Gaia: Starship Social Enterprise - Foundations, Organizations, Groups, Social Entrepreneurs

Fast Company: 2008 Social Capitalist Award

http://coolmel.gaia.com — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 18:30:32 GMT

via http://www.fastcompany.com/social/2008/#content

Change the world. Make some money. It's an appealing prospect. Nonprofits were born because for-profits weren't addressing some market failures--pollution, poverty, illiteracy. Profit won't cure those ills, but it's becoming a bigger part of more solutions. Below you will find the organizations that are granted the Fast Company/Monitor Group Social Capitalist Award. Along with the 45 world-changing nonprofits, we also honor ten companies not only striving to make a profit, but to also make a difference.

Besides the features of our December/January 2008 issue, you will also find expanded profiles, web exclusive interviews, additional features, and interactive slideshows that present the Social Capitalists in a concise and lively way. The world of social entrepreneurship is a wonderful one -- go experience it. And you may want to keep an eye out for that donate button.

Read more.

Echoing Green: Traits of Successful Entrepreneurs

http://coolmel.gaia.com — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 22:21:25 GMT

(via Echoing Green)

Traits of Successful Entrepreneurs

Entrepreneurs are a rare breed. They are willing to go where others are not, leaving behind the stability of a steady job to pursue an unproven vision. Successful entrepreneurs are rarer still.

Are entrepreneurs born or can they be made? That is a subject of debate by academics and venture capitalists who spend much of their time observing and analyzing successful entrepreneurs. Frederick Beste, a Venture Capitalist at Mid Atlantic Venture Funds, and H. Irving Grousbeck, Consulting Professor of Management and Codirector of the Center for Entrepreneurial Studies at Stanford’s Graduate Business School, have written about entrepreneurs. The Schwab Foundation has performed similar observations of social entrepreneurs. These observers of entrepreneurs have identified characteristics and attitudes that can distinguish the successful from the rest of the pack.

If you are interested in exploring your own inner entrepreneur, try matching yourself against the traits and attitudes most commonly observed in those that are successful:

An unending dissatisfaction with the status quo. You are not happy with things as they are. You think that you can do something better than it is now being done and that you can build an organization around that notion.

An unwavering belief in the innate capacity of all people to contribute meaningfully to economic and social development.

A driving passion to implement your idea, be it in the form of a new invention, a different approach, a more rigorous application of known technologies or a combination of all three.

A healthy self-confidence. You are willing to be lonely, to make tough decisions and have the buck stop with you.

The discipline to plan and execute the plan. You know where you are going and how you will get there because you have distilled your strategic objectives into action plans with detailed budgets, responsibilities and deadlines. And you monitor and manage your results.

A healthy impatience. You do not wait for things to happen. You are a social change agent who makes things happen.

Concern for detail. You are meticulous by nature or astute enough to find a partner who is. While entrepreneurs may be generalists in some respects, in the areas that are critical to success, they are meticulous.

Sound knowledge of your constituency base, the issues and similar organizations that are focused on these same issues. You do your homework and have researched data sources in order to validate your assumptions. You know who else is working in your field, what they do and their strengths and weaknesses.

Sound knowledge of the financial dynamics of your organization and a true understanding of the importance of cash flow. You understand the financial triggers that signal success or failure.

A healthy understanding of risk. Entrepreneurs are generally thought of as tremendous risk takers. The truth, however, is that entrepreneurs focus very deliberately on reducing risk. As an entrepreneur, you recognize the risks associated with your endeavor and you have taken every possible step to minimize their impact or their potential impact. You have fallback plans and, even when everything is going as planned, you operate a lean and mean organization.

You hire smart. You aren’t intimidated by partners who are better than you. You understand that talent and adrenaline should run deep through your organization; the talent isn’t concentrated at the top.

Passionate work ethic. You understand that starting and building an organization is more than a full time job. Almost everything is stacked against entrepreneurs and you even the odds with, among other things, sustained, superior effort.

Work should be fun. It is tough work, but you cultivate an environment where your team can enjoy the natural highs that come from achieving milestones along the way to realizing your vision.

Fire in your belly. True entrepreneurs have such a strong achievement orientation that winning the battle becomes a compulsive need.

For more information on the attitudes and traits of successful entrepreneurs, see:

Fred Beste Article: The 12 (Almost) Sure Fire Steps to Entrepreneurial Success

Stanford Graduate School of Business: You Gotta Have an Attitude

Schwab Foundation: What is a Social Entrepreneur?

Fast Company: Social Capitalist Awards

http://coolmel.gaia.com — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 23:13:57 GMT

(via www.fastcompany.com)

The amazing organizations that received the Fast Company/Monitor Group Social Capitalist Awards have found a better way to do good: They're using the disciplines of the corporate world to tackle daunting social problems. In our fourth exclusive ranking, we used a similarly hard-nosed approach to find the 43 best social entrepreneurs.

Read more...

