A day with PrincetonEN (www.princetonen.org)
Princeton Entrepreneur Network’s 14th Annual Conference today launched their Social Enterprise track as an adjunct to their regular entrepreneurial group, as a reflection of the growing interest in doing well by doing good.
Besides their keynote speaker, various discussions of starting a business and getting PR, and annual business plan contest, there was a fascinating presentation by MIT’s Media Lab followed by panel discussions on Education, Economic Development and Health Care which made the rather maddening ride out from NYC very worth while.
I chose the Economic Development panel, as I’ve had some experience in the field and was rewarded with a panel of experts including Brian Hays, CEO of Bel Soleys Inc (www.belsoley.com), a seller of hot sauces made from Haitian peppers. A retired Marine Corps officer, Brian is seeking to help out in the earthquake-ravaged country in the best way he can, by hiring Haitians and providing a means to help them earn money. “it’s quite simple,” he says, “people need to earn money. Money really can solve a lot of problems that people have, including going to the hospital and paying for proper health care. I know it sounds obvious but I learned it again when I was there.” Brian also pointed out that it took over a year to set up a corporation in Haiti, and the procedure included getting President Preval’s signature – twice. This archaic system of company formation hinders the creation of new jobs and prevents Haitian entrepreneurs from doing what entrepreneurs do best: quickly responding a new situation with solutions that provide value to everyone involved.