Gaia: Starship Social Enterprise

Hello

http://discoverfarther-w-humanity.gaia.com — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 16:45:22 GMT

Hi, I just came by and say hello and wanting to say to visit my blog and drop me a comment if you do have one or two if you have a chance. Or if you have a social cause or something you are active in, why not talk about it or something. thanx.

Creative Capitalism: Transcript and video of Bill Gates at Davos

http://coolmel.gaia.com — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 09:53:13 GMT

Below is a transcript and video of Bill Gates' speech at Davos wherein he called for Creative Capitalism.

Bill Gates: World Economic Forum 2008

Remarks by Bill Gates, Chairman, Microsoft Corporation
World Economic Forum 2008
“A New Approach to Capitalism in the 21st Century”
Davos, Switzerland
Jan. 24, 2008

see: http://www.microsoft.com/Presspass/exec/billg/speeches/2008/01-24WEFDavos.mspx

Here's the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ql-Mtlx31e8

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.

WIRED: Feeling Lucky

http://coolmel.gaia.com — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 22:10:45 GMT

via http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/14.07/brilliant.html

If Larry Brilliant’s life were a film, critics would pan the plot as implausible. Trained as a physician, he was studying in an Indian monastery in 1973 when a guru told him to join the UN smallpox vaccination effort. Brilliant helped eradicate the disease from India and eventually the planet. He returned to the US and founded a charity organization, Seva, that has saved millions of people in developing countries from blindness; cofounded the online community the Well; and served as CEO for four tech companies. Oh, and he also found time to march with Martin Luther King Jr. and moonlight as a physician for Jerry Garcia. Last October, Brilliant received a $100,000 TED Prize to further his idea for building a global early-warning system for disease and disaster. Four months later Google hired him to head its charitable arm, Google.org, with an initial bankroll of 3 million shares – worth about $1.15 billion – and 1 percent of annual profits. Brilliant recently suspended a self-imposed “quiet period” to talk about his plans for Google.org.

Read more...

Seed Funding for Social Entrepreneurs

http://coolmel.gaia.com — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 16:20:09 GMT

VISIONARIES WANTED!

Do you have an incredible, new idea that could change your community, country, or world?

Are you an entrepreneur who won't rest until your idea has been brought to life? Or a leader who has recently started an organization to do just that?

If so, apply for an Echoing Green Fellowship. You could receive up to $90,000 in seed funding and support to launch a new organization that turns your innovative idea for social change into action.

Follow in the footsteps of the founders of Teach For America, City Year, and over 400 other social change organizations and apply online by December 3, 2007.

Watch the video: http://www.echoinggreen.org/video

Find out whether you qualify: http://www.echoinggreen.org/shouldyouapply

Apply online: https://apply.echoinggreen.org

Questions? Contact us at apply@echoinggreen.org.

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?

CNN Heroes

http://coolmel.gaia.com — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 19:47:48 GMT

via: http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2007/cnn.heroes/

CNN Heroes is featuring ordinary people making an extraordinary difference in the lives of others. Do you know someone who deserves to be honored as a CNN Hero? Click on the link below, pick a category and tell us about yourself, your Hero and why the world should know about them. Nominations close September 30.

CNN Heroes culminates in a live global broadcast December 6 hosted by CNN's Anderson Cooper. This event honors the most outstanding viewer-nominated CNN Heroes as chosen by a blue-ribbon panel of world leaders and luminaries.

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...

Are You Thinking of Getting an MBA? Think Personal MBA!

http://coolmel.gaia.com — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 20:48:20 GMT

Just wanted to share this awesome reading list for all of those who are interested in pursuing a continuing study in business. Enjoy and let's all use the business knowledge for good :)

”The Personal MBA (PMBA) is a project designed to help you educate yourself about advanced business concepts. This manifesto will show you how to substantially increase your knowledge of business on your own time and with little cost, all without setting foot inside a classroom.

“The PMBA is more flexible than a traditional MBA program, doesn’t involve going into massive debt, and won’t interrupt your income stream for two years. Just set aside some dedicated reading time, pick up one of these books, learn as much as you can, discuss what you learn with others, and go out into the real world and make great things happen.

“If you’re interested in educating yourself about business, the Personal MBA is the best place to start.”

Read more..

Thanks to Seth Godin for the heads up.

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...

SVN: Will Your Idea Change the Way the World Does Business?

http://coolmel.gaia.com — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 09:07:27 GMT

hi all!

i just want to give Social Venture Network (SVN) a shout out. check this out and pass it along your network! thanks!

SVN Innovation Awards
Will Your Idea Change the Way the World Does Business?

For twenty years, SVN members have transformed the way the world does business. From the organic revolution to fair trade to socially responsible investing and so much more, our members pioneered a movement to use business to create a more just and sustainable world.

It's a great moment. But we believe that we're only beginning to make the world a better place through business.

As SVN looks to the future, we're committed to inspiring and supporting the next generation of innovative, socially responsible business and nonprofit entrepreneurs. That's why we have created the Social Venture Network Innovation Awards. Award recipients will be selected through a new contest: “Imagine What's Next: Ideas that Will Change the Way the World Does Business.” Our goal is to empower the leaders of emerging enterprises to benefit from SVN's network and resources, connect with our highly accomplished members, and elevate their impact at work and throughout the world.

