Oded grajew biography channel

In his transformation from successful private sector entrepreneur to social entrepreneur and presidential advisor, Oded Grajew has played a major role in shaping Brazil’s—and the world’s—business and civil society innovations during the last three decades.

Below, Allen White of the Tellus Institute interviews Grajew about this transformation, his work with the World Social Forum, and what lies ahead.

During the last forty years, you have moved from business entrepreneurship to social entrepreneurship, co-founding the World Social Forum, among other ventures.

What inspired this shift?

During my time in business in the s and early s, my peers often responded with skepticism to my ideas about changing business practices. They told me that the ideas were impossible, that they were just dreams.

When I took over leadership of Abrinq (the Brazilian Association of Toy Manufacturers) in , I wanted to see if my ideas—changing relations between business and unions, business and society,