Seven years ago, when Skoll was launched it had one purpose.  It was meant to be a platform for social entrepreneurs, those individuals solving the world’s most pressing problems (i.e. disease, poverty, illiteracy and gender inequality) to convene in order to build the movement.

Now that social entrepreneurs are recognized as mission driven individuals applying business techniques to “save the world,” the question is no longer “who are they?” but “where do they fit in?”  This year Skoll responded.

The theme for this year’s conference was “Catalyzing Collaboration.”  Refreshingly it wasn’t a conversation confined to social entrepreneurs or social entrepreneurship.  Here is what made this year’s Skoll worthwhile:

1)   Attendees: Most delegates to the Skoll World Forum are social entrepreneurs from organizations like Kickstart, Vision Spring and Riders for Health. This year, Skoll invited diplomats, journalists, investors, businessmen, playwrights and artists to join the conversation – and not just attend as guests.

Social entrepreneurs heard from veteran diplomats such as the Algerian-born Lakhdar Brahimi, who as a UN envoy helped negotiate the end of the Lebanon’s civil war; private sector experts such as Elizabeth Littlefield, the CEO of CGAP and soon-to-be president of the US Overseas Private Investment Corporation; and journalists such as PBS’s Ray Suarez and  Mona Eltahawy, an Egyptian columnist and outspoken voice for women’s rights.

They, along with several others, showed social entrepreneurs that the question of “How to save the world?’ can’t be answered by merely talking to other social entrepreneurs.  If social entrepreneurs are serious about saving the world – and staying relevant – then they must bring in those working in government, media, the private sector and the arts into the conversation.

2)   Panels: And the conversation at this year’s Skoll refreshingly moved away from what’s going on in social entrepreneurship to how social entrepreneurship fits in the world.  There were panels on peace building, global threat preparedness, disaster response, and the neuroscience of change.  They were panels that were not always moderated well nor maximized for effect.  But they did make the “save the world” conversation less self-congratulatory and more practical.

These panels gave social entrepreneurs the chance to see where and how they fit into wider global efforts – a question that is often overlooked.  And yet, it is important for effectiveness and relevance.  Social entrepreneurs won’t succeed unless their efforts can be adopted and implemented by other actors such as the government, media, arts and the private sector.  That is precisely the collaboration that needs to be catalyzed.

Likewise, attending diplomats, businessmen, artists and journalists got to understand how social entrepreneurs could enhance their work.  “Before coming here I didn’t know there were such innovative solutions,” Brahimi said.  That’s quite remarkable and revealing.

There is no end to the criticism of government-led development efforts and skepticism of the private sector to do any good.  Social entrepreneurs have built a persuasive platform to affect positive social change.  They mustn’t forget to continue expanding that base so that it too doesn’t have the same fate of government and the private sector.  This year’s Skoll World Forum was a step in the right direction.  Will social entrepreneurs follow?

He goes on, “There’s no sign that government will nimbly repair these social gaps. It will probably be up to social entrepreneurs to take a midcrisis look at their priorities. Somehow there must be a way to use the country’s idle talent to address freshly exposed needs.”

I don’t think social entrepreneurs are idle talent, but glad he sees the importance of their work.