Archive for October, 2011

Social impact investing for women entrepreneurs

Posted on: October 31st, 2011 by socialventurenetwork 2 Comments

Written by Suzanne Siemens

Social Venture Network conference organizers have always been mindful of ensuring emerging issues from it’s members get a voice during the conference. After meeting Jackie Vanderbrug of Criterion Ventures at the Social Venture Institute at Hollyhock (a Canadian based offshoot of SVN) and briefly learning about Criterion’s work towards “Bringing a Gender Lens to Investing” I felt the SVN community would benefit from a deeper conversation on the topic. So, I helped organize a Call to Action Roundtable with Joy Anderson of Criterion Ventures titled: “Investing in Women: how to increase women’s access to capital and invest in social entrepreneurs focused on improving the condition of women”. Much to our delight, over two dozen participants gathered over lunch to join in the lively conversation. With several other Roundtable conversations going on concurrently in the same room, we often had to raise our voices out of necessity (and perhaps passion!)

My own interest in the topic stems from my passion for advancing issues which affect women and entrepreneurship. It was over a decade ago when Lunapads learned that a progressive investment fund, Renewal Partners, was looking to invest in socially responsible businesses that were led by women and focused on women’s issues. I wanted to share with the SVN group my positive experience obtaining capital and dealing with our investors (Joel Solomon and Carol Newell, both long time members of SVN) and working with Vancity Capital for debt financing.

After Joy introduced her framework for the conversation, the group engaged in an enthusiastic conversation that centered around three common themes:

Make it easier for women to access capital: While all of the women entrepreneurs who attended the session had successfully attracted capital to finance their business, their experience and degree of ease in obtaining that capital varied.  It was positive to learn that the social capital market is growing rapidly, but very few funds are targeted to women, and fewer still target women within community development. “Providing women equal access to capital is both a question of equity and an untapped/under invested opportunity” emphasized Joy. Others expressed frustration with the archaic legal regulations that hamper the ability for the average person or groups of people to make small investments in women run businesses.

Increase the number of women represented on corporate boards: Despite research that shows having women on boards will improve a company’s performance, the number of women represented on boards has not improved in the past decade. Putting more women on boards makes sense on so many levels (beyond equity and demographics). We need to emphasize that putting more women on boards is not a “women’s issue” but can actually have a measurable impact on the bottom line. We also need to encourage and nominate more women for board leadership positions. And they don’t have to be CEO’s of big companies! The WomenCorporateDirectors website has a ten point Call to Action on how to build more diverse (ie: multi-gender, race, generational) boards that is worth checking out. 

Mentor and celebrate other women: It was obvious to the group that despite the inequities women and girls face, investing in women is a powerful strategy for addressing many local and global challenges. One male participant pointed out that while women make better farmers, his organization has no women in it. The group also agreed that we need to actively and intentionally mentors girls and women, including helping them learn to pitch and speak the language of deals, and helping them scale their businesses. We also talked about the importance of regularly celebrating the achievements of girls and women. “We need to tell more positive stories about women and create a narrative that reveals their powerful voice” said Lynne Twist, author of the Soul of Money.

A Call to Action: While we agreed there was still much work to be done, the session ended on a positive note as we discussed ways we could more effectively invest in and support women. Many pledged to be active mentors to other women to help them start or scale their business. Joy offered to send us more information about the multitude of resources already available, and keep us current with the ongoing work Criterion is doing. To learn more, send your email to info@criterionventures.com

The SVN community is an ideal place to hold the conversation. If there was one resounding consensus from the group, it was this: given the level of engagement and interest in the topic, “Investing in Women” should become a larger, more in depth session at the next conference. Let’s raise our powerful voices to SVN and I hope to see you there!

