Social Enterprise Alliance Podcast · Social Enterprise Alliance

Evaluating Systems and Creating Tools for Social Entrepreneurship with Greg Van Kirk - Ep 46

·18 min·1 clip

Greg Van Kirk reveals that joy, not just metrics, is the key to sustainability in social enterprises worldwide.

This episode features an interview with Greg Van Kirk, a veteran social entrepreneur and founder of Social Entrepreneur U. Hosts from the Social Enterprise Alliance speak with Van Kirk about his new book, "It's What Sets You in Motion: A Toolbox for Collaborative Changemaking." Van Kirk's background includes being a former Ashoka Leadership Group member and a World Economic Forum Social Entrepreneur of the Year. He began his journey after reading David Bornstein's book on Muhammad Yunus, which led him to quit investment banking and join the Peace Corps in Guatemala. While there, he identified a lack of local gathering spaces and used his savings to open a restaurant as a tool for job creation. Van Kirk argues that a major gap in social change work is the lack of practical "how-to" guidance, contrasting it with abundant discussions of "why" and "what." His book directly addresses this by compiling 76 tools across 13 different toolkits designed for practical application. The book also integrates 90 curated short videos showcasing global social enterprises, which Van Kirk selected after reviewing approximately a thousand examples. A key insight from reviewing these videos is that a common "through line" among successful initiatives is the presence of joy. He posits that creating a joyful environment for teams and communities is a critical, yet often overlooked, component of sustainable change. Van Kirk is also developing a targeted certificate program in collaborative changemaking through partnerships with Ashoka U and the National Peace Corps Association. He expresses optimism about the future, citing a strong desire among younger generations to build businesses that value social metrics alongside financial ones. The certificate aims to validate students' field experiences and help them articulate the value of their changemaking work to future employers. Van Kirk emphasizes starting systemic change by working within smaller, accessible systems like a classroom or community organization before scaling solutions. The conversation is educational and conversational, focused on sharing frameworks and actionable advice from decades of experience. Listeners interested in practical methodologies for social innovation or those mentoring new changemakers will find concrete resources here. Individuals seeking a highly narrative or debate-driven podcast episode might find the toolbox-focused discussion less engaging.

As heard by us

A grounded look at social enterprise and the gap between purpose and practice.

The episode keeps its focus on a familiar tension in social enterprise: good intentions are common, but usable methods are harder to find. Greg Van Kirk draws on Peace Corps experience and on work building a toolbox for spotting problems, setting priorities, and helping people…

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

Need a clearer, more joyful way to turn social impact into action?

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from Social Enterprise Alliance Podcast