Social Innovation Conversations

Sonal Shah, Michele Jolin, and Greg Nelson - Social Innovation in the White House

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 00:00:00 CDT

President Obama has sent a powerful message to the American public since taking office: Social innovation can play an important role in rebuilding a stronger country. With the passage of stimulus packages in areas such as clean energy, national service, and climate change, it's clear that the White House is approaching national challenges in new ways. In this panel, hosted by Full Circle Fund and sponsored by the Stanford Center for Social Innovation, key staff in the Obama administration provide the broad outlines for these exciting changes.

William F. Meehan III - Making Markets Work

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 00:00:00 CDT

When it comes to online giving market places, the adage is: If you build it, few will come. So how do you drive enough people to such online spaces to make them work? In this talk, sponsored by the Stanford Center for Social Innovation, William Meehan, McKinsey senior director, talks about the opportunities and challenges in making online giving marketplaces successful, and what lies ahead in this area for organizations dedicated to making a genuine sustained impact in communities.

Premal Shah - A Wild Ride: Creating a New Marketplace

Sun, 14 Jun 2009 00:00:00 CDT

Kiva has created an online marketplace that allows ordinary citizens to help specific entrepreneurs around the world thrive with as little as $25. How did Kiva get the critical mass it needed to make its operations a go? How does it work with nonprofits, entrepreneurs, and lenders through the online format? In this talk, sponsored by the Stanford Center for Social Innovation, Kiva President Premal Shah talks about how the organization got started, how it functions, and how it plans to grow.

Jacqueline Novogratz - Patient Capital and the Solution to Poverty

Sat, 13 Jun 2009 00:00:00 CDT

Neither markets nor charity alone are sufficient to help the world's poorest people. In this interview with host Sheela Sethuraman, Jacqueline Novogratz, founder of the Acumen Fund, describes how a combination of patient capital plus management support is making a difference in tackling poverty in Africa and Asia. Novogratz shares experiences and anecdotes from her recently published book, "The Blue Sweater: Bridging the Gap Between Rich and Poor in an Interconnected World."

Randy Komisar - One Venture Capitalist's Perspective

Sun, 7 Jun 2009 00:00:00 CDT

How do we create an efficient capital market for philanthropy? What are the best ways to marry program evaluation with powerful dynamics among online giving places? What role should public policy take in all this? In this free-ranging talk, sponsored by the Stanford Center for Social Innovation, Randy Komisar offers a venture capitalist's perspective on these questions and more.

Challenges and Opportunities of Nationality -

Tue, 2 Jun 2009 00:00:00 CDT

Social innovation can both ease the terrible consequences of the xenophobia and insularity inherent in nationalism, and enhance the positive opportunities for social change within established heritage and cultural traditions. In this discussion, sponsored by the Stanford Center for Social Innovation, experts consider topics ranging from multiculturalism within countries to cross-national and international cultural challenges and opportunities.

Rob Reich - Tax Incentives and the Nonprofit Sector

Mon, 1 Jun 2009 00:00:00 CDT

Given current tax laws, $300 billion in charitable dollars can end up costing the U.S. Treasury $50 billion in lost income. Should taxable income exclude charitable contributions? In this talk, sponsored by the Stanford Center for Social Innovation, Stanford political philosopher Rob Reich asks some tough questions, ultimately proposing a new way of looking at tax incentives to support the nonprofit sector.

Mark Kramer - Moving From Insight to Action

Mon, 25 May 2009 00:00:00 CDT

At its worst, program evaluation is a useless activity that generates lots of boring data and irrelevant conclusions. But at its best, argues Mark Kramer in a talk he gave at the 2008 Nonprofit Management Institute, it can be a strategic tool for the genuine improvement of a nonprofit. He offers exemplars of organizations that have used evaluation effectively to advance their missions.

John Podesta - Cities Respond to Climate Change

Wed, 20 May 2009 00:00:00 CDT

To reduce or even stop the threat of global warming, it stands to reason that the first line of defense is to avoid using fossil fuels in the first place. In this overview followed by questions from the audience, John Podesta suggests that this can be done by focusing on greater energy efficiency--both at small and large levels--from everyday items to international policy.

Laurie Marker - Sustainable Resource Management Through Economic Development

Mon, 18 May 2009 00:00:00 CDT

Despite being the fastest land animal, cheetahs can't run from the threat of habitat loss. Laurie Marker of the Cheetah Conservation Fund has used a multi-pronged effort including habitat restoration, resource management education, and job creation to address that threat. In this interview by Sheela Sethuraman for the Tech Museum Awards, Marker describes the creative measures she has taken to save cheetahs and improve the lives of the people who live near them.

