WTC Bhubaneswar organized a half day workshop on Social Entrepreneurship to train young minds of Odisha in creating socially minded business leaders. The workshop was organized in association with Odisha State Planning Board and Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India and aimed at highlighting the fact that social problems can be solved through business and moreover businesses have a responsibility to solve social problems.

Mr. Jagadananda, Founder & Mentor of Centre for Youth and Social Development, spoke about several social entrepreneurs who took up the courage and risk to start something that have made great social contribution and at the same time added value to the local and national economy. He offered support to new social entrepreneurs and promised to mentor them in their endeavors. 

Mr.. A.K. Sharda, Managing Director, Grow Green Consortium Pvt. Ltd (GGCPL) shared how tribal communities have started planting trees and how they have started earning livelihood from this. 

Mr. Subrata Panigrahi, Director, Institute of Quality, Environment Management Studies (IQEMS) highlighted how financial equality is the goal of social entrepreneurship. He identified two major aspects of social entrepreneurship. The first one is to develop a sense of social responsibility and second one to join hands with right people for right cause. 

Mr. Narasingha Panigrahi, Director, Siddha Development Research and Consultancy (SDRC), advocated that social entrepreneurs take in to account people, planet and profit, in that order. He made a presentation to demonstrate as to how waste management provides a great opportunity to social entrepreneurs. He deliberated that anyone who wants to become part of the solution is by default starts the journey of social entrepreneurship. 

Mr. C.R. Pattanayak, Coordinator, Eastern Region, Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII) spoke about the huge opportunity for entrepreneurs to scale their product and service to meet the social challenges and also solve social problems.

Ms. Nimeshika Natarajan, Manager – Trade Research, World Trade Center Bhubaneswar welcomed the guests and introduced the theme of the workshop. She highlighted the urgency for such training and why the need is to have collaborative approaches to learning about the experience of social entrepreneurs. 

Mr. Jagadananda chaired an extremely interactive open house session followed by which Ms Asha Sarangi, Assistant Manager – Trade Promotion, World Trade Center Bhubaneswar proposed the vote of thanks.

In Photo: Prof Kaushal Borisagar, Mr. A.K. Sharda, Mr. Jagadananda, Mr.Narasingha Panigrahi, Ms. Nimeshika Natarajan, Ms. Asha Sarangi, Prof Kamala Kanta Dash