2011 Social Venture Network Fall Conference Call-to-Action Roundtable October 29, 2011 “Investing in Women” led by Joy Anderson and Jackie Vanderbrug, Criterion Ventures, and Suzanne Siemens, Lunapads International

Written by Suzanne Siemens

Photos courtesy Nancy Jo and Suzanne Siemens

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Sustainable Business & the New Age of the Consumer

Posted on: October 31st, 2011 by socialventurenetwork No Comments

Written by Tamara Schweitzer

How can we as entrepreneurs and representatives of the socially responsible business community successfully connect with today’s consumers? That was the question posed to attendees of the Social Venture Network’s fall conference during an interactive workshop led by brand strategists and marketing experts Mitch Baranowski of BBMG, and Karl Carter of GTM Inc. The session, “Connecting with Today’s Consumer,” was an exercise in collective brainstorming designed to get everyone’s creative juices flowing around effective marketing strategies and innovative campaigns that can be applied within their own organizations.

Who is the new consumer?

The first challenge for organizations is in understanding this new breed of consumer. We have entered a new age of consumerism, one in which consumers are much more conscious and educated about their choices. Baranowski, who is the co-founder and chief creative officer of BBMG, describes the new consumer as someone who aspires to live their values in everything they do, but is constantly challenged by conflicting messages, and ultimately has to make compromises with their consumption decisions every day.

How to engage today’s consumer

During the session, attendees were broken up into small teams and each assigned a consumer persona, representing the diverse pool of consumers that organizations are trying to reach every day. The challenge for each team was to come up with a campaign that would effectively do that for their given consumer. My team was marketing to Juan, a 28-year old Brooklynite who loves music, spicy foods, and his friends. He also started his own music label, and hates spending nights at home. Regardless of the companies present at the table and what their connection was to their consumer demographic, it was an exercise in stretching our minds to meet this new consumer where they “work, live, and play,” advised Baranowski.

To help the teams get into the head of today’s consumer, Baranowski and Carter offered up these tactics for creating engaging campaigns:

Create an experience. The old marketing tactics of having a memorable logo and tagline no longer suffice with today’s consumer. Instead, you need to be thinking about how your products can empower your consumer base and permeate multiple parts of their every day life.

Build relationships. The new branding paradigm requires companies to have an open and transparent relationship with their consumers. Companies should strive to inspire a movement, fueled by dialogue from what their customers care about.

Think holistically. Sustainable brands need to be operating from a more holistic model; there is always the practical component of crafting a campaign, but in addition to that it’s about how you embed the environmental benefits into your brand, and create community around other people who share the same interests and values that your brand stands behind.

Be culturally savvy. When it comes to innovative branding, company culture (your core values) is king. As socially responsible businesses and marketers, you not only have to understand what’s at the core of your brand, but you also have to be savvy about what’s happening around you culturally. If you are able to connect that culture and consciousness, you will have established an authentic connection with your consumer.


The exercise proved that connecting with today’s consumers – and identifying who they are – is more crucial than ever. These new consumers are the ones who are ultimately going to sustain your brands, because when they are truly engaged they become ambassadors for your cause.

If you are interested in reading more about the concept of the new consumer, BBMG has done extensive research on the topic. Download their recent report “Unleashed.”

2011 Social Venture Network Fall Conference Interactive Discussion October 28, 2011 “Connecting with Today’s Consumer” led by Mitch Baranowski, BBMG and Karl Carter, GTM Inc.

Written by Tamara Schweitzer –  Executive editor of Socialbrite.org, and a contributing writer for Dowser. Follow her on Twitter at @tschweitzer.

Photos courtesy of Tamara Schweitzer , BBMG and GTM Central

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Racial Equity in the Social Business Community

Posted on: October 30th, 2011 by socialventurenetwork No Comments

Written by Morgan Simon

It’s rare that people put racial justice and social capital together. So rare, that there was only one black speaker at the 1,200 strong SoCap gathering in September. So rare, that at the October Social Venture Network conference, turnout was low enough at the From Colorblindness to Racial Equity session for one participant to comment, “Perhaps we should’ve changed the name to ‘Raising Capital,’ then people would’ve come.” Yet, as a former SVN board member, and the leader of a social investor network $100 million strong, I know that people in our community care deeply about racial equity. So what gives? How is it possible, that despite our personal dedication to racial issues, we’ve managed to build a community of investors and social entrepreneurs that still reflects the power structures we’re supposedly here to challenge?