Neal Denton - Private Sector Role in Disaster Response

Sun, 17 May 2009 00:00:00 CDT

The Business Roundtable announced an official collaboration between its Partnership for Disaster Response and the American Red Cross in September, 2007. Neal Denton, Senior VP of Government Relations and Strategic Partnerships at the American Red Cross discusses the value of this relationship to the Red Cross, the role of the private sector in disaster response, and plans for strengthening this relationship.

Miguel Dabdoub, Ford Runge, Robert Berendes, Vinod Khosla - Will Biofuels Starve Us or Save Us?

Tue, 12 May 2009 00:00:00 CDT

On the one hand, biofuels offer a green substitute against petrol-based fuels such as gasoline. On the other, they are still expensive to produce and are causing a steep inflation in food prices the world over. A panel of experts debates the root causes of the increase in food prices, and the need to produce biofuels vis-a-vis the measures to tackle the economic and political side effects of its production.

Jeff Patrick - Social Networking for Nonprofits

Sun, 10 May 2009 00:00:00 CDT

MySpace, Flicker, YouTube, and Facebook are big brands and major movers in the commercial, social networking world. In this 2008 Nonprofit Management Institute talk, an event convened by the Stanford Social Innovation Review, Jeff Patrick of Common Knowledge shares how nonprofits can use such tools--and customize their own--to capture constituencies and raise funds. He further shows where social networking is headed so that nonprofits can begin to incorporate it into their long-term horizons.

Jennifer Aaker - The Psychology of Giving

Mon, 4 May 2009 00:00:00 CDT

Research shows that spending time and money on others makes people happy--so why don't more people donate to or volunteer for nonprofits? In this talk, sponsored by the Stanford Center for Social Innovation, Stanford marketing professor Jennifer Aaker offers insights into the phenomenon. She then turns those insights into lessons nonprofits can use to create compelling ways for more people to give financially and personally to the causes they care about.

Diana McLain Smith - How Great Teams Turn Conflict into Strength

Mon, 27 Apr 2009 00:00:00 CDT

The key to success in any team or enterprise is to develop good working relationships. In this talk, sponsored by the Stanford Center for Social Innovation, consultant Diana McLain Smith, author of Divide and Conquer: How Great Teams Turn Conflict into Strength, shows how those who care about performance and relationships can simultaneously nurture both. She offers tips for seeing work relationships in new ways, and practical suggestions for enhancing them.

Hau Lee - Boosting Profits Through Social Responsibility

Sun, 19 Apr 2009 00:00:00 CDT

Companies can indeed make money while operating in socially responsible and environmentally friendly ways. It just takes what supply chain expert Hau Lee calls the Triple-A approach--having agility, adaptability, and alignment. Closing the Stanford 2008 Responsible Supply Chains Conference, Lee describes how small to mid-sized companies in China, India, and Israel boosted profits while shrinking waste and pollution and providing a fair workplace for employees.

Randy Wang - Spreading Education Thru Community Participation

Wed, 15 Apr 2009 00:00:00 CDT

Imagine your confusion if you had to design a system to improve the quality of education in distant underprivileged schools. What if you stepped away from the problem and asked, "What is the simplest 'system' that could work in the real world?" In host Sheela Sethuraman's interview, Randy Wang describes his motivation to create Digital StudyHall, a collection of mundane technologies that have dramatically improved long distance education. His progress and goals are also discussed.

Jacqueline Novogratz, Helene Gayle, Robert Hormats - Strategies to End Hunger

Tue, 14 Apr 2009 00:00:00 CDT

A food crisis is upon us. Prices of food commodities have risen dramatically. Shrinking supply, due to weather and the production of biofuels, combined with spiking petroleum prices, has lead to rising demand and instability in countries the world over. Robert Hormats, Helene Gayle, and Jacqueline Novogratz discuss the roles that the financial sector, NGOs, and small farmers around the world play as well as what they can, and must do, to reverse this alarming situation.

Socially and Environmentally Responsible Supply Chain conference - Strategies for Improving Product Safety

Sun, 12 Apr 2009 00:00:00 CDT

Not a week goes by without a product safety incident splashed across the headlines. As companies face increasing layers of suppliers, the task of monitoring the many links in the chain becomes a formidable challenge. The situation is particularly troubling for social entrepreneurs, who are especially vulnerable. In this panel from the 2008 Responsible Supply Chains Conference, executives who have experienced product safety challenges share what they have done to address these challenges head on.

Craig Venter - New Ideas, New Fuels

Tue, 7 Apr 2009 00:00:00 CDT

Craig Venter, a pioneer in genetic research, continues to advance the state of science in genomics and synthetic life. In this interview, he discusses some of his key discoveries, as well as a few goals for the future. In his current work on DNA programming and building synthetic organisms, he's using the building blocks of life to approach society's most pressing problems such as energy and food.

