Giving Back

In Indian cities, the rich and the poor live on top of one another. They crowd into urban areas—the “land of plenty” as compared to villages—sprawling onto sidewalks and into medians—colonists from the countryside, migrants from other lands, and those that claim to be homegrown. In Mumbai, where we live, the city’s lack of infrastructure doesn’t allow for any sleight of hand. The problems of overpopulation and poverty are inescapable. It is this, our own backyard, that we think about as World Poverty Day approaches.

People around the globe have pledged to take action against poverty on October 17. Some have signed petitions, others will work to offset their carbon footprint or educate students, donate money or promise solidarity. In honor of World Poverty Day, we would like to give back to our community. On a macro level, we have committed to forging new partnerships with development experts at Opportunity Collaboration, a first-of-its-kind gathering that will bring together like-minded social venturers to work towards new solutions. On a micro level, we are thinking about the way that our business can be more responsible, how we can give back to our community and think “beyond profit” in our own ecosystem in Mumbai. Our first step in this direction is working with a social entrepreneur we know to help him build his business. Dhruv Lakra’s Mirakle Couriers employs the deaf, a community that often is overlooked and stigmatized. As a result, members of this community often suffer economically. We will be using Mirakle for our courier needs in that vast megapolis, devoting ourselves to not only writing about social enterprise, but being one.

We’d love to hear what you think we should start doing to get the ball rolling to not just think “beyond profit,” but to be beyond profit.