Intelligence & Compassion in Action is written based on the doctoral dissertation research that Lauren Speeth did at BGU. It is a book on Social Entrepreneurship and includes supplemental essays on the great teachings, including details on the Beatitudes.
Available now at Amazon.com, Intelligence & Compassion in Action is written as a tool to empower the aspiring social entrepreneur, with real guidance as to how, and why, social entrepreneurship really works. It expounds a new Seven Pillar methodology, inspired by the wisdom of former President James Earl “Jimmy” Carter. Written by the founder of The Elfenworks Foundation, Dr. Lauren Speeth, who lives the lessons she teaches in this book daily, the insights within these pages have come from Speeth’s years of experience in technology, management, and the nonprofit world, as well as from insights gained in interviews with extraordinary social entrepreneurs.
The methodology can be of help in any cause, from poverty and inequality, to health and safety, or any number of daunting issues. It provides a framework for recognizing vision, focusing actions in ways that play to your strengths, and shepherding resources. It also provides insights into effective partnership, credit-sharing, and measuring for feedback and course correction. Finally, there are helpful suggestions on how to stay the course, for true effectiveness. A seven-part “roadmap for uncharted territories,” clearly explained and practically applied, the book also includes a worksheet for your immediate use in evaluating projects and partners. As an added bonus, Intelligence & Compassion in Action contains supplemental essays exploring great teachings, and their intersection with the Seven Pillar methodology.Whether you are just discerning your vision or a CEO looking for practical steps to refresh your organization, you will find in these pages both a source of true inspiration and a plan for creating sustainable change. If applied and used correctly, it will also help you discover for yourself a pathway to joy, which Speeth explains is “the intersection, where your skills and affinities meet with the world’s needs.”
Questions/Interview Requests: Contact us, press@elfenworks.com
REVIEWER COMMENTS:
“A plan of action that is both practical and idealistic. I believe that Speeth’s book can be a guide for entrepreneurs who want to make the world a better place.”
- Former President Jimmy Carter
“Is there a distinctively American approach to taking on poverty and other social problems? Indeed there is: We’ve long been skeptical of government solutions and have looked to philanthropy and social entrepreneurship as a main line of defense against social problems of all kinds. If social entrepreneurship is the grand American bet, then much rests on ensuring that our bet pays off. We need a book that tells us what works, what doesn’t work, and what can be done to ensure that entrepreneurship delivers on its grand promise. This is precisely that book.”
- David B. Grusky, Director, Stanford Center on Poverty and Inequality
“Poverty is America’s elephant in the drawing-room. Dr. Speeth’s book is that of a most rare species of philanthropic activists, one who approaches a seemingly monolithic and intractable reality, with compassion and generosity of spirit, yes, but most importantly, with entrepreneurial innovation and a concrete, action-by-action road map for transformative change.”
- Drucilla Ramey, Esq., Dean, Golden Gate University School of Law
“As a social entrepreneur and the CEO of an impact investment company, these seven pillars resonate with the daily challenges that we face. The right balance of social impact and commercial sustainability is comparable to riding a bike, and the seven pillars will help keep you moving forward to maintain balance and momentum. I would recommend that anyone considering investing in a social entrepreneur should incorporate these seven pillars into their due diligence process.”
- Gil Crawford, CEO, MicroVest Capital Funds
“A helpful and realistic guide to social entrepreneurship by a caring and committed practitioner.”
- Phil Wise, Vice President of Operations, The Carter Center