Social Entrepreneur

Call for Nominations: 2011 Gleitsman International Activist Award

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Thu, 19 May 2011 20:31:00 +0000

The Gleitsman Program for Leadership in Social Change encourages individual commitment and leadership by recognizing the exceptional achievement of innovators who have sparked positive social change. We seek those individuals whose vision and courage inspire others to join with them in confronting and challenging injustice.

The Gleitsman International Activist Award, was created in 1993 by the late Alan Gleitsman to honor leadership in social activism that has improved the quality of life in countries and inspired others to do the same. The honoree receives $125,000 and a specially commissioned sculpture designed by Maya Lin, the creator of the Vietnam War Memorial. Past honorees have included Nelson Mandela, Muhammad Yunus, activists such as Dr. Jaya Arunachalam and Dr. Sakena Yacoobi, and, most recently, Karen Tse, founder of International Bridges to Justice.

For more information and to download the application materials, visit the Gleitsman Program's web site.

Vote your favorite social ventures!

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 21:08:00 +0000

Check out Best Buy and Ashoka Youth Venture's @15 Community Impact Challenge, in which five teams of young social entrepreneurs will be chosen from 15 finalists for prizes of up to $5,000. Cast your vote today. And, with inspiring ventures that are helping communities locally and around the world, everyone is a winner!

Call for Nominations: 2009 Gleitsman International Activist Award

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 20:49:00 +0000

HARVARD KENNEDY SCHOOL

The Center for Public Leadership Requests Nominations for the 2009 Gleitsman International Activist Award

Nominate individuals you believe have made a difference in their communities or countries. The award will be given in the fall of 2009 and includes a $125,000 prize and a specially commissioned sculpture designed by Maya Lin, the creator of the Vietnam War Memorial. For more information go to www.hks.harvard.edu/leadership/gleitsman.

Deadline: April 17, 2009 [Nomination and supporting material]

Win a scholarship for your social venture

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 20:50:00 +0000

Invent Your World is an international campaign sponsored by the Lemelson Foundation and Ashoka GenV to support young inventors in creating social change. Youth wishing to use new or adapted technology to address global challenges are encouraged to launch a "social venture" and implement their invention. Ashoka GenV will provide mentorship and seed funding to 50 new ventures. In addition, Lemelson and Ashoka will choose the best teams and offer additional support, including a visit to MIT to take part in a global roundtable discussion and $20,000 in scholarships.

Visit www.inventyourworld.org to learn more and enter an invention idea!

All things solar

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 01:08:00 +0000

Lately, I have been spending a lot of time reading about solar technologies. Since I think that there is a lot we can all learn about solar energy, I created a new Squidoo lens about the topic. Check it out and let me know what you think. (As for all of my other lenses, all proceeds from this Squidoo lens support the work of Young Inventors.)

Social Entrepreneur Chronicles

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 03:40:00 +0000

Some weeks ago, I received a really interesting email from Peep Laja about Sarah, a social entrepreneur who is chronicling her experiences about building her venture on her blog. I like Sarah's collaborative approach to building her start-up. I thought that Peep described Sarah's quest so aptly that I asked for his permission to re-post his entire email verbatum.

"A friend of mine is starting a social venture where she is helping to empower the indigenous women of Ngoble-Bugle (a tribe living in northern Panama) through giving them access to the world market by selling their amazing handicraft to the world. These women make the most amazing bags from plant fiber. It takes 2-3 months to make one bag, and they are awesome.

Until now these women had no access to the market. There are hardly any roads leading to where they live, not to mention anything else. Sometimes a buyer goes to the villages and forces these women to sell their bags for just a couple of dollars. Couple of dollars for bags which took over a thousand years to design and over 2 months to make. Now Sarah (the social entrepreneur in the making) is giving them a fair price for the work and providing these women access to the whole world.

She started a blog where she is talking about each step of setting up this venture. A great way to see positive change happening step by step.

Link: http://www.bagsmakeadifference.com"

Inspired by printer toner

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Mon, 26 May 2008 14:12:00 +0000

Inspiration can strike anywhere! Technology Review reports that researchers from the Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) looked to printer toner particles in developing a low-energy water filtration system. Because the filter is low-energy, it is more cost-effective than other filters.

Money for green

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 22:16:00 +0000

Got a green idea? Check out the ConocoPhillips Energy Prize, which will give away $300K for green energy projects.

Get $1,000 for your Socially Innovative Idea

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 20:18:00 +0000

I recently received information about an idea competition run by Conscious Lifestyles, a nonprofit organization that empowers students and schools to be more socially responsible.

