 | | | | Entrepreneurship from Around the WorldThis year's Emerging Topics series, hosted by the Austin Entrepreneurship Program, featured the topic of entrepreneurship with a twist: "Entrepreneurial Success: It's Not Just the Money." Over the course of the seven week series, more than a dozen entrepreneurs including social innovators, successful female executives, nonprofit workers, serial entrepreneurs and student innovators, shared that entrepreneurship is about relationships, international development, sacrifice, friendship and more and not just the money.
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| Paul Dudley Hart, Mercy Corps' director-at-large, speaks to students as part of the Emerging Topics series focused on entrepreneurship. | One session titled "Teaching Them to Fish: The Role of Entrepreneurship in International Relief and Development Work," featured Paul Dudley Hart, Mercy Corps' director-at-large. Hart shared his experience helping tsunami victims at Banda Aceh, Indonesia and hungry people at Abdullah Village in Iraq. According to Hart, Iraqis had nothing left after the Coalition Forces defeated Saddam Hussein. "Giving fish to the Iraqis will not bring any good at the end of the day," said Hart. "The best way is teaching them how to fish."
Mercy Corps did just that by successfully creating job opportunities for the Iraqi women at Abdullah Village to make textile based supplies for the local hospital. The woman used to make uniforms for Saddam's military personnel. Hart recognized the need to create an economic stimulant and combined the Iraqi women's sewing skill, the local hospital needs and necessary assistance from Mercy Corps to make it happen.
In his work, Hart often focuses on countries or regions plagued by civil, religious and ethnic conflict, crises or endemic poverty. Hart and other volunteers are often greeted with unfriendly welcomes, questionable motives or even deadly physical threats.
"The best way to deal with the situation is sitting along with the person or group and finding common ground," said Hart.
By building trust, and then using their creativity and entrepreneurial notions, Mercy Corps helps alleviate suffering, poverty and oppression by helping people build secure, productive and just communities. Hart said, "Charity is not only helping others, but also securing prosperity. Prosperity will be sustainable if it supports a prosperous neighborhood community that provides stability."
Other speakers in the Emerging Topics series included Johnny Falla, Future Social Innovators Network president; Justin Craig, College of Business assistant professor of entrepreneurship; Ann Adrian, Goodnight Room; Pam Garcia, Northwest Supermarket Holdings; Sonja Haugen, Austin Industries; Cheryl Krane, Poppybox Gardens; and Pat McGuire, Davis Wright Tremaine LLP; Mary Jubitz, Start Making a Reader Today; Stan Kramer and Steve McPhie, Qdoba Mexican Grill Franchise Operation (Oregon); and a panel of Weatherford student entrepreneurs: Rhoshan Khelmani, Dylan Boye, Blake Heiss, Tyler Morita. |
