Inside Social Innovation

Latest Episodes:

Tackling Energy Poverty With Pay-As-You-Go Solar Mar 10, 2014

Show notes

Retail prices of energy and lighting products in emerging markets are simply too high for end users, argues Lesley Marincola. As a result, large populations throughout the world live off the grid and have to rely on kerosene fuel and other less efficient light sources. To help combat this widespread energy poverty problem, Angaza has developed a pay-as-you-go financing platform for its solar products, as opposed to a large up-front retail price. In this podcast, Marincola also offers insights on her design and implementation of Angaza products, specifically focusing on user needs in these developing markets.

Lesley Marincola, CEO and founder of Angaza Design, is a product designer (B.S.) and mechanical engineer (M.S.) from Stanford University. Prior to founding Angaza, Lesley worked with the Amazon Design team at Lab126 on the first three iterations of the Kindle, and at D2M Inc., a Bay Area design consultancy. She was recognized by Businessweek as one of "America's Best Young Entrepreneurs," is a World Economic Forum Young Global Shaper, was named a Forbes "30 Under 30" Entrepreneur, and is a 2013 Echoing Green Fellow. Marincola's vision is to solve the world's most widespread problems–like energy access–with market-driven technology innovation developed from a human-centered design approach.

https://ssir.org/podcasts/entry/tackling_energy_poverty_with_pay_as_you_go_solar

Breaking the Glass Ceiling in Africa Mar 07, 2014

Show notes

Towera Jalakasi is an entrepreneur in every sense of the word. She has made the jump from being a consultant advising entrepreneurs to transforming sectors with enterprises of her own. She has helped small producer communities in her native Malawi access fair prices for their products and materials by creating links between them and outside markets. Even with all her success she still faces an uphill battle as a female entrepreneur in Africa, where the glass ceiling has yet to give way. In a business environment where women are constantly questioned on their ability to lead and have difficulty accessing traditional funding sources, Towera is a beacon of hope and a confident leader articulating a vision of success. Join Ned as he speaks with Towera Jalakasi, a successful and innovative entrepreneur as we talk about the struggles and rewards of entrepreneurship in a developing economy.

Edward D. (Ned) Breslin is the CEO of Water For People, widely considered a force for positive change by challenging status quo approaches to water and sanitation, philanthropy and aid transparency and offering concrete alternatives, and received the Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship in 2011.

Towera Jalakasi is a business consultant, entrepreneur and fair-trade expert who works with small producer communities in Malawi helping them to access fair prices for their materials, and creating links between them and outside consumer markets.

https://ssir.org/podcasts/entry/breaking_the_glass_ceiling_in_africa

Turning Poison into Economic Opportunity Feb 28, 2014

Show notes

According to World Health Organization (WHO), more than 200 million resource-poor people are threatened with arsenic poisoning by drinking contaminated groundwater in South and Southeast Asia, and other regions of the world. In this university podcast, host Sheila Sethuraman speaks with Arup SenGupta, professor of civil, environmental, and chemical engineering at Lehigh University, about his project to eliminate arsenic from groundwater without using electricity or chemicals. SenGupta describes the successes and challenges of this project, which has created economic opportunity in the developing world and has helped more than 200,000 people benefit from cleaner water.

Arup SenGupta is the P.C. Rossin Professor of civil and environmental engineering and also of chemical engineering at Lehigh University. His award-winning research has expanded the field of ion exchange science and technology in solving critical environmental problems, and has led to the development of new classes of hybrid ion exchangers that have been incorporated into water and wastewater treatment processes globally. SenGupta teaches courses in environmental chemistry, reaction kinetics in environmental engineering, and environmental separation and control.

https://ssir.org/podcasts/entry/turning_poison_into_economic_opportunity

Using Science and Social Enterprise to Improve Rice Crop Yield in India and Bangladesh Feb 26, 2014

Show notes

Through very innovative work in the area of agriculture, scientists have worked through social enterprise in improving and securing crop yield, especially rice, which has enabled farmers in India and Bangladesh to feed their families and earn a profit from their surplus. In this audio interview with Stanford Center for Social Innovation correspondent Sheela Sethuraman, Pamela Ronald, of the University of California, Davis, talks about how her laboratory, in collaboration with other scientists, developed a variety of rice with sufficient submergence tolerance to survive severe flooding. Ronald also offers insights on the relationship between genetic engineering and organic farming, enhancing an ecologically based system of farming, and on international development, in this Social Innovation Conversations, Stanford University podcast.

