Special dinner that Furman friend gave me

I'm currently taking Digital Communication, a class that provides me more expertise in crafting my image through a personal online portfolio like a personal website and a blog. Since every student needs a topic to write our blog about, I picked the move of Social Enterprise (SE) in the U.S based on my interest in the field.

Social Entrepreneurs, as defined by Ashoka U, are "individuals with innovative solutions for society's most pressing social problems" who are concerned with "the practical implementation." Simply put, they do social work and strive for a sustainable business model to generate revenue.

By that, I met Benjamin James Riddle. He is a local guy with a Northern (or European to some people) style that may take you seconds to doubt when he tells you he is from Greenville. He is deeply engrossed in SE and has done many off-campus projects by such social initiatives promotion organizations like SXSWedu, DesignGood and Epicenter. 

As a matter of interest, Ben studies Human Centered Design at Furman as a self-designed course through a Furman special program called "Individualized Curriculum Program." The major clearly shows his interests in both human and arts, through which he can use design as a powerful tool to exercise his way of social thinking and problem solving. He is an active member of Furman Creative Collaborative; he has set up some off-campus events like TEDx Furman. 

Benjamin James Riddle

He is the visionary kind to whom if you ask what he wants to be in the future, he will say "I want to be a Peacemaker." And unsurprisingly, he is quite experienced in Social Entrepreneurship - the field that I also find my niche in.

We had a dinner last night. It was the longest dinner that I have ever had at Furman: we stayed on the patio (outside the Dining Hall) until 8:10 PM and had yet to finish our conversation about SE and Christianity.

Through the meeting, I had a quick grasp of the SE history in the U.S, which was imminent during the 1970s and then officiated by the foundation of Ashoka, founded by Bill Drayton in 1980. Also, I had a golden chance to be exposed to an open-minded Christian's pattern of thought, to how he steps out of his comfort religious zone to see into other religions, ethnicities, and cultures to have a view of life that is broader and more accepting. As a Christian, Ben possesses an indisputable faith in God and God's message which he, deep down, believes is the way our spiritual selves as human beings connect with the whole universe.

Such a little knowledge fed my curious mind and sparkled my day.