Ah, the Big Apple.

So good, they named it twice.

For many, New York is an incredibly inspiring, alluring place.

There’s nothing quite like the energy and dynamism of that city; how can you not love something that looks so good on the surface? But if you dig a little deeper, the actual substance doesn’t match up to the promise and excitement of all those skyscrapers and yellow taxis.

These are all ideas of New York; for many living there however, the reality of life is very different indeed. It’s far removed from working for a Fortune 500 company, or on Broadway. Income inequality in the city is extreme, and widening:

“If Manhattan were a country, the income gap between the richest twenty percent and the poorest twenty percent would be on par with countries like Sierra Leone, Namibia and Lesotho.”

– The New Yorker: ‘Idea of the Week: Inequality and New York’s Subway’

In a nutshell, it’s rapidly becoming a city where the quality of life on offer is only tenable for the very wealthy – just like London. However, there’s a group of social entrepreneurs and passionate community builders who are doing what they can to help those less fortunate. Be Social Change’s mission is simple: to educate, connect and invest in the next generation of change makers, via bold, innovative social impact.   

Now, these New Yorkers could have just opted to join the corporate rat race like so many around them. But they chose not to. Because increasing the number of entrepreneurial problem-solvers in the world sounded much better. Today, they’re the largest social impact community in NYC, partnering with, mentoring and supporting individuals in building meaningful careers on their own terms, in establishing their own businesses; they even provide regular skills workshops.

“This is exactly what every city needs: a place where people can come together to discuss ways to solve our world’s intentional or unintentional ways of harming the planet. By providing a place to connect, it will lead to new ideas and continued positive change throughout the world.”

Diana Grand, Social Entrepreneur

How Are They Driving Change? Via The Maker's Institute

This is their learning platform. They conduct this either via in-person events and workshops that people attend at various locations, or via online classrooms. The underlying aim across all classes is that attendees are empowered in all aspects of life, whether the focus is on the professional, educational, or inter-personal.

They describe this form of education as being based on in-person, experiential-based training, blended with online learning opportunities to facilitate individual learning, in one’s own time. What’s most incredible of all? That this flexible, comprehensive educational offering is available at minimal cost to anyone who legitimately needs the help of the organisation.

A quick glance at their events page demonstrates the sheer amount they have on offer, for anyone who feels like they could use some meaningful guidance: 

Incredible, no? Keep your eyes here on Dauntless. We have plenty more examples of Dauntless generosity, charity and ingenuity that we can't wait to celebrate.