Missouri State Journal

How can social enterprises spread holiday cheer? A Missouri State professor explains

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Dr. Josh Coleman, associate professor of marketing
Jesse Scheve/MissouriState

Dr. Josh Coleman, professor of marketing at Missouri State University, discusses social enterprises – businesses with specific social objectives.

Our weekly program Missouri State Journal is a collaboration between KSMU Radio and Missouri State University. It's hosted and produced by MSU's Office of Strategic Communication, and it airs each Tuesday morning at 9:45 on KSMU. 

As Andy Williams croons, "it's the most wonderful time of the year." The holiday season is upon us, and for many, that means family traditions, time spent with friends and spreading a little cheer.

For a growing number of businesses, spreading cheer goes beyond the one-time gift purchase. The idea of social enterprises is also spreading. Think Toms shoes or, locally, Five Pound Apparel.

Dr. Josh Coleman, an associate professor of marketing at Missouri State University, talks about social enterprises and the impact they have on society.

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Emily Letterman has worked at Missouri State University since 2023 and is currently the public relations strategist in the Office of Strategic Communication. A longtime journalist with over a decade of reporting on southwest Missouri, she has a bachelor’s degree in English literature from MSU.