Educating Aspiring Social Entrepreneurs: an interview with Dr. Rasheda Weaver, founder and CEO of Weaver's Social Enterprise Directory

Dr. Rasheda Weaver is the founder of Weaver's Social Enterprise Directory and a leading expert on social entrepreneurship. She was the first Assistant Professor for the Hynes Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Iona University in 2017. Dr. Weaver's book, "Social Entrepreneurship: a Practical Introduction," is a seminal work in the field of social entrepreneurship.Dr. Weaver's shared her story of growing up as a first generation American, a daughter of Jamaican parents who are each half Cuban and half Jamaican. Rasheda's family had limited financial means but a limitless belief in opportunity. In our conversation, Rasheda walked us through her journey from attending a business high school in Manhattan, to participating in a summer program, Youth About Business, at Columbia University, to studying psychology in college, to writing her PhD thesis on social entrepreneurship, to helping Iona University launch a $15 million Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation."Accomplishments aren't everything. Awards aren't everything. Degrees aren't everything. Even marriage (isn't everything). I think more than anything, you have to be happy and be able to sleep at night with your decisions and have a fulfilled life. And so you could look like you have it all to everyone else. But if you are not happy with it inside your heart, it doesn't really matter; it's not good for you. And you have to listen to what's happening in your soul and your spirit." Dr. Rasheda WeaverKey takeaways:- You might have crazy ideas, but maybe they can come true. Rasheda remembers being 6 years old, and sitting on her stoop in the Bronx, and having what felt like an epiphany that she and her family did not have to live the way they were living, that it was actually a choice to accept the status quo.When she was 14, she made a conscious decision NOT to attend high school locally. Instead, she enrolled in a business high school, located in the Murray Hill section of Manhattan, so that she could learn to be an entrepreneur and how to earn money.It was on her walk to school along Park Avenue, which she refers to as her “happy place”, that she would look up at all the skyscrapers and think that it must have seemed insane to build a skyscraper when someone first thought of it. What a crazy idea!! Yet crazy ideas can come true!- If you can’t find what you’re looking for, create it yourself. Rasheda grew up in the Bronx, surrounded by immigrants who were struggling to make ends meet. She became interested in creating a business that had a social impact, where she could hire immigrants and provide a sustainable wage for people and to help them gain the skills that they needed.She discovered that there was a field called social entrepreneurship but when she went to learn more about it she discovered that there was very little information available. Rasheda decided, during her PhD program, to do a large scale case study of social enterprises throughout the United States. She created a database of over 1,000 entities, answering questions like: How do they make money? Where do they get their money from? Where do they get their startup financing from? How are they doing good? These answers and others she published in her book, Social Entrepreneurship, A Practical Introduction.- Ask for what you need. Rasheda was accepted into her PhD program but the acceptance did NOT include funding. Her mother had taught her that this is the land of opportunity, so she reached out to her department chair and, after advocating for herself, the university found the money for her to be able to attend. Rasheda had a belief in herself, and that she was worth investing in. About the guest: Dr. Rasheda L. Weaver is a global expert on social entrepreneurship. In 2023, she joined the Global African Descent Social Entrepreneurship Network sponsored by the Biden-Harris Administration. She conducted the first large-scale empirical study on the social, economic, and legal activities of social enterprises in the U.S. and is the Founder of Weaver's Social Enterprise Directory. She was the first Assistant Professor for the Hynes Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Iona University in 2017. Dr. Weaver’s book “Social Entrepreneurship: A Practical Introduction” is a seminal work in the field of social entrepreneurship. Website: http://www.socialenterprisedirectory.com/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rasheda-weaver-phd-1a842b1a4/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/socialenterprisedirectory/Resources: Social Enterprise BootcampEmail address: [email protected] Interested in booking a free consultation? Schedule a call.Stay connected:Connect with Laura on LinkedIn@Rotters5 on TwitterConnect with Laura on FacebookSubscribe to my YouTube channelSubscribe to my newsletterGet your free copy of Unlock Your Money Blocks Workbook : Your step-by-step guide to unlocking your blocks to financial freedom.Disclaimer: Please remember that the information shared on this podcast does not constitute accounting, legal, tax, investment or financial advice. It’s for informational purposes only. You should seek appropriate professional advice for your specific information.