ABSTRACT
This research is based on the interpretative approach in terms of studying the competences of social entrepreneurs and their process of ‘coming to be’ (Sandberg and Dall’alba, 2006). The trajectories of a group of entrepreneurs from four Brazilian companies were analysed and the narratives was defined as a research proposal, based on the thematic analysis of Riessman (2008). The sample comprised of experiences of 13 founding partners of social businesses, 2 from the technological industry and 2 from the medical area. As a result, the experiences of the entrepreneurs pointed to the competencies that form the competence process, which were mobilized inside this context, bringing a new meaning to the actions, in the process of becoming social entrepreneurs. Five central elements were revealed in the narratives: the direct contact of the proprietary members with the problems of the social reality; the material and human conditions created by them; the process of seeing themselves as social entrepreneurs; the sharing of meanings; and the development of collective/organisational skills.
