One of the key messages that emerged from Ezio Manzini's masterclass a few weeks ago for me was the important notion that 20th Century determinants of success - upscaling in order to grow in dimension and magnitude - are potentially no longer relevant, and at least shouldn't be the measures taken forward and emulated by the social innovation sector. It's all too easy to be successful with a small pilot idea, and to then assume that the only way forward is world domination!

That an enthusiastic group of Changemakers had the opportunity to engage with Charles Leadbeater at an intimate event just over a week ago was an exciting enough addition to Australia's social innovation calendar. Add to that the fact that it took place on a glorious Sydney morning, with views of the Opera House from the Quay Restaurant, and it was an event not to be missed.

Some believe that all human beings are inherently creative. Despite this, these qualities of 'creativity' have until now been more obviously recognised in a class of creative elite; artists, writers, musicians, sculptors, actors and dramatists - and as Ken Robinson would willingly point out, in all young children under a certain age.

As the day's #ozsicamp Twitter activity is reduced to barely a peep, it would seem that all our SI Campers have finally found a pillow to rest their heads on after an incredible, action-packed and sleep-deprived few days. The close of the inaugural ASIX Social Innovation Camp this afternoon exceeded all expectations as our eight ideas were officially released to the world via the web, demonstrating the power of social innovation and the people driving it forward.

What a different vibe to this time yesterday. With whiteboards more resembling graffiti walls, breakout rooms having a distinctly 'lived-in' feel, and a secret stash of empty Red Bull cans revealing the scale of last night's efforts, the 2pm finish line is just beyond the next bend (or line of code, as the case may be).

Seven hours into the Social Innovation Camp... our groups have been working solidly since this morning, reluctantly stopping to fill their stomachs and flex their legs every now and then. With 8 ground-breaking new concepts being developed, it has been fascinating to see the process that emerges when a group of virtual strangers (correction: more like virtual friends, via Twitter!) join to collaborate over a common theme or idea.

I'm sitting in the middle of a cluster of engine rooms at the ASIX Social Innovation camps - four different conversations filter through open doors in bursts of energy, with the sound of tapping keyboards a consistent underscore. Through the glazed walls of the meeting rooms I see whiteboards covered in scribbles and colourful post-it notes, chairs haphazardly arranged around working tables, and laptops of different makes and models facing off against each other as their owners get busy with wireframes, graphics and interfaces.

Just this week a wave was created in the online world of social entrepreneurship (or #socent in Twitter-speak). Three aspiring, actually already relatively successful, social entrepreneurs launched a landmark campaign to attract investors to the potential of themselves as entrepreneurs, as opposed to their social innovation idea.

We are currently seeing a proliferation in online activity around social innovation through networks such as Facebook, Twitter, Delicious and Wordpress-style blogs, which put the power directly into the hands of everyday internet users in a way we couldn't have even dreamt about little under 5 years ago. These sites allow people to be vocal about causes they're passionate about, collaborate with like-minded others regardless of geographic location or other societal constraints, and also be exposed to an increasing amount of information through these networks.

With the proliferation of social innovation around the world, there has grown a somewhat awkward tension in relation to where social innovation sits on the commercial spectrum between profit and nonprofit. Indeed, the word entrepreneur conjures up an impression of someone who has made profit from a new business concept or product. So what happens when the word is applied in relation to the social sphere, where ideas are measured by their contribution to society rather than their value as a money-spinner? Is there a belief that these innovations should not make money at all?