Rinku Sen, Executive Director of the Applied Research Center, provided a useful framework for considering the factors that contribute to racial inequities in our community. She talked about four levels of racism:

  • Internal: the thoughts and beliefs we hold about others, right or wrong, often based on what we’ve learned as children and through society over time
  • Interpersonal: the way that power relationships enable us to manifest these internal thoughts in ways that can be harmful to others
  • Institutional: the policies and practices that affect people in society
  • Structural: the collaboration—or collusion—of institutions that favor one group over another.

Applying this analysis to the social business community, here are some of the ways these four factors play out:

  • Internal: social business leaders don’t always acknowledge their internalized beliefs about others, as they assume that racial understanding will come naturally to them given their social commitment
  • Interpersonal: people of color have often noted a lack of openness from the established, white leaders of the social business and investment community—and thus do not have the opportunity to influence its growth path in a way that will best serve the communities they represent
  • Institutional: choices about speakers, pricing, venue and culture make people of color feel more or less welcome at social business events
  • Structural: without adequate exposure or access to resources, entrepreneurs of color and people from affected communities are not invited to be at the table of the interlocking institutions that set the overall strategies for our industry.

Rinku notes that people often assume they have to address these factors chronologically, as they are afraid to talk about race with others without first solving their “own stuff.” Her answer is that often the best way for us to address racial inequity is to put our energy into changing institutions and structures, and that in the process we’ll do the internal work we need as a community.

Given that, where do we start? In the venture capital industry, 3% of businesses funded are led by people of color, and 7% of these businesses are led by women. How do we make sure not to replicate these inequities in the context of impact investment? What can we do to make sure our events are more inclusive? How do we stay accountable to the communities we are here to serve?

For a start, I know that very few impact investors or social entrepreneurs have sat down to talk about how racial dynamics affect their work, and what they can do as a community to support racial equality. Could this be your next staff meeting? Or perhaps our next conference?

2011 Social Venture Network Fall Conference Interactive Workshop: October 28, 2011 – Moving from Colorblindness to Color-Consciousness with Saru Jayaraman, Restaurant Opportunities Center (ROC) United and Rinku Sen, Applied Research Center

Written by Morgan Simon CEO, Toniic

Photos courtesy of Nancy Jo and Nova Southeastern University (NSU)

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Innovation Awards – 2011 SVN Fall Conference

Posted on: October 30th, 2011 by socialventurenetwork No Comments

Written by Mike Rowlands

Social Venture Network has convened in Philadelphia for four days of connection, conversation and inspiration. “But nobody told me I was gonna cry!” exclaimed one delegate this evening, after hearing the stories of this year’s six Social Innovation Awards.

The awardees this year are a diverse group, but as I listened to each of them share their stories, I was struck by three common threads.

The sheer ambition of these courageous entrepreneurs is refreshingly impressive. To dream big is one thing, but to dare, to make the leaps of faith that these award-winners have made is really to accelerate the potential of an idea. Jason Aramburu, soil scientist and the man behind Re:char aims to renew the soil under the crops of millions of farmers around the world. His biochar kiln sells for $40, and delivers a first year return on investment of $200. But Jason’s ambition doesn’t stop with selling lots of product: Biochar has the capacity to offset 12% of human CO2 production. This solution to farmers’ challenges, could also save the world.

Second, in the face of overwhelming challenge, these entrepreneurs have had the resilience to keep going. Take Karlene Hunter and Mark Tilsen of Native American Natural Foods, for example. On a reservation where unemployment stands at a staggering 70%, and where the population faces health and welfare challenges like a 44% type II diabetes rate, Their business has taken the best recipes from culturally significant foods, and turned them into marketable energy bars. Despite a maze of red tape, their perseverance has put their products in every state, and as of this Monday on to the shelves of Whole Foods.

