The Social Entrepreneur Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Using Your Professional Skills to Volunteer, with Ann Herzog-Olson, Social Venture Partners, Minnesota Aug 21, 2017

Show notes

Social Venture Partners is a nonprofit that uses the venture capital model to help other nonprofits build capacity and grow.

Sometimes you want to do more. It might feel satisfying at the moment to march and chant. But does the impact last? You can donate money to social causes, and that’s important. But sometimes, it feels like you want to do even more.

One trend in philanthropy is engaged philanthropy. Engaged philanthropy recognizes that you have more than financial capital to give to a cause. You also have intellectual capital and social capital. You can use your skills and experience to help a nonprofit. You have a network of connections which can benefit a nonprofit. Social Venture Partners allows individuals and corporations to practice engaged philanthropy.

There are 42 Social Venture Partners affiliates around the globe. Social Venture Partners, Minnesota is one of them. They focus their efforts on serving youth.

The partners at Social Venture Partners identify potential nonprofits to target. They look for nonprofits that are emerging early stage, with some proof of concept. Ann Herzog-Olson, the Executive Director of Social Venture Partners Minnesota says, “We focus on nonprofits who have a vision of where they want to go and look like they’re emerging. Then we help them build a capacity building plan.” The individual and corporate partners at Social Venture Partners stick with the nonprofit for three years as they build their capacity.

In some cases, the nonprofit wants to serve more youth. In those cases, Social Venture Partners help them to scale. In other cases, the nonprofits want their existing programs to be more effective.

Social Entrepreneurship Quotes from Ann Herzog-Olson

“Youth are kind of lost in the middle.”

“Social Venture Partners is focused on building capacity.”

“We look for nonprofits that are directly serving youth.”

“It’s what we call engaged philanthropy.”

“It’s skilled expertize, professional expertize, that we provide to the nonprofits.”

“We usually get about 30 to 50 applications, and we select just one nonprofit.”

“We walk alongside them.”

“It’s highly strategic skilled volunteers.”

“We use revenue as a proxy.”

“They double their revenue in three years.”

“We expect our partners to become involved and volunteer their time.”

“It’s sophisticated volunteering.”

“We train people to use their skills to help a nonprofit in a strategic way.”

“We are impacting more teens as we add more partners.”

“Development’s really about the donor.”

“They need to have a vision of where they want to take their organization.”

Social Entrepreneurship Resources:

Social Venture Partners, Minnesota: http://www.socialventurepartners.org/minnesota
Social Venture Partners, Minnesota on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/svpminnesota
Social Venture Partners, Minnesota on Twitter: https://twitter.com/svpminnesota
Book: Crazy Good Advice: 10 Lessons Learned from 150 Leading Social Entrepreneurs: http://tonyloyd.com/book

Product Packaging with a Purpose, with Lindsey McCoy, Plaine Products Aug 14, 2017

Show notes

Plaine Products helps reduce single-use plastics by producing natural, vegan shampoo, conditioner, and body wash in returnable, reusable containers.

In 2013, Lindsey McCoy was living in the Bahamas and running a non-profit called Save the Bays. “I had zero interest in going into business,” she told me. “I was going to save the world.”

As she explored the islands, she noticed the impact of single use plastics. “Without regular trash pick up, you see those water bottles, flip flops and plastic bags in the water and along the side of the road,” she explains. “To me, single-use plastics is one of those things that once you start to notice it, you realize it’s everywhere.”

Lindsey tried to reduce her personal use of plastic. But she found it difficult to find plastic-free alternatives to shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. “It began to occur to me that there was a way to solve this by going outside of the non-profit community Providing a product might be a better solution.”

When she returned to the United States in 2015, she and her sister, Alison Webster, went to work on the problem. Together, they formed Plane Products. Plaine Products produces natural, vegan shampoo, conditioner & body wash in returnable, refillable, reusable containers. When a customer empties a Plaine Products bottle, they order a replacement. They place the empty bottle into the box and return it to Plaine Products to be sanitized and refilled.

