You are invited: Ashoka Forum 2011

Ashoka Forum 2011: Everyone a Changemaker

May 26th, MaRs Discovery District 

Click here to register!

Every year, Ashoka inducts new social entrepreneurs, or, "Ashoka Fellows", into its global network, which currently stands at 2700 Fellows.  

Anil Patel, Framework

Reflecting back to September when I started volunteering at Ashoka, I didn't really understand the significance of an Ashoka Fellow's work.  However, after months of engaging with these individuals, learning and working with them, I get it...now I understand why Ashoka spends endless hours selecting these individuals, and why there is so much emphasis placed on a candidate's new idea, entrepreneurial spirit, ethical fibre, creativity, and of course, social impact.  

Cindy Blackstock, First Nations CFCS

These are the top change-leaders in the world, and on may 26th, we are celebrating the addition of a new cohort of Canadian Fellows into our network.

I've been to many events in the social innovation space; some I find very useful and others I find vague and confusing.  The Ashoka Forum is different, because you will interact with and learn from the people who are actively solving Canada's most pressing social issues and making great strides in the process.  If they weren't, they wouldn't be elected as Fellows.

The event is broken down into two parts:  
The Action Dialogue (the afternoon) and the   
30 Year Celebration (the evening).  You can register for one of the events, or both. 
They both take place at MaRs Discovery District on May 26th.

If you are interested in social entrepreneurship, if you want to be inspired  and learn what Ashoka is all about, I strongly encourage you to attend the evening 30 Year Celebration.  You will hear from each of the new Fellows and have a chance to meet them while snacking on some delicious food.  This event will run from 5:30-7:30pm.

If you are a social innovation guru or are eager to learn more about this growing field, the Action Dialogue is the event for you.  Canadian and global leaders are joining forces to provide an afternoon of intense networking and learning.  Here's how the afternoon will flow:

Tonya Surman, founder of CSI

• Ashoka Fellow Panel, facilitated by the Centre for Social Innovation's one and only, Tonya Surman.
• Breakout sessions, for which you have 3 options:
1. Social-mission Investing
2. Community-Business Collaboration for Sustainability
3. Citizens Re-defined

The Action Dialogue starts at 2:00pm, ending at 5:00pm, leading into the 30 Year Celebration.   There are student discounts available!

I'm so excited for the 26th, and really hope you can join.  If you have any questions or feedback, I'd love to hear from you.  

Take the time for yourself to be inspired.   Learn about issues in Canada you never knew existed. Celebrate 30 years of social entrepreneurship and scaling impact.  

Join us on the 26th.

Cancer Can't Dance Like This

Why a One-Man Show &  Laugh Therapy Socials Are Changing our Healthcare System

 For the past few months, I have been working with Zal Press, founder of Patient Commando Productions, to build his new organization from the ground-up.  I've learned a whole lot and have had a lot of fun, and am excited to announce our feature show launch this Thursday at CBC Glen Gould studio.

So what is Patient Commando and what do we do?

Patient Commando uses the patient narrative to change the relationship between patients and patient providers through theatre, comedy, improvisation workshops and live testimonials.

As a chronic patient suffering from Chron's Disease for 30 years, Zal Press decided to phase out of his successful business to start up Patient Commando.  Throughout these 30 years, Zal felt the apathy of healthcare providers, he saw the weaknesses of the healthcare system, and read about the needless epidemics and diseases caused by lack of real understanding of the patient's experience.

Patient Commando targets healthcare providers of all kinds and uses chronic patients' stories to foster an understanding of the patient's perspective, to ultimately trigger behavioural change. For the chronic patients, we aim to increase their sense of empowerment to know their rights and manage their own healthcare.  

Zal Press, Founder of Patient Commando Productions

As most would agree, there are many weaknesses within our healthcare system, and professionals are actively working to find the right solutions.  They've been trying different approaches for years.  Zal explained this to me a couple of months ago and threw out this question:  If we haven't been able to solve much, who is the one person yet to be engaged in the decision-making process? 