But the third factor that unites these entrepreneurs, and that they hold in common with all the other social venture leaders gathered here on the riverside in Philly is the one that’s most inspiring. Passion oozes from their pores. Their commitment, their confidence, their chutzpah—these are the leaders that inspire great and positive change. It shows in Chid Liberty’s immense gratitude for his transformation from refugee to CEO. Passion emanates from Katherine Lucey, when she talks about empowering rural poor in Africa, giving them incomes to help “not only their sons, but also their daughters to go to school.” And it rolled down the cheeks of retired Navy SEAL Eric Greitens, when he talks about wounded veteran’s returning home to become “the next great generation.”

It’s inspiring for everyone to hear stories of this ambition, resilience and passion. But perhaps best of all is the uncommon grace with which these leaders carry themselves. Congratulations to all for your Awards. And thank you for your examples.

Written by Mike Rowlands | Junxion Strategy | VANCOUVER

2011 Social Venture Network Fall Conference SVN Innovation Awards Ceremony hosted by Laura Flanders, The Laura Flanders Show October 28, 2011

Photos courtesy of Nancy Jo , Video courtesy of Left Brain Right Brain Productions

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Rip off your necktie and dance

Posted on: October 29th, 2011 by socialventurenetwork No Comments

Written by Flip Brown

Thinking outside the box assumes a box – what if the mere concept of box itself is a constraint?  Leen Zevenbergen wants us to dance our way through work, and in doing so, unleash the unique style and contribution of everyone.  As a matter of fact, in some areas of the Netherlands Dutch “box” and “pants” are synonymous, so draw your own conclusions . . . .

This SVN morning session started with rhythmic music inviting us into the room.  Then, it was full-tilt boogie for all participants to Sly and the Family Stone’s “Dance to the Music.” When’s the last time you went to a break-out session to actually break out dancing?

Leen has created over twenty companies, but when he was in his twenties he walked out of the door when he found out from his boss that his aspirations to be the CEO of a 250,000 employee multi-national weren’t seen as realistic.  His intuition knew he had to unleash his own potential.

In the States they want to hear your success stories.  In Europe they ask, “have you failed?”  As a matter of fact, Leen lost $20 million in one venture, so that makes him a successful “failer.”  He encourages risks . . . BIG risks.

His humor is immediate and accessible.  His energy is vibrant and visible.  The inimitable Mr. Z offered a number of zingers – to whit/wit:

If you’re an entrepreneur you don’t need to write a business plan – the plan is inside of you.

There is a big difference between an entrepreneur and a manager.  If you ask “Can you bring the profit of your company up?  The entrepreneur goes outside and starts to sell, the manager stays inside and cuts costs.”

Isn’t it weird that, after a meeting, people say, “Let’s get back to work.”  What were they just doing?

In one meeting, a team member suggested taking a certain definitive action.  Leen said, “Great, go do it!”  What was hard for the group to accept was that he meant “right now” – why wait until the meeting was over to go do truly important things?

He suggests that next time you enter a group setting where people have their defined seats – sit somewhere else just to shake it up!  (Although he recognizes that this may be a “dangerous exercise.”)

For most people, work is a necessary interruption of the weekend.  He always wants to know – why are you here at work?  And if the answer is “prepare invoices or take customer calls” then it is too narrow an interpretation.  He’s looking for something like “because work gets my creative juices going!”

In a nod to music conductor and coach Ben Zander, there are only six rules in life.  Number 6 is “Don’t take yourself so damn seriously.”  Rules 1 through 5 don’t exist.  So, when in doubt, follow Rule #6.

“It is better to ask for forgiveness rather than permission.”

At his current company Qurius, employees have the required info on one side, and then they are asked to choose any four words that describe themselves on the other.  This allows employees to present part of their true identity in addition to their business persona.  They even have a section on their web site called “Pride of Qurius” where enthusiastic employee self-profiles are available.

