Stanford Social Innovation Review Podcast

“We live in a different time, a time of great opportunity, but a time in which we have to step up,” NewSchools CEO Ted Mitchell affirmed at the opening of the 2010 NewSchools Summit, an event convened by the NewSchools Venture Fund. In such times, there is an unprecedented opportunity to change the national conversation about what is possible in education, however doing so requires political strategy and savvy. With education being more politicized than ever, educators, social innovators and practitioners must tactically push for progress in the broader landscape.  An accomplished panel of educational reformers, who have forged new grounds on a number of public policy issues, share ideas and advice on how to build coalitions, engage with politicians and understand the operational and political challenges ahead. https://ssir.org/podcasts/entry/newschools_summit-_political_savvy_guidebook_for_a_new_landscape

The end came for the styrofoam clamshell container twenty years ago, thanks to the innovative partnership of McDonald’s and the Environmental Defense Fund as part of a landmark project that reduced packaging waste for the company, and rippled to the entire industry.  Seen risky at the time, the collaboration was a business and environmental success.  Over the past two decades, we have seen many cross-sector partnerships in environmental and social innovation that stemmed from this groundbreaking work.  In this audio interview, host Jerry Michalski of the EDF speaks with McDonald’s Bob Langert and EDF’s Gwen Ruta as they celebrate their 20 year partnership and look ahead at opportunities for business leadership in sustainability. The Future of Green open call series is an initiative of EDF in collaboration with the Center for Social Innovation at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Gwen Ruta directs Environmental Defense Fund’s Corporate Partnerships program. She spearheads its work with leading multinat

Water and wastewater systems in many parts of the world are facing a significant infrastructure gap. In some developed countries like the US, ageing pipes are crumbling and are not being adequately replaced. In many developing countries, the increase in water and sanitation infrastructure is often insufficient to be able to keep up with growing demand. In this audio interview, as part of a Stanford Center for Social Innovation series on water around the world, ITT Corporation’s Colin Sabol talks with Stanford MBA student Ashish Jhina about the urgent need for investments in water and sanitation infrastructure. He explains how artificially low water prices have significant implications for the ability of governments to invest in water systems. He examines technologies that could alleviate water shortages in specific geographies and outlines ITT’s CSR initiative (Watermark) to bring clean drinking water to schools and to emergency situations by providing critical water purification equipment.   https://ssir.o

Environmentally sustainable water use practices result in considerable operational efficiencies and are a source of strategic advantage for businesses in water distressed regions. In this audio interview, part of a Stanford Center for Social Innovation series on water around the world, Pepsico’s Dan Bena talks with Stanford MBA student Ashish Jhina about Pepsico’s efforts to reduce its water footprint. He outlines Pepsico’s public commitment to promote more efficient water use and talks about the role of specific, measurable targets in driving the organization to achieve its ambitious goals. In addition to making its production processes more water efficient, Pepsico is working with farmers to modify their agricultural practices to use less water. Dan talks about the progress made on these fronts and the company’s CSR efforts in partnerships with NGOs to provide improved access to clean drinking to millions of people around the world. Dan Bena is currently the Director of Sustainable Development for PepsiCo,

Opportunities for learning are now available 24/7/365, as students utilize technology to interact with, learn about and communicate with the world. Mindful of this, educational entrepreneurs have found ways to integrate technology to add breadth and depth to a student’s experience. In this panel discussion, Gary Knells speaks on how the multi-platform approach of Sesame Street Workshop has become a gamechanger for early childhood education. Katie Salen discusses how teachers connect to their students in the digital age at Quest to Learn. Joel Rose transforms the old classroom with new models that offer personalized instruction for students. Milton Chen closes by sharing examples of 21st century innovations in education, which can be further explored at Edutopia.org and in his recently published book, Education Nation.  They spoke at the NewSchools Summit, an event convened by the NewSchools Venture Fund. This podcast is sponsored by Social Innovation Conversations. https://ssir.org/podcasts/entry/using_tech

Three films, Waiting for “Superman”, The Lottery, and Teached, all of which provide a candid and critical look at U.S. public education, hit the big screen this year. Positioned to generate conversation and action about education reform, these documentaries take you into the lives of children and families who are struggling in a system that is failing them. 2010 Sundance Audience Award winner Waiting for “Superman” has garnered attention through its support from Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey and Mark Zuckerberg, among others. This panel of filmmakers speaks on their experiences telling these powerful stories and offers ways for the audience to be part of the solution in their own communities and via media platforms. They spoke at the 2010 NewSchools Summit, an event convened by the NewSchools Venture Fund. https://ssir.org/podcasts/entry/schools_hit_the_big_screen_influencing_the_public_mindset