Replication and Scale - Challenges and Success Factors

Mon, 6 Apr 2009 00:00:00 CDT

How can an innovative social entrepreneur enable her exciting new idea to fulfill her dream of changing the world? This panel of truly successful innovators examines the challenges of replicating and scaling ideas into massive realities of social change. They share their varied experience in identifying the important considerations that can grow a successful neighborhood social program into a global social venture.

Dan Henkle - Gap's Progress on Corporate Social Responsibility

Sun, 5 Apr 2009 00:00:00 CDT

The Gap monitors 2,000 garment factories in 50 countries and conducts about 4,000 inspections annually to make sure its suppliers are operating under ethical guidelines. Dan Henkle, the executive who oversees this inspection process, as well as the company's community investment and environmental affairs efforts, outlines The Gap's corporate responsibility programs in his talk at the 2008 Responsible Supply Chains Conference.

Panel Discussion - Women in Charge

Mon, 30 Mar 2009 00:00:00 CDT

Four high-profile female political professionals discuss Hillary Clinton's candidacy for president in this panel discussion. They cover how her run for office affected the future of women in politics and the benefits and weaknesses of women in political leadership.

Making Supply Chains Socially Responsible - Fresh Approaches to Supply Chain Practices

Sun, 29 Mar 2009 00:00:00 CDT

How does an organization not only promote green and sustainable products but also conduct business in a socially responsible way? At the Stanford 2008 Responsible Supply Chains Conference, leaders of three pioneering enterprises talk about how they integrate fair trade, sustainable design, green purchasing, and public/private partnerships into every aspect of their business. They offer advice for other organizations and share how they are working to promote social responsibility in their respective industries.

Fraser Nelson - Learn to Love Lobbying

Mon, 23 Mar 2009 00:00:00 CDT

Fraser Nelson, a consultant to nonprofits, gives an entertaining lesson on the why and how of nonprofit lobbying. Most nonprofits do not lobby government for a variety of reasons, but Nelson explains that it is legal, effective, and powerful. In this Stanford Social Innovation Review sponsored talk, Nelson concludes with ways to get the most out of your lobbying efforts and five rules to follow.

Growth Finance for Social Entrepreneurs - Obtaining Major Funding

Sat, 21 Mar 2009 00:00:00 CDT

Financing the growth of operations to achieve major scale is undoubtedly the biggest challenge facing social entrepreneurs. This panel explores the current challenges and constraints in mobilizing capital flow to compelling social enterprises. Also discussed are a range of strategies and channels available to social entrepreneurs for financing growth plans, including emerging alternatives to create new asset classes (hybrid, for-profit, and for-benefit models).

Deborah Rhode - Ethics in the Nonprofit Sector

Mon, 16 Mar 2009 00:00:00 CDT

Businesses are not the only organizations rocked by financial scandals. Nonprofits such as the Red Cross, United Way, and many others have been hit as well. In this Stanford Social Innovation Review sponsored talk, Deborah Rhode discusses the need for an ethics upgrade in the nonprofit sector, which by its do-good nature is expected to take the moral high ground. She considers typical pitfalls that nonprofits are vulnerable to, and calls for clearer rules governing transparency and accountability.

James A. Joseph - Leadership in the Second Half of Life

Sat, 14 Mar 2009 00:00:00 CDT

Former U.S. Ambassador to South Africa, James Joseph believes we must support those over 50 launching new careers later in life so they may continue to make significant contributions to society. In this Encore Career Summit talk, sponsored by the Center for Social Innovation at Stanford, Joseph reflects on what it takes to be a great leader in the second half of life. Using Nelson Mandela as a prototype, he reflects on how skills such as the ability to work with one's enemies are critical elements of the mature leader.

Marc Koska - Preserving the Right to Safe Injections

Wed, 11 Mar 2009 00:00:00 CDT

Marc Koska talks about his involvement with Star Syringe, the 2008 Tech Awards Health Award winner. Star Syringe designed and licensed the K1 auto-disable syringe, which prevents syringe reuse. In this interview with host Sheela Sethuraman, Koska explains how focusing on the needs of the syringe manufacturers, instead of the end users, was an important success factor. He discusses how single-use syringe adoption is progressing in India as well as the activities and aims of his charity SafePoint Trust.

Dan Burden - Building Livable, Walkable Communities

Mon, 9 Mar 2009 00:00:00 CDT

In his many walkability audits, Dan Burden has studied and defined what makes for a pedestrian-friendly community. Even more importantly, he knows why such places are so valuable for everyone - walkers and drivers alike. In this presentation concluding with questions and answers, he discusses why walkability is crucial to the sustainability of communities, and what they can do to encourage it.