Social Innovation Conversations

William Drayton - The Importance of Being a Changemaker

Sun, 11 May 2008 00:00:00 CDT

If you're living on this planet you probably sense that the world is in a time of tremendous change. Ashoka founder William Drayton calls it "Revolution" in his keynote address on the occasion of receiving the Purpose Prize Entrepreneurial Leadership Award. In this talk, sponsored by the Stanford Center for Social Innovation, Drayton offers inspiring words about the nature of the times we are in, and how becoming a changemaker is critical for seizing opportunities that are emerging in these unprecedented times.

Kim Feinberg - Self Sufficiency Through Education

Mon, 5 May 2008 00:00:00 CDT

AIDS in South Africa has left millions of children without parents or any resources to help themselves. In this episode of Design For Change, host Sheela Sethuraman gets Kim Feinberg to describe how her organization, the Tomorrow Trust, uses education to help these children grow into self sufficient, economically productive, and socially included adults.

Natalie Portman - Eradicating Poverty Through Microfinance

Sun, 4 May 2008 00:00:00 CDT

One of the biggest problems that low-income people around the world face is the lack of access to capital that might otherwise help them rise out of poverty. Actress Natalie Portman turns the spotlight on her work to promote FINCA's International Village Banking Campaign, aiming to bring financial services to one million of the world's lowest-income families through 100,000 Village Banks by 2010. This talk is sponsored by Stanford's Public Management Program and the Center for International Development.

Stephen Friedman, Gene Sperling - America and the Global Economy: A Briefing for the Next President

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 00:00:00 CDT

Stephen Friedman and Gene Sperling, former policy advisers to the Clinton and Bush administrations, discuss some of the challenges that the next president will face in the coming years. Central to this discussion is the role that globalization will play in formulating policies to ensure that the United States remains competitive with the world. Some of these changes will require deft political skill and the mobilization of popular support behind sensitive issues.

Lynne Patterson - Empowering Women in Latin America

Sat, 26 Apr 2008 00:00:00 CDT

One of the best methods proven to alleviate poverty is microlending to women, who have a great track record for using loans wisely to create small business enterprises that sustain their entire families. Lynne Patterson talks at the Center for Social Innovation at Stanford about the creation of Pro Mujer, an international microfinance and women's development network in Latin America. She details the mission, objectives, methods, and progress, illuminating the organization's empowering impact on the lives of its many clients.

Margaret Neale - Myths and Truths About Negotiation

Sun, 20 Apr 2008 00:00:00 CDT

Everything you've ever assumed about the correct way to negotiate is, well, probably wrong. So says negotiation expert Margaret Neale. Neale, a business professor at Stanford, explores many of the beliefs that surround negotiation "best practices" in an attempt to distinguish the reality from wishful (or wrong-headed) thinking. This session will add to your understanding about negotiation, and will give you tools to respond effectively in your next negotiation challenge.

Brij Kothari - Literacy Through Entertainment

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:00:00 CDT

What do you get when you combine a love of Bollywood music videos with widespread illiteracy? Brij Kothari sees an opportunity to make the world a better place. By subtitling popular entertainment, he helps millions learn to read in a fun way. He's also creating multi-platform stories that will be seen on TV, read on mobile phones, and printed in books. In this interview with host Sheela Sethuraman, Kothari describes how he improves lives by incorporating education into everyday entertainment.

Mathias Craig - Bringing Electricity to the Marginalized

Sun, 13 Apr 2008 00:00:00 CDT

In parts of Nicaragua, nearly 80 percent of the population goes without electricity, leaving them cut off from critical opportunities for betterment and development. Kriss Deiglmeier, executive director of the Stanford Center for Social Innovation, interviews Mathias Craig, founder of blueEnergy, a nonprofit dedicated to bringing electricity to marginalized communities in this region of the world. The project won the 2007 Accenture Award for economic development, administered by the Tech Museum.

