Social Entrepreneur

(For show notes and a full transcript, see https://tonyloyd.com/deirdre-horan). Dri produces durable, fashionable, and environmentally sustainable umbrellas from ocean-bound plastic. As a fifteen year-old, Deirdre Horan left her comfortable home in Acton, Massachusetts to join a youth group traveling to Gulfport, Mississippi. This was two years after Hurricane Katrina, and the community continued to struggle. “What really struck me was the level of devastation that was still there two years later,” Deirdre explains. “It takes much longer than the initial relief to pick lives back up. People will always need assistance if they've been impacted. I saw at a young age that something can always be done for somebody.” Deirdre continued to travel back to Gulfport year after year. But she also thought of how she could make a greater impact. A shift in plans In 2017, Deirdre watched a documentary, Garbage Island: An Ocean Full of Plastic. In the film, Captain Charles Moore made a comment that stuck with her.  “He said something like, ‘The oceans to a degree help clean itself out. We need to address the amount that's flowing in,'” Dierdre explains. “I went down a black hole, researching recycling. I learned that plastic bottles could be upcycled into polyester. “One day I was walking to work and my umbrella flipped inside out. I was wet, discouraged, and angry. I threw the umbrella in the trash can. I checked the tag. It was made with polyester yarn. The wheels started turning. I realized that I didn't know who made any umbrella, let alone an eco-friendly umbrella.” That's when the idea came for an umbrella made from ocean-bound plastic. “I ran around telling everybody I knew about this idea. And then, I realized that I had to buckle down and do some research. One of the biggest hurdles was finding someone who could make it ethically. “I vetted multiple companies before I made my decision.” The problem The world produces 380 million tons of plastic every year. Much of that is for single-use. But what about recycling? Much of the plastic that is gathered for recycling is sent to countries with weak environmental laws and poor waste management systems. According to Deirdre Horan of Dri, over 17 billion pounds of plastic flows into the ocean every year. That's more than one garbage truck per minute. In many of these low-income countries, waste pickers will pick up ocean-bound plastic and bring it to recycling centers. That plastic is pelletized and can be spun into yarn and polyester. The solution Dri umbrellas are created from upcycled ocean-bound plastic. The handles are made from fast-growing bamboo, and the shafts are stainless steel, which is recyclable. Learn More About Deirdre Horan and Dri Dri: https://dri.earth Dri on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dri_umbrellas Dri on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DriUmbrellas Vice Documentary, Garbage Island: An Ocean Full of Plastic: https://youtu.be/D41rO7mL6zM IFundWomen: https://ifundwomen.com First Founders: https://firstfounders.org

For a full transcript and extended show notes, see https://tonyloyd.com/shubham-issar. Shubham Issar and Amanat Anand go from the UNICEF Wearables for Good Challenge to Shark Tank and beyond. Shubham Issar and Amanat Anand grew up in New Delhi but met at Parsons School of Design in New York. They loved working together on hands-on design projects that made a difference. In 2015, they entered the UNICEF Wearables for Good Challenge. While investigating the challenge, they ran into a statistic that shocked them. Hundreds of thousands of children under the age of five die annually from infectious diseases that handwashing can prevent. Shubham and Amanat were determined to do something about that. They returned to India to see handwashing in action. They sat in classrooms and observed. They discovered that teachers, overwhelmed by a student ratio of sixty-to-one, were rationing soap. Proper handwashing was not happening at critical times during the day. They also observed the children enjoying their favorite pastime, drawing with bright colors. Shubham and Amanat had an idea to make handwashing fun. They developed a prototype of a soap pen. Kids draw on their hands with brightly colored soap. It takes 20 to 40 seconds to wash off the design, ensuring proper handwashing. UNICEF selected their design as one of ten winners of the Wearables for Good Challenge. And so, SoaPen, the product, and the company were born. With the prize money, Shubham and Amanat conducted research and development. In 2017, they conducted a Kickstarter campaign to fund a production run. In 2018, they launched their first product on Amazon, but they struggled with sales. "Talking about 2019 itself, it was just such a hard year for us," Shubham says. "We were bootstrapped. We launched on Amazon because we wanted to be where the parents were. But when you launch on Amazon, you're this little fish in this massive pond. You don't know how to reach the right audience. "In October of 2019, we were featured in Real Simple magazine. Being the millennial I am, I had no idea the power that print media had. We completely sold out our entire inventory in two and a half weeks." SoaPen's supply chain was not ready. Amazon's algorithm sent people to their page, but SoaPen could not meet the demand. Their supplier took more than eight weeks to produce new SoaPens. When the SoaPen products returned in stock, the wholesale channel took 70% of that order. So SoaPen remained out of stock on Amazon. "On Amazon, if you're inactive for two weeks, you're essentially starting from scratch. I think that was very stressful. We finally felt like we had market validation, that the parents were interested in the product and that it was filling a need." That was January 2020. Then, COVID hit, and they sold out again. During this time, SoaPen received crucial customer feedback. Parents wanted more vibrant colors. And, they wanted a smaller roller ball for better drawing. When it seemed like SoaPen should rush into production, they decided to pause to get the product right. With a redesign and supply chain issues, they took time to get the product back on shelves. They missed sales opportunities, but they developed a product that kids and their parents love.

