Pixza: Integrative Social Innovation

The case presents the history of a socially innovative start-up restaurant business, Pixza, that was created as a mixed-motive firm with both internal business objectives and external economic, social and environmental objectives. Founded by the entrepreneur and case protagonist Alejandro Souza, Pixza planned to sell an original style of pizzas produced with locally grown, organic, and traditionally Mexican ingredients and flavors. At the same time, Pixza had a social purpose and was designed as a social reinsertion vehicle for the economically disadvantaged, providing psychological support and job training that permitted formerly homeless men to obtain an income, a residence and an opportunity to achieve personal independence. Alejandro Souza is one of the outstanding examples of social entrepreneurship in Mexico, with experience in designing and implementing projects around the world on issues of impact evaluation, international development and social innovation. The case catches up with Souza in 2017, when Pixza is running two locations in Mexico City and is putting in place a new iteration of its social empowerment program. The restaurants are a hit with locals and are seeing a huge demand and acceptance of the new pizza recipes like blue corn, huitlacoche and epazote. However, running the pizza business and managing the social reinsertion programs is taking a toll on the physical and emotional well-being of Alejandro. Despite the obvious success of the enterprise, the case begins with Alejandro confessing to a close friend that he intends to close the business.

• Innovation
• Entrepreneurship
• Environmental sustainability