Systems Change Entrepreneurship for Shared Prosperity and Sustainable Economies
Valeria Budinich, Scholar-in-Residence, MIT Kuo Sharper Center for Prosperity and Entrepreneurship
Belkys Mones, Social Entrepreneur, Sustainable Development and Gender Equality Advisor
Abstract
The current global economy presents unprecedented challenges that threaten to
disrupt the international trading system, global supply chains, and the economic
and financial stability of all economies. Alongside these economic shifts, the world
is also grappling with accelerating climate change and environmental degradation, rapid technological advancements, persistent social and economic inequalities, and declining governance standards. Although these scenarios represent critical challenges, if addressed with a strategic and systems thinking lens, they could present new opportunities for emerging market economies to foster innovation and entrepreneurship with the capacity to transform their economic and social development while securing the well-being of their population.
This paper provides a historical, conceptual, and operational framework on systems change entrepreneurship. It is intended for business and social entrepreneurs transforming market systems to solve the current economic, social, and environmental challenges described in the 2030 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The paper introduces an adaptation of the iceberg model, a method to understand the root causes of systemic problems and identify leveraged points of interventions. It illustrates these concepts using case studies of system change initiatives that have transformed market systems for shared prosperity and sustainability. This paper also presents the international conventions and legally binding agreements entrepreneurs can leverage to unlock value, promote shared prosperity, and contribute to the large-scale, integrated efforts and policies that facilitate the transition to a more inclusive and sustainable global economy.