Brent Lang: Collaboration Reduces Redundancies

 Brent Lang is former Director of Surrey Cares (previously known as The Surrey Foundation). He held the CIM (Chartered Investment Manager), Branch Manager and FCSI (Fellow of the Canadian Securities Institute) designations - awarded for his professional achievement within the North American investment field. His focus was social entrepreneurship on a hyperlocal level.

Why do you think social entrepreneurship has become so popular in the last decade? Are there any economic, social, or cultural reasons?

There is obvious disapproval with "capitalism" but it takes business brawn and intuitiveness to launch a successful social enterprise. This turns the evils of business/capitalism into a resource for those who are intended to be the beneficiary of the enterprise. Often the employees are a sector of the population that are unemployable otherwise (ie. require flexible, supported work due to homelessness, poverty, addiction or mental health).

What are the current trends in this industry?

Philanthropist are either simply donors (distributive charity) or want to see their donation live beyond their lives (endowment) or want to create a perpetual (and growing) revenue stream for an assigned purpose (investment philanthropy) in the form of a social enterprise. Turn the heat on the charities that spend 50% or more of their revenue on fundraising (bad) vs. rewared those that can operate a self-sustaining model (good).

The USA seems to have a high concentration of social entrepreneurs. Is this an American concept? What other countries seem to be leading in this area.

This is not USA-only, although USA's very lucrative period from 1982-present created so many billionaires and deca-millionaires that the greater good is to turn this money back into "social capital". It can create millions of jobs, give pride to millions of disenfranchised and re-invigorate once wasted communities.

What are the biggest of challenges social entrepreneurships face?

In a financial crisis, any business can be wiped out - these (and likely most) of all social enterprises receive no government funding. They are economically sensitive and vulnerable to donor fatigue or corporate budgets or recessions.

Can you tell us a bit about your current social entrepreneurship?

Previously (another email) I shared that our Community Foundation is doing a feasability study on establishing a Center for Social Innovation to be the hub/incubator/hive for social enterprises in our region. There is a lot of synergies and reduced redundancies (and talent cross-over) to be had when collaboration occurs. Typical social services "agencies" are good at redundancies and top-heavy management and restrictive hours of operation etc.

What advice or tips can you give aspiring or current MBA students who want to build a career in this area? Additionally, what skills should they focus on developing?

This is the hardest work you'll ever have to do - don't think a good cause floats all boats - There are long, dark, scary days and nights when your organization may be on the line because you're running to the brink of exhaustion to create the enterprise - you do it not to get rich (like a tech start-up), but to solve a problem in your community/civilization. If you're great at tech start-ups - do that, make a billion THEN give it to an astute business-like social enterprise. Develop your talent to all its worth then align with other complementary talents. Understand your strengths and weaknesses (these will change over the decades) and be ready to change direction if needed. Anything else you want to add? I have been blessed to be a part of a few really genuine social enterprises that are changing the world. Some of the best relationships in my life came from these long hours as a Social Enterprise start-up. Fear and Greed make people act in very strange ways. Expect to be disappointed every now and then. Also expect to be truly amazed every now and then. It is the great days that make the dark days seem so insignificant.