It took Lindsey and Alison almost two years from idea to product launch. They had to find a contract manufacturer who produces natural products. They needed to work with someone who would be willing to refill bottles. And, they had to figure out their non-plastic packaging. At first, they tried steel containers, but the containers rusted. When they switched to aluminum containers, they found that the packaging not only lasted, but it was lighter to ship, saving costs. And, they had to figure out how to explain the concept of reusable packaging.

Social Entrepreneurship Quotes from Lindsey McCoy

“Once you start to notice it, you realize it’s everywhere.”

“I’m lazy. I’m busy. Making shampoo in my tub was not going to work for me.”

“Our addiction to convenience and dispensability seems only to be growing.”

“There will be more plastic than fish in the ocean by 2050.”

“As far as we know, no one is doing this.”

“We were doing something totally different, and that made it even harder.”

“We tried some terrible products.”

“You can be small and still mighty.”

“Progress not perfection.”

Social Entrepreneurship Resources:

Plaine Products: https://www.plaineproducts.com/
Plaine Products on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/plaineproducts
Plaine Products on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PlaineProducts
Plaine Products on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/plaineproducts
Plaine Products on Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/plaineproducts
Book: Crazy Good Advice: 10 Lessons Learned from 150 Leading Social Entrepreneurs: http://amzn.to/2hqn9xx

A Bicycle-Based Beekeeping Business, with Kristy Lynn Allen, The Beez Kneez Aug 14, 2017

Show notes

Investing in, Connecting and Celebrating Social Entrepreneurs, with Sally Osberg, Skoll Foundation Aug 07, 2017

Show notes

The Skoll Foundation drives large-scale change for the world’s most pressing problems. They invest in, connect and celebrate social entrepreneurs.

Sally Osberg’s reading early in life shaped her outlook. “I was reading biographies of people like Eleanor Roosevelt, and Jane Adams, and people who convinced me that you could make a pretty powerful difference in the world. And somehow that seeped into my consciousness and gave me a real sense of agency, and I could be meaningful in the scheme of trying to make the world a better place.”

Sally is the President and CEO of the Skoll Foundation. She describes what they’re looking for this way. “We look for the convergence of an innovative idea; a great innovator with the determination and wherewithal to stay at this work; and an inflection point where there is sufficient evidence that this idea works.”

Jeff Skoll founded the Skoll Foundation in 1999. Jeff was the founding president of eBay. Jeff’s vision is a more peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world. In 2001, he reached out the Sally to help him create a different kind of philanthropy.

Each year, the Skoll Foundation recognizes four to six changemakers who are ready to scale their impact. They invest in these changemakers through the Skoll Awards for Social Entrepreneurship. Awardees receive a $1.25 million investment over three years. They also gain access to a global community of innovative leaders and who are solving the world’s most pressing problems.

“We’re looking for a proven track record,” Sally explains. “We’re looking for a truly pressing global problem…And then this inflection point. Is the team in place? Is the evidence in place? Is there a discipline in place? Is there a great board?”

The Skoll Foundation connects social entrepreneurs through the annual Skoll World Forum. They video, document and share the stories of these changemakers.

Sally has announced that she will be soon stepping down from her role at the Skoll Foundation. As she looks back and forward at the same time, she reflects on the world as she sees it. “The challenges have never seemed so complex and massive in scale. And yet, the upwelling of talent and interest and goodness from people… I look at young people and see this incredible determination to tackle these problems and not make a choice between doing good, making a difference and a viable career. And I believe that holds so much promise.”

Social Entrepreneurship Quotes from Sally Osberg

“We partner with social entrepreneurs and celebrate the impact of their great ideas.”

“I tried to channel his DNA, which is fundamentally entrepreneurial.”

“Our mission is our strategy: Invest, Connect and Celebrate.”

“There are great solutions out there. We just have to open our aperture to find them.”

“People think of social entrepreneurs as lone rangers. They are anything but.”

“We first and foremost are trying to be a good partner to the social entrepreneurs.”

“We can help to amplify, accelerate and strengthen, how all this comes together.”

“I plan to continue working with people who want to make a difference in the world.”

“I believe the empowerment of women and girls holds major promise for the world.”

“It is not a moment for us to descend into cynicism or despair.”

