The Leaders for Social Impact: Luzon leg was held on July 12-15 at the Forest Club in Laguna. According to the British Council website, it's a "bespoke Social Entrepreneurship programme developed from the Active Citizens learning journey, which is a tried and tested British Council methodology for community leadership."

29 Social entrepreneurs in various stages of their company lifecycle were brought together for four days to interact, learn, and support each other. Here's what I learned:

1. Start by understanding your core values first

The first day was filled with activities geared towards helping the social entrepreneur understand his or her core values first. It is from these core values that everything else will spring outwards. 

I remember listening to a podcast interview with Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz. His personality and passion about customer service was so strong during the interview that I immediately understood how I, a customer in a third-world country such as the Philippines, buying a cup of coffee at a small Starbucks branch in Marcos Hi-way, thousands of miles away from CEO Howard Schultz, would experience Howard Schultz' same fingerprint of passion for customer service. Starbucks is just an outward expression of Howard Schultz. In the same manner as Apple is just an offspring of Steve Jobs' obsession for polished, well-designed products or how Tesla and SpaceX's work culture are expressions of Elon Musk's passion and work ethic, each social enterprise entry - its mission, its culture, its products or services, were always going to be imprinted with the social entrepreneur's core values. So it was important to get in touch with the core values first.

2. Start with Why.

The second day was geared more towards understanding our social enterprises. And the journey towards understanding it started with understanding our "Why". According to Simon Sinek, stakeholders - your employees, customers, community, and partners - were more likely to be passionate with your product and brand if they understood your Why. 

 3. Just Start it

The third day was more about how the founder and the social enterprise were in relation to various stakeholders. First we mapped out our community, then our business models, then our customers and competitors, and finally the key areas where we needed support. After organizing all those information and mapping out our behemoths of abstract ideas and desires, one thing became clear - the only thing that was left was to start executing.

After the four days we were tired, anxious at the weight of what was ahead of us, and inspired at all that had transpired. At the end of the program, one thing stood out - the social enterprise movement is Real. It is real in the faces of the at-risk kids whose lives were changed by Messy Bessy. Real in the faces of the families whose lives should have been ruined after being displaced by Typhoon Ondoy, but are now supported and nurtured by a social enterprise named Tsaa'Laya. Real in the faces of each and every person whose life will be touched with every product or service we buy from social enterprises that are spreading like wildfire throughout our country. Yes, the social enterprise movement is still young. Yes it still needs support. Programs like these are invaluable in fostering the ecosystem, galvanizing alike individuals into supporting each other in our shared goals. But after every program, competition, workshop, or seminar like this, change depends on what the participants will do afterwards. Fr. Pablo of Don Bosco Calauan summarizes what is transpiring succinctly: "Hope." The social enterprise movement is full of hope. Social entrepreneurship is about giving hope to communities who need it. I think the reason why social entrepreneurs will forge ahead despite the myriad of difficulties, is the hope of seeing a better Philippines through our concerted efforts. 

At the end of the program we car-pooled from Laguna to Manila. I had the privilege of driving four other social entrepreneurs all the way to Gateway in Cubao. I step on the brake one last time as we arrive. They alight my car and wave their goodbyes. I close my eyes and lean back for a second to rest after the four-hour drive.

"Hope," I repeat to myself.

Hope is about moving forward.

I release the brake, and continue moving forward.