In May, I found out I would be leaving my role in the United Kingdom (U.K.) Animal Health Division of BI where I was working as a business unit head to join 10 other colleagues on a global management development program.  This is a 6-month program where managers experience new cultures and functional areas.  Five of us are also leaving the known world of our big, but cosy, family pharmaceutical company for the less-known world of the social enterprises that BI has linked with through the Making More Health Initiative run through a partnership with Ashoka.  The other six development program participants are just a little bit jealous.

As you would expect my first reaction was to reach for Google when I got the call – and in the space of the 10 mins managed to cover what seemed like the priorities.

“Seattle, Washington” – just checking it is the “big Seattle” not somewhere else of a similar name in the middle of nowhere.  I didn’t actually know there was a state called Washington…

“Flights to Seattle” – better to know the good/bad flight news now…

“Sage Bionetworks” – good to work out who you are working for…

“Stephen Friend” – Ashoka fellow and main contact – see above

“Economist + Sage” – I’m sure I read something about something similar in there (indeed I did)

“Skiing in Seattle” – well if I’m there over winter you can’t work possibly all the time…

“Pet passport” – maybe the cats can come too…. (they could, got passports but decided not to bring the cats)

“Ashoka” – I think I need to know more about this social enterprise culture and what this mean.

And that is one of the big outstanding things I don’t know – what is life like in the world of the non-profit focused business? Most companies nowadays acknowledge the social responsibilities of their actions to some extent.  BI certainly does.  For me, this is embodied by Google’s mantra of “Don’t be Evil”. But what’s the next step on into the world of the social entrepreneur?

Hopefully in a few weeks, I’ll know a bit more. For now though, the more pressing concerns of how much to tip the taxi and concierge on the way to my apartment – the U.S. tipping culture being almost as much an unknown as the world of the social entrepreneur.

Claire Fowler, Executive in Residence, Sage Bionetworks