Do you ever feel like you lack a sense of purpose at your typical office job? Are you enraged by the social problems around you but feel helpless about it? Guess what, social entrepreneurship might be just the thing for you.
In today’s episode we have the 2nd ever guest on the show, Debra Lam. Debra is co-founder of the social enterprise Society Staples, a company that targets social inclusion of people with disabilities (PwDs) through their business services firm that runs workshops and team-building events for schools and companies alike.
Throughout the episode, we discuss a range of topics such as:
Background / Social Causes
- Debra’s own experience with PwDs
- The difficulties that PwDs face in society today and the inherent empathy gaps that exist
- What makes social impact measurement challenging for Society Staples
Business / Value Prospect
- How PwDs play a crucial role in their events through the idea of role-reversal
- How role-reversal serves to benefit both clients and PwD facilitators
- The effect that their work has had on event participants
Founding the Business
- Why Debra and her co-founder, Ryan Ng pursued a social enterprise instead of a non-profit or charity
- How Society Staples got involved with DBS, and how their partnership has helped the business develop
- How Ryan and Debra complement each other within the business, and how that dynamic has changed over time
- Why the goal of Society Staples is to eventually close down
Social Enterprise / Entrepreneurship
- The central tension of a social enterprise and the balance between profit and social causes***
- The challenges that Debra faced as an entrepreneur at her age
- What aspiring entrepreneurs should know about being uncomfortable and facing uncertainty
Thanks again to Debra for sharing her stories and being an amazing guest. If you are interested in Society Staples and their services, visit www.societystaples.com
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