Social Innovation

It is my fear that many of our very talented young—and even their leaders—have begun to conflate leading with starting something new. Which is a problem, as not everyone is—or should be—a social entrepreneur, and a world full of leaders who strive to be social entrepreneurs creates waste, duplication, and much worse.

Seven billion people calls for new design thinking, a conscious understanding of the majority cultures in the world, and a shift in how and where we look for innovation.

In the current economic environment pretty much every American is trying to increase their savings and reduce their debts. My friend and I started wondering how we could make that easier in a different way.

How do you create a movement? How do you galvanize a community to come together for a common cause, especially when they are killing each other? Start with women.

Cross-posted on World Challenge Down to Business.

For a late summer outing, the Echoing Green team recently made an exciting site visit to 2008 Echoing Green Fellow Jessamyn Waldman’s Hot Bread Kitchen.

Our blogpost, Where are the Women?, caused quite a reaction! It obviously struck a nerve and raised a number of questions about gender, social change, and why it matters.

The Social Capital Markets Conference (SOCAP) is heading into its fourth year. Attendance is booming and investors and social entrepreneurs alike, from nearly 75 countries, are clamoring to attend the meeting of money and meaning.

Steve Jobs is an awe-inspiring failure. Truly, an inspiration to failures everywhere. Because when Steve Jobs fails, his success is undeniable.

As Jobs retires from his position as the CEO of Apple, I am reminded of his 2005 commencement address at Stanford University. That day, Jobs listed some of his favorite failures—dropping out of college, being fired from Apple at the age of 30, and the apparent failure of his body in the face of a terrifying cancer diagnosis.

Over the last several years, Echoing Green has seen a decrease in the number of women Fellows selected relative to men. The last six out of seven Fellowship classes have been majority male and the past two years have seen a particularly sharp dip in women Fellows.

This has us thinking. What’s going on?