Stanford Social Innovation Review Podcast

Traditionally, designers have focused on enhancing the look and functionality of products. Now they are using design tools to tackle complex social issues—to find ways to provide low-cost health care, implement clean water systems, distribute mosquito nets, and get out the vote. In this audio lecture, sponsored by the Stanford Social Innovation Review, Jocelyn Wyatt, social innovation lead at the award-winning consultancy IDEO, describes her organization’s efforts in Asia, Africa, and Latin America to use design thinking, a problem-solving system that is grounded in a client’s or costumer’s needs. Design thinking, with its focus on local expertise to uncover local solutions, allows high-impact solutions to bubble up from below rather than being imposed from the top. It provides both a way to create and sustain broader social inclusion. https://ssir.org/podcasts/entry/jocelyn_wyatt_design_thinking_for_social_inclusion

Cet atelier propose un éclairage détaillé sur les modalités de l’entrepreneuriat social, à travers les cas de la Green Team et de Green City Force. L’ESSEC est l’hôte d’un échange public avec deux entrepreneurs sociaux face à une audience active composée d’acteurs engagés dans l’innovation sociale et la préservation de l’environnement. Les deux invités sont des précurseurs en matière d’entrepreneuriat vert. Malgré des domaines d’activités différents, conseil pour l’un, mobilisation civile pour l’autre, tous deux partagent une approche commune du capital humain et une pratique qui relève avant tout de la compétence plutôt que de l’investissement. Tour à tour et face aux réactions du public présent, Cyril Jacque et Lisbeth Shepherd exposent en détail le champ d’action de l’entrepreneuriat social. Quelles transformations apportées en matière d’emploi ? Quel mode de gouvernance et de coopération en entreprise ? Quelles innovations juridiques nécessaires ? Ces deux invités apportent la preuve que les entrepreneurs

It is not surprising to learn, as the population of the world expands at an ever-increasing rate, that the demand for clean and affordable energy is placing unreasonable expectations on our fragile ecosystem. Alexis Belonio has accomplished the seemingly impossible and developed a clean burning cooking stove and continuous-flow industrial flow burner. Belonio’s cooking stove uses a finely tuned gasification process that produces a clean-burning fuel. The Rice Husk Gasifier’s simple and elegant design allows rural communities to build the stove themselves, sourced from accessible resources and local talent, while potentially saving two million metric tons of energy loss each year. https://ssir.org/podcasts/entry/alexis_belonio_local_clean_energy_for_all

The electricity industry is a significant area in which policy changes could have an impact on environmental sustainability. In this audio lecture, Stanford Professor Frank Wolak considers how different utility rate structures might accelerate or delay the vision of an intelligent energy supply/demand nexus in the home. He discusses the inevitability of –– and political barriers to –– dynamic pricing, outlining the role of hourly and critical peak plans in motivating customers to reduce their consumption. He also talks about how renewable energy should be priced to encourage investments in energy storage technologies. Wolak was talking at the 2010 Climate Policy Instruments in the Real World conference, an event convened by the Program on Energy and Sustainable Development (PESD) at Stanford University. Frank A. Wolak is the Holbrook Working Professor of Commodity Price Studies in the Economics Department and the director of the Program on Energy and Sustainable Development at Stanford University. His fields

Taproot is a nonprofit that engages millions of business professionals in pro bono services both through its award-winning programs and by partnering with companies to develop their pro bono programs. In this audio interview, founder Aaron Hurst speaks with Stanford Center for Social Innovation correspondent Ashkon Jafari about how the organization started and how it creates its cross-sector collaboration. He discusses how nonprofits can qualify for grants, and offers his vision for the organization. https://ssir.org/podcasts/entry/aaron_hurst_promoting_philanthropy_through_collaboration

One controversial environmental sustainability issue has to do with using carbon pricing as a means of reducing greenhouse gases. In this university podcast, Harvard professor Robert Stavins lays out two instruments for carbon pricing: taxing CO2 emissions and issuing tradable carbon permits that major league polluters must buy for each ton of CO2 they send into the atmosphere, also known as “cap and trade.” He explains the ins and outs and pros and cons of both. Stavins was talking at the 2010 Climate Policy Instruments in the Real World conference, an event convened by the Program on Energy and Sustainable Development (PESD) at Stanford University https://ssir.org/podcasts/entry/robert_stavins_carbon_pricing_for_environmental_sustainability

A Single Drop for Safe Water (ASDSW) takes a social entrepreneurship approach by offering technical assistance and capacity building opportunities for communities, local government, and assistance organizations to design and implement affordable water and sanitation services. Since 2006, ASDSW has helped 140,000 people gain improved access to clean water by serving as a facilitator, capacity developer, and project manager that engages communities to prioritize sanitation issues early on, allowing them to take ownership and gain self-reliance for long-term benefits to community health. In this audio interview, Stanford Center for Social Innovation correspondent Sheela Sethuraman talks with ASDSW Executive Director Kevin Lee, the 2010 Tech Award winner in the Katherine M. Swanson Equality category, as he describes ASDSW’s work in the Philippines and beyond. https://ssir.org/podcasts/entry/kevin_lee_safe_water_in_communities

