Asaf stein presentation for EMES 2010 PhD student Summer School

From High-Tech Culture to Venture Philanthropy: A Case

Study in the Mentoring of Social Entrepreneur

Asaf SteinSupervision: Dr. Ilana Silber

Department of Sociology and Anthropology,Bar-Ilan UniversityIsrael

Mentoring for Social Entrepreneurship 

an ethnographic research in an Israeli High-Tech oriented Venture Philanthropy

foundation

Asaf SteinSupervision: Dr. Ilana Silber

Department of Sociology and Anthropology,Bar-Ilan UniversityIsrael

High-Tech - High Expectations(AKA 'The Bubble')

Cultural background

http://www.startupnationbook.com/ http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/business/we-hereby-declare-the-establishment-of-a-high-tech-empire-1.245413

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel#cite_note-228

What is a Venture Philanthropy Foundation?

What is a Venture Philanthropy Foundation?

http://www.impetus.org.uk/about-venture-philanthropy

http://www.nvca.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=104&Itemid=171

“At SVA, our focus is on developing social enterprises that create employment for people excluded from the labour market.”

“ Our activities are focused on three areas - supporting a selected portfolio of non-profit organisations, consulting to the broader non-profit sector and developing social sector partnerships.”

“X  targets social entrepreneurships, already running a program, with high potential for growth and impact through innovative and competitive initiatives, that are in need of mentoring, capacity building services and investments. X's goal is to support the entrepreneurships, transforming the program into a model and model into sustainable and scalable impact.”

Ethnographic 'Extended case Method'(Borawoy, 1998)   

Research Methodology

New-Institutionalism: Explaining how new fields of social practices are being translated and institutionalized (formed into institutions).   Gift and Reciprocity Theories: Anti-Utilitarian movement (after Marcel Mauss). Seeing reciprocal and gift exchange as the core practices that makes and bound a society. 

Theoretical perspectives

3 Research Questions

What elements does the term 'Social Entrepreneurship' includes, according to the different players in the field?

3 Research Questions

What are the conceptual toolkit and the practices which the players from the Venture Philanthropy organization and the Social Entrepreneur use in order to justify the following issues: A. Implementing a Venture model to the philanthropic field in Israel. B. Implementing a model of doing social good and achieving social change through Entrepreneurship. C. Implementing and infusing cultural ideas, norms, and practices common in the high-tech business industry, into an activity that is primarily social.

3 Research Questions

 How does the different players in the program interprets the mentorship process that accompanied the financial support for the social entrepreneurs fellowship?

3 Research Questions

How does players in the field:1. Interpret and give meaning to the the term Social Entrepreneurship. 

2. Justified the putting to use of ideas and practices form the business world. 3. Interact with each other (mentors form the High-Tech business world with social activists/entrepreneur-to-be).

Further thoughts and discussion

1.Ethical dilemma: should I use the full name of the philanthropic foundation?  

2.Theoretical developments: how would you wove New-Institutionalism with Gift theories?

3. Your experience: where do you see similarities with my research?    

Further thoughts and discussion

1.Ethical dilemma 2.Theoretical developments 3. Your experience

Am I Missing something Important? (Are there any additional questions that you would like to be answered about this research topic?)