Giving Compass' Take:

• Trang Chu Minh lists 22 social enterprises to watch for in Asia this year that are working to change the world for the better. 

• How can organizations effectively advance social causes? 

• Here's why impact investment and social enterprise are driving forces of social innovation. 

Happy New Year! It’s been over two years that I have been given the opportunity to become a regular contributor to Causeartist, and as we are commencing 2020, I wanted to reflect on the social enterprises, nonprofits, socially and environmentally conscious ventures whose stories I have had the pleasure to tell during this period.

This is by no means an exhaustive list of all the change-makers I was able to connect with, and I am extremely thankful to each and all of the inspiring individuals I have encountered whilst leading Causeartist’s Asia coverage.

I look forward to continuing my journey in embracing social entrepreneurship and sustainability in 2020, and if you have an organization or individual to recommend for me to feature in the New Year, please let me know.

  1. Tackling plastic pollution. Roughly 8 million tons of plastic is dumped into the oceans every year – that’s a garbage truck of plastic entering into our waters every minute. Unless humanity cleans up its act, by 2050, there will be more plastic than fish in our seas.
  2. Championing sustainable agriculture. I have had the privilege to interview a number of social ventures who aim to create more social and environmental awareness around our food and drinks consumption by empowering local communities to pursue sustainable farming practices
  3. Pioneering sustainable and ethical fashion. The fashion industry is the biggest polluter after oil, as overproduction and -consumption run rampant with the rise of fast fashion. An increasingly saturated market had also prompted a race to the bottom, with companies looking for ever-cheaper sources of labor, often at the expense of ethical and safe manufacturing practices.
  4. Empowering vulnerable communities. Maintaining stable employment is often the biggest source of struggle for people of disadvantaged backgrounds, whilst being key for them to (re)integrate into society and provide for their families
  5. Promoting period-positive classrooms & plastic-free periods. Period poverty is one of today’s most challenging developmental issues. Poor sanitation practices in many developing countries are often exacerbated by a plethora of superstitions and stigmas associated with periods, with devastating repercussions for the health and education of women and girls.

Read the full article about social enterprises to watch for in Asia by Trang Chu Minh at Causeartist.