“I see this aspiration in young people around social entrepreneurship.”

“That combination of expertise and humility…is a critical piece.”

“Develop some area of expertise.”

“Think about social entrepreneurship different.”

“Learn about a social entrepreneur who is making a difference on an issue that they care about.”

Social Entrepreneurship Resources:

Skoll Foundation: http://skoll.org
Skoll Foundation on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SkollFoundation
Skoll Foundation on Twitter: https://twitter.com/skollfoundation
Book: Getting Beyond Better: How Social Entrepreneurship Works: http://amzn.to/2hdyBwm

An Ecosystem for Small Businesses, with Christopher Webley, New Rules Aug 07, 2017

Show notes

From Used Goods to the Greater Good, with Julie Kearns, Junket: Tossed & Found Jul 31, 2017

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Civic Engagement in a Digital World, with Damola Ogundipe, Civic Eagle Jul 31, 2017

Show notes

183, Lori Most, BinaryBridge | Improving the Effectiveness and Efficiency of Humanitarian Missions Jul 24, 2017

Show notes

BinaryBridge creates software that helps humanitarians do their work effectively and efficiently.

Lori Most grew up seeing television commercials of humanitarian crises, especially in Africa. Lori recounted, “I always wanted to go to Africa and help…I thought ‘I’m going to grow up and go over there.” In college, she started as a pre-med student. Part way through she switched to engineering. “I changed directions a lot,” she laughed. When she graduated from the University of Minnesota with a degree in mathematics, she was left with this sense that she still wanted to help.

After graduating, Lori quickly found work in the booming field of software development. She worked as a software developer, business analyst and product manager with well-known brands such as UnitedHealth Group, Target, and C.H. Robinson. She felt like the work she was doing was important, but she says, “It wasn’t quite the mission I was looking for.”

Lori thought about working with a nonprofit. She explored several opportunities. Eventually, her sister introduced her to a humanitarian medical mission working in Peru. Lori accompanied the mission to Peru where she observed organized chaos. The medical team saw between 80 and 100 patients per day. As the patients moved from the intake room to the exam room, to the checkout areas, the patients were tracked with paper records. Paper records are easily misplaced or mishandled. They lack instant access across a caregiving team. They can be illegible, causing medical errors and slowing down care. Medical professionals on humanitarian missions have had to rely on paper medical records, until now.

Walk into almost any medical clinic in an industrialized country, and you’re likely to be greeted by a person behind a computer screen. With a few key strokes, the receptionist can pull up your complete medical record. Modern clinics depend on electronic medical records or EMR. EMR provides many benefits. Records are instantly accurate and complete. Health workers can effectively diagnose patients, reduce medical errors, and provide safer care. EMR provides coordinated, efficient care, improving productivity.

backpackEMR allows medical professionals in the field to instantly input, update and share patient data. They use a custom-built peer-to-peer network to share data in remote areas where no internet access is available. backpackEMR works as an app on a tablet or with web-based access. BinaryBridge charges a minimal fee to keep the software running.

Social Entrepreneurship Quotes from Lori Most

“I changed directions a lot.”

“My philosophy on software…is get the best of the best and make sure it’s right the first time.”

“Get a technical co-founder.”

“Accept help from other people.”

“Support your local social entrepreneurs.”

Social Entrepreneurship Resources:

BinaryBridge: https://www.backpackemr.com
BinaryBridge on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Binary_Bridge

182, Zach McGill, Perk Health | Improving the Health of People and Companies Jul 24, 2017

Show notes

Perk Health is a website and app that helps you pick up healthier habits in a way that is sustainable.

Zach McGill and Doug DeBold grew up playing sports. Games taught them so much: achievement, competition, leader boards, point scoring, rewards, rules of play, self-expression, socializing, mastery, and status. When it was time for college, Doug went off to college in Vermont while Zach attended the University of Minnesota.

Initially, Zach studied engineering. He wanted to invent things. But, he says, “I realized, with engineering, there would be less inventing and lot more equations.” So, he started studying entrepreneurship. “It became clear to me that my path was going to be to start and build companies.”