---------------

Are you passionate about making the world a better place? Have an idea about how to make your fellow students and your school more socially responsible? Want to turn that idea into a reality?

Conscious Lifestyle is accepting applications for its 2008 venture program.

Submit an application for the chance to win:

* Up to $1,000 in start-up funding
* Web space on consciouslifestyle.org
* Monthly skill-building workshops
* Personalized support
* Access to a network of social entrepreneurs

To learn more and download an application, visit www.consciouslifestyle.org/2008ventureapp.

Global Young Social Entrepreneurs

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Sun, 04 Nov 2007 16:05:00 +0000

The Global Knowledge Partnership has announced its 100 Global Young Social Entrepreneurs.

My favorites (in no particular order):
Agroecommerce Network Pvt Ltd, India
Bright New Ideas, Nicaragua
DUTO, Colombia

Cutting Carbon Emissions

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 14:25:00 +0000

The National Geographic proposes ways to cut CO2 emissions.

Secrets to Entrepreneurial Success

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 04:31:00 +0000

On October 1st, join YII for a webinar with Barbara Carey, author of The Carey Formula and an inspiring entrepreneur.

As a taste of what's to come, check out Barbara's tips for innovators and entrepreneurs:

SIMPLE SECRETS TO SUCCESS

Words of Wisdom

Surround yourself with people who can do the things you can’t…
Doing everything and being everything to everyone can become exhausting. Use the people around you for creativity and inspiration. The saying, “Two heads are better than one” is often the best solution to staying positive and creative.

Know your customers intimately…
Do as much research as possible on your target market. Whether you conduct focus groups, send out survey or take polls go the extra mile to get to know who’s buying so you know who to sell to.

Building Relationships…
Not only is the relationship with your consumer market important, so is the relationship with your manufacturer. Do what you say you’re going to do. Follow up and be thorough. They won’t know what you want unless you’re specific. The better relationship you have with your manufacturer the easier and quicker things get done.

Keep it Simple…
Don’t get ahead of yourself - you’ll get overwhelmed. Take one step at a time and keep it simple. Start with a simple plan and add to it as you’re ready.

Virtual Interview with Social Entrepreneur

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 19:19:00 +0000

YII is launching a virtual interview series with social entrepreneurs.

I will post the answers to the first two questions on the blog; you can find a complete interview transcript on the YII online community (you will have to register to access the interview).

First up is Jim Poss, Founder and CEO of Seahorse Power, which makes the Big Belly Trash Compactor.

Please briefly describe your business.

We make the world’s only solar powered trash compactor. Basically, it’s a trash can that can compact trash automatically to 1/5th of it’s size. This reduces costly and polluting collections by 5X.

How did you come up with the idea for the business?

I always wanted to be an inventor, and I tried many times to make prototypes of things that people wanted (I would test things out on friends and family). In college, I studied environmental science, and “got the bug.” I decided to devote my career to that, since it seemed so important. Years later, I got a job at a small electric vehicle manufacturing company. There, I learned all about motors, gears, batteries, solar panels…all the things that make the BigBelly work. Again, year later, it just hit me – by connecting a battery to a motor to a solar panel, you could compact trash. This would clean up litter and displace expensive garbage truck trips. And guess what, they do.

For more information, including Jim's tips for student entrepreneurs, why he decided to run a social venture, and what resources he found most helpful, visit the YII online community.

Entrepreneurs for Making a Difference

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 03:12:00 +0000

Looks like Richard Branson is not only a maverick entrepreneur, he's also a social(ly conscious) one!

Apart from enjoying this article, I also look forward to the launch and growth of The Elders.

I'm glad to see that Virgin is involved in charitable work. I wonder if they have a program for offsetting pollution from jet fuel... .

Responsible Competitiveness

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 10:57:00 +0000

I recently received word of AccountAbility’s State of Responsible Competitiveness report, which is a global ranking of countries balancing responsible business practices with growth.

I like the idea of clustering the countries in the rankings as innovators, asserters, compliers, and starters (I like categories). The regional studies were interesting, too. There are also bits about corporate social responsibility.

The Nordic countries top the Responsible Competitiveness Rankings. Canada rounds up the top 10. The U.S. comes in 18th.

Social Entrepreneurship Metrics

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Sun, 24 Jun 2007 15:28:00 +0000

A while ago, I was wondering about metrics for social entrepreneurship.

A team at Harvard has some hard numbers from social entrepreneurship investments.

Cool Car

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Sun, 24 Jun 2007 03:57:00 +0000

I've always wanted a Prius. Now, I want the Chevy Volt.

