Social Enterprise and Web 2.0

Then a year ago he bought a lottery ticket. While jotting down all of the things he would do with the winnings, from spending more time with family and friends to making a real difference in the world, Mickle began to take stock of his life. He was earning a lot of money but was giving very little of himself. And he was the one who was poorer for it.

“I won the lottery that day by realizing that I had everything I needed to start living that life, right then and there,” Mickle said.

So Mickle ditched his high-paying job to brainstorm a new venture with friend Rod Ebrahimi. On a napkin they scribbled their goals: Build an online community that changes the world; make a socially responsible business more profitable; and have fun while doing the right thing.

The result was Dotherightthing.com, a San Francisco startup that allows users to rank companies based on their social impact on the world.

Mickle, 26, and Ebrahimi, 25, are among a growing number of entrepreneurs betting they can build ventures that deliver both financial and social returns. Ebrahimi calls it the double bottom line. “We see more and more people and companies focus on doing good socially while still doing well economically,” he said.

Brian Johnson, 32, also found his calling in an unusual amalgam of altruism and business. A disciple of Eastern philosophy and spirituality, Johnson said he felt uncomfortable with capitalism until he hit on the concept of "using economics as a force for good."

"It is what so many people in the world are conflicted on," he said. "How do we live our spiritual ideals and make money?"

Now Johnson tries to have it both ways with Zaadz.com, which he describes as MySpace for people who want to change the world. Johnson started Zaadz, which means seed in Dutch, out of his Topanga (Los Angeles County) home.

But the hybrid doesn't sit well with everyone. "Some people call us tree-hugging, granola-eating hippies; others call us greedy capitalists," Johnson said.

Read more…