Sustainability

This report explores the motivations, challenges, and success factors shaping modern social entrepreneurship through interviews with four Toronto-based founders: Bruized, Kind Karma Company, Culcherd, and Biofect Innovations. It identifies two main catalysts for social ventures—personal experience with a social issue and transformative awareness—and finds that most founders rely on passion-driven, trial-and-error approaches rather than formal feasibility studies. Despite their diverse industries, these entrepreneurs share common obstacles: securing funding, achieving product–market fit, measuring impact, and scaling operations without compromising their mission. The analysis reveals that social entrepreneurs combine purpose with pragmatism, often using innovation to address environmental and societal challenges while maintaining financial viability. The paper concludes with recommendations on measuring impact, testing hypotheses, refining business models, and engaging impact investors to ensure sustainable growth and accountability.

This paper analyzes the ethical, economic, and strategic dilemmas faced by Kruger National Park following government funding cuts that led it to sell rhinos at auction. While this decision generated short-term revenue, it contradicted the park’s conservation mission and exposed it to reputational and ecological risks. Using stakeholder mapping, materiality assessment, and risk analysis, the paper identifies key threats—including extinction, poaching, and NGO backlash—and opportunities such as international partnerships, technology adoption, and new revenue models. Recommendations focus on rebalancing the park’s natural, social, human, and financial capitals through actions like monetizing conservation expertise, fostering eco-tourism and film partnerships, leveraging technology for anti-poaching efforts, and increasing international entry fees. The study concludes that long-term sustainability for Kruger Park depends on aligning its financial strategies with its conservation values and engaging local communities in protecting wildlife.