As United States Secretary of Energy, Steven Chu is a strong proponent for environmental sustainability, charged with helping implement President Obama’s ambitious agenda to invest in clean energy, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, address the global climate crisis, and create millions of new jobs. In this university podcast, Chu talks about the green technology revolution and why America needs it. He offers scientific details of global warming, in particular, and discusses what the government is doing to support solutions and how such efforts are stimulating the economy. His lecture was the keynote of the Energy Crossroads conference titled “Educating the Energy Generation: How Universities Can Empower a Generation of Energy Leaders.” This talk was hosted by Stanford’s Green Alliance for Innovative Action, a student organization, and co-sponsored by the Woods Institute for the Environment. https://ssir.org/podcasts/entry/steven_chu_environmental_sustainability_and_clean_energy

English is indisputably the business language of South East Asia, according to Chamberlain’s research. Out of 7,000 people surveyed, 84% indicated a desire to learn the language, and 97% of parents wanted their children to learn it. It is also true that most of Bangladesh’s population lives on less than 2 dollars a day. Enters BBC Janala, the project harnessing the power of mobile phones in Bangladesh to bring effective and affordable language learning to the hands of students who desire it most. Each 2-3 minute English lesson offered through the service costs about the same as a cup of tea, a few pennies. Three million calls in the first 15 months clearly demonstrated the need for this type of learning. Chamberlain is the recipient of the 2010 Microsoft Tech Award in the education category and speaks with Center for Social Innovation correspondant Sheela Sethuraman. She and her team of managers and producers conducted massive research to properly contextualize and localize content. Their focus is now to take

Près d’un milliard d’habitants dans le monde n’ont actuellement pas accès à de l’eau potable. C’est dans ce contexte que Veolia Eau, dont la mission consiste à acheminer de l’eau aux consommateurs, s’est intéressé au Bangladesh, pays gravement touché par la contamination des eaux et nappes phréatiques par l’arsenic. Eric Lesueur, Directeur de projet de Veolia Environnement, retrace la genèse du partenariat signé en 2008 avec Grameen Bank, organisme créé et dirigé par Muhammad Yunus, Prix Nobel de la Paix 2006. Il relate le lancement et la stratégie de l’entreprise sociale Grameen Veolia Water Ltd dont l’objectif est d’approvisionner le maximum d’habitants des zones rurales en eau potable. Questionné par l’économiste Jean-Pierre Ponssard sur l’avancement du projet et son évolution, Eric Lesueur expose les stratégies déployées localement et fait part de la motivation de Veolia dans cette entreprise : « donner pour développer ». Eric Lesueur est le Directeur de projet Veolia Environnement. Ingénieur de l’Ecole P

Great social enterprise takes great leadership. In this university podcast, Habitat for Humanity’s Jonathan Reckford talks about what makes an exceptional leader. He discusses his career journey, his own sources of inspiration, and the principles behind his views on managing organizations well. What are the core tenets of leadership? What does a good leader need be successful? Reckford also discusses the work and future goals of Habitat for Humanity, an organization that has helped thousands of low-income families around the world find new hope in the form of affordable housing. He spoke to MBA students at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. https://ssir.org/podcasts/entry/jonathan_reckford_the_power_of_leadership_in_social_enterprise

Nike has taken the call for corporate social responsibility seriously, particularly when it comes to working with suppliers. In this university podcast, Nike’s director of global logistics, Dawn Vance, talks about the company’s journey to integrate sustainability into the supply chain from design through delivery to the retail marketplace. She discusses collaborative models with factory partners, logistics providers, stakeholders, and industry conditions, as well as the organization’s work on business models that will be responsible for the fate of products from cradle to grave. Vance spoke at the fourth annual Socially and Environmentally Responsible Supply Chain Conference convened by the Global Supply Chain Management Forum and the Center for Social Innovation, both departments of the Stanford Graduate School of Business. https://ssir.org/podcasts/entry/dawn_vance_corporate_social_responsibility_in_supply_chains

Embedding environmental sustainability into the very way a company is designed and operated is the wave of the future. Natura Cosmetics Brasil has incorporated ingredients from the rainforest into its product lines, which has meant establishing close ties with the indigenous peoples living there and “giving back” to support the development of their communities. In this university podcast, Joao Paulo Ferreira, VP of operations and logistics, discusses the specifics of managing the supply chain from the forest all the way to the end consumer, discussing research, and collaborations with communities, NGOs, universities, other industries, and governments. Ferreira spoke at the fourth annual Socially and Environmentally Responsible Supply Chain Conference convened by the Global Supply Chain Management Forum and Center for Social Innovation both departments of the Stanford Graduate School of Business. https://ssir.org/podcasts/entry/joao_paulo_ferreira_environmental_sustainability_in_supply_chains

