Another form of Social Change

An Anthropological Introduction to YouTube. Fascinating, informative and entertaining. The paradox of becoming further apart and yet closer together through media like YouTube.

Virgance

"Lots of companies make things that could somehow be used by others to create good, but what about a company whose very function was to create as much good as possible? Could such a company give its employees the satisfaction of working to save the world, as well as the same robust salaries found at comparable for-profit companies? If we were to prove that both of those things could be achieved at once, what implications would that have on the business world? When our personal values conflict with the economic imperatives of business, many of us are forced to choose between feeling empty as we get rich, or choosing a meager income in order to do something that makes us happy and fulfilled. Can we create a third path?..."

This makes me happy. This is what SE people live for. Transparent, frank goals to gradually make the world a better place.

These guys are techy and proud of it. Their 'The Odyssey of Virgance' is a fabulous story. Check them out, here. Join them. Work for them. Try some of their ideas.

The Social Entrepreneur MBA: Trained to Adapt

by Michael Myser and John Maas

"Long before the economy tanked, MBAs were in hot pursuit of alternative career tracks — instead of running investment firms, many have aspired to invest themselves in business with a social cause — from nonprofit organizations to overseas startups in developing countries. Top-tier schools like Duke’s Fuqua School of Business and Yale’s School of Management responded by creating programs to prepare so-called “social entrepreneurs.”

The down economy, not surprisingly, is driving more MBA students down socially responsible business paths. And while it’s not yet clear how much the recession will impact businesses with financial and social goals, social entrepreneurs have what it takes to adapt — even in a strong economy, they learn how to do more with less...."

Great article on MBA's moving increasingly in to the SE space. Highlights some top SE b-schools and MBA grad recruiters. Read the rest here.

Changemaker Campus Initiative

A few days ago I spent the weekend in the wilds of VA, with the Ashoka Changemaker Campus Initiative, which is building SE across the university campuses involved. The students, faculty and admin from each of the 4 participating campuses (Johns Hopkins, University of Maryland, George Mason and Cornell), gathered back together to share their progress, hurdles and ideas with one another. They were also joined by some stellar experts from Ashoka and other laudable organisations (and me).

The best part of the weekend was that everyone was there to do something good; for themselves, their campus and the world. So much honest inquiry and valuable dialogue took place during the workshops, over meals and walking from one building to the next. No time was wasted as people searched for advice and answers while earnestly absorbing the inspiration and experience that was in abundance. This is what is amazing about SE or the citizen sector.

The progess and development of the 4 Changemaker Campuses is being guided by Ashoka's University Programs team, who will then gather best practices to share with campuses around the world and potentially scale the initiative for further deep engagement between other universities and Ashoka over the coming years.

Twittering

This weekend Tom from Ashoka convinced me of the merits of Twitter. I'm now a fully fledged Twitterer: jessamynlau
I'll mostly be Twittering about SE stuff, thoughts, ideas and people -with a smattering of other bits and pieces from life.

Literary Inspiration

We have a lunch every Friday in the BYU business school, where we discuss 'how to change the world', and other such altruistic and slightly capitalist notions. Some of the regulars have asked for suggestions on where to go for poignant prose. So, without further ado here are my slightly biased recommendations (in no particular order):

• How to Change the World, David Bornstein - A must-read from journalist turned SE guru and advocate.
  
• Life Entrepreneur, Chris Gergen - A resonating documentation of Gen Y's demands on their own lives and careers.
  
• The Power of Unreasonable People, Pamela Hartigan - Those pesky SE's shaking up the world with their brilliant, fandangled ideas and businesses
  
• So You Want to Change the World?, David Bornstein - Engaging and challenging follow-up lecture to the book.
• Good to Great Social Sectors supplement, Jim Collins - Particularly great section on success/effective-ness measurement in social orgs.
  
• Influencer, Kerry Patterson - Academically rigorous and widely applicable model for anyone looking to exert influence or change behaviours.
  
• The White Man's Burden, William Easterly - Classic discussion of the multiple complexities of aid and charity.
  
• Philanthrocapitalism, Matthew Bishop and Michael Green - Lives, times and current goings-on of rock-star philanthropists and friends.
  
• Globalization and its Discontents/Making Globalization Work, Joseph E Stiglitz - Economist's perspective on the era of globalisation.
  
• Forces for Good, Leslie Crutchfield - Dispelling non-profit myths and exposing best practices.
  

How the rich can save the world

Today, in the gym, I finished reading 'Philanthrocapitalism'. Great book on the cutting edge trends and practices of philanthropy. Mostly a 'big-up' to Bill Gates, but also regular smatterings of dialogue with many other philanthropists, each tackling the charge of making a difference using varied methods. What they all have in common, and my favourite part of the book, is covered in chapter 6. VISION.

Some of these individuals have audacious goals and pictures of the world they are trying to create. This is one of my favourite aspects of SE, in general: seeing a different version of reality, one where an innovative well executed idea provides a real life solution, that works. People who see solutions are those who make them happen. And those who will never be bored or out of work.

A must-read for anyone in the giving/social ent space.
Chapter 6, a must-read for any and everybody.