September 30 is International Podcast Day. It is a day to celebrate a medium that has exploded in popularity. There are more than 100 million people in the United States alone who tune into podcasts regularly. Globally, some 380 million people listen to podcasts, and that number is projected to surpass 420 million by the end of 2022.

The ascent of this uniquely twenty-first-century medium reflects the confluence of several factors. Home recording equipment and software are more affordable. The internet is faster and more accessible. And, demand for specialized content is rising among niche communities. Today, podcasting allows virtually anyone with a computer to become a radio disc jockey, talk show host or recording artist. Some say this new technology is democratizing the world of radio.

Spotlighting Entrepreneurs on The Social Enterprise Podcast

At FINCA, The Social Enterprise Podcast provides a platform to explore the challenges of starting, building and running a social enterprise. Hosted by FINCA International President and CEO Rupert Scofield, the podcast welcomes social entrepreneurs and impact investors to share their insights and experiences. Each year, The Social Enterprise Podcast features a variety of topics and guests from around the world. Here we highlight just a few of them.

In this inaugural episode: Rupert and guests discuss the challenges of finding a mission, building an organization, and achieving a true work/life balance.

Episode 11: Rupert and guests discuss whether all businesses will go social in the future and the danger of ‘whitewashing’ to appear social.

Episode 26: Rupert and his guest discuss why it is important to cultivate young leaders in social entrepreneurship and what the future of social entrepreneur formation looks like.

Episode 25: Rupert and guests explore challenges and opportunities in last-mile distribution in India.

Catch up on all episodes of The Social Enterprise Podcast at www.socentpodcast.org and on SoundCloud.