The patient of course!...the person the entire system was designed for.

Using the arts, laughter, and real stories is an innovative approach to solving major barriers to improved healthcare.  By engaging hospitals, medical associations, medical schools, and the various other health institutions in our system, Patient Commando is targeting the people who have the potential to create some serious change.

           What's happening on Thursday?

Lilah Petersiel, Neuroblastoma survivor

This Thursday, Patient Commando Productions is launching with its first show: Cancer Can't Dance Like This. Performed by cancer survivor Daniel Stolfi, this play will take you through his journey of survival while making you laugh your guts out. Like all of our shows, the proceeds from Thursday's performance will be donated to a health/disease-related charity, in this case, Lilah's Fund.   

Click here for tickets.

So how does a "Laugh Therapy Social" come into play, and frankly, what the heck is it?

 

Patient Commando's strategy is made up of four pieces: Shows, a Speakers Bureau, Membership Services for patients, and lastly, Laughter Therapy Socials.  Our Creative Director and award-winning alumnus of "The Second City", Brian G. Smith leads sessions that allow people to step out of their comfort zones, break down the tensions and anxieties within teams, and most of all, laugh.  Using improv activities at the core of these sessions, Laughter Therapy Socials will have healthcare teams break out of their shells to one another and their patients.

Me (middle) and my "siblings", exchanging gifts on our "birthday".

As a pump-up for the Patient Commando team, I had the opportunity to participate in a Laughter Therapy Social last week.  It was my first time meeting almost everyone in the room, so naturally, this kind of activity was a tad intimidating at first. Within minutes of starting the session, Brian had us making strange noises, making up stories feeding off of one another, and laughing ourselves to tears.  

Social entrepreneurs like Zal Press see major problems and do not settle for the traditional, ineffective ways to solve them.  They combine forces with various sectors, think completely out of the box, and take a risk on something new and innovative.  Thursday night marks the beginning of a new journey for the healthcare system, and I hope you consider joining the fun.

CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR TICKETS BEFORE THURSDAY!

No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

Muhammad Yunus battles forced removal from Grameen Bank

"To me, poor people are like bonsai trees.  When you plant the best seed of the tallest tree in a flower pot, you get a replica of the tallest tree, only inches tall.  There is nothing wrong with the seed you planted, only the soil-base that is too inadequate.  Poor people are bonsai people.  There is nothing wrong in their seeds.  Simply, society never gave them the base to grow on.  All it needs to get the poor people out of poverty is for us to create an enabling environment for them.  Once the poor can unleash their energy and creativity, poverty will disappear very quickly."

- Muhammad Yunus

I read this quote on the subway home tonight in the book I'm currently reading,  The Power of Unreasonable People.  I was emotionally struck by the way Yunus weaved these words together into an vivid analogy I could actually visualize;  and the truth behind the analogy tightened the lump in my throat because I understood clearer than ever that humankind has stunted the growth of billions of people.  

While I've seen the numbers and read the facts,Yunus' words helped me internalize the damage done and the power of humans to cause that damage.  And so my next thought was that if we have the wherewithal to cause this much suffering globally, don't we have the same degree of strength to create solutions?

I think we do, we just need to make smarter decisions.

I really didn't intend this post to focus on ways of ending global poverty; I just happened to come across these words on the same day I planned to express my thoughts on Yunus' current legal battle, and felt compelled to share this paradox.  What I really wanted to express is how sad it is that someone as authentic as Muhammad Yunus, Nobel Peace Prize winner, societal game-changer, writer of the beautiful quote above, could be stripped of the very entity he built from the ground up.

Muhammad Yunus founded Grameen Bank, the world's first microfinance institution, in 1976.  He developed the concept of microfinance and has since built an empire of various Grameen social businesses, such as Grameen Telecom, Grameen Fisheries, and Grameen Danone Foods.  He has created systemic change in his home country of Bangladesh and is a global leader in poverty reduction.  His work has affected millions of people.

