World Economy

Intrapreneurs: The Corporate Change-Agents

June 19, 2014  • Institute Contributor

The Huffington Post teamed up with The Aspen Institute First Movers Fellowship to publish a blog series focused on the growing importance of social intrapreneurs — a term used to describe change-agents within organizations, large and small, who are fusing business success with positive social and environmental impacts — and the value they add to their organizations and society.

Read below for the posts from the series, and click here to meet the 2014 Class of First Mover Fellows.

Christine Bader
Author of “The Evolution of a Corporate Idealist: When Girl Meets Oil”
The Corporate Idealist

In speaking with many social intrapreneurs for my book, I realized we all have stories that are unique in their details but not in their themes. We all want to make a positive difference in the world, and have chosen business as our way to do it. Read more

Matt Ellis
Founder, Measurabl
Four Tactics of an Intrapreneur

Intrapreneurs are front-line warriors. Their battlefield pitted with corporate bureaucracy, obscured in the fog of analysis paralysis, populated by adversaries both internal and external. It is a hard fight. To win, intrapreneurs must be highly tactical. Here are four winning tactics applied by intrapreneurs fighting for disruptive change. Read more

Joanna Stefanska Hafenmeyer
Managing Director, My Impact
Four Steps to Instigate True Social Intrapreneurship in Your Organization

There’s something in the air when it comes to intrapreneurs. Something infectious – the spark that ignites a flame in projects, teams, and when they really succeed, organizations. Read more

Rahul Raj
Vice President of Marketing at ecobee
8 Traits of Social Intrapreneurs

Social Intrapreneurs find new ways to better the world and make money. They succeed by delivering against these two seemingly divergent goals, and that is what makes them unique – they embrace paradox. Based on my experiences as an intrapreneur at Walmart, and as a First Mover Fellow at the Aspen Institute, I’ve observed 8 traits that contribute to their success. Read more

Mariana Amatullo
Author, co-founder of Designmatters at Art Center College of Design
From the Garage to the Front Lines of Social Innovation: Learning From the Less Visible Traits of Intrapreneurs

Today, in a world that faces so many fast-evolving and interrelated social, political and economic challenges, intrapreneurship is a concept we believe we understand well. In the organizational climate of some of our most successful companies–where the generation of new ideas is treated as a vital task to explore places of invention–intrapreneurs are championed for their aptitude to develop new ventures and exploit new opportunities that can create lasting value within their organizations, and beyond. Read more