For many communities in developing regions like sub-Saharan Africa and the Caribbean, traditional aid and development models have often struggled to bring about lasting change. Meg Brindle, senior lecturer at the School of Public Policy, believes social entrepreneurship offers sustainable solutions to these challenges. Her latest book, Social Entrepreneurship for Development: A Business Model, 2nd Edition, explores the role of social impact investing, intellectual property (IP) tools and women’s empowerment in regions like northern Uganda.
Brindle emphasizes that social entrepreneurship goes beyond traditional approaches by fostering innovation and collaboration. “The beauty of social entrepreneurship is it sees out-of-the-box, forward-looking and often transformational solutions where there are seemingly intractable problems,” she shared. Brindle highlights countless opportunities for entrepreneurs to make meaningful impacts, from poverty alleviation to sustainable agriculture.
A primary focus of Brindle’s work is addressing income disparities in global supply chains, where producers and exporters in developing countries often receive less than 3% of profits. To address this, she advocates for leveraging intellectual property (IP) tools and direct trade models to ensure fairer returns for farmers and producers. Brindle received a Do Good Institute grant intended to collaborate closely with SPP graduate, ROOTS Africa founder and social entrepreneur Cedric Nwarfor to provide IP training for farmers in Uganda and Nigeria, within the agricultural sector. “Uganda produces some of the best vanilla in the world, but farmers receive only a tiny fraction of the price that consumers in developed countries pay for it,” she explained. “By equipping farmers with the IP tools to market and sell their products more effectively, we can dramatically increase their income.”
ROOTS Africa was awarded part of the University’s Do Good Campus Fund, receiving $8,512 for their project, “Training Farmers in Intellectual Property Business Strategies.” Led by Brindle and Nwarfor, the project empowers farmers with tools to enhance their revenue streams through trademarks and licensing.
Brindle’s book introduces promising funding models like social impact investing (SII), which blends financial returns with social benefits. She dedicates five chapters to exploring how IP and trade models can be utilized, and five case study chapters detailing these strategies and exploring emerging funding trends like SII. Brindle also highlights how IP tools, such as licensing, can generate income for tribes like the Maasai, whose cultural brand is used by Western companies without benefiting the Maasai. Her work aims to change this dynamic. She points to SII’s rapid growth, now valued at $1.2 trillion, as a sustainable alternative to traditional grants. “SII connects social entrepreneurs with networks of investors, amplifying their impact and creating lasting change,” she said.
This edition also emphasizes empowering women producers in rural areas. Brindle identifies policy gaps that need to be addressed, such as improving access to digital markets and educating women on IP strategies. Training women in branding and direct trade allows them to command higher prices for their products. Brindle explained that many women in developing countries are surprised to learn how valuable their unique products, like shea butter, can be in Western markets, especially with the growing global skin care industry. By leveraging IP tools and selling directly through digital platforms, producers can shift from commodity markets to higher-value markets, ensuring they keep a larger share of the profits.
“When women earn, there is a higher likelihood of spending those earnings locally. We call it the rural multiplier effect, and income increases precipitously within a country,” shared Brindle. “Gender empowerment, not in pontification but in models that generate real income, has a direct positive impact on poverty for women and girls.”
The book includes 10 interactive workbooks translated into local languages like Swahili and Acholi, in which Brindle equips students and communities with practical skills to implement these strategies. Her work has made a significant difference, particularly in northern Uganda, where women who were once child soldiers now manage their own brands.
Brindle remains optimistic about social entrepreneurship’s potential to create systemic change, emphasizing the need for policies that support direct trade, IP tools and women’s empowerment. She believes that social entrepreneurship is key to creating sustainable systems that can lift people out of poverty for good.