Is it possible for the company formerly known as Facebook to be a force for good? There are some bright spots.  NOTE: For a full transcript of the conversation, go to https://tonyloyd.com/emily-dalton-smith If you want to hear bad news about Meta, the company formerly known as Facebook, you don't have to look far. And, there's plenty of bad news to find. If you're interested in reading more about that, just Google the phrase Facebook Papers. But, for me, there's a more interesting question. Can Meta be a force for good? Is it possible? As you know, here at Social Entrepreneur, our motto is “We tell positive stories from underrepresented voices, focused on solutions.” I admire models such as Solutions Journalism, where journalists ask the question, “Who does it better?” And I love appreciative inquiry, where leaders take a strengths-based approach. I would also recommend Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard by Chip and Dan Heath. The point of all of these approaches is, look for the bright spots. Look for what is working and spread that around. If you know my story, you know that I was a corporate executive. I was bothered by big questions that drove me to leave my career and learn about social entrepreneurs. Social entrepreneurs use the power of business to do social good. I believe, if we are going to save humanity, we cannot depend on government agencies and nonprofits to do the work required. Their work is necessary but insufficient. Every business must look at its impact, both positive and negative. We must find the positive effects of our companies and amplify that. Let me be clear. To make the kind of impact needed, companies cannot work around the edges. If ExxonMobil plops a solar panel on top of their headquarters, they cannot declare victory and go home. We have to rethink our business models fundamentally. And positive change requires third-party verification. That's why I'm such a fan of certified B Corporations. In today's interview, Emily Dalton Smith, Vice President of Product Management at Meta, describes how Meta is creating a positive social impact. She talks about Crisis Response, Charitable Giving, Community Help, Health, Mentorship, COVID-19 Information Center, and the Voting Information Center. 

For extended show notes, see: https://tonyloyd.com/dan-miller Steward is a community of borrowers and lenders who support regenerative farming. Can a farm make the earth healthier? Regenerative farming is a set of practices that rebuild soil health by restoring carbon and nutrient content. This improves productivity and the health of the planet. But there's a problem. The agricultural capital system wasn't built for small, regenerative farms. That's where Steward comes in. Steward equips regenerative farms with the capital they need to grow. Steward is a private lending partner, but they don't work alone. Steward brings together a community of values-driven lenders who participate in loans and earn a return. A Capital Marketplace for Regenerative Ag Steward brings together a three-sided equation – small to mid-sized non-commodity farmers, people who are passionate about food, and the Steward platform. But it all starts with the farmers. “It's about thinking beyond a short view of taking care of a resource and feeling the bound to it,” Dan Miller of Steward says. “For many historical and indigenous cultures, that was obvious. With our current culture, we've been disconnected from the resources that we live upon. “For most of these farmers, small to midsize growing non-commodity, the current financial system is built for large scale commodity agriculture - large soy and grain farms. If you're one of these smaller producers selling at a farmer's market or selling to a well-known chef, you don't have an outlet for capital. “So they come to us. At first, farmers are surprised that we exist, that there's a financial service that is focused purely on them as a customer. We have a team member that works them through the funding process. We have an in-house team member who's a farmer. He helps speak with them about their actual business plan. “So it is about helping them think about what funding they need. What's the right amount? What's the right structure. What are the improvements that they can immediately make to help grow their business? “They've been undercapitalized so long that it's often a very simple piece of equipment, or tools, or operational capital, or land. It's not complicated at all. What they need are things they've needed for years. They have not had access to capital.” Learn More About Dan Miller and Steward: Steward: https://gosteward.com Steward on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GoSteward Steward on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/go-steward Steward on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/steward Steward on Twitter: https://twitter.com/GoSteward More Resources: Social Entrepreneur Six-Week Quick Start: https://cultureshift.com

