From the Chronicle of Philanthrophy:
Two liberal think tanks, the Center for American Progress Action Fund (DC) and the New Democracy Fund (NY), proposed that the Obama administration create a White House Office of Social Entrepreneurship.
Here are a few of their suggestions:
Duration: 15 min 49 sec
The challenge they set speakers at the Business Innovation Factory (BIF) is to tell a story, specifically a personal story. Not your standard spiel. Not your normal pitch. So here’s my narrative. It combines Greek myth and a little Diana Ross to talk about the need for R&D and business development for poverty alleviation. It’s from the heart. It’s how we hope our work can impact the world.
If you like what you see in the vid, please pass on the link to friends/reblog this post/stumble it/etc. We need all the help we can get.
by James Gabriel Duncan
Capitalism runs on competition, so a competition run on capitalism makes sense. And why not make it about sustainability and green energy? This is the idea behind the Global Venture Challenge sponsored by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The challenge uses the Idea to Product® competition model to identify new energy technologies that meet a current market need. An advisor-led team of 2-4 graduate students will be awarded $25,000 to commercialize their innovation.
Duration: 23 min 11 sec
Activist Van Jones is tackling two of our biggest problems—urban poverty and environmental peril—with a fresh, dynamic plan. His vision for providing America’s poor with “green jobs instead of jails” touts a Green Revolution that includes everyone.
He speaks truth to power and asks if there is a way that the work that most needs doing could be done by those who most need work.
Links I want to share, but don’t have time to write full blog posts on. So much work, so little time.
Chip Ransler is the co-founder of Husk Power Systems (HPS), a for-profit company that cost-effectively converts rice husks into electricity. HPS utilizes a proprietary technology to run 35-100 kilowatt mini power plants, delivering pay-for-use electricity to un-electrified villages in India's "Rice Belt." HPS' five pilot projects have become operationally profitable within six months, delivering sustainable, environmentally-friendly, low-cost energy that is dramatically improving the lives of rural Indians.
Outside, it is grey and rainy, but inside, the Camden library is warm and inviting. Today's special session merited an early arrival to Pop!Tech: Scaling the Bottom of the Pyramid, a 2-hour talk by longtime BoP innovators Paul Polak and Bunker Roy.
In their second generation prototype, they have managed to increase efficiency as well as reduce noise, cleaning time and the cost of production compared to the initial version developed by researchers at the University of Hohenheim. The protos team is now prepping for large-scale production.
If there are two problems that I can't stand, it is the environmental crisis and human crisis that many are facing worldwide on so many complex levels. It affects everyone spanning North America, South America to Asia. That is why we as individuals and businesses are more responsible as ever for doing what we can to drive change in ways that may not have been thought possible.
Attendees at Day One of the inaugural Social Capital Markets 2008 Conference (SOCAP08) were greeted by a sunny day at San Francisco’s Fort Mason and capacity crowds wherever they turned. Registration went well over the expected 300 to reach almost 600 participants that included a mix of non-profits and for-profits with a variety of interests, backgrounds, and social missions.
The American Society for Mechanical Energy (AMSE) Innovation Showcase is coming to Boston October 31.
Date: October 31, 2008
Time: 9am-12pm
Location: Sheraton Boston Hotel
Republic Ballroom, Plaza Level
30 Dalton Street
Boston, MA 02199
The Wildlife Conservation Network describes a conservation entrepreneur as someone who demonstrates “the spirit of entrepreneurship in launching innovative projects to protect endangered species.” WCN identifies the qualities of a conservation entrepreneur as someone who dares to try new strategies to save endangered wildlife, creates new ways to save endangered wildlife, empowers local stakeholders, and maximizes the value of every dollar invested in conservation.
How do you create effective organizations focused on sustainable social impact? For those who believe in combining social mission with the efficiency of a market-based approach, the answer is: social enterprise. This growing sector, driven by both social purpose and financial promise, is attracting growing amounts of talent, money, and attention. Initially funded primarily through philanthropic support, social enterprises are now reaching the status of mainstream investment opportunities for banks, venture firms, foundations and wealthy individuals.
Earlier last month Sandy Pentland and Joost Bonsen kicked off their Development Ventures seminar, which has become a part of the D-lab family of classes.
Course Description:
During our daily search of all things world changing, we came across Google's latest contest Project 10^100, being held in part to celebrate their 10-year anniversary and in part to help those who want to help others. During the next three months, the Internet search company will solicit world-changing ideas from anyone, anywhere, no matter the size or scope and will reward the top five ideas with $10 million to see their projects come to life.
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