Youth Social Enterprise Initiative

http://coolmel.gaia.com — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 16:07:34 GMT

(via www.ysei.org)

Click here to enlarge the image

Youth Social Enterprise Initiative (YSEI) is a high-engagement social venture program for emerging young social entrepreneurs in developing countries.

Through the Emergence Fellowship , YSEI aims to invest in young visionaries who have big ideas and who need crucial startup support to turn their ideas into action. The start-up support includes:

• Startup financing up to USD15,000

• Essential development knowledge & tools on social entrepreneurship

• Technical consulting through mentorship

• Access to diverse networks

Learn more...

20 Ideas That Changed the Way the World Does Business

http://coolmel.gaia.com — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 10:14:49 GMT

(via SVN's Blog)

Over the past 20 years, the members of the Social Venture Network have led a sea change. As leaders and innovators in social enterprise, they have turned their values into action and, in the process, changed the way the world does business. In some cases, SVN has played a pivotal role in helping the ideas come to life, from forging connections to providing a supportive community.

While the following ideas represent revolutionary thinking and accomplishment, we recognize that new organizations and individuals are creating positive change every day. SVN is following the progress of this next generation of visionaries and launching a new contest: Imagine What’s Next: Ideas That Will Change the Way the World Does Business.

We hope this list — and the individuals behind the ideas — inspires you to keep innovating while putting your values and spirit at the center of all you do. Here’s to the next 20 years of change and growth.

See the list of 20 Ideas

Social Venture Network

http://coolmel.gaia.com — Sat, 26 May 2007 17:49:38 GMT

via http://www.svn.org/

Social Venture Network is unlike other business associations. SVN is made up of more than 420 of the brightest and most innovative engaging socially-conscious business leaders in North America. And SVN members typically join our network with something to give — rather than simply something to get.

For the overwhelming majority of our members, SVN has proven to be a source of new friends, business contacts, personal insights, critical information, and new opportunities. Most importantly, SVN is uniquely positioned at this time to make a positive impact in the world and in your role as a leader.

Founded in 1987, SVN is a community of leaders — company founders, private investors, social entrepreneurs and key influencers — who share a commitment to building a just and sustainable world through business. The relationships and initiatives born within our network have ranged from lasting friendships to investment deals to founding organizations.

Through our network — its events, programs and technology-individual change — makers are able to deepen relationships and to work together with greater social impact. SVN inspires and supports action at three inter-related levels: individual, organizational and societal.

Individual — SVN cultivates personal development by encouraging the expression of values through work and moving beyond leadership as traditional heroism or domination.
Organizational — SVN fosters business partnerships that forge new models for social-purpose enterprise, particularly those that generate profitable opportunities in disenfranchised communities.
Societal — SVN encourages public service and social action by leveraging the voices of business leaders to bring about positive social change.

SVN's semi-annual gatherings — each spring on the East Coast and fall in the West — are extraordinary events that regularly attract many of the most insightful and inspiring speakers on the planet. I hope to see you at one of our Social Venture Institutes or Fall Conferences.

Sincerely,

Deborah Nelson
Executive Director

Earth Island Institute

Fri, 18 May 2007 11:16:45 GMT

"fosters the efforts of creative individuals by providing organizational support in developing projects for the conservation, preservation, and restoration of the global environment. EII provides activists the freedom to develop program ideas, supported by services to help them pursue those ideas, with a minimum of bureaucracy."
http://www.earthisland.org/

San Francisco Chronicle: Responsibility is in their sites

http://coolmel.gaia.com — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 20:56:54 GMT

Check out this San Francisco Chronicle article. dotherightthing.com and Zaadz are in the news :)

Responsibility is in their sites

Web entrepreneurs have an eye on social need -- not personal greed

Jessica Guynn, Chronicle Staff Writer

Sunday, April 15, 2007

Ryan Mickle's life was the stuff young bourgeois dreams are made of. He had a lucrative career as a management consultant, drove a flashy car and lived a few blocks from the beach in an exclusive neighborhood on the Newport Beach (Orange County) peninsula.

Then a year ago he bought a lottery ticket. While jotting down all of the things he would do with the winnings, from spending more time with family and friends to making a real difference in the world, Mickle began to take stock of his life. He was earning a lot of money but was giving very little of himself. And he was the one who was poorer for it.

"I won the lottery that day by realizing that I had everything I needed to start living that life, right then and there," Mickle said.

So Mickle ditched his high-paying job to brainstorm a new venture with friend Rod Ebrahimi. On a napkin they scribbled their goals: Build an online community that changes the world; make a socially responsible business more profitable; and have fun while doing the right thing.

The result was Dotherightthing.com, a San Francisco startup that allows users to rank companies based on their social impact on the world.

Mickle, 26, and Ebrahimi, 25, are among a growing number of entrepreneurs betting they can build ventures that deliver both financial and social returns. Ebrahimi calls it the double bottom line. "We see more and more people and companies focus on doing good socially while still doing well economically," he said.

Read more...