For complete show notes, see: https://tonyloyd.com/kate-glantz Luma Legacy: A Fairer, Kinder World “Luma Legacy is a segment within Luma Pictures,” Kate explains. “It's a magical creative studio that's been in the world for about 20 years. The bread and butter of the business is making movie magic - so visual effects. Luma Pictures makes superheroes fly, creates new worlds and realities, and all of the really fun stuff that keeps us entertained and dreaming big. “Luma also has a venture capital arm that makes early stage investments in companies and founders changing the world with really an investment thesis around future of healthcare, future of work or future of food, and the like. “And the Luma Features is our newest division that's actually making movies from the ground up. It's all centered around the goal of creating imaginative, emotionally rich stories that other studios or financiers just might not take the risk on. But these are stories that need to be in the world from voices that aren't always heard. “And then finally, Luma Legacy is that the segment of Luma that I was brought in to help figure out. And the mandate, the very broad, bold, ambitious mandate is to help create a fairer kinder world for everyone.” A Company Built on Compassion and Empathy “Facing any of these existential threats that are imminent, be it climate change or things we don't even know about yet without a certain sort of adherence to participating in the social fabric of what makes us human through compassion and empathy - we're kind of screwed. “We're really looking at this work is by grouping underlying root causes to some of society's greatest problems. So, we talk about it sometimes as rather than taking medicine for a sniffly nose or itchy eyes, what's actually making you sick? “There are a number of underlying causes that have driven this heightened state of polarization and intensified prejudice. But two that we're looking at are apathy and intolerance. When you flip those, you're looking at empathy and participation, and tolerance “That has helped us create these three pillars, which are: ·        Building bridges across America. ·        Catalyzing civic participation. ·        Promoting equity and justice, specifically the people and policies that are helping to solidify equity and justice under the law. “Behavior change is a really important component. If you are inspired, educated, or moved, it's not sufficient to then walk away and make a sandwich and go back to life. There needs to be a clear call to action. “At that very high level, our goal is to influence outcomes at the ballot box, so that we can create a truly equitable and representative democracy.” Luma Legacy's Theory of Change Luma Legacy is creating all sorts of media. “It's going to be what it needs to be to meet people where they are, where they gather, where they play, where they scroll. “And so our theory of change is essentially trying to shift conversations in culture at the level where pop culture happens. And that's in various segments of entertainment and arts. So music, arts, gaming, food - where people are is where we're be. And each initiative might have a different audience and a different medium, but the goal will always be consistent with those pillars that I shared.” Learn More About Kate Glantz of Luma Legacy Luma Legacy: https://www.luma.inc/legacy Luma Pictures on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lumapictures Luma Pictures on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lumapictures Luma Pictures on Twitter: https://twitter.com/lumapictures More Resources: Social Entrepreneur Six-Week Quick Start: https://cultureshift.com

For extended show notes and a full transcript, see https:://tonyloyd.com/shamiri-institute Half of the young people in Kenya have elevated depression and anxiety. 45% of the disease burden comes from anxiety and depression. The Shamiri Institute has an answer. Kenya has been described as a young hustle culture. But that hustle takes a toll. According to Tom Osborn of the Shamiri Institute, “Mental health and wellbeing are really important. This is especially true in low-income settings like Kenya where I was born and raised. In Kenya, the median age is about 19. There's evidence that shows this young population is stressed because they have to succeed so early in life.” In Kenya, there is a massive wealth gap. The Gross National Income (GNI) per capita is around $1,750, while the number of millionaires in Kenya will grow by 80% over the next 10 years. Less than 0.1% of the population (8,300 people) own more wealth than the bottom 99.9%. This places pressure on young people to succeed or be left behind. “Most mental health outcomes are strongly connected with future career outcomes,” Tom explains. “We think mental health is important at this young age because it determines the life trajectories of many young people.” According to Katherine Venturo-Conerly of the Shamiri Institute, depression and anxiety make up 45% of the disease burden for young people in low-income countries. “Our research shows that approximately one in two youths has elevated depression and anxiety. Yet these young people go untreated because of a lack of caregivers. There is around one mental health provider for every one million Kenyans.” Tom Osborn explains that “societal stigma, government under-investment,” are partially to blame. But he also points out that “most existing treatments are long, costly, and not culturally appropriate.” And the answer is… The Shamiri Institute provides mental health interventions in a simple, stigma-free, scalable, and school-based group intervention. Services are delivered by young lay providers, ages 18-to-24. Shamiri trains the mental health lay providers and provides vetted tools. Randomized Controlled Trials of the Shamiri Institute's interventions show more than 35% reduction in both depression and anxiety lasting up to 7 months. The interventions also provided 14% improvements in social support and a 2.5% increase in academic grades. “Our approach lowers the cultural and systemic barriers that make mental healthcare inaccessible for Kenyan youths,” Katherine explains. “Instead of the typical psychopathology-centered approach to treatment, we use a simple, positively-focused intervention that emphasizes wellbeing, academic and social improvements. Our innovation is brief, accessible, and disseminated through a network of peers working in schools.” Learn More About Katherine Venturo-Conerly, Tom Osborn and Shamiri Institute: Shamiri Institute: https://www.shamiri.institute Shamiri Institute on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shamiri_institute Shamiri Institute on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShamiriTeam Shamiri Institute on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ShamiriTeam Vuma Biofuels (formerly GreenChar): https://www.vumabiofuels.com Tom Osborn's interview, Episode 50: https://tonyloyd.com/podcast/050-tom-osborn-greenchar-social-entrepreneurship-comes-early More Resources: Social Entrepreneur Six-Week Quick Start: https://cultureshift.com Self-Assessment, Are you Thriving?: https://cultureshift.com/are-you-thriving Self-Assessment, Discover Your Values: https://cultureshift.com/values

