Social Innovation Conferences in 2010

Happy New Year readers!

Here's to a year full of energy, innovative ideas and successful ventures!

To help us all keep the innovation "juices" flowing, after our March event, I have listed a few conferences scheduled for this spring that may be of interest:


Tech4Society - February 11-13 in Hyderabad, India

Social Venture Capital/Social Enterprise Conference - March 16-18 in Miami

Social Media for Stakeholder Engagement - March 19 in London

Skoll World Forum - April 14-16 in Oxford, UK

Global Philanthropy Forum - April 18-21 in Redwood City, CA

SOCAP International 2010 Symposium - April 25-28 in Atlanta

Milken Global Forum - April 26-28 in Los Angeles

Social Enterprise Alliance World Summit - April 28-30 in San Francisco

The New Entrepreneur Conference 2010 - May 13-14 in Dusseldorf, Germany

Women Deliver Global Conference - June 7-9 in Washington, DC

Personal Democracy Forum - June 21-22 in New York City

iSociety International Conference - June 28-30 in London


Thank you to Justmeans.com for tracking and sharing these conferences.


Happy Innovating, friends.

"Disruptive" Innovation

Read about the Theory of Disruptive Innovation below.

Excerpt:

"Disruptive innovations either create new markets or reshape existing markets by delivering relatively simple, convenient, low-cost innovations to a set of customers who are ignored by industry leaders. Historically, companies that dominate an industry have had little interest in pursuing these types of innovations because profit margins are often lower and the innovations don't address the needs of those companies' best customers. However, companies that have recognized the value in pursuing disruptive growth -- such as Intel, Procter and Gamble, Cisco, Johnson & Johnson, Dow Corning and IBM -- have all profited from this type of innovation at various points in their histories."

(from the Innosight Ventures website)

Sustainable Tourism in Wadi Rum

In the village of Al Dieseh in Jordan, nine young Bedouin women are unleashing their creative skills and earning an income. They are members of the Al Dieseh Cooperative, which is producing ceramics to sell to locals and tourists who come to see the famous desert landscape of Jordan's Wadi Rum protected area.

The project, also known as Siyaha, is working with the Jordanian government, local communities, NGOs, and tourism-related groups such as the cooperative, to develop a dynamic and competitive tourism industry.

Could this type of model be applied to Saudi Arabia? Even though international tourism is not common in the Kingdom, could domestic tourism benefit from this type of venture?

World of Good - Ebay goes Fair Trade

Shop for fair-trade, handmade, and ethically-sources products.

Shouldn't business always be ethically-sourced?

http://worldofgood.ebay.com/

Millenial / Gen-Y Entrepreneurs Challenge the Status Quo... with Social Media.

I have been reading an article called "How Gen-Y Startups Use Social Media to Shatter the Status Quo", and thought our readers may be interested. LINK HERE

Below, I have included an excerpt on one of the status-quos being challenged: PROFIT.

My favorite status quo that Gen-Y is challenging is in the fatter pocket department. While bottom lines, quarterly reports and profits are important to Gen-Y startups and entrepreneurs, there is something brewing that is gaining more popularity in Gen-Y companies: changing the world. From proceeds based on profits to community involvement and helping each other grow, Gen-Y is fundamentally under the impression that the world will be a better place if we grow together. Helping our friends, neighbors and those in less fortunate situations create jobs and stimulate their economies can impact the world and help everyone grow their bottom line.

Companies like Kiva (on the cusp on Gen-Y) are using crowdsourcing technology to connect investors with business entrepreneurs (yes, young and old) in developing countries to get off and running. Kiva now finances loans in 48 countries and in June 2009 supplied over $4.6 million in loans

Others, like GiveForward are focused on helping existing non-profits and organizations find funding and make donating a better experience. Co-founder Desiree Vargas says“Generation Y has the opportunity to live their entire career spans expecting to work for companies that treat their employees well, give back to their communities, and create a product or service that brings value to the world.”

New Gen-Y business values are helping to make the entire world a better place to live and do business.

Ladies, this is what you are doing!

"Half the Sky" - Pulling Women Out of Poverty.

"There’s a growing recognition among everyone from the World Bank to the U.S. military’s Joint Chiefs of Staff to aid organizations like CARE that focusing on women and girls is the most effective way to fight global poverty and extremism. That’s why foreign aid is increasingly directed to women. The world is awakening to a powerful truth: Women and girls aren’t the problem; they’re the solution."

The above quote is from a New York Times Magazine special, featuring an essay adapted from the book "Half the Sky: Turning Oppression Into Opportunity for Women Worldwide".

Most of the examples of success that are given in the essay, include a dimension of business or small microloans being used to change the life of a woman and her family... and, eventually, her community.

Read more HERE.

Women and Leadership: Learning from the Social Sector

From the McKinsey Quarterly website:

As a venture philanthropist, Acumen Fund’s Jacqueline Novogratz leads entrepreneurial projects across the globe—many of which put women at the helm of emerging local businesses. In this video interview, she discusses her experience developing other women leaders, the way they have shaped her own approach to leadership, and the different leadership cultures she sees at play in the public and private sectors.

