Social Entrepreneurship and Its Role in Alleviating Poverty
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.16013704Keywords:
Social entrepreneurship, poverty alleviation, sustainable development, innovation, impact investment.Abstract
Social entrepreneurship has emerged as a crucial mechanism for addressing poverty through innovative, sustainable, and impactful solutions. Unlike traditional business models focused solely on profit maximization, social enterprises aim to generate both social and economic value. This paper explores the role of social entrepreneurship in alleviating poverty by analyzing successful case studies, the challenges faced by social entrepreneurs, and policy recommendations to enhance their effectivenessReferences
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