Inside Korea’s Social Impact

  While working as a journalist covering the fields of the Social and Solidarity Economy and social innovation, there was one question I frequently asked founders and managers of social impact enterprises. Even when I did not raise it myself, I often heard the same question discussed at forums and seminars: “What is the most essential factor in running your organization?”  ❓ Most social impact entrepreneurs gave remarkably similar answers. To operate their organizations in a stable and sustainable way, they need a reliable space — a physical place where their teams can work. And they emphasized that this space is not optional; it is essential.   Although workplaces in South Korea, like many parts of the world, are increasingly shifting toward digital environments, gathering in an offline space remains highly significant. For social impact enterprises, space is more than just a workplace. Especially for organizations that pursue both value and profit, space becomes a s...

  Once a month, on the last Saturday morning of each month, there is a gathering I make sure not to miss. It is a Social Peer Learning (SPL) meeting. SPL has been running for just over a year now. It was first proposed by a practitioner in the field, bringing together people working in various organizations and institutions to learn from one another. I have been participating since the very beginning — perhaps even as a “model member” (laugh).   **Although I usually use the term “Social and Solidarity Economy” on this blog, in this article I use “Social Economy” to reflect the official name of the group. ➡See related post The Shift in Terminology: From “Social Economy” to “Social Solidarity Economy” From This Year On, I Will Use the Term “Social and Solidarity Economy” Instead of “Social Economy” During my years working as a journalist, one of the greatest advantages I experienced was that I was, in a sense, compelled to study the field I belonged to. I covered numerous ev...