DuLocal: The challenges of a startup with a positive social impact

Abstract

Felipe encountered the concept of sustainability during his academic career, and throughout his professional journey, he decided to start a business model that would generate a growing positive socio-environmental impact directly linked to the economic side of the business. Directing his challenges and professional steps to accumulate expertise and experience, he managed to structure a plant-based food startup with a business model that would lead him to achieve a positive socio-environmental impact. When he secured investment to continue scaling his startup in search of the necessary growth, an unexpected obstacle came up: the COVID-19 pandemic. From then on, several challenges arose: how could he reach a financial break-even point and make the business sustainable? Is it more important to keep the business running, even if you have to give up some of the positive impact purposes? Based on this dynamic and complex case, what would you do in the place of the young social entrepreneur?

Keywords:
Social entrepreneurship; Hybrid business models; Social business; Startup.