Web Social Entrepreneur Gives Up Home, Income, and Belongings For Social Good

Nov. 2, 2010 - PRLog -- A friendly debate about Capitalism ended up with a year long challenge for Web Social Entrepreneur Drew Little. The challenge was sparked to prove to his friend that an alternative way of doing business, Social Entrepreneurship, which main goal is to solve social problems while making a profit, will eventually become mainstream.

The catch was for Drew to give up his home, have no guaranteed income, and give away 90 percent of his belongings to the homeless. He would then seek sponsorship from businesses and the kindness of local residents to provide him with the necessities to carry out his dream of bringing awareness and solutions to the highest rate of youth unemployment in U.S. history (51.1 percent, July 2010, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) and showing disadvantaged youth an alternative way to get out of the disastrous cycle of poverty by becoming successful Web Social Entrepreneurs.

The idea for this campaign was derived from “Live Off Groupon”, where a young guy only lives off Groupons or discounted gift certificates for an entire year. He relies on the kindness of strangers for social necessities(tax and tip) and barters the gift certificates for basic human needs (shelter and transportation, if it isn’t covered). The campaign has been a huge success, gaining national media attention and going viral on Facebook and Twitter.

“We want to use a similar idea for “The Dream Journey”, but we want to help our supporters take the first step toward their dreams and have an important cause behind it as well,” said Drew Little.

There is evidence of strong support from the youth for social enterprises. According to the Cone Millennial Cause Study in 2006, 89 percent of Americans (aged 13 to 25) would switch from one brand to another brand of a comparable product (and price) if the latter brand was associated with a good cause.

“After meeting with Drew and learning about the cause behind his initiative for change, I was impressed and inspired to become a part of his mission. I have dreamt of ways my business can get involved with the community which would provide opportunity for others while also benefiting us in a positive manner. This is the first program I've run across that can do just that," said Yoseph Teklemariam, co-owner of Nile Restaurant in Richmond, Virginia.

Supporters can follow Drew’s journey at http://tdj.illvp.com and @thedreamjourney on Twitter, where he will post video footage, pictures, and notes of his new lifestyle, experiences with local supporters and businesses, and running a socially-conscious web startup.

View The Promo Video of The Dream Journey:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ln30gSaWGCE&feature=player...



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About The IllVP:

A grassroots student-driven web organization that aims to bring the web startup culture of Silicon Valley to youth in urban areas throughout the country while making the world a better place.