Alan Harlam is the Director of Social Entrepreneurship at the Swearer Center for Public Service at Brown University. In that role, he launched the Social Innovation Initiative (SII), that involves and educates students about social entrepreneurship through courses, internships, lectures and participating in student led projects; develops leadership by supporting students through the design & launch of innovative social ventures; and supports the sustainability, impact and growth of these ventures through mentoring, services and networks . SII has supported early stage ventures with strategic planning, organizational and governance design, communications plan, and funding – including three winners of the Echoing Green Fellowship in the past two years. A list of active projects can be found on the Swearer Center web site: www.swearercenter.brown.edu/sii
Before coming to Brown, Alan consulted to Amos House to launch More Than a Meal, a catering micro-business with more than $500,000 in annual revenues. The business is a platform for that provides employment training and opportunity to individuals as they rebuild healthy and successful lives after returning to their community after being incarcerated or to sustain their recovery from addiction and other difficulties. The business is financially self-sustainable creating more than ten jobs. Amos House has since opened a restaurant and launched a home-repair business that extends the model of social enterprise to more members of our community.
His work as a social entrepreneur is informed by his 20 years as a consultant, turnaround manager, and community volunteer. He currently serves on the boards of City Year Rhode Island, Social Venture Partners of RI, and Generation Citizen, as well as an advisor to Gardens for Health International, Real Food Challenge, Mali Health Organizing Project, Public Trust Project, and Runa.
Alan and his wife, Bari, have three children including 18-year old twin sons Jeremy & Gregory and 13-year old daughter Sophie. He and his family love to ski, scuba dive, and play catch with their chocolate lab, Quick.
