Social Entrepreneurship
Many
of my business ventures, past and present, have sought
to achieve the "double bottom-line" - that is - financial
returns and social returns. Each
company has also placed
an emphasis on giving back to the community.
My
first company, Mind, Body & Soul Enterprises, was explicitly focused
on the mental, physical and spiritual development of others.
MBS Educational Services & Training, my second venture, did a
considerable amount of work with students from grade school
to graduate school, in helping
them to consider and plan their future by addressing topics
such as college planning, career planning, academic excellence,
leadership, mentoring and other professional development
topics.
Next,
the Inner City Consulting group identified innovative
solutions to the pressing issues being faced in urban communities
and inner
cities across the
country. Access One Corporation provided broadband and
telecommunications solutions in affordable housing for
low-income residents and the community-based
organizations that serve them.
Finally,
my latest venture, BCT Partners, is a management, technology
and policy consulting firm based in Newark,
NJ, that specializes in the industries/sectors of
housing
and community development, economic development, human
services, nonprofit and community
technology and education. BCT has done a considerable
amount of work on behalf of underserved communities,
low-income communities, communities of color and the organizations
that serve them – public, private, philanthropic and nonprofit.