Pamela Ronald is Professor, Department of Plant Pathology and the Genome Center at the University of California, Davis. She also serves as Director of Grass Genetics at the Joint Bioenergy Institute. Ronald's laboratory has engineered rice for resistance to disease and tolerance to flooding, which seriously threaten rice crops in Asia and Africa. Ronald led the isolation of the rice XA21 immune receptor and the rice Sub1A submergence tolerance transcription factor. In 1996, she established the Genetic Resources Recognition fund, a mechanism to recognize intellectual property contributions from less developed countries.

https://ssir.org/podcasts/entry/using_science_and_social_enterprise_to_improve_rice_crop_yield_in_india_and

Cameron Conaway: Knowing When to "Tap Out" of the Fight Feb 10, 2014

Show notes

What insights does a former Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter, now poet, activist and thought leader, have to teach social entrepreneurs? As it turns out, a lot more than you might imagine.

MMA fighters understand what failure is–not the "I failed… now let me put my badge on" rhetoric that has become an essential, but increasingly superficial, part of any budding entrepreneur's story.

MMA fighters understand failure, and the pain that accompanies it. They get knocked down. They get knocked out. And they have to truly examine the lessons of defeat in order to perfect their strategy for success. This warrior mindset forces growth, adaptation and new creative expression. MMA fighters also know the wisdom of when to "tap out" and the necessity of dramatic pivots in some cases to achieve new areas of personal and professional development. Cameron Conaway's journey offers fascinating lessons that show how unusual story arcs provide insightful truths for social entrepreneurs everywhere.

Edward D. (Ned) Breslin is CEO of Water For People, widely considered a force for positive change by challenging status quo approaches to water and sanitation, philanthropy and aid transparency and offering concrete alternatives, and received the Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship in 2011.

Cameron Conaway, Executive Editor at The Good Men Project, is an NSCA-Certified Personal Trainer, a former MMA fighter and an award-winning poet. His international investigations into poverty, child labor and human trafficking can be found in publications such as The Guardian, The Huffington Post and the Women News Network. Conaway is a recipient of the Wellcome Trust Arts Award and currently teaches the capstone Shakespeare Seminar for Ottawa University.

https://ssir.org/podcasts/entry/cameron_conaway_knowing_when_to_tap_out_of_the_fight

Quality and Innovation as the Basis for Sustainability Feb 06, 2014

Show notes

TCHO, a chocolate factory in San Francisco, has encouraged social entrepreneurship in developing countries through its innovative supply chain practices. In this short audio lecture, John Kehoe, VP of Sourcing and Development at TCHO, discusses the company's complex supply chain. His story starts with growers in Ghana, Ecuador, Peru, and Madagascar, and moves to to their factory and store in San Francisco. The company has developed TCHOSource, a unique partnership program that connects the TCHO to its sourcing cooperatives around the world through technology. The use of technology throughout the supply chain helps increase the quality, productivity, and sustainability of the chocolate production. Technology use, starting from the co-op level, allows TCHO to help improve the livelihood and craft of its growers. TCHO is promoting social entrepreneurship from the ground up.

John Kehoe began his career in international trade in Caracas, Venezuela, in 1987 with a local trading operation. After establishing a $10MM annual cotton trade, he co-founded and operated a leading cocoa exporting business, managing thirty percent of the country's exports of premium cacao with clients in the United States, Japan, and Europe. In 1999, ED&F Man Cocoa hired Kehoe to restructure a cocoa exporting operation in the Dominican Republic. In 2002, he returned to the United States, and founded "EcoTrade," a specialty cocoa brokerage and consultancy based in Miami. Joining TCHO in March of 2008, he has helped build TCHOSource through a $3.3MM USAID cooperative development grant. He also created a network of raw materials suppliers providing critical inventory financing. Kehoe holds a BA in economics from Tulane University and attended Venezuela's IESA Advanced Management Program and the Owner–Directors program at INSEAD in Fontainebleau, France.

https://ssir.org/podcasts/entry/quality_and_innovation_as_the_basis_for_sustainability

Why Small Does Not Equal Powerless Feb 06, 2014

Show notes

The increasing demand for energy in emerging markets is a leading driver for international development. This demand results in increased need for environmental sustainability. In this short audio lecture, Katie Hill discusses the tension between economic development and environmental sustainability. Learn how companies can push through this tradeoff while lowering energy costs and reducing business risks. Hill explains how supply chains bases in Asia and Africa attract investments in affordable clean energy and factory efficiency. In this Social Innovation Conversations, Stanford University podcast, Hill describes the economic challenges manufacturers face with energy in emerging markets, such as Kenya, compared to in the U.S.. This contrast poses a compelling argument for the use of renewable energy in factories around the world to lower energy costs and further responsible economic development.

