by Kasia Kotlarska / August 2025
https://sewfonline.com/turning-readers-into-changemakers-sunny-yi-han-lin/
Sunny Yi-Han Lin, an SEWF25 speaker, is on a mission to transform social entrepreneurship in the Mandarin-speaking world. As Founder and CEO of Social Enterprise Insights—the first hub of its kind—she has built a pioneering Mandarin online to offline platform that connects changemakers, nurtures talent and accelerates impact.
In this interview, Sunny shares how her work has bridged information gaps, inspired action and created opportunities for social entrepreneurs to grow their skills and impact.
You founded Social Enterprise Insights back in 2012, before social enterprise became a buzzword in many circles. What did you see then that others didn’t — and how has the landscape changed since?
Back in 2012, while studying in the U.S., I saw first-hand the vibrant ecosystem of social entrepreneurship and many inspiring social enterprise cases there. When I returned to Taiwan, I realised there was a significant information gap. Social enterprise was a relatively unknown concept and there was a lack of a centralised platform for sharing knowledge and connecting people. I believed that by leveraging the power of the internet, we could bridge this gap and make social enterprise an accessible and understandable concept for Mandarin-speaking audiences.
Since then, the landscape has changed dramatically. What was once an obscure term is now a key and more well-known topic in citizen, corporate and government sectors. The government has launched policies to support social enterprises and more and more young people are choosing to work in this field. The ecosystem is much more mature, with a wider range of ecosystem players, including incubators, accelerators and impact investors. Social Enterprise Insights has also gone from simply raising awareness to actively building the infrastructure that allows entrepreneurship to thrive as a key force for sustainable development.
“ (…) a great social idea won’t create lasting impact if it can’t generate revenue and be financially independent.”
From incubation to storytelling, you work across multiple touchpoints in the social enterprise ecosystem. What do early-stage entrepreneurs most need that they often don’t realise at the start?
Early-stage social entrepreneurs often focus heavily on their social mission and products and services but they frequently underestimate the importance of a sustainable business and operational model. They need to understand that a great social idea won’t create lasting impact if it can’t generate revenue and be financially independent.
Beyond the business plan, they also need to recognise the value of community and peer support. Starting a social enterprise can be a lonely journey. The biggest challenge isn’t just the idea itself but navigating the practicalities of business, building a team and fundraising. What they most need—and what we provide through our incubation programmes—is a network of mentors, experts and fellow entrepreneurs who can offer advice, resources and emotional support to help them through the difficult early stages.
“(…) action is what truly creates change.”
You’ve built the first Mandarin online-to-offline platforms for social entrepreneurship. How do you approach bridging online awareness with real-world action?
We’ve always believed that information is the first step, but action is what truly creates change. Our strategy is to use our online platform as a hub for knowledge and inspiration. We publish articles, case studies and interviews to educate the public and showcase successful social enterprises. This creates a foundation of awareness and a community of people who are passionate about sustainable issues.
We then use this online community to drive offline action. We host events like forums, workshops and our annual conference to bring people together, allowing them to network, learn from one another and find practical ways to get involved. We’ve seen countless examples of people who read an article on our website, got inspired, attended one of our events and then went on to start their own social ventures or join an existing one. Our online-to-offline model is all about turning passive readers into active changemakers.
Talent development is key to sustaining the sector long-term. What’s your approach to nurturing the next generation of social entrepreneurs— especially in East Asia?
In East Asia, where a more traditional career path is often expected, our approach is to make social impact a viable and equal career choice. We believe that we need to not only train the future generation of social impact leaders but also change the society’s mindset about sustainability-related work.
Our strategy has three key components. First, we provide comprehensive incubation and accelerator programmes with tailored advisory to equip aspiring social entrepreneurs. Second, we use our website as a storytelling hub to highlight the inspiring journeys of social entrepreneurs, demonstrating that it’s possible to build a meaningful and successful career while making a difference. Third, we’ve launched programs like “School 28,” a talent development programme designed to bridge the gap between young professionals and the social innovation sector, helping them build the mindset and skills needed for a purpose-driven career.
SEWF25 is all about movement building. How do you think media, networks and storytelling can shape the collective identity of the global social enterprise movement?
Media, networks and storytelling are the heart of movement building. In a global movement as diverse as social enterprise, they are crucial for creating a shared identity and sense of purpose. Media outlets like Social Enterprise Insights can serve as a common platform, where we can share successes, challenges and lessons learned from different parts of the world. This helps to break down geographical and cultural barriers.
Networks are essential for connecting people, allowing for cross-sector ideas and resources. Storytelling, in particular, is a powerful tool for humanising the movement. It allows us to move beyond abstract concepts and connect on an emotional level. By sharing the stories of the people behind social enterprises—their struggles, their triumphs and their vision—we can inspire a collective identity based on shared values and a common goal of creating a better and more sustainable world.
“(…) a single piece of content on our online platform had directly led to real-world, meaningful action. It showed me that SEI’s work was not just about sharing information but about sparking a ripple effect of positive change, one person at a time.“
You’ve been building the social enterprise movement in Taiwan for over a decade. What’s one moment — big or small — that reminded you it was all worth it?
One of the most rewarding moments for me happened years ago at one of our annual conferences. We had a reader who, after following our media platform for years, attended the event. She told me that she had been inspired by an article we published about a social enterprise in the UK that helped homeless people become city tour guides. After reading the case, she travelled to the UK and participated in that social enterprise’s city tour and felt moved to start a similar initiative in Taiwan. She went on to found Hidden Taipei, a project that helps homeless individuals find new skills and confidence.
Hearing this story was a powerful moment for me. It was a perfect illustration of our mission coming to life—a single piece of content on our online platform had directly led to real-world, meaningful action. It showed me that SEI’s work was not just about sharing information but about sparking a ripple effect of positive change, one person at a time. It’s moments like these that make all the late nights and hard work feel completely worth it.
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