In this interview from Yale's Creating Change through Social Entrepreneurship course, social entrepreneur Erik Clemons discusses how he identifies and researches the societal challenges his organization works to address. He emphasizes the importance of self-interrogation and sustained, deep listening within a community before designing a solution, arguing that trust must be built before a venture can credibly claim to serve a neighborhood's needs. Clemons reflects on the practical work of bridging divides between institutions and the communities they aim to help, drawing on his own experience leading community-facing initiatives. The conversation gives students a firsthand account of how relationship-building and humility shape effective social entrepreneurship, complementing the course's more framework-driven lessons with a practitioner's perspective on doing the work responsibly.