“It was my daughter Holly who as a young child reminded me that business with purpose is so important - she wanted to know why don't businesses give away all the money they make, which started me thinking! It was from here that the Take up the Challenge was born to inspire young children to become social entrepreneurs…A simple conversation with an innocent child started a chain of events to where I am today. “- Dr. Laura Bradley
GCSEN Regional Advisor Laura Bradley, a Professor of Inclusive Entrepreneurship at Ulster University and Programme Director for the Help to Grow programme, recently presented a lecture at Ulster University, Magee Campus, in Northern Ireland. Afterwards, Professor Bradley honored Prof. Caslin with this testimonial of support for GCSEN:
Professor Mike Caslin from GCSEN Foundation delivering the vote of thanks at my professorial lecture on social enterprises and social entrepreneurship was a highlight of the evening. Mike’s knowledge, lived experience and extensive career in this space is so impressive that his involvement in the event brought immense benefits. His knowledge and articulation of the importance of the sector linked to the history of emigration from Ireland to the US provided an interesting perspective. Mike brought distinguished expertise to the evening through his internationally recognized academic and practical credentials. His authority of the sector as founder and president of GCSEN establishes him firmly as a leading voice in the field. Having someone of Mike’s stature provide the vote of thanks elevated the lecture's academic standing and validated my work and contributions to the field of social enterprises. His presence signalled institutional recognition and peer acknowledgment. Indeed, his thought leadership in this space enriched the evening even further with the audience engaging even further in the social enterprise debate through this internationally acclaimed and recognised scholar and champion for social enterprises globally. Personally, Mike further added to how unforgettable the evening and lecture were for me and it is clear the audience found his insights and thoughts engaging, compelling and thought provoking. A highlight of my career to stand alongside Professor Mike Caslin at the lectern.
Recently, the Network News followed up with Laura, who has a first-class honours degree, Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education Practice and PhD from Ulster University, who says her relationship to GCSEN is very important. “Their mission to inspire, teach and support social venture founders and their teams is something that aligns closely with the work that I am involved in. My intention is, through research and consultancy activity, to use evidence to inform, and help future- proof the sector through nurturing existing social enterprises to grow and inspiring others to build entrepreneurial careers by wedding economic and social purposes. In addition, being part of a global network such as GCSEN, and working with like-minded people such as MIke Caslin inspires and drives me to want to do, and learn, more. Working with GCSEN means making a difference and moving the dial on social enterprises start-up and scaling globally.“
Dr. Bradley lives in Derry, Northern Ireland, but is a “Donegal gal through and through,” having been born and raised in Inishowen in Co. Donegal. She is very proud to come from a family of entrepreneurs. Her dream when she retires is to set up a dog sanctuary to create a safe space for pups to find a second chance in life. Currently, Laura works across the island of Ireland, with vital access to the UK and European networks. GCSEN’S 4P Social Entrepreneurship model is important here, and People, Planet, Profit, and Place all come into her work: “Indeed, this place-based issue is really central to conversations and debates as social enterprises are often more significantly influenced by place-based policy, social dynamics and institutional nuances - therefore local, regional, national and international networks and collaborations are critical to expanding our understanding of social enterprises and identifying, and sharing, best practice.”
Some of Laura’s proudest professional moments include engaging over 200 children aged between 9 and 10 to think about becoming entrepreneurs - changing a young person's life one at a time (through Take up the Challenge!) and securing money to explore social enterprises from the North South Research Programme - despite unprecedented competition and application numbers. Dr. Bradley says, “This reminded me that we were onto something very important across the island of Ireland.” Dr. Bradley has also been recognised by the central government in Northern Ireland as an expert in the area of social enterprises, which has enabled her to become engaged with other experts to shape policy and practice in this space across the region. Finally, she cites “becoming a Professor of Inclusive Entrepreneurship and being recognised for my hard work, efforts and contributions over the duration of my career and acknowledging the achievements and impact.”
About Professor Caslin, she says: “Mike Caslin is a beacon of social influence and inspiration - a powerful quality and force. From the president to the street vendor Mike wants to make a difference. The impact of Mike on my career has been to motivate me to continue to support a step-change in the area of social enterprises through collaboration, knowledge generation and dissemination, policy development and practice. Mike has validated and verified the need for work in the area of social enterprises and social entrepreneurship and how critical this is to the contemporary and future world. Indeed, Mike reminds me regularly that there remains so much to do but the best approach is one step at a time - this is a journey not a sprint.”
Laura has overcome many challenges over her years, including being bullied in secondary school. It’s very important to learn lessons from challenges, and from this one she learned “I couldn't change others behaviour and reactions but I could change mine! I decided to prove my worth by outperforming as much as I could - it made me determined and resilient to always want to do more and do better. I also believe the loss of my Mammy built even further resilience where the mantra of 'just keep moving forward one step at a time' was never more important. Despite the hurdles, integrity and a sense of humour can help improve most situations.”
Dr. Bradley’s advice for new Entrepreneurs is: “I think the one thing to do is always remain curious - we will never know all the answers and assuming you do can be misleading! The thing to know is that profit is not a dirty word - it is what you do with profit that matters. Finally, create networks with people - similar and different. We all have incomplete skill sets and knowledge - by building a strong network means you can complement existing, and plug missing knowledge and skills effectively - but choose your trusted network and inner circle wisely!”
GCSEN thanks Dr. Bradley for her commitment to upholding the values of 4P social entrepreneurship as well as her insight as we build out our UK/EU programmes! We look forward to many more years of successful collaboration with this accomplished leader!
Professor Laura Bradley McCauley BSc, PhD (Ulster), PGChep, SFHEA, FCIM, CMBE Bio:
Laura is a Professor of Inclusive Entrepreneurship at Ulster University and Programme Director for the Help to Grow programme. She has a first-class honours degree, Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education Practice and PhD from Ulster University. Her research interests include social enterprises, SMEs and inclusive entrepreneurship, with a specific lens on females and ethnic minorities. She has led, and leads, on several projects including EU and Shared Island and regularly undertakes consultancy with SMEs supported by InnovateUK, InvestNI, Enterprise Ireland and Intertrade Ireland. She is a board member of a number of social enterprises and professional organisations in Northern Ireland and across the UK. She is also an external examiner at several UK and Irish Universities. Laura has presented at several conferences including the Academy of Marketing and European Academy of Management. She has published widely including the European Journal of Marketing and International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behaviour & Research. She is engaged in research networks across the UK impacting, and influencing, executive education for small businesses and developing interventions and practices to support policy and research in social enterprises and knowledge exchange. She has strong links with industry and policy makers where her research is informing policy development. She is an assessor for the Small Business Charter in the UK, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (FCIM) and a Certified Management and Business Educator (CMBE) with the Chartered Association of Business Schools.
