Title

Co-opting capitalism through sneaky social ventures: Possibilities and challenges

Authors

Latha Poonamallee, Michigan Technological University

Files

Publication Date

12-1-2016

Description

My work is based on the premise that capitalism has outlived its utility and society needs new normative frameworks of organizing for building a just, sustainable, and prosperous world. Social ventures offer a vehicle for addressing the grand challenges such as global health, sustainable agriculture, clean technology, and financial inclusion through co-opting capitalism while serving societies. By explicitly and simultaneously focusing on social/environmental impact, underserved markets, and financial sustainability, they disrupt markets, products, and funding models. This has also led to a growth in impact investors and alternative legal forms of incorporation such as the Benefit Corporation, L3C, and Social Purpose Corporation. By co-opting capitalism, these sneaky ventures focus attention on big issues that matter while being financially sustainable. Co-optation also carries with it the danger of being co-opted and requires vigilance on the part of the founders.

Disciplines

Business | Economics

Recommended Citation

Poonamallee, Latha, "Co-opting capitalism through sneaky social ventures: Possibilities and challenges" (2016). TechTalks. 16.
https://digitalcommons.mtu.edu/techtalks/16