Chip Heath - Missions That Really Inspire

Sun, 6 Apr 2008 00:00:00 CDT

Your organization has an important mission. But could a potential funder or volunteer tell that by looking at your website or your annual report? And could one of your employees make the right decision in a tough situation by reading it? In this talk, part of the 2nd Annual Nonprofit Management Institute at Stanford in September 2007, Chip Heath, Stanford business professor, discusses how you can craft a mission statement that inspires people and helps them make important decisions, thereby offering powerful tools to lead your organization.

Kyle Zimmer - Fearlessly Helping the World to Read

Sat, 5 Apr 2008 00:00:00 CDT

Kyle Zimmer is the cofounder of First Book, a not-for-profit organization that matches books with low income students on an increasing scale. Taking lessons from business, she shares with host Sheela Sethuraman the evolution of her startup from just an idea in 1992, to an organization with hundreds of employees and a warehouse filled with millions of books. Zimmer discusses how applications borrowed from best business practices have led to providing a scalable model of entrepreneurship.

Michael Sandel, William Haseltine - Ethics in the Age of Genetic Engineering

Tue, 1 Apr 2008 00:00:00 CDT

Scientific advances have opened previously unimaginable possibilities in the realm of human reproduction. Determining the sex of an early stage embryo, or shifting the pre-conception arrangement of chromosomes in favor of certain outcomes further opens the door to sex selection. By various means, it is becoming feasible to genetically engineer a child with specific qualities. Harvard Professor Michael J. Sandel, and William Haseltine, CEO of Human Genome Sciences, debate the moral and ethical implications of such actions.

Susan Colby - The Bridgespan Approach to Nonprofit Strategy

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 00:00:00 CDT

Taking the example of one of her clients, the Harlem Children's Zone, Susan Colby, partner and head of Bridgespan's San Francisco office, shares the Bridgespan approach to nonprofit strategy. She walks us through a rather challenging process to tactfully implement radical organizational changes. She speaks before a group of high-level nonprofit executives convened at Stanford by the Center for Social Innovation's publication, the Stanford Social Innovation Review.

Robert Sutton - Building a Civilized Workplace

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 00:00:00 CDT

How do you spot an asshole in the workplace--or figure out whether you might be one? At the 2nd Annual Nonprofit Management Institute at Stanford in September 2007, Robert Sutton, author of the best-selling book, The No Asshole Rule: Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One That Isn't, provides a sure-fire test and offers tips for keeping your "inner jerk" from rearing its ugly head on the job. Drawing on serious research and analysis, Sutton shows how managers can eliminate mean-spirited and unproductive behavior.

Sakena Yacoobi - Creating Hope for Afghan Women

Sat, 22 Mar 2008 00:00:00 CDT

During turbulence and social upheaval most people retreat into themselves and focus on only one task -- survival. Fortunately for the women and children of Afghanistan, Sakena Yacoobi is not one of those people. Escaping the oppressive regime of the Taliban, many Afghanis found themselves as refugees in Pakistan but with only $20,000, Yacoobi formed what is now the Afghan Institute of Learning (AIL). In this interview with host Sheela Sethuraman, she explains her vision for AIL as well as her incredible journey and experiences along the way.

Majora Carter - Sustainability and Environmental Justice

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 00:00:00 CDT

Join Majora Carter as she speaks about sustainability and environmental justice at the annual Michael Kalil Lecture on Natural and Technological Systems in this best of Fora presentation. Tracing the development of the South Bronx Greenway, Carter discusses community involvement within a neglected area that generates jobs, strengthens people's community spirit, and creates sustainable industries to meet the future ecological vision for New York City.

Joshua Silver - Bringing Vision to the Masses

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 00:00:00 CDT

In the United States, at least 60 percent of the population wears corrective lenses. Worldwide, in contrast, only 5 percent of the population does. Such statistics have led Josh Silver, Oxford atomic physicist, to conclude that more than half the world needs vision correction but doesn't have access to it. Silver shares how he decided to "do something useful for the world" by creating specialized, liquid-filled corrective lenses that are now worn by some 26,000 people in developing countries.