Today I had the pleasure of meeting people engaged in social entrepreneurship in Los Angeles, and the state of our community is just as I suspected – only mildly organized, but wholeheartedly committed to action and eager for connection. The “tweet-up” was hosted by Noelle Chun, Social Media Coordinator for Ashoka Changemakers. Topics of discussion ranged from the importance of empowering women (and Nick Kristof‘s book Half the Sky), the future of journalism, to solving youth unemployment in Uganda. In short, a mindshare of epic proportions for a group that can’t get enough of social entrepreneurship, and figuring out how to change the world. Additional props, of course, to the two gentlemen who financed beverages for both myself and the brilliant and accomplished women sitting beside me.

Free drinks aside, I was struck by both the eagerness to engage with social enterprise and the actions taking place on the ground. This community is one of doers. One attendee is working on a social enterprise to combat youth unemployment in Uganda. Another organizes a Los Angeles social innovation meetup in her spare time, that we will all now surely be attending. Still another is aiming to work with Ashoka and engaging in the community all while working full-time as a software engineer.

There are, as it stands, nascent but growing resources for this community here.  What I am finding is that the community exists, and that there are hard-working and seriously engaged people in this space absolutely everywhere – whether in Los Angeles or far across the country and world.  Tomorrow, you’ll learn about one of those hard-working people (unfortunately, not an Angeleno) when I publish the interview I had with Melissa Richer, Founder of Ayllu.  Location aside, the point is that the energy and the passion is there.  What has been lacking, up until now, is the base of community.

And community is exactly what we are intending to build in Los Angeles.  The Social Innovation group will expand.  Our meetups will become bi-weekly.  And most exciting is The Hub‘s plan to outreach to Los Angeles.  Details are in the works, but there may be a Hub LA on the ground within a year’s time.  I’ve been in contact with the team in charge of the Hub’s development, and I will be assisting them with social media efforts.  In addition, I will be continuing work with everyone we met yesterday to build this community.  Ultimately, what matters is getting social entrepreneurs connected with each other, so that collaboration can best be facilitated.  If this can be accomplished, then far greater good can result.

More updates on the state of the Social Entrepreneurship community in Los Angeles will be made public as they arise.  Expect to hear big things about The Hub in particular.  Watch this space!