Water is one of the most hidden of our environmental sustainability issues, and yet it poses critical challenges for our future. In this panel discussion at Stanford University, experts from water companies and academia discuss efforts for reducing energy usage, production, and transportation of water and wastewater. They share what water companies are doing to save energy, and how entrepreneurs can best approach the industry to create new technologies and business opportunities in this regard. Speakers were invited by the Stanford Graduate School of Business Energy Club in partnership with the San Francisco-based nonprofit Imagine H2O. Josh Becker is founder and general partner of New Cycle Capital. He started his career in the clean energy area in 1991. From Williams College he went to work for ICF-Kaiser International, a DC-based environmental consulting and engineering firm. After working on Capitol Hill as a press secretary for a congresswoman on the Energy and Commerce Committee, he started his first In

With numerous examples of success in social innovation from the education sector to draw from, the U.S. Administration and Congress propose to scale proven models of excellence to school systems across the country. This is the opportunity to make a dramatic shift away from the status quo and rapidly transform public education through federal reform.  CEO of NewSchools Ted Mitchell has a conversation with U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and Chairman of the House Committee on Education and Labor Congressman George Miller, addressing a gathering of thought leaders, practitioners and entrepreneurs in the field of education at the NewSchools Summit 2010, an event convened by the NewSchools Venture Fund.  They speak on policy changes and practices that are part of a full-fledged effort to turn schools around. https://ssir.org/podcasts/entry/arne_duncan_and_george_miller_-_newschools_venture_summit

Getting businesses, big and small, back into a community and keeping them viable after disaster is an issue that affects the local landscape. As we take part in National Preparedness Month this September, host Karl Matzke, a Stanford Graduate School of Business alumnus and volunteer first responder, has a conversation with FEMA administrator Craig Fugate. Prior to FEMA, Fugate also worked in emergency management at the local and state level and brings insight to his role at FEMA.  He points to resources for corporations and small to medium-sized businesses to prepare and protect themselves from the impact of disaster. For a community to maintain a healthy recovery, Fugate asserts that private and public groups must work collaboratively to help stabilize an environment after disaster. https://ssir.org/podcasts/entry/craig_fugate_-_national_preparedness_month

Recognizing that the private sector offers a strong network with valuable resources, the Business Roundtable’s Partnership for Disaster Response has fostered cross-sector and public-private partnerships to help communities in crisis following large-scale disasters.  Host Karl Matzke, a Stanford Graduate School of Business alumnus and volunteer first responder, has a conversation with Partnership for Disaster Response chair and Brinks Co. CEO Michael Dan, discussing the goals of the Partnership, specific ways that Brinks Co. operates to protect its business and key stakeholders when disaster strikes, and how other businesses may adapt their vocation after a disaster. A rapid response is critical, as lives can be saved and damage minimized if programs are planned and implemented with greater coordination — all with a sense of unity and purpose. https://ssir.org/podcasts/entry/michael_dan_-_the_role_of_business_in_disaster_response

When disaster strikes, it takes a cadre of people, organizations, and businesses mobilized together to bring a community back to scale.The American Red Cross has engaged businesses in innovative ways to be part of the relief and preparedness efforts. Working together, businesses not only step up with the traditional in-kind and/or financial support needed, they are there to share ideas and solve problems with their expertise and infrastructure. In this audio interview, host Karl Matzke, a Stanford Graduate School of Business alumnus and volunteer first responder, speaks with Joe Becker, the Senior Vice President of Disaster Services at the American Red Cross, who explains how partnerships with businesses can bring resiliency back to a community after disaster — to achieve the ultimate goals of meeting human needs in time of crisis and to return things to normalcy.   https://ssir.org/podcasts/entry/joe_becker_-_disaster_relief_how_can_business_help

Education has been a rich area for social entrepreneurship over the past few decades. In this panel discussion from the NewSchools Summit, several prominent educational reformers discuss their work, their goals, and what they’ve accomplished. They consider the radical changes in education in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, where more than 60 percent of students attend a charter school and parents all over the city have a choice regarding where to send their children. They speak about the importance of pushing innovation in education reform. And they share the importance of having a political strategy to back up educational efforts. The 2010 NewSchools Summit was an event convened by the NewSchools Venture Fund. Kevin Chavous is a noted attorney, author and national school reform leader. As a former member of the Council of the District of Columbia and chair of the Council’s Education Committee, Chavous was at the forefront of promoting change within the district public school system. His efforts led to m