Back in March, Yunus was fired from his position as the Director of Grameen Bank by a central bank (government) order.  He was accused of failing to seek the bank's approval when he was reappointed as managing director in 1999.  He was also accused of illegally maintaining his position past the retirement age limit of 60 in Bangladesh.

This legal battle completely blows my mind.  Despite the success (let alone social impact) of Grameen Bank, Bangladesh continues to be a nation consumed by hunger, disease, and extreme poverty.  Did the government really not have more important issues to tackle than to attack the country's most respected individual?  Is there not enough harmful corporate activity taking place every day that the government can work to destroy? T

he wasted effort, time, and money spent on this  fiasco wanes on me and I cannot help but recall the quote "No good deed goes unpunished". I wonder if he feels betrayed by his own country, or if he even cares at all.

I think there is a lesson here for social entrepreneurs:  Perhaps the ones who are driving major global change, the unreasonable people like Muhammad Yunus, realize their visions because they didn't follow all the rules along the way.  And if that's the case, no matter how much good we try to exude in our worlds, there will always be something trying to break us down.  

Ultimately, the learning for social entrepreneurs is to maintain pure resilience and focus on vision, because I predict that even if Muhammad Yunus does not win this unecessary fight, Grameen businesses and the legacy Yunus holds will remain indestructible...and this sets a stellar example for social change actors everywhere.

CSR Re-inspired

Highlights from the ORENDA Connections conference and 

why I believe in CSR again

If you have followed my posts throughout the past few months, you've likely caught on to the fact that I've become a tad cynical about corporate social responsibility (CSR).  Having gone through business school thinking optimistically that CSR is creating positive impact around the world, since graduating a year ago, my experiences and research have tainted this perspective.

This past year, I have delved deep into the web of social innovation.  I have spent countless hours at events that focus on social entrepreneurship and social finance.  I have read blogposts, books, and articles about grassroots organizations  and social entrepreneurs who are creating real system-changing impact on the world's most pressing social issues.  I have lived and breathed all that is Ashoka.  And I've seen reality snippets of the corporate world; its hypocrisy and wasted resources.

I guess this explains why in just one year, I went from the CSR end of the spectrum to the grassroots extreme.

But this past week I attended ORENDA Connections' CSR conference, In Good Company, and to my surprising relief, I was totally re-inspired by the power of CSR.

I have been following ORENDA's founder and CEO Peggie Pelosi since my studies at Ivey.  She is a true inspiration to me.  Peggie epitomizes the powerful woman determined to create positive change.  After a twenty-year career in sales, a life-changing experience in Uganda led Peggie on journey which culminated in the founding of ORENDA: A strategic CSR consulting company dedicated to helping companies leverage the power of CSR to create a meaningful connection between people and the places they work. (Read more about Peggie's interesting story here)

In Good Company drew speakers from major corporations across various sectors as well as smaller, emerging companies.  We heard from Microsoft, Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities, Telus, Edelman Public Relations, L'oreal and Loyalty One to name a few.  And while I wasn't fully aligned with a few presentations, I took home some interesting learnings and was inspired by two companies in particular: Fifth Town Artisan Cheese, and Better the World.

Here are some fast facts that resonated with me:

- Catherine Hughes of Corel Corporation shared that they chose to partner with global charity Room to Read because the charity was adament that they would choose how and when Corel would interact with Room To Read's staff and children.  This criterion has led to an incredibly successful partnership. 

- Petra Cooper, founder of Fifth Town Artisan Cheese, has spent only $50,000 on marketing in all the years her business has been running...cumulatively.  So how do people know about this organic dairy farm that sells mind-blowing cheeses? How is Petra so successful?  She allocated those traditional marketing dollars to her focus on community.  She donates cheese to non-profit events and supports various other community initiatives.  She also sells the experience through her widely-acclaimed dairy farm tours. She may be extracting value from her CSR practices, but as long as it is authentic and creates impact, it works for me!

