Social Entrepreneurship and Sustainable Development

There is no doubt about the relevant role of social entrepreneurs as social transformers and there seems to be broad consensus on the factors that characterize it, such as: a sustainable social orientation, the intensive use of innovation, and the aim of creating social value. This chapter offers an updated vision of social entrepreneurship around the world, showing the main advances made in recent years and analyzing the main challenges and opportunities for the near future. It includes a reflection on the concept of social entrepreneurship, since today there's not a single definition of that term, and a review of the evidence on good practices in this field, which could serve as a model for future initiatives.