This interview was conducted by Bill Javetski, an editor with the McKinsey Quarterly, in February 2009. It was recorded in the New York office of Acumen Fund.



One of my favorite quotes from the interview:

"... the more stressed I got, the less anything worked... but the more we laughed, the more we got done."

ImagineThis! TV with a Purpose.

ImagineThis! is a TV series about challenges... and SOLUTIONS. The organization partners with local NGOs in countries around the world to bring stories of those underprivileged to the attention of our society.

Challenge #1? The film crew has ONE week to create an episode.

SocialEarth interviewed Eion, the founder of ImagineThis! TV- he said:

“We both know that there are many, many NGO’s all over the world doing a great job trying to help others, the reason we decided to do ImagineThis is one, to highlight those organizations and the work they do and two, to highlight a new form of consciousnesses towards love and understanding as oppose to fear, separation, hatred, bigotry; the things that divide us. And TV in my estimation is the best and most effective transmitter of information and has the broadest reach to send out a message and it saddens me to see the message most often sent out by TV is destruction. Our message is one of dignity, love, cooperation, humor and joy.”

Virgance

A great model, and resource!

About:

Virgance is a company that seeks to promote campaigns using market-based methods that are effective, transparent, profitable, and scalable. They do online organizing to create offline positive change that is direct and tangible.

website - http://www.virgance.com/
blog - http://blog.virgance.com/

I'm adding both of these to our "related links & resources" section.

Change the Way You Think... About Everything.

Michelle Obama on the National Health Care Day of Service

I wanted to share with everyone an email that I got from Michelle Obama's team about the National Health Care Day of Service:

Emily -

National and community service has been a cornerstone of my life, as I know it has been for many Americans. And with the daily struggles now confronting so many families, it's especially important for us to reach out to one another and offer a helping hand.

I've just launched United We Serve, a national initiative to tackle our toughest problems by working hand-in-hand in communities across the country. We aim to make a real difference right now and bring more and more Americans into a tradition of life-long service to make an even greater difference down the road.

I'd like to invite you to be a part of it by joining Organizing for America's National Health Care Day of Service this weekend. You can join up with other local OFA supporters to help improve health care services in your community and make a difference as we work to reform America's health care system.

Sign up now to participate in a National Health Care Day of Service event this Saturday, June 27th.

There's an old Thomas Edison quote I've always liked: "Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work."

It's no secret that our country faces some enormous challenges right now, and meeting them will take a lot of hard work. But in that work lies an equally great opportunity -- a chance to serve. And I do believe the chance to serve is a precious gift indeed.

Service has played a transformative role in my life -- bringing me tremendous joy and helping me find the path that led to where I am today. As a parent, I believe service is a great way to demonstrate values and to teach our children firsthand what it means to commit to a purpose beyond ourselves.

It should be a part of everyone's life. From the moment someone can walk to the day they leave this planet, service should be a part of how we give back, how we say thank you, how we express our gratitude for the lives that we've been given.

So I'm deeply honored for this chance to support our United We Serve initiative and Organizing for America, and I hope you'll be able to participate this weekend. Please sign up now to volunteer at a local event:
http://my.barackobama.com/hcserviceattend

Thank you,
First Lady Michelle Obama

King Abdullah II Awards Youth Innovators for Community Projects

During the closing ceremony of the World Economic Forum on the Middle East (held at the Dead Sea from 15-17 May 2009), King Abdullah II of Jordan honored four winners out of ten outstanding Arab youth finalists for leading pioneering efforts in their communities to improve people’s lives.

The winners of the King Abdullah II Award for Youth Innovation and Achievement were:

• Rabee Zureikat, 29, Jordan - Project aims to promote greater equality through volunteerism, cultural exchanges and micro-loans
• Lana Hijazi, 27, Palestine - Launched a mobile-based service matching job seekers and employers
• Abdelkareem Bedri, 22, Sudan - Works with the hearing impaired to increase learning and employment opportunities among this vulnerable group
• Raghda El Ebrashy, 26, Egypt - A YouthActionNet ® Global Fellow, who addresses the economic needs of youth and women in Old Cairo by offering them vocational training and job placement support.

The awards program was launched by the King Abdullah II Fund for Development (KAFD) in partnership with the International Youth Foundation (IYF) to support young social entrepreneurs in the Arab World.

KAFD was supported throughout the award process by YouthActionNet®, which is the International Youth Foundation’s youth leadership initiative that has provided 140 young leaders from 55 countries with capacity building and leadership training through its global fellowship program.

