Inside Social Innovation

Latest Episodes:

Yvon Chouinard - Corporate Social Responsibility and Profits Mar 11, 2007

Show notes

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.

https://ssir.org/podcasts/entry/yvon_chouinard_-_corporate_social_responsibility_and_profits

Alex Counts - Microfinance: Controversies and Promises Mar 05, 2007

Show notes

Microfinance is bringing the world's poor the kind of service that used to be reserved for bank customers in developed countries. Drawing on the work and philosophy of the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, Alex Counts talks in this audio lecture about microfinance's social and financial impact to an audience of Stanford MBA students.

https://ssir.org/podcasts/entry/alex_counts_-_microfinance_controversies_and_promises

Joe Simitian and Michael Kirst - Financing California Schools Feb 25, 2007

Show notes

How is California, home of the technology revolution, preparing the next generation of students to lead the charge of innovation? In this University podcast, Senator Joe Simitian and Professor Michael Kirst argue that school financing in California is neither adequate, efficient, nor equitable. Speaking at the Stanford School of Education, they discuss the challenges of financing California's K-12 schools in a rapidly changing environment with diffuse accountability and dilute authority.

https://ssir.org/podcasts/entry/joe_simitian_and_michael_kirst_-_financing_california_schools

Andrew Ruben and Jib Ellison - Promoting Environmental Sustainability Feb 18, 2007

Show notes

In 2005, Wal-Mart's CEO announced a corporation-wide environmental sustainability initiative to go green. The company would take drastic measures to cut down on waste, energy consumption, and greenhouse gas emissions, thus generating savings that would be passed on to the customer. Andrew Ruben, who spearheads the effort supported by consultant Jib Ellison, explains to a Stanford MBA audience in this University podcast why Wal-Mart is engaging in sustainability.

https://ssir.org/podcasts/entry/andrew_ruben_and_jib_ellison_-_promoting_environmental_sustainability

Chip Heath - Social Enterprise and Great Ideas Feb 12, 2007

Show notes

In the world of social enterprise, why do some ideas survive and others die? Stanford Graduate School of Business Professor Chip Heath reveals the secret in this audio lecture. He provides frameworks and advice to help social innovators launch their endeavors.

https://ssir.org/podcasts/entry/chip_heath_-_social_enterprise_and_great_ideas

Andy Goodman - Storytelling for Good Causes Feb 05, 2007

Show notes

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.

https://ssir.org/podcasts/entry/andy_goodman_-_storytelling_for_good_causes

Marc Freedman - Social Entrepreneurship and the Encore Career Jan 29, 2007

Show notes

Social entrepreneurship is now a path for many in the second half of life, proving that retirement can be a time of creativity, invention, and contribution, not decline. In this audio lecture, social innovator Marc Freedman discusses the huge untapped resource in potential retirees who are finding new ways to use their experience to tackle important social problems. Freedman shares the story of the creation of The Purpose Prize, a three-year initiative to invest in these new pioneers.

https://ssir.org/podcasts/entry/marc_freedman_-_social_entrepreneurship_and_the_encore_career

Gary Hirshberg - Social Entrepreneurs Invent the Future Jan 16, 2007

Show notes

Can businesses deliver strong returns to shareholders while also promoting the health of people and the planet? In this audio lecture recorded at Bridging the Gap, the 2005 Stanford Net Impact conference, Gary Hirshberg, the phenomenally successful pioneer of the organic foods industry, utters a resounding yes.

https://ssir.org/podcasts/entry/gary_hirshberg_-_social_entrepreneurs_invent_the_future

Denise Gammal - The Nonprofit Accountability Trap Jan 15, 2007

Show notes

Why should a grantee invest $50,000 in computing infrastructure and add staff to comply with the reporting requirements of a $16,000 grant? The inherent tensions between the high resource costs of evaluation and the demands of service delivery are a challenge for nonprofits and foundations alike. In this audio lecture, Denise Gammal presents the results from Stanford Center for Social Innovation's large-scale study on nonprofit management to foundation professionals.

https://ssir.org/podcasts/entry/denise_gammal_-_the_nonprofit_accountability_trap

Joe Kroll - The ABCs of Tax-Exempt Status Jan 07, 2007

Show notes

The most popular form of tax-exempt organization is the 501(c)3, which can accept tax-deductible contributions. In this audio lecture recorded at the Nonprofit Boot Camp, Joe Kroll discusses the benefits and responsibilities of 501(c)3 status. He covers situations that may jeopardize it, as well as filing requirements for employees and independent contractors.

https://ssir.org/podcasts/entry/joe_kroll_-_the_abcs_of_tax-exempt_status