- Steve Croth of Better the World asked the participants if they brought their CEO's, CFO's, and other big guys/gals to the conference that day.  Not one person put up their hand.  He said that we're not bringing the right people to events like In Good Company, because everyone who was there has already bought-in.  We know that the real decisions start at the top, so let's change the target market of CSR events.

So simple, yet so brilliant.  This one really stuck with me.

- During the panel discussion, the speakers were asked the percentage of pre-tax profits that are spent on their CSR strategies.  While individuals from various large corporations answered this question quite precisely (Apprently "best practices" dictate it is 1%), Steve Croth said exactly what was on my mind: That number does not, and should not matter.  If you are dedicated to doing good, then do what it takes to do good. 

- Mikael Henry, Senior Vice President of L'Oreal's Professional Products Division made us laugh uncontrollably with his delightful French accent and witty jokes.  What resonated with me most, however, is L'Oreal's "Hairdressers Against AIDS" initiative.  I was taken by the creativity and simplicity of partnering with hairdressers across Canada to spread the AIDS message.  They're the ones who spend hours of  personal time with people, they're the ones are vented to. Check out this awesome program:

                    

So while I still see companies creating hypocritical CSR programs, In Good Company raised hopes that many companies are making lasting impact and are authentic in their socially responsible missions.   And while grassroots organizations and social entrepreneurs have the advantage of knowing their causes best, of little bureaucracy, and a sole focus on their missions, we must not forget the power of money....and it is the large corporations that have this advantage.  So if we can use this power and channel it effectively toward social missions, you may just find me back in the middle of that grassroots-CSR spectrum.

Governments look to boost charity financing

 We made it in the budget!

So the government is finally taking social finance seriously.

Check out this globe and mail article to read up on how social finance has made its way into Harper's budget. 

Yes, yes, I know he may not be in office much longer, but its great to see some steps forward.  It looks like some of our Social Finance and Innovation Tour government participants at HRSDC and Public Safety Canada have taken the lead in their organizations as well.

No matter the election results, let's keep the momentum going!

Here's the article:

Federal and provincial governments are signalling that they will make it easier for charities to run businesses and tap into financing normally reserved for corporations, as cash-strapped governments boost their reliance on the private sector.

Ottawa, Ontario and British Columbia have recently indicated they are looking for ways to bolster so-called social financing – essentially, what happens when money is invested to generate both a social and a financial return. click here to read more...

IT'S YOUR CANADA, WHAT DO YOU WANT TO VOTE FOR?

THIS IS AFRICA & A Social Enterprise Debate

Let's Drop the Word "Social"

On Saturday I attended re:Vision 2011, YSEC's second annual conference on social entrepreneurship.  There was a unique spirit in the room,  a buzz of excitement throughout the day as young social entrepreneurs (or those to-be) got hyped up by the inspiring speakers, networking with each other, and bouncing great ideas off one another. 

Throughout the day, however, I couldn't help but think back to another conference I attended just a few weeks ago, where a man who is making some serious change in Africa claimed his opposition to the concept of social entrepreneurship and social enterprise.

He has a very interesting opinion, and it is an important one to share as this field continues to flourish:

Tal Dehtiar, founder of Oliberté Footwear, caught my interest not only with his system-changing business model, but also with his heated opinions on aid and what a social enterprise really means.

Tal believes that aid does not provide sustainable solutions to major issues in developing countries (aside from natural disasters). Like I do, he believes that building businesses (and therefore creating jobs) fosters natural economic growth and empowerment.  We both developed some of our opinions on aid from a book I highly recommend called "Dead Aid", by economist Dambisa Moyo. 

Tal's belief in how to eradicate poverty and trigger growth in developing countries forms the basis of the Oliberté business model.

Oliberté Footwear is a shoe manufacturer.  Like the other big shoe companies out there, it has designers, suppliers, manufacturers, distribution systems, etc..

So what is the key difference between Oliberté and the Nikes of the world?

Oliberté's supply chain operates fully in Africa.  It is the first company to have a fully-operated shoe company based out of Africa and sold in the West... most of the big players in the shoe industry shift but one step in their manufacturing process overseas and call it CSR (corporate social responsibility).