Katie Hill received a joint MBA/MS in Environmental Science at Stanford University in 2012. Katie's career is focused on energy infrastructure and natural resources in emerging markets. Having spent six years living in Asia and Africa (India, China, Nepal, Uganda, Botswana), Katie has acquired a deep understanding of these markets. Prior to Stanford, she was the Energy Portfolio Manager for Acumen Fund, an impact investment fund, where she evaluated more than 300 clean technology businesses and managed $4 million in investments. Katie has also worked for McKinsey & Company, Generation Investments, Dalberg Advisors and the China Greentech Initiative.

https://ssir.org/podcasts/entry/why_small_does_not_equal_powerless

Social Entrepreneurship and Cocoa Farmers Jan 31, 2014

Show notes

For TCHO, San Francisco's only chocolate factory, social entrepreneurship is the focus. In this audio lecture, company executive John Kehoe talks about how the firm not only produces high-end chocolate products, but also helps farmers in developing countries. He discusses challenges associated with sourcing and cultivating quality organic cocoa beans, and what it takes to invest in and work with growers. Kehoe spoke at the Stanford Graduate School of Business at the invitation of the International Development Club.

John Kehoe is Vice President of Sourcing and Development at TCHO, San Franciso's only chocolate factory. He began his career in international trade in Caracas, Venezuela in 1987. Since the cocoa market in Venezuela was liberalized in 1991, his work has been dedicated to the procurement and marketing of specialty cocoa, working closely with farmers, exporters, importers and chocolate manufactures. In 1999, ED&F Man Cocoa hired Kehoe to restructure a cocoa exporting operation in the Dominican Republic. In 2002, he returned to the United States, and founded EcoTrade, a specialty cocoa brokerage and consultancy based in Miami. Through friendships and contacts developed over the years, Kehoe expanded his experiences to initiate new relationships and diversify supply in Ecuador, Jamaica, Trinidad, and Madagascar, and to include fair trade cocoa from Ghana and the Ivory Coast. This work was considered by many as pioneering a market in the United States for specialty cocoa.

https://ssir.org/podcasts/entry/social_entrepreneurship_and_cocoa_farmers

Social Media on Purpose Jan 21, 2014

Show notes

Developing a successful social media strategy enables effective nonprofit management, organizational growth, and strong relationships with target audiences. In this audio lecture from the Social Media on Purpose conference, presented by Stanford Social Innovation Review and Tides, journalist and new media strategist Marcia Stepanek provides a robust framework for building a social media strategy that fits with the organization's mission. Stepanek recommends specific steps that include identifying and analyzing goals, defining the audience, assessing tool options, and deciding which channels are right for your organization to help it achieve greater impact.

Marcia Stepanek is a journalist, new media strategist, and author of the forthcoming book, Swarms: The Rise of the Digital Anti-Establishment; her work has appeared in The New York Times, the Huffington Post, Contribute, and Stanford Social Innovation Review. A former Knight Fellow at Stanford, Stepanek teaches social media strategy at New York University and curates an annual speaker series on disruptive innovation in the advocacy sector. She blogs regularly about technology at Causeglobal.com and lectures internationally on the influence of the Internet on social systems.

https://ssir.org/podcasts/entry/social_media_strategy

Social Responsibility Versus Slave Labor Tainted Products Oct 10, 2013

Show notes

Nearly all consumers eat, wear, or use items that are tainted by slave labor, which presents social responsibility challenges. In this short audio lecture, Katrina Benjamin describes the conditions enslaved people are in, and outlines four specific examples where slavery is an integral part of the consumer supply chain, as well as the degrading circumstances of enslaved adults and children. Benjamin addresses the complexity of slavery today, indicating the factors underlying slavery that must be addressed if slavery is to be eradicated. In this Social Innovation Conversations, Stanford University podcast, Benjamin describes the environmental sustainability problems associated with slavery, and suggests ways that large and small companies, NGOs, and non-profit organizations can work to eliminate slavery through cooperative social responsibility.

https://ssir.org/podcasts/entry/social_responsibility_versus_slave_labor_tainted_products