Jing Chen is a visiting associate professor of business at NYU Shanghai whose research interests span entrepreneurship, strategic human capital management, and the dynamics of start-ups. Here, she shares how entrepreneurs can have a positive impact on humanity.
Using two cases studies, Chen explains how entrepreneurship need not be about chasing profits but can aspire to generate positive social impact. Her first example is Bridge International Academies, a system of low cost for profit private schools created by an anthropologist and her husband. After launching its first school in a slum of Kenya, they are now serving hundreds of thousands of students across Asia and Africa.
Meanwhile, Danish tech company Actura created ‘Nao,’ a robot that helps children with autism improve social interaction and communication skills. Actura also creates long-term employment opportunities for young people with autism and designs working conditions under which they can further develop their very focused talents within their areas of interests and competencies.
“What we learn from entrepreneurship is not only skills needed to combat in business wars, but also how an entrepreneurial spirit, creative-thinking and courageous vision can bridge the world of technology and innovation for the goodness of society,” she said.
Jing Chen is a member of the Center for Business Education and Research (CBER) at NYU Shanghai, which aims to promote innovative research on China-related business and to inspire academic collaboration among industry leaders, business faculty and students.
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