If you were here at Leen’s session, you got it.  If you weren’t there, you missed it . . . in which case, make sure you pick up a copy of “Rip Off Your Necktie and Dance!” There’s simply no excuse for workplace dumbness, disillusionment, or despair.

2011 Social Venture Network Fall Conference Interactive Workshop: “Rip Off Your Necktie and Dance” – Creating a Passionate and Innovative Workplace with Leen Zevenbergen, Qurius and SVN Europe

Written by Flip Brown  from Business Culture Consultants

Photo courtesy of Nancy Jo, Video “Sly and the Family Stone’s {Dance to the Music}.” Written and produced by Sly Stone

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The Art and Science of Raising Capital

Posted on: October 29th, 2011 by socialventurenetwork 1 Comment

Written by Carl Frankel

They say money is the root of all evil, and maybe it is. But it’s also the root of all social enterprises. Every entrepreneur, social or normal, knows how important raising capital is—and most are also painfully aware how difficult it is.

A Friday afternoon session featured three professional investors, including Josh Mailman, one of SVN’s founders, who offered some rules of thumb for playing the fundraising game successfully.

If there’s one meta-recommendation to be gleaned from their comments, it would be this: Be considerate. You’re in a relationship—don’t objectify your investors, don’t commoditize them, don’t act like a jerk. This translates into things like communicating regularly (especially when there’s bad news), not rushing your investors to close, and not over-negotiating.

The speakers shared some great anecdotes and bon mots. Josh Mailman told the story of how the late Anita Roddick, who founded The Body Shop, raised her first $25,000. Apparently she was loaned it by a friend while her husband, Gordon Roddick, was away on a trip. He returned home to find out that she’d given up 50% of the company and was understandably incensed—but, Mailman recounts, Anita never regretted her decision because The Body Shop wouldn’t have happened but for that first deal.

As for bon mots, Mailman quoted his father: “Before considering return on capital, always look for return of capital.” Talk about your basic sound advice!

Most of the guidance was directed at people who have already received funding. Less time was spent on how to attract investors’ serious attention in the first place. Since the session, however, I’ve received a lot of input about this from conference attendees. One person observed that he started building a network of potential investors three or four years before he thought he might actually need to raise capital. This approach displays an improbable level of foresight and is wise for many reasons, including the fact that it’s always easier to bring real integrity and “cleanliness” into your transactions with people when you’re not feeling hungry for something they have.

Another attendee offered the following aphorism, which we can file under “Truth in Humor”: “Ask for advice from people you want money from, and ask for money from people you want advice from.”

There’s also the question of who to say no to. Let’s face it —all money is alluring. Still, some offers must be declined, painful though that may be. Brian Cayce of Gray Ghost Ventures put it this way: “If you think you’re going to head for divorce in a year or two or three, don’t get married.”

At the end of the day, raising capital isn’t about money. It’s about relationships. So: don’t make stupid relationship mistakes! And be nice, if only out of enlightened self-interest—if you’re nice to your investors, they’re likelier to be nice to you.

2011 Social Venture Network Fall Conference Interactive Workshop: October 28, 2011

“The Art and Science of Raising Capital” with Brian Cayce, Gray Ghost Ventures, Josh Cohen, City Light Capital and Josh Mailman, Serious Change Investments; Facilitated by Bonny Moellenbrock, Investors’ Circle and SJF Institute

Written by Carl Frankel – Carl is the former editor of Tomorrow Magazine. He is now a US correspondent for Green Futures (UK).

Photos courtesy of Nancy Jo,

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Labor Secretary Solis Talks Green Jobs and Jobs Bill At SVN Gathering

Posted on: October 29th, 2011 by socialventurenetwork No Comments

Written by  November 4, 2011

When Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis spoke at Social Venture Network’s Fall Conference in Philadelphia last Friday, it was a homecoming of sorts. Prior to her 2009 appointment as the first Latina cabinet member, Solis was a four-term California congresswoman at the forefront of the green jobs movement. One of her crowning achievements in Congress: the 2007 Green Jobs Act, which provided funding for “green collar” job training for veterans, displaced workers, at risk youth, and individuals and families under 200% of the federal poverty line.

