Social Innovation Conversations

Andy Goodman - Storytelling for Good Causes

Mon, 5 Feb 2007 00:00:00 CST

When nonprofits set out to look for funding they usually start with a PowerPoint presentation and hard-to-articulate data about the issue they are trying to address. In this audio lecture, Andy Goodman argues that all they have to do is tell a story. Goodman addresses social innovators over the age of 60. His ambition is nothing less than to inspire the generation of baby boomers to contribute their experience to a better world.

Yvon Chouinard - Corporate Social Responsibility and Profits

Sun, 11 Mar 2007 00:00:00 CST

Patagonia has found corporate social responsibility to be a profitable strategy. In this audio lecture, Yvon Chouinard, founder, offers a slew of counterintuitive business tips on how to save the environment while making money. This self-proclaimed "reluctant business man" reveals himself to be a business visionary.

Amory Lovins - Energy Efficiency and Implementation

Sat, 3 Nov 2007 00:00:00 CDT

Throughout the Energy Efficiency series, Amory Lovins, has diligently presented countless statistics and case studies to support the need for, and demonstrate the benefits of, improved energy services. In this audio lecture, he now identifies a significant number of formidable barriers to energy efficiency, and prescribes a variety of ways to overcome these barriers, including sexy marketing campaigns and a direct appeal to the bottom line.

Jennifer Aaker - The Dragonfly Effect and Social Enterprise

Mon, 28 Jun 2010 00:00:00 CDT

How can you leverage the power of design thinking and psychological research with practical tools and strategies to get your social enterprise off the ground? In this university podcast, sponsored by the Stanford Center for Social Innovation, Stanford Graduate School of Business marketing professor Jennifer Aaker introduces the "dragonfly effect" model to illustrate how technology can be used to support business and social missions.

Sarah Milstein - Using Twitter for Social Change

Wed, 23 Jun 2010 00:00:00 CDT

Twitter may be based in San Francisco, but it's used by folks in nearly every country in the world. In this university podcast, sponsored by the Stanford Center for Social Innovation, author Sarah Milstein shows you the ins and outs of how to use this real-time information network for your personal or business advantage. She offers tips on searching, posting, and making an impact on the world with your ideas.

Jessica Jackley - International Development Through Microfinance

Wed, 16 Jun 2010 00:00:00 CDT

Jessica Jackley is cofounder of Kiva.org, the nonprofit microfinancing website that allows people to promote international development and break the cycle of poverty by lending as little as $25 to a specific third-world entrepreneur. In this audio lecture, sponsored by the Stanford Center for Social Innovation, Jackley talks about how she is revolutionizing philanthropy and inspiring a new generation of philanthropists through technology.

Mindy S. Lubber - Collaborating for Environmental Sustainability

Tue, 8 Jun 2010 00:00:00 CDT

Making environmental sustainability stick is requiring the cooperation of the for-profit and nonprofit sectors. In this audio interview, Stanford Center for Social Innovation correspondent Ashkon Jafari interviews Ceres president Mindy Lubber about how her organization brings together investors, government, human rights groups, and others to build a cross-sector voice for sustainability.

Beth Kanter - Using Social Media for Nonprofit Management

Thu, 3 Jun 2010 00:00:00 CDT

It wasn't long ago that people looked askance at blogs and Facebook, wondering: What's the point? Now such social media tools are being used in nonprofit management and beyond to help social causes. In this brief audio interview, nonprofit consultant Beth Kanter talks about how such tools can be used effectively to create social change.

Erickson, Levine, Kim, Deiglmeier - Structures for Social Enterprise

Mon, 24 May 2010 00:00:00 CDT

Social problems are being addressed not only through the traditional nonprofit sector but also with emerging social enterprise structures such as for-profits that focus on the triple bottom line and hybrid models that blend market and nonmarket approaches. Kriss Deiglmeier, executive director of the Center for Social Innovation, moderates a panel of social enterprise leaders who discuss the unique aspects of their respective organization's legal structure, and share perspectives in establishing and maintaining enterprises dedicated to advancing social impact.

Claire A. Williams, Lara Vogel - Using Social Enterprise to Outpace Poverty

Wed, 19 May 2010 00:00:00 CDT

Hope Runs is a nonprofit social enterprise working in Kenya and Tanzania that uses athletics, education, and social entrepreneurship to empower AIDS orphans. In this audio interview, founders Claire Williams and Lara Vogel talk about how they have turned their idea of using marathon running to "outpace poverty" into a vital organization that partners with AIDS orphanages to have a real influence in children's lives. They discuss their model, how they use volunteers, and advice for social entrepreneurs.

Beth Kanter - Activating Philanthropy Through Social Media

Mon, 17 May 2010 00:00:00 CDT

How can nonprofits leverage social media technology such as Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, and blogs to support philanthropy? In this audio lecture, nonprofit consultant Beth Kanter talks about how she has done just that, thereby raising thousands of dollars to help children in Cambodian orphanages get to school. Learn how to get people involved in your cause, donate, volunteer, and solicit friends -- all with a few keystrokes.

Garth Saloner - Financial Crisis and a Changing Business World

Fri, 14 May 2010 00:00:00 CDT

The financial crisis has led to finger pointing at business schools, which have spawned MBAs who have become the leaders of various prominent financial and government institutions involved in the crisis. In this audio interview, Stanford MBA student Alex Maasry talks with Garth Saloner, dean of the Stanford Graduate School of Business, about the impact of the crisis on the GSB's curriculum and on business education more broadly.

James D. Wolfensohn - Financial Crisis and a Changing Business World

Fri, 14 May 2010 00:00:00 CDT

The recent financial crisis has highlighted the interconnectedness among economies in today's world. In this audio interview, Stanford MBA student Lisa Scheible talks with James Wolfensohn, former president of World Bank, about how the crisis has changed the way global institutions and firms that are engaged in emerging market economies must operate to promote long-term development and prosperity.

Jeffrey D. Sachs - Financial Crisis and a Changing Business World

Thu, 13 May 2010 00:00:00 CDT

The financial crisis started on Wall Street but continues to have a profound impact around the world. Among those affected are the poorest of the poor. In this audio interview, Stanford MBA student Joy Sun talks with Jeffrey Sachs, director of the Earth Institute and a professor at Columbia University, about how the financial crisis is shaping international relations and countries' paths toward economic development.

Michael Spence - Financial Crisis and a Changing Business World

Wed, 12 May 2010 00:00:00 CDT

How have some developing countries managed to overcome poverty? What kinds of economic and political decisions have led to their success? In this audio lecture Michael Spence, Nobel Memorial Prize Winner in Economic Sciences, discusses what the Commission on Growth and Development has learned about the characteristics of nations that have been able to advance economically despite the recent global financial crisis.