To learn more about the finalists, click here
For more information on IYF’s YouthActionNet program, click here

Middle East Regional Social Entrepreneurs 2009- Schwab Foundation

Two social entrepreneurs from the Middle East have been recognized by the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship as winners of the Middle East Regional Social Entrepreneurs 2009.  The winners (listed below) were honored at an awards ceremony in Jordan at the end of May.  (information below from the Schwab Foundation website)

Naif Al Mutawa – Teshkeel Media Group (”THE 99”) –  Kuwait 

 

Teshkeel Media Group is focused on creating wholesome new children’s adventures 

through its proprietary superheroes, “THE 99”. Drawing upon global history, culture and traditions, its aim is to provide positive and inspirational role models for children that are inspired by Islam albeit on a global level. THE 99 are superheroes from 99 countries that work together to improve the world with story lines that promote diversity, multiculturalism, personal responsibility and personal accountability. THE 99 comics have been licensed in 8 languages with editions in Indonesia, Turkey, France, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal already, with other countries soon to be included. THE 99 Village theme park – the first of six – recently opened in Jahra, Kuwait and a global animation project co-Produced with media giant Endemol is poised to hit the airwaves by the end of 2009.  

 

Ziad Al Refai – Tamweelcom  – Jordan 

 

Tamweelcom is the Middle East's leading Microfinance organization, ranked 8th best microfinance bank worldwide. It provides credit opportunities for micro-entrepreneurs, who cannot access the banking system due to a lack of collateral. It also provides business training and vocational services to the poorest communities in Jordan, women-led families and widows, through its loan offices. Through successful innovations such as the Souk Ayyadi markets that create sales channels for the products and services of its members, educational scholarship funding for performing member’s family, and “pay and renew” loan systems, Tamweelcom has continued to grow and serve client’s needs. Since inception, it has served more than 100,000 micro-entrepreneurs with more than $75 million (USD) in loans. 

Obama's speech, in case you missed it...

On social entrepreneurship...

"On economic development, we will create a new corps of business volunteers to partner with counterparts in Muslim-majority countries. And I will host a Summit on Entrepreneurship this year to identify how we can deepen ties between business leaders, foundations and social entrepreneurs in the United States and Muslim communities around the world."

On women...

"Our daughters can contribute just as much to society as our sons, and our common prosperity will be advanced by allowing all humanity – men and women – to reach their full potential. I do not believe that women must make the same choices as men in order to be equal, and I respect those women who choose to live their lives in traditional roles. But it should be their choice. That is why the United States will partner with any Muslim-majority country to support expanded literacy for girls, and to help young women pursue employment through micro-financing that helps people live their dreams."

Social Innovation Conversations

A channel of the Conversations Network, Social Innovation Conversations allows readers/viewers to view and/or listen to social change ideas through audio lectures, speaker series, and conference recordings. On the site you can download free podcasts on social entrepreneurship, environmental sustainability, philanthropy, corporate social responsibility, responsible investing, etc...

Check it out.

There are some pretty incredible tools on here- and perhaps some inspiration?  

A College Enterprise...

A great, innovative enterprise to feed the hungry:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

"On one hand we have people who need food, and on the other we have us... who don't need all this food... so we kind of put it together..."


Simple concept- big impact.

One for One

In 2006 an American traveler, Blake Mycoskie, was travelling in Argentina and noticed that children were lacking one simple thing that could improve their health: SHOES.

He decided to create a company (TOMS) that would give away a pair of shoes to a child in need, for every pair that he sold: "One for One"

Later the SAME year... Blake returned to Argentina with a group of family, friends and staff with 10,000 pairs of shoes made possible by TOMS customers.

Since 2006, TOMS has given over 140,000 pairs of shoes to children in need through the One for One model. TOMS plans to give over 300,000 pairs of shoes to children in need around the world in 2009.

Why shoes? Read THIS.




TOM's
More about their Movement

Beyond Profit

There's a new magazine out, and I am lovin' it so far...

It's called Beyond Profit, and their mission is:

"... to bring you the most interesting and unique stories, people and ideas from the social enterprise sector. Learn about the individuals who are working to change the world through social entrepreneurship and find out how they are doing it."

In the current issue, they address 3 interesting topics:

• Shaping For-Profit Enterprises Through Disruptive Innovation
• Can We Teach Social Entrepreneurship?
• 10 New Ideas That Can Change the World

Preview it here!

Get funding for your social enterprise!!

Last week I attended the Accelerating Social Entrpreneurship Conference co-hosted by The Phoenix Project and Corporation for National and Community Service.

The conference focused on the theme of opening doors to social innovation through technology, and convened a "who's who" of social enterprise in the United States. I was proud to share our experiences from Saudi Arabia.



One of the many wonderful people I met at the conference is Ian Fisk, head of the William James Foundation. The Foundation "supports entrepreneurs who are launching and running mission-driven businesses." They are best known for their premiere and effective model for Socially Responsible Business Plan Competitions. Theirs accepts plans from all over the world.

Their 2009 competition just ended, and entries for 2010 start in October, so keep your eyes peeled to their deadlines and your thoughts open to how your social enterprise might qualify to be the next big winner! Prizes include cash and in-kind donations from marketing, legal, financial, and business planning experts.

The first prize winner this year is PowerMundo, an organization that is committed to the triple bottom line: measuring returns in profit, environment, and social contribution.

Three Cups of Tea

A perfect case-study of a social entrepreneur... If you have not yet read this book- READ IT.



Even after his adventure in Central Asia, Greg Mortenson used his book as a social enterprise as well- Read about how.

More:
http://www.threecupsoftea.com/