Social Innovation’s Ecosystem in Mexico

Posted by Philadelphia Social Innovations Journal on July 16, 2018

Dear Reader,

You are invited to read our just-released edition titled: Social Innovation’s Ecosystem in Mexico.

http://www.socialinnovationsjournal.org/editions/issue-49

As we continue sharing the tools and knowledge of social innovations across the globe, we are honored to present this edition titled: Social Innovation’s Ecosystem in Mexico. We’d like to thank and recognize the Center for High Impact Social Innovation (CISAI) for their partnership that made this edition possible. CISAI, as with many international organizations, is the result of academic and research institutions joining forces with public institutions. CISAI seeks to contribute to social justice through social innovation and consolidation of the social innovation ecosystem. CISAI defines innovation within the context provided by Phills and Deiglmeier1 of the Stanford Business School as a novel solution to a social problem that is more effective, efficient, sustainable, or just than existing solutions and for which the value created accrues primarily to society as a whole rather than private individuals.

In this edition, the reader will find initiatives promoted by civil society organizations, social enterprises, start-ups, public agencies, and universities with a great diversity of topics. We encourage you to read the introductory article as it provides a macro context to the social innovations movement within Mexico and article summaries.

In every developing social innovations ecosystem, we find social innovators, those individuals, groups, collectives, start-ups, civic communities, that generate, share, and promote new ideas and ways of doing and thinking. These social innovators, despite institutional, policy, or societal barriers, continue to press for change on behalf of the greater society. Yet, many of these social innovators experience limited success because the fertile ground for their ideas to take root doesn’t yet exist.

To facilitate greater progress, defined as more social innovation ideas taking root, regional leaders are investing in the development of ecosystems as they realize that working in isolation will not help social innovation take hold. The emerging theory, based upon our recent ecosystem publications, is that through investment in strong cross-sector (government, private, not-for-profit) ecosystems, social innovation ideas find rich soil to grow. To accomplish cross-sector ecosystem development regions are investing in the creation of communities where key players can network in person and utilize technology-connecting platforms. This trend recognizes the value of social innovators and is creating avenues for individuals to connect within all levels of public, private, and not-for-profit institutions. We witnessed this trend in the Asia edition and see it confirmed in the Mexico edition.

At the Social Innovations Journal, we believe the potential of good ideas to inspire more good ideas cannot be underestimated. As we attempted to focus this edition on Mexico’s social innovations we learned that every obstacle we encountered lost its power in the face of the irrepressible force of shared knowledge and ideas, and resulted, organically, with good ideas finding their own way to the surface to accomplish social impact and inspire more good ideas.

Yours in Innovation,

Nicholas Torres
Co-Founder

Tine Hansen-Turton
Co-Founder