Undernutrition is a widespread problem that needs to be addressed with sustainable solutions. Daily diets require small amounts of the micronutrients iodine and iron to boost mental and physical development. Recognizing salt as a staple in diets, Venkatesh Mannar, overcame the technical and chemical challenges and pioneered a viable solution: double fortified salt (DFS). Protecting people from iodine deficiency disorders and anaemia, the use of DFS has been implemented as a public health prevention strategy worldwide. In this audio interview, Stanford Center for Social Innovation correspondent Sheela Sethuraman talks with Mannar, 2010 Tech Award winner in Health, as he discusses the large-scale social impact double fortified salt has brought to improving health and nutrition.   https://ssir.org/podcasts/entry/venkatesh_mannar_innovations_in_global_health

The global shift towards outsourcing and offshoring have posed new challenges and opportunities for retailers and suppliers. Taking into consideration “capable suppliers”, companies are able to exert their leverage in sustainability by adding social and environmental criteria when considering their sourcing options. Host Jerry Michalski of the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) is joined by Andrew Hutson of EDF’s Corporate Partnerships Program and Gary Gereffi of Duke University’s Center on Globalization, Governance & Competitiveness, in a conversation about the broad trends in global supply chains and their ongoing work with sustainable development. 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. https://ssir.org/podcasts/entry/andrew_hutson_gary_gereffi_sustainability_opportunities_in_global_supply_ch

McDonald’s corporate social responsibility efforts have traveled all the way to India. In this university podcast, Abhijit Upadhye, an executive with the company’s Indian enterprise, details the ordeal to set up a supply chain that could meet the corporation’s stringent quality and food safety standards while also appealing to the mostly vegetarian population. He outlines how McIndia has endeavored to respect local culture, develop local partners, and identify local sources in bringing the famous fries and other Micky D favorites to millions on the subcontinent, while also forging some infrastructural and culinary innovations. Upadhye spoke at the fourth annual Socially and Environmentally Responsible Supply Chain Conference hosted in partnership by the Stanford Global Supply Chain Management Forumand the Center for Social Innovation at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. https://ssir.org/podcasts/entry/abhijit_upadhye_when_corporate_responsibility_means_going_local

Zipcar and Method are known for their radical approaches to redesigning consumer products and services for the next generation. As the largest car-sharing company in the world, Zipcar has transformed the way we get from here to there. Method, one of the fastest-growing companies in America, has challenged the consumer packaged goods industry with a home care product line that offers consumers the greener option. In this audio interview, host Jerry Michalski of the EDF speaks with founders Robin Chase (Zipcar) and Adam Lowry (Method) on how they brought newer, greener ideas to market with successful return for their businesses. 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. https://ssir.org/podcasts/entry/robin_chase_and_adam_lowry_-_the_future_of_green_open_call_series

Leaders in sustainability, like Levi’s and Diversey, maintain a heritage of environmental consciousness in their business operations. In this audio interview, host Neal Gorenflo publisher of Sharable.net is joined by Maurice Bechard, director of Global Environment Health & Safety at Diversey and Michael Kobori, vice president of Levi Strauss & Co., who share their insight on how corporations can adapt to support sustainable outcomes and raise the bar within their industry. These companies are mindful of the true environmental impact of their products, and consider its life cycle — from sustainable raw materials to the end consumer use. 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.   https://ssir.org/podcasts/entry/sustainability_can_corporations_really_change

Social enterprise is often strengthened by cross-sector collaboration. In this university podcast, panelists talk about how two organizations have turned the “buy local” motto into an evolving partnership that is making NGO and corporate cooperation in the supply chain arena work for both parties. Executive Director Diane Del Signore shares how Community Alliance with Family Farmers advocates for California farmers, helps them to become more organic, and finds markets for their food. VP Maisie Greenwalt explains how Bon Appétit Management Company buys that produce for use in its catering operations serving institutional settings. The panel was part of the fourth annual Socially and Environmentally Responsible Supply Chain Conference hosted by the Global Supply Chain Management Forum and the Center for Social Innovation at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. https://ssir.org/podcasts/entry/social_enterprise_in_food_supply_chains

For many years, IT Conversations has presented a great cross-section of technology-related interviews and presentations. Yet when Conversations Network Executive Direct Doug Kaye and his wife recently returned from a trip to Egypt as the country began its possible revolution, it was logical to hear his story. He joins Phil and Scott to review the event and share his current thoughts on what they witnessed. Doug first gives an overview of their vacation trip and how it suddenly changed into something completely different. He talks about how he quickly saw changes in how Egyptians viewed their leadership. He also discusses how the country’s internet cut-off affected both tourists and citizens alike. He describes an event that he called a first hand view of a possible revolution in the Middle East. He presents details of conversations he had with Egyptians and how they saw the demonstrations, as well as the importance of technology to the citizens. He also assesses the importance of social networking to the ever