Download application →
(Word doc)

Contest rules →

SVN Innovation Awards
The SVN Innovation Award recipients will each receive:

SVN Membership: A one-year complimentary membership to SVN
2007 Fall Conference: Complimentary registration and special recognition at SVN's 2007 Fall Conference at the Estancia La Jolla in San Diego, CA
Mentorship: Advice and assistance from an accomplished SVN member/mentor
Promotion: Prominent recognition on SVN's website for one year
Press: Prominent recognition by our partners in late 2007

Eligibility

Applicants must currently hold positions as leaders (CEOs, executive directors, founders, or equivalent) of a business or nonprofit based in the United States or Canada (excluding Quebec)
The new idea being entered into the contest should have been implemented (or started being implemented) less than five years ago
The idea must have the potential for creating a positive social impact on the business sector.

Contest application →

Contest official rules →

Read more…

Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders Seminar Videos

http://coolmel.gaia.com — Sun, 17 Jun 2007 11:19:06 GMT

via Educators Corner @ Stanford

Video clips of recent speakers from the Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders Seminar.
	Economics of Free: A New Business Model Janice Roberts, Mayfield Fund 4 min. 34 sec. The latest business model for web-based companies is to provide services to the consumers for free. Roberts talks about the operations of such a model, in which advertising is the only source of revenue. She elaborates on how companies are learning to value the concept of 'nothing'.
	3 Key Lessons for an Entrepreneurial Internet Company Reid Hoffman, LinkedIn 3 min. 26 sec. Hoffman describes 3 key lessons he learned at his first company, SocialNet. 1) Financing strategy should reflect one's financial capabilities. 2) Focusing on distribution is important. 3) Understanding that the entrepreneurial skill set is different from what is required to work for an established big company.
	Releasing Control in a Startup Mark Jung, IGN 2 min. 4 sec. Jung talks about one of the biggest challenges in the growth phase of a startup. Releasing and disseminating control is very essential for scaling companies. He explains this fact in detail and illustrates its importance from his personal experience.

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/

Re: EntrepreneurshipWeek USA at Stanford

http://coolmel.gaia.com — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 16:22:21 GMT

via: http://www.entrepreneurshipweekusa.com/activities/the-pitch.asp
THE PITCH Contest Winner After tallying the results from our panel of judges and collecting the data from the online poll, we are ready to announce the winner of THE PITCH Contest. The winner for the Grand Prize and the Peer Prize is the same! And the winner is: Fusion: Unlimited Possibilities by Rick Rainy Iowa State University

Re: EntrepreneurshipWeek USA at Stanford

http://whaletailschips.gaia.com — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 02:51:31 GMT

Update on Stanford Entrepreneurship Program.
Thursday night, on the grounds of Stanford University, a “gathering” of Global Entrepreneurs assembled to address students enrolled in Professor Thomas Kosnik's Management Science and Engineering course on GEM (Global Entrepreneurial Marketing). “Sponsors” as Thomas Kosnik described these entrepreneurs “are invited to meet students and give a two minute pitch about their company.” Tom Kosnik is a Consulting Professor who teaches Global Entrepreneurial Marketing at Stanford School of Engineering. Professor Kosnik has worked with over 100 startup companies since 1975, and has consulted to leading Information Technology product and services companies including American Management Systems, Apple Computer, Applied Materials, Ernst & Young, Hewlett Packard, Microsoft, and Oracle.
The companies attending Thursday night were as diverse as the student body at Stanford. In attendance were representatives of such recognizable companies as Google and Mozilla to lesser known entrepreneurs like Genepharm Inc, marketing a new line of skin care products, and Whale Tails Tortilla Chips, an environmental entrepreneurship, that just might help save the whales one bag at a time.
Each of the CEOs or Co Founders of the companies were limited, by Professor Kosnik, to a two minute “pitch” to try and enlist his students as active participants in helping with the development for their companies. These areas of development are called “projects” and the students are allowed to select which company's project is of interest to them. Immediately following the two minute “pitch” was a “breakout session”where the students were allowed to ask questions and present resumes to representatives of the companies. Christopher Beard , representing Mozilla, drew the biggest crowd during this break out session with students. Twelve companies attended. In addition to, Mozilla, Genepharm, Whale Tails Tortilla Chips, representatives from Beyondcore, Gumball Capital, Roundtable Group, Standford Energy Crossroads, Experience Project, Toloop, ThreeAll, Big Tent, and Open Floodgate all participated. Once students select the company and it's project, the company is given the chance to review the student's resume and then agree to work together over the semester
“Participation in these projects will help the students will learn the marketing skills needed to market new products to new customers, using new technology.” said Jaleh Rezaei , GEM teaching Assistant. And these companies also benefit. Take for example the start up company in attendance, Whale Tails Tortilla Chips. This company was founded no more than a year ago is already on the shelves of Whole Foods Markets and is looking for expansion funding and increased market share. One of the co founders, Ric Kraszewski, described his unique salty snack as the “corn chip with a conscience” . Ric said “ I was excited to be invited to tonight's event because of the growth our company is experiencing. Our goal is to provide sustainable funding for ocean conservation through the sale of our organic tortilla chip and the global market is where we need to be to accomplish that goal. I am very impressed with the students I spoke to tonight” Kelly Thong of Genepharm pitched her unique line of what she calls “cosmoceuticals” a blend of skin care that is much more than a cosmetic and almost a pharmaceutical in the benefits it creates for the user. Ms Thong spoke with students regarding her expansion to the Asian markets and here at home.
After observing the enthusiastic exchanges between students and companies at Thursday's event I will definitely be using "Mozilla" to "Google" "Whale Tails Tortilla Chips" and find out happens next to this new group of entrepreneurs..

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