A major environmental sustainability issue involves the world’s fresh water supply. Water expert Peter Gleick explains how and why the world is in a water crisis that is leading to a disconnect between supply and demand. He also explains the concept of “peak water,” and why it applies globally and in California. Finally, he offers some solutions to the nation’s water problems. Peter Gleick talked at the annual Conradin von Gugelberg memorial lecture on the environment honoring the memory of Conradin von Gugelberg, a 1987 Stanford Graduate School of Business alum who died shortly after graduation and was particularly visionary about environmental protection, particularly conservation and recycling. Peter H. Gleick is cofounder and president of the Pacific Institute for Studies in Development, Environment, and Security in Oakland, California. His research and writing address the critical connections between water and human health, the hydrologic impacts of climate change, sustainable water use, privatization an

This intergenerational panel discussion at NewSchools Summit 2010 conference highlights how the civil rights and education reform movements are similar. Experts explore how we may draw on lessons from the civil rights movement for tackling what many consider today’s most important social justice issue: closing the achievement gaps that persist in public education. Entrepreneurs will be inspired to redouble their actions in addressing the inequities in education that remain unresolved and to take aggressive action to push the movement toward accomplishing even more ambitious goals. The NewSchools Summit 2010 is an event convened by the NewSchools Venture Fund. Byron Auguste is the director of McKinsey’s Social Sector Office. Based in Washington, D.C., since 2007, Auguste spent 14 years in McKinsey’s Los Angeles office, where he was elected principal in 1999 and director in 2005. His work focused on helping technology and services companies to achieve faster growth, greater productivity, and higher profitabilit

It has been an unprecedented time for education entrepreneurs, with the federal government increasing funding available to innovative nonprofits, engaging social innovators in the development of policy, and highlighting the work of entrepreneurs as exemplars to be followed. In this panel discussion at the NewSchools Summit 2010 conference, Bridgespan Group partner Susan Colby discusses the state of education reform. Education entrepreneurs follow by sharing how innovative ideas, models, and policies may be focused and scaled so that more children can get the education they deserve. They also consider what the broader results of this change will look like a decade from now, and what path will the movement need to take to spark true systemic change in public education. Susan Colby is a founding partner of Bridgespan Group’s San Francisco office, where she leads the organization’s work in K-12 education and foundation strategy. She joined Bridgespan from Pharmacia (previously Monsanto), where she served as co-pr

On March 23, 2010, the Affordable Health Care Act became law in the United States. Under the measure, people who have been denied coverage due to a pre-existing condition, and who have been uninsured for at least six months, may qualify to buy insurance. In this panel discussion at Stanford University, experts from medical and public health fields offer opinions on the new law. They consider how it came to be, its short- and long-term consequences, cost issues involved, and its controversial aspects, including how, for many, it serves as an imperfect start for reforming America’s health care system. Alain Enthoven is the Marriner S. Eccles Professor of Public and Private Management, Emeritus, at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, and a core faculty member at CHP/PCOR. Known as the “father of managed competition,” he was one of the founders of the Jackson Hole Group, a national think-tank on health care policy. His research focuses on the financing and delivery of health care in the United States and ot

Can schools be turned around, and can the system change? Yes, say an experienced district and state school leader in this panel discussion during the Driving Dramatic School Improvement conference at Stanford. Navigating questions by moderator Jordan Meranus, they talk about what they are doing in Louisiana and Baltimore to radically reform schools so that more children can meet state standards and receive an excellent education. https://ssir.org/podcasts/entry/paul_pastorek_and_andres_alonso_-_education_tackling_the_turnaround_challen

How can you leverage the power of design thinking and psychological research with practical tools and strategies to get your social enterprise off the ground? In this university podcast, sponsored by the Stanford Center for Social Innovation, Stanford Graduate School of Business marketing professor Jennifer Aaker introduces the "dragonfly effect" model to illustrate how technology can be used to support business and social missions. https://ssir.org/podcasts/entry/jennifer_aaker_-_the_dragonfly_effect_and_social_enterprise

Twitter may be based in San Francisco, but it's used by folks in nearly every country in the world. In this university podcast, sponsored by the Stanford Center for Social Innovation, author Sarah Milstein shows you the ins and outs of how to use this real-time information network for your personal or business advantage. She offers tips on searching, posting, and making an impact on the world with your ideas. https://ssir.org/podcasts/entry/sarah_milstein_-_using_twitter_for_social_change

Making environmental sustainability stick is requiring the cooperation of the for-profit and nonprofit sectors. In this audio interview, Stanford Center for Social Innovation correspondent Ashkon Jafari interviews Ceres president Mindy Lubber about how her organization brings together investors, government, human rights groups, and others to build a cross-sector voice for sustainability. https://ssir.org/podcasts/entry/mindy_s._lubber_-_collaborating_for_environmental_sustainability