Can Entrepreneurship Be Non-Profit?

When most people hear the word “entrepreneurship,” they often picture tech startups, profit-driven companies, and financial success stories. But entrepreneurship doesn’t always have to be about making money. For me, it’s a skill—a way of thinking, problem-solving, and creating value, regardless of whether the goal is profit or positive social change.

My journey into social entrepreneurship began in 2008 in Poland, when I was just 22 years old. As a student, I was hired as a project manager for a foundation that worked to foster mutual understanding among four different religious communities—Catholics, Protestants, Orthodox Christians, and Jews—sharing the same small neighborhood. It wasn’t a textbook or a classroom that taught me what social entrepreneurship meant—it was the lived reality of navigating cultural sensitivities, managing relationships, and designing initiatives that could genuinely build trust across difference. In hindsight, I didn’t even know the term social entrepreneurship at the time. But that’s exactly what it was: identifying a social problem, mobilising people and resources, and working toward sustainable, meaningful change.

Social entrepreneurship is a type of entrepreneurship that focuses on developing, funding, and implementing solutions to social, cultural, or environmental problems. Instead of prioritising profit alone, social entrepreneurs aim to make a positive impact on society while ensuring the sustainability of their initiatives.

When I think about entrepreneurship, I think about skills and approach. People often assume that because social entrepreneurs—whether individuals, associations, or nonprofits—are mission-driven and typically not-for-profit, they must be less “businesslike” or less professional. But the reality is, the stakes are often higher, not lower. You're often working with vulnerable communities, systemic inequalities, and deeply rooted social challenges. You’re also responsible for public trust, which makes accountability and professionalism essential. But that responsibility doesn’t hold you back—in my experience it pushes you forward. It becomes an added motivation to take risks, step outside your comfort zone, learn fast, and grow.