Profit maximization is an age old assumption pervasive in most microeconomic textbooks and financial models, but is it time to relax that assumption?  Personally, the idea of blending bottom lines is exciting.  If free market economies have been proven to be the most sustainable, than perhaps it is time to let the invisible hand allocate resources to social causes. Of course, the current deterioration of the economy has certainly put the market based system into question.

It is heartening though to see the number of bright-eyed individuals interested in solving the world’s problems.  I recently attended a social enterprise conference where I met a number of like-minded individuals who were in some way involved in a social initiative.  It is still early to tell, but this just might be the movement that will define my generation.