From the Treehugger web site:

"There are two things that make the Volt’s E-flex drivetrain noteworthy. First, it is a series hybrid, which means power is fed directly to the motor, not the battery. It can be plugged into a household electric socket and charged fully within about six hours. Completely charged it can drive roughly 40 miles on electricity alone. According to GM, more than 75 percent of Americans live within 20 miles of where they work, meaning the Volt would get them to the office and back on 100% electricity with no direct emissions."

Note from Social Entrepreneurship Media Network

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Sun, 17 Jun 2007 18:05:00 +0000

I recently received an interesting email from American Public Media that I thought would be of interest to other social entrepreneurs wanting to get the word out about their good works:

American Public Media's public radio business show Marketplace (www.marketplace.org) reports on entrepreneurs and the issues they face. American Public Media is also doing a new kind of journalism that involves reaching out to communities of people with knowledge, expertise and experience on a topic.

To support Marketplace's entrepreneurship coverage, APM is building a Public Insight Network of entrepreneurs from around the country (and the world) to inform reporting. And you're getting this email right now because Marketplace wants to explore social entrepreneurship in particular.

Tell APM your experience, become a source for public radio, and help shape national media coverage of entrepreneurship.

Tell APM what it takes to be a social entrepreneur, here: http://americanpublicmedia.org/pin/socialentrepreneurship/

Give a more general description of your business, here: http://marketplace.publicradio.org/entrepreneurshipquery/

Sign up for the Public Insight Network without filling out either survey, here: http://americanpublicmedia.publicradio.org/publicinsightjournalism/contact_signup.php?dom_name=entrepreneur

(Being in the Network means receiving an email about once a month asking for your insight on stories APM is working on.... respond if the questions connect with your experience, delete the email if they don't....no spam....being a confidential news source....and you can unsubscribe any time.)

If you have any questions, contact Joellen Easton at American Public Media: jeaston AT americanpublicmedia DOT org, or 213-621-3481.

Social Ventures in Business Week

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 20:30:00 +0000

Here's an article from Business Week discussing social entrepreneurs and the double bottom line.

I like the mix of high tech and low tech businesses. The growth from 500 to 3,000 social ventures in the last decade is encouraging. (Budding social entrepreneurs: also note the increase in community investment assets to $20B.)

While reading the article, I wondered how many social ventures existed before the concept was popular and how social ventures in the particular study above were identified. Also, I was a bit unclear as to the meaning of "community investing assets."

Regardless, I am excited by the exposure of social ventures in the media.

Working the Social Venture Network

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 21:12:00 +0000

While doing some research today, I came across xigi.net, a site that provides information on the space of social investing (CSR and social VC). There is a lot of information on the site even though it's still in beta; it's definitely worth a look.

I think one of the cooler ideas is the xigimaps, which provides visualizations of social ventures and their networks.

Fun with Statistics

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 14:54:00 +0000

Check out Gapminder - a cool non-profit that uses statistics to visualize human development.

Hans Gosling's presentation about Gapminder was a hit at this year's TED Conference (and for good reason).

Sustainability Start-Up

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 14:45:00 +0000

I recently came across SustainLane, a cool start-up that aims to raise awareness about sustainability through three offerings:

1. Rankings of sustainability of various US cities (top 3: Portland, San Francisco, Seattle)
2. Webisodes of the always-amusing-yet-informative Unsustainables (particularly great for a young audience)
3. Reviews of products and their impact on sustainability (they're seeking entries of products - you can win an eco-friendly car!).

What I like best about the site is that it has a very clear focus and a powerful message delivered in easily understandable (and easy to absorb) formats.

Best Practices in Social Entrepreneurship

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 22:32:00 +0000

Somewhat related to my metrics post a few weeks ago, I've just come across Duke's Case Studies Database for Scaling Social Impact.

These are mostly cases used for teaching, but there are also many lessons to learn by any social entrepreneur.

"Bridging" Knowledge about ICTs and Entrepreneurship

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Sun, 18 Mar 2007 18:08:00 +0000

Bridges.org has a number of interesting reports on promoting entrepreneurship in developing economies. The organization also offers a large number of case studies relating to ICTs and grass-roots technology initiatives.

I really like their model of bringing experts together online. As stated in their overview, one of the benefits of connecting online is preventing environmental damage caused by air travel.

Win €20.000 for your social venture

noreply@blogger.com (Anne) — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 03:27:00 +0000

The BiD Challenge is an international business plan competition organised each year by the BiD Network Foundation. Their mission is to contribute to sustainable development by stimulating entrepreneurship in developing countries. Find out more at www.bidnetwork.org. The deadline is May 31st and you can win up to €20.000.