Ventures come in all flavors

Some cast enterprise as the enemy of social concerns. Here are examples of what can be accomplished by joining social concerns with private enterprise:

• Diagnostic-For-All, that will deliver affordable point-of-care diagnostic solutions to the global medical community.

• Seeding Labs, which reclaims and refurbishes laboratory equipment from universities, hospitals and biotechnology companies in order to equip talented scientists and clinicians living and working in the developing world.

• Social Venture Lab, which provides a program to share ideas on best practices for businesses or organizations that consider their community contribution as part of their product or service.

• CleanFish, which works with artisan fishing communities around the world to help bring their sustainably harvested fish to a global marketplace.

• The Environmental Insurance Agency, which creates pay-as-you-drive auto insurance, to reward low-mileage drivers.

• Eyebeam, a lively incubator of creativity and thought, where artists and technologists actively engage with culture, addressing the issues and concerns of our time.

• Partners for the Common Good, a wholesale loan participation network which serves the needs of low-income communities.

• Revolution Foods, a daily meal service in schools featuring meals that have no high fructose corn syrup or trans fats and contain only the highest-quality organic ingredients.

• Sweet Beginnings, helping ex-offenders fully reenter society by providing assistance in securing and retaining employment and developing a career path.

• Windows of Opportunity, a lead-safe window replacement business that protects children from lead poisoning and provides supportive employment training to youth ages 17-24 at risk of chronic unemployment.

• OneWorld Medical Devices addresses the large vaccine wastage problem that often results from improper temperature control.

• Mobile Medics, a traveling health care service that provides private sector, high quality, and affordable medical care through mobile clinics to paying villagers in India.

• Samasource aims to harness the world's untapped talent through socially responsible outsourcing.

• MyC4 raises capital for African entrepreneurs, and in so doing is striving to become a significant tool in the fight to end extreme poverty.

• MicroPlace makes socially responsible investments in microfinance to alleviate global poverty.

• RootSpace, promotes and celebrates entrepreneurship as a powerful force for economic, social, and environmental development around the world.

• Better World Books is a global bookstore that harnesses the power of capitalism to bring literacy and opportunity to people around the world.

• Benetech harnesses the power of technology for social benefit

• Living Cities brings opportunities and the power of mainstream markets to urban neighborhoods and residents historically left behind.

• Inveneo.org provides technology solutions to remote villages through non-governmental organizations and through commercial or government owned organizations.

• E+Co invests in local energy businesses in Africa, Asia and Latin America to support clean energy.

• AfriCeuticals strengthens Africa’s private health sector with certified human and veterinary products and services developed, sourced, manufactured, branded, and/or distributed in Africa.

• GeoOptics establishes a new model of community-based space development for the public good that could change the way the world collects and disseminates earth observational data.

Enterprise comes in all flavors, including social.