Amidst the major challenges and constraints of building an entire business in many countries in Africa, Tal and his team found a way to make well-designed, fashionable shoes that are sold at price-points comparable to other high-end brands, at the stores we all know and love.  Oh yes, AND they are creating jobs, empowering individuals, and fostering growth in communities that are often perceived to be desperate (and might I add that women comprise approximately 50% of the workforce!).  

You ready to head to the mall yet?

Here's the way Oliberté explains their concept:

When we first shared the idea of manufacturing our footwear in Africa, many thought why? Why or how could anyone want to make shoes in a place full of so much poverty and corruption?

The answer was simple – we never have and still don't see an Africa that's categorised by negative generalizations. Oliberté believes that with the right partners, each country within Africa has the means to grow and support its people. So that's what we do – Oliberté partners with factories, suppliers, farmers and workers to produce premium footwear in Africa, but we do more than that. We work create fair jobs, with the goal of contributing to the development of a thriving middle class.

It is generally accepted that a thriving middle class is a key component to the success of any country. In Africa the middle class is increasing in size and one of Oliberté's goals is to support that growing middle class by building a world class footwear brand that can create thousands of jobs and also encourages manufacturers from other industries to work in Africa.Currently Oliberté operates in Ethiopia, Liberia and Kenya with the goal of expanding to Cameroon, Congo, Uganda and Zambia in the coming years.

So I'm sitting in the audience in awe, thinking "Wow! What an incredible social entrepreneur!"

But according to Tal, he is not a social entrepreneur, he is simply an entrepreneur.  

In Tal's opinion, he is running a shoe company that just happens to be having a huge impact in developing countries.  He thinks that every business should be treating its employees fairly and operating through sustainable supply chains, so to designate a separate concept to those businesses who happen to be operating the right way seems almost silly. It leads people to mentally separate ethics and business, when really, this is how business should intrinsically run anyway.  Of course, I agree with this, and value his opinion very much.

Tal said his parents immigrated to Canada and grew a business that employed many people. And according to most of us, they would not be considered social entrepreneurs despite the fact that creating jobs most definitely solves a social issue.  And because almost every company hires people, wouldn't, then everyone be a social entrepreneur?

Interesting opinion, and he almost had me sold.

But here's the the thing.  Ideally, yes, we all envision a world one day where businesses are run completely sustainably and ethically.  Unfortunately, that's not reality...YET.  But that's what the members of the social enterprise movement are working towards.  And we're going to need to coin this as a movement until the socially and environmentally detrimental companies change their values and practices.

So in my opinion, there IS a definite difference, and right now there needs to be one.  The social entrepreneurs and social enterprises (click here for my take on the difference between these two terms) are actively shifting mindsets of consumers and corporations. These are the innovators, the change leaders, the ones who are going to help us battle climate change and poverty.  And until our marketplace becomes fully ethical and serving people the way it was originally designed to, the "social" piece of the concept must remain.  There is a clear difference between an entrepreneur and a social entrepreneur...and Tal is a concrete example of the latter.  His business principles are leading by example.

My hope is that very soon, the concepts of social entrepreneurship and social enterprise cease to exist so that these organizations and companies that are driving system-change become the main-stream enterprises.  Let us all aspire to create a world where the word "social" is dropped...where instead, "social" implies the norm.

Until then, we have a lot of work to do my friends.

Green Tea Party, UNITE!

Why the Canadian government must listen to our voices on climate change

My head is exploding with new knowledge I gained this past week at two different conferences, both focused on social enterprise, sustainability, and all the other great conversations I like to cover here on Kaizen Crossroad.  With lots of different ideas and  opinions wafting inside, I will break the next few posts into themes I hope you will find both relateable and interesting.

I will begin with a feeling that has been irking in my gut for the last few weeks:

As an informed Canadian voter, I feel there is little I can do to make a large-scale impact on mitigating climate change.  I believe the change has to come from the government, and the government is simply not making climate change a priority despite the overwhelming and frightening proof of its importance.  Canada has the potential to make a significant difference; we have the potential to become a global leader on this issue.  But we're not, and I feel frustrated, scared, and to some degree, helpless.

