Concepción Galdón

"Social entrepreneurship sparks excitement on stage, but the real story—its challenges and triumphs—unfolds behind the scenes. We aim to bring those honest conversations to the forefront through rigorous research."

Concepción Galdón, PhD, is deeply immersed in the realms of sustainable business and social innovation, currently serving as the Vice-Dean of Business with Purpose at IE Business School. In this capacity, she guides the Master in Sustainability & Business Transformation and shapes IE’s Career Pathway in Sustainability, collaborating with fellow vice-deans to infuse unique sustainability-focused elements into the diverse programs.

As the Director of IE’s Center for Social Innovation and Sustainability, Concepción leads a committed team working towards meaningful global social change.

Her academic journey is marked by dedication, including a degree in Economics from Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, a Master’s in Public Administration and International Development from Harvard Kennedy School, and a Ph.D. in International Economy and Development from Universidad Complutense de Madrid.

In addition to her leadership roles, Concepción contributes to education by teaching courses in sustainable business and social innovation at IE University and in-company programs. She also serves as the academic co-director of IE’s Executive Education program, Sustainability, Your Competitive Advantage.

Beyond academia, Concepción actively engages in research, media contributions, and international speaking engagements. Her commitment extends to co-founding the Social Venture Puentes Global and serving on Ashoka Spain’s Venture Board. She collaborates in various civil society initiatives dedicated to fostering a purposeful approach to business.

As an entrepreneur, you need to know that just like different fertilizer is good for different plants, different money is good for different projects.

Promise, Pitfalls, and Potencial of Social Entrepreneurship: Positive Change Unleashed

Written in English

This book dives into the heart of social entrepreneurship as the authors share the latest research, global experiences, authentic private conversations, and diverse narratives around this widely popular concept.

The idea and practice of social entrepreneurship has swept the world, taken up with enthusiasm by business leaders, nonprofit practitioners, and public policy makers alike. In this book, the authors argue that social entrepreneurship is surrounded by great promise, and that this high expectation has contributed to its pitfalls, setting it out as separate and different from other kinds of nonprofit organising, public service provision, and business for social benefit. After exploring the problem of inflated expectations, the authors rescue the concept from perfection – overly positive normative judgements – by presenting practical ways forward.

The book sets out how to really unleash the power of social entrepreneurship so that it can actually deliver on its promise to improve how we organise for social purpose. This potential revolves around four key themes that are levers for social change: innovative individuals, social impact, scaling social enterprises, and the power of ecosystems. Through these themes, the book covers a wide range of approaches to social enterprise illustrated by specific examples and experiences from five continents.

This accessible book is a valuable resource for a variety of practitioners, upper-level students, instructors, and business scholars, particularly those with an interest in social/environmental impact, entrepreneurship, business ethics, sustainable business, ESG and CSR.

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