As Secretary of Labor, Solis remains focused on her vision for a green economy across all sectors. Last January she announced $150 million in “Pathways Out of Poverty” green jobs training grants. The awards support programs to help workers in disadvantaged communities gain access to jobs in industries such as energy efficiency and renewable energy as part of the Recovery Act.

“I was able to invest about $500 million that was given to the agency for the first time so that we could jumpstart the green jobs initiative and that was to help create jobs and get business and spur business and make those investments with partnerships at the community level so that we could begin to train people in their local clean energy sector. Anit keeps growing,” Solis told Oceana‘s Dianne Saenz at the SVN conference.

For 24 years, SVN has been a resource for social entrepreneurs focused on sustainability, social justice, and corporate and social responsibility. Its mission: to build a just and sustainable world through business.

“My agenda, and albeit the Administration’s agenda, is in trying to help further the idea that [SVN] is pushing for. And those are better jobs, clean jobs, safe jobs, better communities, safer communities and first and foremost making sure we can live in sustainable communities that protect and care for all of us,” she said. Solis also pointed out that financial resources are available to strengthen green initiatives, and she encouraged the group of entrepreneurs at the conference to take advantage of these funding opportunities.

“President Obama and his whole initiative is to jumpstart our economy in a new way, in a new 21st century revolution,” Solis told Saenz. “So part of it was making the investment and making sure that we brought communities together and that green jobs can be created for everyone. Not just for that segment of the society that’s well off that has the tools, that has the instruments, that had the funding available, but to make it clear across the country, in rural America, in impoverished America, in areas where vulnerable communities live, where we have seen the unemployment rate upwards of 12-15%.”

Solis’ and Saenz’s conversation ran the gamut, from the core mission of the Department of Labor, to the role of OSHA and the importance of protecting American workers, to global business trends and revisions for visa regulations and enforcement, to incentives for employers to hire veterans.

And of course the conversation focused on the American Jobs Act, and Solis’ belief that the politics and obstructionism have muffled much of the message. “There are a lot of incentives that are in the package that you are not hearing about. All you are hearing from our opponents is that it is a drag on our economy and that it will add to the deficit,” she claimed, enumerating issues such as closing tax loopholes, ensuring that people over 50 who are looking for work aren’t discriminated against by employers who refuse to call them in for interviews, creating public-private partnerships, and making provisions for new entrepreneurs and microenterprises.

As she discussed the Administration’s plan for incentives to hire young people ages 16 to 24, Solis appealed to the SVN audience. “We need to do something so that we do not lose that talent, lose that power and the potential that young people have,” she said. “I would urge you to consider thinking about how you might be able to work that into your own programs to hire young people either on your own or through incentives through federal government,” she continued.

Solis spent time listening to SVN members discuss their businesses and ideas for sustainability and jobs creation, and she offered up her own story as an example. “I go back to my own roots, how my parents came here, worked very hard, left poverty to come here and they didn’t want a hand out, they didn’t want to get in line to ask for welfare. They came here to contribute, and to offer something up, that the American public and everyone embraced at that time. And some of us still embrace that. We honor diversity and we honor the contributions and talents of the many people around this world,” she said.

“I am very optimistic. A lot of people ask me – Secretary why did you take this job? With the highest rate of unemployment in history that you’ve ever seen, why did you take this job? Well I didn’t look at it that way. I looked it as the glass was half filled not half empty. And I thought there’s still a lot in there that I can do. And this President has given me the opportunity to help him with that vision.”

