• Diamond Cab: Investment of a Venture Philanthropy Fund

    Diamond Cab has developed a business model to provide improved transportation for wheelchair users. The model shows that services considered as social welfare can actually be profitable, as wheelchair users have increasingly demanded better transportation beyond inconvenient rehab buses and commercial taxis. Diamond Cab has navigated the regulatory environment and cultural norms of Hong Kong to offer its award-winning service, and other cities have come to learn from its initial success. As a social enterprise nurtured by Social Ventures Hong Kong, a venture philanthropy fund, it faces the challenge of soliciting more investment and talent to scale up the operation with a larger fleet of taxis and eventually return monetary and social dividends to the investors of the fund.<br><br> A <a href=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iiuhNxDz5k>video is available for viewing online.
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  • Dialogue in the Dark, Hong Kong: A Role Model for Social Enterprises in the Making

    Dialogue in the Dark Hong Kong Limited (DiD HK) is a social enterprise founded in August 2008 that uses exhibitions and workshops to raise the public’s awareness of the disadvantaged and provide jobs for the blind. It also aims to achieve financial success and sustainability, and provide dividend payouts to investors. In the first two years of operation, DiD HK’s innovations attracted many participants and created jobs for visually impaired employees. It made progress toward a breakeven in 2010 through its unique ownership and business models; the start-up team invented many new programs unheard of in other franchises.<br><br>Although DiD has franchises all over the world, none of them are sustainable and successful. Geared toward expanding to other parts of Asia, DiD HK is not without its problems. Its product range and market have room for improvement, and there is a lack of repeat visits to the exhibition. DiD HK also needs further financial capital, human resources, and other resources. Thus, it is imperative for management to review its strategies, and find ways to sustain its expansion and financial performance. If DiD HK can overcome these challenges, it may serve as a role-model social enterprise not just in Hong Kong, but also in other parts of the world.
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