Zach built side businesses while he was in school. He became involved with the Acara Institute at the University of Minnesota. He traveled to New Delhi where he and a team developed a business plan to build a small biogas plant. The proposed plant would reduce greenhouse gasses while providing reliable access to electricity.

As Zach’s project in India came to a close, he had a decision to make. Did he want to move to Delhi and pursue his business idea, or did he want to grow another side project he had, Perk Health? He chose Perk Health. And to help him grow and scale it, he partnered with his childhood friend, Doug DeBold.

Perk Health helps individuals to develop healthy habits. If you look back 100 years ago, people in the United States died mainly of influenza, pneumonia, and tuberculosis. Today, Americans die primarily from lifestyle diseases including heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. 73% of Americans don’t get the recommended amount of physical activity. Inactivity, diet, and obesity kill more people in the US than any communicable disease. As a result, 86% of our healthcare spending can be traced back to these lifestyle factors.

Employers who use Perk Health can lower healthcare costs, increase productivity and decrease absenteeism. Perk health delivers their products through a virtual system, which can be cost effective. The Perk Health app retains over ten times the engagement of traditional wellness programs. Perk Health tailors the program to each individual, making it easy and fun to participate.

Social Entrepreneurship Quotes from Zach McGill

“We looked at things that change people’s behavior in the real world.”

“How can we flip those mechanisms on their head and use them for good?”

“How do we get people to focus on small actions, and follow that up with rewards?”

“We looked at things that worked for us.”

“To get to the beginning, you have to go back to Junior High.”

“I was bitten by the entrepreneurial bug.”

“A business can be not only a vehicle for profit but a vehicle for good.”

“You can do good and do well.”

“It’s something we’re really passionate about.”

“I knew I wanted to do something that was impactful.”

“I realized that, if I wanted to do anything well, I needed to focus.”

“Just get started.”

“The reality is, there is no ah-ha moment.”

Social Entrepreneurship Resources:

Perk Health: https://www.perkhealth.me
Perk Health on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PerkHealth
Perk Health on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/perkhealth

181, Marcus Owens, NEON | Sustainable Community Development through Entrepreneurship Jul 17, 2017

Show notes

Northside Economic Opportunity Network, better known as NEON, provides entrepreneurs in North Minneapolis with business development services.

Marcus Owens is a product of North Minneapolis. He grew up there, graduating from North Community High School. He bought his first home there. Then his second. He says, “I always wanted to find a way to give back to this community.”

Marcus has long been an entrepreneur, operating real estate and financial services businesses. He also worked at a regional bank and a large retailer. He ran a small nonprofit. By 2012, he was looking for more ways to give back to the community. He found his way to the board of NEON. Two years later, he took over as the CEO.

NEON works with low- to moderate-income entrepreneurs to build wealth and develop a sustainable community. They offer training and coaching. They also provide access to capital and access to markets. Their coworking space is on West Broadway in North Minneapolis.

Marcus says that “We’re trying to revitalize [North Minneapolis] in a way that provides the people that are here with ways to bring themselves out of poverty.” Marcus and board developed innovative ways to fund NEON. Though NEON is a nonprofit, they have several streams of revenue. Marcus explains, “It’s not enough to just give services away. You’ve got to create affordable options for folks to work with you, and bridge the gap where the market does not exist today.”

To give small businesses access to the market, NEON has two incubator programs. One incubator is centered around the business of property maintenance. NEON owns a property maintenance business and aggregates smaller subcontract work. They develop these subcontractors with business development skills. They also have a partnership with Twin Cities RISE to provide personal development. NEON also runs a food business incubator program.

Social Entrepreneurship Quotes from Marcus Owens

“We saw North Minneapolis as a key area to provide development services.”

“We saw that the way to develop assets was through small business ownership.”

“We wanted to give people a gateway to start a business.”

“We have about 42% of our residents in poverty.”

“We’re building a community of entrepreneurs together.”

“What problem are you solving and who are you solving it for?”

“We have a great partnership with Fredrikson & Byron.”

“I always wanted to find a way to give back to this community.”

“There is no difference in nonprofit and for-profit in how you should operate.”

“How do you innovate in a space that has not been innovated in a long time?”

“How can you start it today?”