SELLING FOR A GOOD CAUSE? THE ACTIVISM OF IMPACT ENTREPRENEURS AND ITS BOUNDARIES

Abstract

This article, based on an ethnographic study of a fund dedicated to financing “impact” start-ups, examines the activism of entrepreneurs who claim to reconcile profit-making with advancing causes of public interest. The analysis highlights that these entrepreneurs attribute a more militant meaning to their “awareness-raising” and public relations efforts than to their core commercial activities. It also underscores the fragility of their activist status compared to traditional activists, requiring continuous efforts to legitimise their position. Rather than simply “blurring” the symbolic boundaries between activism and business, these impact entrepreneurs strive to establish new boundaries within the corporate ecosystem by opposing their model to companies they describe as mainstream and opportunistic.