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Gathering and Sharing Stories of Entrepreneurs, Innovators, and Changemakers
from Western Washington University to the World and Back
Dr. Arthur Sherwood
Social Scientist, Explorer, Storyteller
Cole Professor of Entrepreneurship & Director of WWU's Entrepreneurship & Innovation Programs
Mission of The ESP
Mission of The ESP
A 10 year voyage of discovery to seek out, explore, collect and share lesser-known human-centered, experiential stories of entrepreneurs, innovators and changemakers as they individually and collectively self-discover, understand, grow, change and impact themselves and the world around them.
“There is nothing like looking, if you want to find something. You certainly usually find something, if you look, but it is not always quite the something you were after.”
JRR Tolkien, The Hobbit
In local partnership with WWU's Entrepreneurship & Innovation Programs
In Global Partnership with the UPEACE Centre for Executive Education
GROUNDING IN THE UNITED NATION'S SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS (SDGs)
The SDGs offer a powerful way to connect the stories of Entrepreneurs, Innovators and Changemakers making it a valuable model to connect the dots of stories from around the world!
Below are some of The ESP story projects already underway with
EICs (Entrepreneurs, Innovators, Changemakers) from around the world!
The Flourishing Changemaker
The Flourishing Changemaker
The picture at the left is taken from the social enterprise Mare Blu, Coastal and Ocean Cleanup Expedition's. Our team visited the founder and team in Costa Rica and asked the key question:
What does it take to simultaneously flourish and be engaged in changemaking work? How to remain lit up rather than burned out? We are gathering stories to help us understand, and in turn, share these stories for a world of flourishing changemakers.
Salish Sea Stories and Global Comparative Narratives-Ecosystems, Entrepreneurs, Innovators and Changemakers
Salish Sea Stories and Global Comparative Narratives-Ecosystems, Entrepreneurs, Innovators and Changemakers
Are Entrepreneurs, Innovators and Changemakers contributing to halting degradation, sustaining what we have and regenerating the Salish Sea Bioregion? Other parts of the world? Or...
Building on WWU's Newest EIC Specialty, FOREST*, we've been gathering stories from EICs in global ecosystem site visits in US/Canada (Salish Sea), Costa Rica (Tarcoles River Watershed) and will add in Southeast Asia (Gulf of Thailand-Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam and Cambodia) starting in 2023.
2024 Site Visits are being developed now! We tend to look for where mountains, rivers and coastlines come together...
*FOREST-Foundations of Outdoor Recreation, Entrepreneurship and Sustainable Tourism.
The only way out of the messes that we have created for ourselves is to innovate our way out of them. This is the time for Entrepreneurs, Innovators and Changemakers to rise to the challenge.
Collaborative and Cooperative EIC Micro Ecosystems
Collaborative and Cooperative EIC Micro Ecosystems
Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Changemaking is not a solo journey. Our early research clearly shows this! We are intentionally seeking out ecosystems that have been self-perpetuated by EICs in order to support their efforts to have impact and to imagine, design, build and live ways of life they love. We've completed gathering one global community story of a cooperative of consultants for the common good and have two more lining up...together, EICs are looking stronger...
Arthur's Note: This too relates to my 3 Hunches
University Based Entrepreneurship Ecosystems: WWU EIC Alums and Students
University Based Entrepreneurship Ecosystems: WWU EIC Alums and Students
WWU has thousands of graduates that have gone on to engage in Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Changemaking. We've started gathering their stories from around the world and seek to link active EICs to current and potential WWU students.
This is a special human ecosystem that is impacting ecosystems around the globe. It will be super fun to meet these folks and to gather and share their stories!
We are actively seeking stories!
Curiosities? Want to connect?
Curiosities? Want to connect?
Contact Dr. Arthur Sherwood to get more information on the project by filling out the short contact form below clicking the button above! No worries...No spam for you!
Just fill out the short contact form and Dr. Sherwood will be in touch!
Here are some of our guiding principles for The ESP overall...
1. We are story explorers
2. All stories are worthy
3. The world will present stories that we did not anticipate gathering
4. Follow the stories by trusting our fascination and intuition
5. Structure in process is meant to enable rather than hinder
Having said these, it is valuable to focus for many reasons from focus providing deeper understanding and the reality of limited resources (money, time etc.).
So, the purpose of what you read below is to help focus yet, following the guidelines, we will gather stories from folks that do not fall neatly into a category.
Who might be a great fit as participant to share stories in The ESP?
People who are becoming, are currently or have been entrepreneurs, innovators and/or changemakers (the experience of folks at all stages of work and life are most welcome)
People who are simultaneously trying to positively impact the world in some area of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and hope to find well-being and flourishing at the same time.
People who connect in some way to one of the projects briefly described above.
People who are willing to share their stories! This could be done in lots of ways! A zoom interview. A sit down in a coffee shop; visiting and touring their venture/site/organization; observing or actively participating in their work or programs
People who are active in a formal or informal community of EICs.
People who support other EICs!
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