Using the rational-choice-approach of “ordonomics” this paper seeks to establish a conceptual link between two strands of literature that seem to focus on two distinct and apparently incommensurable research questions: on the one hand, the literature on Social Entrepreneurship literature that focuses on personal management issues; and on the other hand, the ordoliberal tradition of institutional economics (“Ordnungspolitik”). The key argument claims that social (rule) entrepreneurs can contribute positively to improving the institutional and political framework of society if they succeed in organizing new and mutually beneficial commitment arrangements for themselves and other stakeholders. From that perspective, social entrepreneurs engage as real societal change agents and can assume - complementary to traditional state functions - genuine ‘regulatory’ tasks. The article advances this argument by discussing the historical example of Krupp’s welfare program.