The Simple Living Network

Wed, 11 Apr 2007 01:31:52 GMT

“an online service containing thousands of pages of information about publications and tools for those wanting to learn how to live a more conscious, simple, healthy and restorative lifestyle.”
http://www.simpleliving.net/

The Union of International Associations

Mon, 09 Apr 2007 21:38:06 GMT

presents analyses and creative ideas from thousands of intergovernmental and tens of thousands of nongovernmental organizations in its hyperlinked online databases. Particularly relevant to the world problematique are their free “world problems/issues” and “strategies/actions” databases:
http://www.uia.org/services/databases.php

Alliance for a Caring Economy

Sat, 07 Apr 2007 17:59:45 GMT

"The mission of the Alliance for a Caring Economy is to change the rules by which our economic systems operate, so we value caring and caretaking; recognize and reward the individuals and organizations which provide caring; and promote a shift from uncaring to caring throughout society."
http://www.partnershipway.org/html/acepage.htm

The Alliance for Democracy

Fri, 06 Apr 2007 21:16:59 GMT

"is a new Populist movement - not a political party - setting forth to end the domination of our economy, our government, our culture, our media and the environment by large corporations. We aim to promote true democracy in our country and help achieve a just society with a sustainable, equitable economy. We work together with other organizations, both here and abroad, who share these goals."
http://www.thealliancefordemocracy.org/

Kiva is Stunningly Cool

http://coolmel.gaia.com — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 20:14:48 GMT

Brian is all over Kiva. Check out his blog post.

Kiva is Stunningly Cool

So I finally made my first loans over at Kiva.

Absolutely amazing.

I'm a huge fan of what Nobel Peace Prize-winning Muhammed Yunus is doing with Grameen Bank. His revolutionary micro-lending programs in Bangladesh are stunning in their simplicity and effectiveness.

There's no doubt that empowering entrepreneurship throughout the world is one of the critical factors in reducing poverty. There's obviously a lot that goes into making that happen: ranging from the power of economic freedom to the capital to get businesses going.

Enter Kiva.

Think Grameen on Web 2.0 steroids.

Deep bow to the brilliant and compassionate minds behind the project.

-bri

Media Foundation

Thu, 05 Apr 2007 01:26:51 GMT

"a global network of artists, writers, students, educators, and entrepreneurs who want to launch the new social activist movement of the information age. Our goal is to galvanize resistance to those who would destroy the environment, pollute our minds and diminish our lives. To this end, the Media Foundation publishes Adbusters magazine; operates this website; and offers its creative services through PowerShift, our advocacy advertising agency."
http://www.adbusters.org/

dotherightthing: people changing business

http://coolmel.gaia.com — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 18:25:38 GMT

(via dotherightthing.com)

What is dotherightthing?

dotherightthing is a place online where you can get unfiltered information about the impacts of companies on people and the world and make it worth their while to "do the right thing."

Consumers can learn about which companies will spend their hard-earned dollars in ways that make the world better
Investors can learn about which companies focus on doing the right thing today so that they'll be, or continue to be leaders in their markets tomorrow
Employees can learn about which companies share their passion for wanting to create more than just financial returns, and truly care about their well-being

On dotherightthing, the community rules. You determine:

Which companies get the focus
What is relevant
Which companies are recognized for doing the right thing

dotherightthing Inc. was founded in 2006, by Ryan Mickle and Rod Ebrahimi, to recognize companies for all the little things (and big things) that add up to make a positive impact on our lives. It is an impact-maximizing, for-profit company, aiming to provide valuable services, without compromising its core mission to help drive more sales, talented employees, and investments in companies that do the right thing. While we could have founded a non-profit to host dotherightthing.com, we strongly believe that companies don’t need to become non-profits to do the right thing.

Show me how to do the right thing!

Context Institute

Tue, 03 Apr 2007 20:57:31 GMT

"Since 1979...exploring and clarifying just what is involved in a humane sustainable culture - and how we can get there." Publisher of In Context an online journal dealing with humane sustainable culture. Back issues available on line.
http://www.context.org/

The Earth Charter Initiative

Tue, 03 Apr 2007 00:25:27 GMT

"For over a decade diverse groups throughout the world have endeavored to create an Earth Charter that sets forth fundamental ethical principles for a sustainable way of life. Hundreds of groups and thousands of individuals have been involved in the process." Charter drafts in many languages and and current information about the Charter is available at:
http://www.earthcharter.org/

Sustainable Economics Links

Fri, 30 Mar 2007 23:55:56 GMT

(Cultural Creatives list)
http://www.culturalcreatives.org/economics.html

Institute for Policy Studies

Fri, 30 Mar 2007 03:33:33 GMT

"The purpose of this website is to provide resources for local elected officials (LEOs), scholars, and activists on economic and environmental policies to help make their communities more self-reliant and sustainable."
http://www.ips-dc.org/

Social Venture Network

Thu, 29 Mar 2007 04:06:03 GMT

"has advanced the movement for social responsibility in business and played a role in creating a more just, humane and sustainable society."
http://www.svn.org/