I have expressed this uneasiness to several Canadian experts on the topic and have become increasingly heated by some astounding information.  In this post, I'd like to share 5 of my learnings from both Ivey's Innovation Day and Schulich's Net Impact GreenEdge Conference:

1. China plans to cut its emissions by 17% between 2011-2015, and 40% by 2020. The US military views climate change as  the #1 security threat, Saudia Arabia is building four new zero-footprint cities, India is providing tax incentives for green car purchases, and Canada falls in last place in the G20 on this issue.  Why aren't we taking leadership?

2. The solution to clean energy will come through a combination of wind, water, and solar energy (WWS).  However, as citizens we must realize that it's not just our sources of power that require reformation, it is our every-day, taken-for-granted behaviours toward food, mobility, and industry that will also need to shift.

3. Ron Dembo, founder of Zero-footprint, said that governments don't use appropriate decision-making tools when making decisions.  For example, we know that CO2 is at its highest level ever, but we don't know how exactly it will take effect.  So, the rational government would choose to err on the side of caution and invest in the worst-case scenario.  The rational government would hedge against the uncertain outcomes of CO2 emissions.

So, It's not whether we can live with the effects of climate change, the question is how much can we live with?  And in making these decisions, Ron says you must always hedge the impending risks (Bankers, I know you master the hedging craft...).

4. We are choosing to be energy inefficient in North America.  According to Jim Harris, one of North America's leading management consultants and former leader of the Green Party of Canada, if you add the total market cap. of GM, Ford, and Chrysler and multiply that number by 3, Toyota has a larger market capitalization and is the world's leader by far in energy efficiency.

(GM + Ford + Chrysler) * 3 < TOYOTA

Toyota Prius

 
5. There is an economic argument for mitigating climate change. While Jim Harris had a lot to say about this, I will share a couple of examples that stood out to me:

As you might know, most vending machines have a light that brightens up the front to make them look super flashy.   Well, I learned that the heat from that light necessitates the use of more energy to cool the drinks.  Walmart has several of these vending machines in each of their 9000 stores globally. So what did they decide to do to cut energy usage and costs?

Walmart decided to take out the lights of their vending machines and saved $1 million dollars.  Maybe just a small ripple for Walmart, but think about the cumulative potential of this by corporations globally! 

And just to prove the economic argument a little further, when GM went bankrupt a few years ago, they actually turned off the escalators at night to save costs. And I think we can all assume now that GM is back hot and heavy, those escalators are rollin' all night long. 

So let me get this straight. GM saved energy during difficult financial times in order to save money, but the second they are out of the red the energy waste begins again.  Unbelievable.

Alright, I will stop the facts there.  

When Nicholas Parker, co-founder of Cleantech Group and sustainability guru in North America, addressed my question of, "What can we, Canadian citizens, do to get our voices heard in the government", his answer had the whole crowd laughing:

"We need a Green Tea Party." 

No, not the ever-so-popular Japanese drink, and not the Boston Tea Party-like revolution... I don't even think he means a political party.  The point I took away was simply that we need a stronger and larger group of people to vocalize their concerns about climate change. The more people we have on board, the more tea we can throw off the boat.  (That's my terrible metaphor for "the bigger our chances are of getting heard and changing policy").

I've been taught recently the importance of leaving an optimistic tone when concluding a presentation or composition.  And so, I will say that we are reaching some positive milestones provincially.  

From a personal perspective, I have seen examples of progress both in British Columbia while on the Social Finance Tour and here at home in Ontario with the Green Energy Act.  And while I do see climate change as a responsibility and absolute priority at the federal level, I am encouraged by the advances of these two provinces.  Let's keep building this momentum.

I welcome your thoughts on how we can get our voices heard.  For now, I encourage you to fill out this leadnow.ca survey to contribute your values and priorities to the Declaration for Change.