Read more: http://www.care2.com/causes/labor-secretary-solis-talks-green-jobs-and-jobs-bill-at-svn-gathering.html#ixzz1cll3keeW

PART 1:                                                                              PART 2:

2011 Social Venture Network Fall Conference Plenary October 28, 2011
A Conversation with U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis interviewed by Dianne Saenz Oceana
Written by  November 4, 2011
Source:  http://www.care2.com/causes/labor-secretary-solis-talks-green-jobs-and-jobs-bill-at-svn-gathering.html
Photos courtesy of Nancy Jo, Videos courtesy of Left Brain Right Brain Productions
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Leveraging Emerging Technologies to Change the World, We Hope

Posted on: October 29th, 2011 by socialventurenetwork 1 Comment

Written by Charlotte Rademaekers

To promote and explore the use of innovative technology in the name of good, is why Rhiza CEO and SVN board member Josh Knauer constructed a panel of people in the know, to help move the ideology forwards. Dan Whaley (hypothes.is) and Jessica Trybus (Etcetera Edutainment) gave significant insight into ways they’re applying new technologies to their respective companies.

3 significant trends in technology focused on by Dan Whaley:
1- The Lean Startup
2- Agile Development
3- Radical Transparency

Dan got his start creating the first ticketing software for online travel companies. As he his company grew 600 employees strong, Dan began to realize he wanted his talents to have a more meaningful impact. hypothes.is was born soon after. In a world of misinformation and information-overload, “We lack the basis for knowing what is credible,” comments Dan. hypothes.is is a crowd-sourced credibility rating system that gives us real data into what journalists or commentators have the highest integrity, or which doctors are most skilled, according to other experts. hypothes.is is both lean and agile and the product on all levels is as transparent as they come. Support hypothes.is here - http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/dwhly/1239089754.

Through repetition and experiential learning, education is accelerated – and fun! Etcetera Edutainment makes training games and simulations for workplace safety, product education and advergame marketing. Gaming principals are increasingly being used to educate people both in and outside of educational environments. Jessica Trybus demonstrated this with a electrician job-simulation training game by making a mistake that resulted in a mortal blast. The screams in the room were enough to demonstrate the point. “Can you do it again?” someone asked from the audience.

The best technologies are both fun, and useful. From augmented reality, showing us the ratings and comments on restaurants on the other side of the wall, to 3D printers that allow us to manufacture widgets and jewelry in our own homes, the pace of change is monumental. And the consequences are ill-understood. “What about when technology is not used for good,” asked one of Josh Knauer’s plants in the audience. “What about the personal data that Apple, Facebook and Google are collecting on us – our geo-coordinates, our documents, our pictures?” “Privacy is done.” said Josh, and proceeded to describe the list of data that can be bought with just a street address (mortgages, pets…). “If privacy is dead than the antidote is total transparency in the government as well,” was a perfect response from the audience.

So the question becomes, is science evolving faster than our ethics and ability to apply it responsibly? Or for every new terrifying technological application, is there also an equally positive one? Thanks to places like SVN, we can take comfort and inspiration from the creative and empowering technologies from the likes of Josh, Dan and Jessica.
2011 Social Venture Network Fall Conference Interactive Workshop October 28, 2011
“Leveraging Emerging Technologies to Change the World” with Josh Knauer, Rhiza, Jessica Trybus, Etcetera Edutainment and Entertainment Technology Center at Carnegie Mellon University and Dan Whaley, Hypothes.is

Written by Charlotte Rademaekers CEO and Founder of Call2Action www.Call2Action.com “Spark a Movement”
Photos courtesy of Nancy Jo,  Image from http://www.etceteraedutainment.com
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Sustainability as a National Strategic Imperative

Posted on: October 28th, 2011 by socialventurenetwork 1 Comment

Written by Carl Frankel

This year’s SVN conference opened with a bang, as it happens of the military variety. A duo of speakers took up the topic of sustainability as a national strategic imperative. Colonel Mark (Puck) Mykleby, a retired Marine and until recently a special strategic assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, gave an immensely entertaining talk that featured some great one-liners (“Marines are supposed to go out and head-butt people”), more than its share of F-bombs, and some very serious thoughts about how best to approach the sustainability crisis.

