In the middle of the night, I wake up thinking about this question.

Why is this on my mind, you might be wondering? As a recently baptized Ashoka Fellow, I find myself spending a lot of time lately explaining the meaning of the phrase social entrepreneurship. The sometimes confused looks on the faces of people listening tell me that they don't always get it.

Jeff Brown is the Founder, President and CEO of Brown’s Super Stores, which operates 10 ShopRite supermarkets in the region. Brown’s Super Stores has been recognized by the White House as well as numerous local and national media outlets for its efforts in serving low-income communities who often suffer the effects of living in a “food desert,” a community that lacks access to healthy and affordable food. Jeff Brown is also Founder and Chairman of a public 501(c)(3) nonprofit, UpLift Solutions (www.upliftsolutions.org), which serves governments, supermarket operators and manufacturers, and nonprofits interested in correcting food desert challenges in the United States with a comprehensive menu of services to support such efforts.

Rob Wonderling became President and CEO of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce just shy of one year ago. The Chamber is a business advocacy organization of 5,000 member companies, including a growing nonprofit sector that promotes growth and economic development in the 11-county region and advocates for sound public policy while delivering strong member services and programs.

Joseph Pyle, MA, has more than 25 years’ experience in behavioral health serving as both a clinician and administrator, with over eight of those years as CEO of behavioral health organizations. He presently is serving as President of the Thomas Scattergood Behavioral Health Foundation. We spent some time with Mr. Pyle recently, discussing best practices in public health and how his organization strives to foster improvements throughout the region:

Despite increasing strategic crossover between the for-profit and nonprofit sectors, public sector nonprofit governance requires a unique approach. This article delves into the factors that distinguish an effective nonprofit leader, drawing on literature about entrepreneurship and emotional intelligence to uncover both the personal, internal composition of a strong nonprofit leader and the public sector’s inherent challenges and opportunities.

Since 1996, Susan Sherman, RN, MA, has served as President and CEO of the Independence Foundation in Philadelphia, a private philanthropy with annual giving of over $8 million. Ms. Sherman is a member of the board of directors of several local and national organizations, and she has received numerous awards for her service and leadership in the public sector, education and nursing, particularly in Philadelphia. We were fortunate to spend a few minutes talking to her about her insights on Philadelphia, leadership and innovation.

In the summer of 2000, when I strolled into a bookstore to find a good “beach read,” I came upon The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell. Drawn to its subtitle, How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference (and its length — short enough for a quick read), I picked it up. Perched on the beach and poised to learn, I couldn’t put it down. Reading it changed my definition of leadership and a life well lived.