Topic: Social Entrepreneurship

When it comes to online giving market places, the adage is: If you build it, few will come. So how do you drive enough people to such online spaces to make them work? In this talk, sponsored by the Stanford Center for Social Innovation, William Meehan, McKinsey senior director, talks about the opportunities and challenges in making online giving marketplaces successful, and what lies ahead in this area for organizations dedicated to making a genuine sustained impact in communities.

Despite being the fastest land animal, cheetahs can't run from the threat of habitat loss. Laurie Marker of the Cheetah Conservation Fund has used a multi-pronged effort including habitat restoration, resource management education, and job creation to address that threat. In this interview by Sheela Sethuraman for the Tech Museum Awards, Marker describes the creative measures she has taken to save cheetahs and improve the lives of the people who live near them.

Not a week goes by without a product safety incident splashed across the headlines. As companies face increasing layers of suppliers, the task of monitoring the many links in the chain becomes a formidable challenge. The situation is particularly troubling for social entrepreneurs, who are especially vulnerable. In this panel from the 2008 Responsible Supply Chains Conference, executives who have experienced product safety challenges share what they have done to address these challenges head on.

How can an innovative social entrepreneur enable her exciting new idea to fulfill her dream of changing the world? This panel of truly successful innovators examines the challenges of replicating and scaling ideas into massive realities of social change. They share their varied experience in identifying the important considerations that can grow a successful neighborhood social program into a global social venture.

Moira speaks with psychologist and author Dr. Ken Dychtwald, about re-writing the script for aging, especially in these economic times.

How does an organization not only promote green and sustainable products but also conduct business in a socially responsible way? At the Stanford 2008 Responsible Supply Chains Conference, leaders of three pioneering enterprises talk about how they integrate fair trade, sustainable design, green purchasing, and public/private partnerships into every aspect of their business. They offer advice for other organizations and share how they are working to promote social responsibility in their respective industries.

Financing the growth of operations to achieve major scale is undoubtedly the biggest challenge facing social entrepreneurs. This panel explores the current challenges and constraints in mobilizing capital flow to compelling social enterprises. Also discussed are a range of strategies and channels available to social entrepreneurs for financing growth plans, including emerging alternatives to create new asset classes (hybrid, for-profit, and for-benefit models).

Marc Koska talks about his involvement with Star Syringe, the 2008 Tech Awards Health Award winner. Star Syringe designed and licensed the K1 auto-disable syringe, which prevents syringe reuse. In this interview with host Sheela Sethuraman, Koska explains how focusing on the needs of the syringe manufacturers, instead of the end users, was an important success factor. He discusses how single-use syringe adoption is progressing in India as well as the activities and aims of his charity SafePoint Trust.

Trying to change the world? Are you looking for a marketing strategy to spread your ideas? Ever noticed how certain brands like Apple, Harley Davidson, or Coca-Cola are instantly recognizable by anyone you meet? No matter what your goals, Douglas Holt believes there is a systematic model to learn from the marketing success of these companies and that social entrepreneurs can leverage cultural branding within their organizations.

What fuels the creation of a nonprofit organization? In this discussion, sponsored by the Stanford Center for Social Innovation, panelists talk about their experiences founding an education-related nonprofit in the United States and a microenterprise in Africa. They explore how they came up with the ideas for their enterprises, how they focused and manifested those ideas, and what smart and not-so-smart choices they made along the way. A portfolio manager adds her insights on what elements make a startup appealing to potential funders.