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Twitter for Social Entrepreneurship: The Top 100 Tweeps to Follow

Short cuts to Following social entrepreneurs - Thanks to @itsjustajoy - you can follow all 100 listed below with one click

Or follow peer sourced list of 427 "#SocEnt" with two clicks thanks to @montero:
social entrepreneurs Twitter ppl: Part 1 http://budurl.com/qatr
+ Part 2 http://budurl.com/udrj

See also growing independent Twitter lists: http://bit.ly/4agPB

 

With Matt Flannery, founder of Kiva, transitioning from blogging to twittering, we thought this would be a good time to help Matt and others joining Twitter to hit the ground running with a list of the best social entrepreneur twitter folks to follow. 

These are folks we have run into in our specifically social entrepreneurship circle.  I'm sure there are many more people we have not yet met, and would like to meet, so I encourage you to comment here with your recommended additions. 

That said, we have selected a few, well 100 to be exact, to get you started on "Twitter for Social Entrepreneurship".  We suggest you start with the first 20 below and see how it goes.  Then start adding in some of the other clever people listed when you are ready. (By the way, if you are considering how to start tweeting for yourself or your organization, see also Twitter and the Social Entrepreneur - a guide to mission-aligned twittering.)

For Social Entrepreneurship--20 essential folks to follow:
@socialedge (that's us!) @skollfoundation @poptech @civicventures @echoinggreen @ashokatweets @changemakers @AshokaGenV @acumenfund @nextbillion @UnLtd @UnLtdWorld @SchSocEnt  @socialcitizen @casefoundation @thinkchangeind @socialearth @BeUnreasonable @socialentrprnr @ideablob

Social Entrepreneurs--an eclectic collection of 20, some small, some large orgs (and there are many, many more not listed), to follow:
@kjer (Forge); @leila_c (@samasource); @mattflannery (@kiva); @camfed (Camfed); @CollegeSummit (College Summit); @staceymonk (@EpicChange); @lend4health (Lend4Health); @SHEnterprises (Sustainable Health Enterprises) @ineedapencil (INeedAPencil.com); @kenyanpundit and @whiteafrican (@ushahidi); @ConsciousChange (Global Grassroots); @playpumps (PlayPumps); @JRandomF (Benetech); @RoomtoRead_MN (Room to Read); @RugMark (RugMark); @fairtradeusa (TransFair USA); @Gillian1Sky (@1Sky, @TheHub @witnessorg); @teachforamerica (Teach for America); @waterpartners (Water Partners) @endovershoot (Global Footprint Network)

Others in the social entrepreneurship field, 20 peeps I like to follow:
@global_x @tomjd @jnovogratz @rodneyschwartz @jongos @slboval @Montero  @judechia @Kevindoylejones @AmiDar @emeka_okafor @trielly @tomwatson @dnbornstein @davepeery @peterdeitz @EncoreTerry @mdangear @stevecase @zyOzyfounder

Philanthropy-related gurus, 20 thought-leaders you should follow:
@Philanthropy @OnPhilanthropy @p2173 @tactphil @Philanthropy411 @philosopher20 @pndblog @fdncenter @gatesfoundation @Grameen_Fdn @idealist @worldchanging @sustainablog @davos @takepart @e180 @startingbloc @atlascorps @dosomething @globalgiving

NP/VC/Tech/social media for social good geeks, 20 great guides to follow:
@kanter @bbravo @afine @mashable @webb @jessicashortall @hildygottlieb  @TechSoup @appafrica @afrigadget @socap09 @SVNetwork @newprofit @SVTgroup @nesta_uk @socialgood @Ventureneer @socialbusiness @socialactions @netsquared

Not enough? See more lists of Twitter recommendations for social entrepreneurs:
by Appfrica
by Echoing Green
by Social Earth
by John Madigan
by ODE magazine
by Kjerstin Erickson
 

More places to find social entrepreneurs on Twitter - see who tweets with the following hash tags or terms
#SocEnt   (social entrepreneur/entrepreneurship)
#SocEntChat  (monthly social entrepreneur chat by Ashoka)
#socialentrepreneur  (for those who don't know about #SocEnt)
#Prize4SC  (prize for social change)
#4change  (that's right, "for change")
#BoP    (base/bottom of the pyramid)
#nonprofit  (self-explanatory)
#nptech (nonprofit technology)
#SSIR  (Stanford Social Innovation Review)
#i4c (internet for change)

You can even join a twibe...

Follow them all, or follow just @socialedge for the highlights.


And check out all the fine folks who are following @socialedge as they are clearly in the know ;-) and in the social entrepreneur space; including folks like these bonus people to follow: @dallant @jasontclark @christineegger @lkaran @razoo @memeshift @odemagazine  @kitode @knightfdn @vmconnect @willrobinsoniii @bopsource @nakisnakis @philanthropic @cathyhc @Bcorporation @McKQuarterly @neovintage @aspeninstitute @greatbayfdn @universalgiving @robertkatz @changefusion @palm44 @jocelynw @plamb @petrakoon @sparkseed @amyrsward @donmacca @paconmiller and in March/April @skollworldforum.

Might we need a category for reporters/journalists on the "social entrepreneur" beat or who share the passion?  @nytimeskristof @jessiwrites @ssstrom @greenwombat come to mind, but I'm sure there are others...

 

NEW! - Great sequel to this post from @socialearth - 113 Microfinance Tweeters to Follow
and Social Entrepreneurs in China from china-crossroads.com  Excellent!

What a fantastic list!

Posted by Christine Renaud at Jun 24, 2009 09:42 AM
I will let the whole world know about this.
For news, blog posts and thoughts on alternative education, social entrepreneurship and social media, follow us: @e180

Great job!