The mainstream mental model about economics and everything related to it (such as climate change and sustainability) is literally retarded—as in en retard, late, lagging behind our actual circumstances. It requires an “Aha” moment to bust out of our consensus understanding. Mykleby has plainly had his share of such moments. The result: a report, delivered to the military’s top brass, that proposes making sustainability the strategic imperative of the 21st Century, much as containment was the strategic guiding principle vis-à-vis the USSR in the latter half of the 20th Century.

It’s not enough to let “them” (the people in power) take care of the problem, though. Mykleby repeatedly emphasized the need for personal responsibility: “You’re either a resident, or a citizen. We need to be citizens. It’s up to us to take charge and start figuring out how to fix these problems.”

Mykleby was followed by Patrick Doherty, the director of the Smart Strategy Initiative at the New America Foundation, a non-partisan DC-based think tank. Doherty was more button-down than Mykleby, but just as entertaining in his dry way. His team at the New America Foundation has come up with a national sustainability strategy premised on three axes—smart growth, regenerative agriculture, and taxing “bads” like pollution and CO2 emissions instead of goods.

There’s no denying that these are sensible strategies. Smart growth is energy-efficient growth. Regenerative ag is about three times as productive as degenerative ag, according to Doherty. And why not put taxes in service of incentivizing people not to do undesirable things?

It’s also immensely practical. According to Doherty, preliminary analysis suggests the proposed strategy could save $1.7 trillion over a 10-year period. That’s a whole lotta debt reduction goin’ on.

But is anyone paying attention? Or, more precisely, are enough people paying attention? Though their arguments make perfect sense, we live in a very imperfect political environment, where the discourse is dominated by false premises and Lies Big and Little rule the day. How do we shift the national conversation from inanity to reality? That’s the question of the day, and one your humble blogger doesn’t have an answer for. You’ve got to start somewhere, though, and Mykleby and Doherty are making a good beginning.

“My report,” says Puck Mykleby, “is a permission slip to talk about the problems we really have.”

2011 Social Venture Network Fall Conference
Opening Plenary with Col. Mark “Puck” Mykleby, LRN and Patrick Doherty, New America Foundation
Written by Carl Frankel – Carl is the former editor of Tomorrow Magazine. He is now a US correspondent for Green Futures (UK).

Video courtesy of Left Brain Right Brain Productions

Photos courtesy of Nancy Jo

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SVN & INDIGENOUS Partner to Support Maverick Entrepreneurs

Posted on: October 21st, 2011 by socialventurenetwork 1 Comment
Indigenous Designs

Scott Leonard (left) and Matt Reynolds (right) of Indigenous Designs

INDIGENOUS co-founders Scott Leonard and Matt Reynolds are long-time members of Social Venture Network, both passionate about SVN’s mission to use the power of business to solve social and environmental problems. Scott and Matt will be joining us at our upcoming fall conference in Philadelphia (Oct. 27-30) with a special surprise for the SVN community.

Just before Ben & Jerry‘s plenary on Saturday night, Oct. 29, Lynne Twist of the Soul of Money Institute will host a benefit for SVN’s Bridge Project, an initiative to support entrepreneurs of color, women entrepreneurs and young leaders who are transforming the way the world does business. Scott and Matt have donated beautiful INDIGENOUS Organic cotton shawls and Eco-Wool blankets for The Bridge Project fundraiser.  Make sure to attend the benefit Saturday night for your chance to take home one of the custom designed pieces for SVN.

“Our journey began over fifteen years ago with a vision to build a profitable business while empowering artisans at the base of the pyramid through fair trade & organic fashion.  For over a decade SVN has been a place for us to collaborate with business leaders and change makers that share our same values to make a positive change in the world. In this same spirit it made perfect sense for Indigenous to support the Bridge Project fundraiser,” say Scott & Matt.

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