Warner Woodworth
Professor, BYU
warner_woodworth@byu.edu

“Constructing Civil Society: The Architecture of Social Entrepreneurship for Empowering the Poor”

Presentation Abstract:
Jumping in where big bureaucracies and government haven't worked, social entrepreneurs are succeeding in the creation of new social inventions for fighting poverty. What is this social capital movement all about? How has this effort become such a force for good? What are the skills of social entrepreneurs? Their motives and impacts? Why are corporations like HP and Deutschebank along with schools like Oxford, Wharton and BYU getting involved? What structures are needed to foster these radical strategies? How are social purpose ventures like Ashoka and Echoing Green embracing microfinance? What synergies do these tactics suggest for fighting poverty and changing the world? How may you hear your own personal call to action as an individual? Or as an NGO or other institution? How may we integrate our moral energy with daring tools for uplifting the human race and building civil society?

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Biography:
Warner Woodworth earned a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan and has been based at BYU since, although taking visiting appointments at other institutions every few years. He has led the microcredit movement in university settings, having collaborated with students and faculty at various colleges, co-founded 14 NGOs, written over 80 articles on microfinance and social entrepreneurship, as well as authored articles and 8 books on other research issues too. He and his wife, Kaye, have 10 children and they have all enjoyed laboring on humanitarian projects around the world together.