Christine Renaud
CEO and Co-founder, E-180
http://e-180.com

Some more tweeple

Posted by Norris Krueger at Jun 24, 2009 09:50 AM
What a great list of people to follow! Thanks- might I suggest a few more?

@BOPreneur - Paul Hudnut at ColoState, expert at sustainable tech devel
@entrep_thinking (immodestly, LOL) - Norris Krueger, expert at entreprenurial cognition & how to design programs to develop entrep thinking (Also, program chair for USASBE's Social/Sustainable Ent interest group.)
@asheen - Babson College's resident SE wizard
p.s. there are even more tweeple at Ashoka

Cheers- Norris

Some more tweeple (p.s.)

Posted by Norris Krueger at Jun 24, 2009 09:52 AM
oops! Forgot @nciia - definitely check out www.nciia.org

Add a few more to the list

Posted by Jon Axtell at Jun 24, 2009 12:22 PM
This is great. If you follow Kevin Jones of Good Capital and Social Capital Markets Conference, you should also follow our @Socap09 to which the whole staff contributes. You can also follow my personal twitter @Socapitalist. @beyondprofit is new but I think it will be good as well.
  

@vppartners

Posted by Victoria Vrana at Jun 24, 2009 01:02 PM
Fantastic list! Just wanted to add that for updates from Venture Philanthropy Partners, our nonprofit partners and thoughts on philanthropy, social change, and more, follow @vppartners.

Great list and a couple of adds

Posted by Diana Hickman at Jun 24, 2009 01:31 PM
Hi,

This is a great list. I am very new to Twitter so this is helpful to get me started. A couple of people that I follow are Max Gladwell and Rajeev Kapur. Max is the founder of www.maxgladwell.com and Rajeev is the founder of www.greenwala.com. Both are a lot of fun to read and follow. They are right in the middle of social entrepreneurship.

@chiefwala
@maxgladwell

A recent arrival to the Twittersphere: Working Wikily

Posted by Noah Flower at Jun 24, 2009 04:34 PM
I'd humbly submit @WorkingWikily, the recently Twitter-ified version of the blog that we publish by the same name at www.workingwikily.net. We provide information, resources, and analysis for social-sector leaders who want to work with a network mindset.

@memeticbrand

Posted by Michael Cayley at Jun 25, 2009 03:33 PM
Great list! Many followers and followed there with impressive thoughts to share.

You know Social Capital Value Add might just be consider a Skoll second cousin. Olav Sorenson, the Jeffrey Skoll Chair of Innovation & Entrepreneurship at Rotman's School of Business, University of Toronto has been a great mentor of the thesis. (www.socialcapitalvalueadd.com).

SCVA was also a Ashoka Changemaker.org finalist for their Power of Us: Reimagine Media co-petition. So some other relatives on the list above.

@memeticbrand for a reliable filtered feed of Social Capital tweets.

Oppportunity International/OptINnow

Posted by Amy Wolff at Jun 29, 2009 02:36 PM
Hey folks,

Also be sure to check out @optinnow and www.opportunity.org. Solid leaders in the microfinance community!

Thanks Christine through Amy for the comments

Posted by Jill Finlayson at Jun 29, 2009 02:41 PM
Thanks for the additions. I look forward to learning more about other social entrepreneurs like @optINnow.
Cheers,
Jill

Twitter from Africa

Posted by Lynda Smith at Jul 01, 2009 07:26 AM
Thanks for this great list. I will re-tweet and also circulate amongst my social entrepreneur circle both here in South Africa and elsewhere. I am part of the first Social Entrepreneurship class at GIBS a Business School in South Africa.

Warm Regards

Lynda Smith @LyndaSmith

Great list!

Posted by Kevin Day at Jul 03, 2009 02:12 AM
I've consolidated most of them on our site for viewing here:

http://www.riskebiz.com/html/twitter.aspx

Wonderful list!

Posted by Sarah Press at Jul 06, 2009 12:22 PM
It's great how vibrant the social entrepreneurship community is in twitter. My organization CommuniTeach just started tweeting a week ago, but perhaps someday @CommuniTeach and @spressto will be on this list as well.

Great list, please add WiHood

Posted by Thomas F. Anglero at Jul 14, 2009 02:41 AM
Please add @WiHood, a virtual PC service on a USB bracelet for children that bridges the global digital divide.

For every USD $25 WiHood bracelet purchased at Amazon.com (http://tinyurl/WiHoodStore) you and a child get the WiHood desktop service for free for life!

WiHood website: www.WiHood.com

Being Green + Being Profitable

Posted by Karen Solomon at Oct 04, 2009 04:40 AM
The world can no longer afford business as usual. Opportunity Green emerged to confront this challenge and bring together the brightest innovators leading the growth of the new green economy. #1 Green Conference per Google!!

Opportunity Green Business Conference at UCLA - November 7-8, 2009

http://www.opportunitygreen.com

@oppgreen

Awesome list!

Posted by Sharda Sekaran at Oct 05, 2009 06:36 PM
This is great! Thanks for doing it. I would add @wiserearth and @nicentral (or any of the other many great Net Impact tweeps). Thanks again!

Sharda Sekaran
@ssekaran
@radiantvine - growing web communities for social good

Invention and social entrepreneurship tweeters

Posted by Paula Castillo at Oct 08, 2009 02:34 PM
We are always looking for people to follow who are at the intersection of social entrepreneurship, technology, and invention.

@AshokaTECH

Great list!

Posted by Marcia Stepanek at Oct 20, 2009 06:24 AM
Great resources. I'll definitely share them with the world. And yes - a category for reporters and journalists on the social enterprise/social media beat would be great!

For news and blog spots on social enterpreneurs, philanthropy, social action and the use of social media for social change, follow us @CauseGlobal.

Great job!