Social Entrepreneurship

Social Enterprise (SE) is one of the most exciting fields of entrepreneurship in the 21st Century. SEs are businesses with a dual purpose; frequently labeled as the "double bottom-line" - these businesses seek to make a profit whilst directly contributing to the social good. New Orleans is arguably the natural home of SE development in the US, and the spirit of SE aligns closely with the core mission of Xavier. We are proud to be a key player in SE development in our region.

Within Xavier, the EI is our home for providing key learning and development channels for SE. Xavier is also a proud member of the United Negro College Fund National Social Entrepreneurship Program, which is one of the leading US student development programs for SE. Every year, students compete to participate in a national development program which exposes them to national leaders in the field and challenging, practical working environments, providing education, coaching and mentoring in order to develop the key skills necessary in tomorrow's leaders of social enterprises.

The EI is also in active partnership with the Louisiana State Office of Social Entrepreneurship, and aims to act as a central resource in advancing the SE agenda and helping deliver key programs and initiatives. In addition, the EI Faculty at Xavier has close links with many exciting local SEs in New Orleans. Future plans include student internship programs where students participate in live SE programs in local businesses, getting course credit whilst contributing to the local New Orleans community. Stay tuned for more details.