works"
First job: Swimming teacher
"I was 16, and I taught swimming with the Parks & Rec department of
Huntington Township, on the north shore of Long Island, New York.
The kids were between 5 and 9 years old. The first thing you had to
do was put your face in the water and blow bubbles: Some took to it
like ducks to water, and some were absolutely terrified.
"In order to teach swimming, you had to get lifeguard certification,
and that was a frightening business. The woman who put me through my
paces was quite testy, and her job was basically to try to drown me.
I had to do a ju-jitsu move and then rescue her. It wasn't fun.
"The thing I remember most was that fear, and the courage it takes
to overcome it, is huge. Whether it is learning to ride a bike, or
putting your face in the water for the first time: To know that you
have the capability of conquering your fears is an essential life
skill."
(Editing by Lauren Young)
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