Saturday, February 25, 2012

Entrepreneurship, Social Media, and Making A Difference

It is hard at times to discern the true value of the internet from all the hype that exists around and about the web and the internet.  It seems as if the internet and technology can cure everything that ails us, our society, and our economy; as if eating, drinking, and breathing code can solve everything.

No doubt I could be considered a skeptic, and of course I have been skeptical of the teaching of entrepreneurship in schools before and my thoughts about social media and ecommerce are well known.

But, every now and then you come across something that truly represents the hype of the internet as "revolutionary" and you have to acknowledge that; Kickstarter is an example of a real revolution.  Kickstarter represents a new way to fund creative projects; its where the concept of "crowd funding" is brought together with artists, filmmakers, musicians, designers, writers, illustrators, explorers, curators, performers, and many others to bring projects, events, and dreams to life.

In particular, I think that it is an obvious way, in smaller communities, for young people, for creative people, to become entrepreneurs and solve problems in their local communities.  One clear example, which was brought to my attention at AVC.Com was T.A.G. (Teen Art Gallery):



You can learn more about T.A.G. here or view their Kickstarter submission here.

A group of young people, taking the initiative to come together to plan and organize a teen art gallery.  This is exactly what entrepreneurship is all about; this is what social media and the promise of an online community is all about.

I am glad to see that this particular project is now fully funded and will move forward!  But do take the time to search the various projects seeking funding at Kickstarter and see if this is a way for you, as an individual to make a difference.  Or, become an entrepreuner and start your own project!


Another example of entrepreneurship, social media, and making a difference is Donors Choose, which is an online charity that connects donors with classrooms in need.