I've been thinking about you. You want to live a life of significance You feel compelled to serve a cause greater than yourself. You see a need in the world that you can't unsee. There's a cause that burns in your heart. To make a difference, you have to overcome the status quo. The status quo whispers in your ear, “That's just the way things are.” The status quo is that you get up every day and act as if nothing is wrong in the world. It's easy to be lulled into complacency by the status quo. There's a high price for doing nothing. Unless you take action, the world remains unjust. You're missing the opportunity to make a difference. You're missing the chance to live to your full potential. You're missing the chance to live a life of significance. It's time to kick the status quo in the teeth. You can be the changemaker you always wanted to be. This week I'm announcing three new offerings: Season Four of Social Entrepreneur.The Social Entrepreneur Six-Week Quick Start Course.The Culture Shift Community. What is the Culture Shift Community? We bring together aspiring social entrepreneurs to serve a cause that is greater than ourselves so that we live a life of significance. This is your opportunity to: Join a movement. You can make more progress with others than you can alone.Achieve results faster. Build the skills and mastery you need to speed up your progress.Get access to a roadmap to success. Gain clarity on your exact next step from idea to impact. I know how frustrating it can be to change the world. If you don't know me, I'm Tony Loyd. For years, I worked as a Fortune 500 executive. I watched as companies prioritized the shareholders over the other stakeholders such as the planet, communities, and employees. I knew there had to be a better way. But I had no idea where to start. The pull of the status quo seemed too great. In 2014 I met a group of social entrepreneurs – people who made a dollar and a difference. They made money, but the money went toward a mission. Today, I'm a best-selling author, TEDx speaker, and coach to social entrepreneurs. I host one of the world's most downloaded podcasts. I have interviewed hundreds of social entrepreneurs. I found that successful social entrepreneurs follow predictable steps. Here's what I found. Success leaves clues. You can learn what makes them successful. It's easy as 1 – 2 – 3 to get started. Enroll today. Go to CultureShift.com and click the “Get Access” button. When you sign up, you'll have access to a six-week live course to help you launch a grow a social business.Participate in live, interactive weekly sessions. Make more progress with others than you can alone. Get answers to your burning questions. Every week we host interactive, live sessions.Use shortcuts to get results faster. We provide a roadmap so that you always know your next step on the journey. Make more progress with others than you can alone. Go-it-alone doesn't work. When you're alone, you waste time, miss opportunities, lack guidance, and fail to reach your potential. That's why you need a community of changemakers. Join the Social Entrepreneur Six-Week Quick Start course and the Culture Shift Community: Go to CultureShift.com and sign up today.

NOTE: For extended show notes, see https://tonyloyd.com/aziz-abu-sarah MEJDI Tours sees tourism as an opportunity to transform lives through dual narratives and by strengthening local communities. Aziz Abu Sarah is a peace-builder, social entrepreneur, cultural educator, and author of Crossing Boundaries: A Traveler’s Guide To World Peace. But Aziz wasn’t always a peacemaker.  “I grew up very angry,” Aziz says. “I didn’t have any Jewish or Israeli friends growing up until I was 18 years old. “In Jerusalem, if you don’t speak Hebrew, you’re not going to go to college. You’re not going to work. Your chances of success in life are minimal. In my high school, it was mandatory to learn Hebrew. But I went through three years of high school refusing to learn even a word of Hebrew. “I escaped from that class. I told my teachers that I was not willing to come to class because Hebrew was the language of the enemy - the people who killed my brother. I was seven or eight years old the first time I was shot at. I had a lot of trauma to deal with. I still have to deal with it. “And so when I was 18, I realized that if I don’t learn Hebrew, I will not have any chance of success in my life. So I went to study Hebrew. I studied Hebrew in a class where I was the only Palestinian, and almost all of the people in the class were Jewish immigrants to Israel. “I remember thinking I’m here to learn the language. I’m not here to make friends. I’m not going to talk to anyone. Apparently, that doesn’t work if you want to learn a language. They force you to sit together, ask questions. ‘Hey, how are you? Where are you from? What kind of music you like?’ “And that’s how we became friends. It wasn’t over political things. It was over simple things like what coffee you drink and what music you like. I love Western country music, which most Palestinians do not agree with me. In that class, I found a couple of people who love country music. “So we would sit down and talk about Johnny Cash. It started with that and eventually got to deeper conversations and political issues. But we had this space of ‘Wait a second. We have other identities that we can connect.’ And it’s not only ‘You’re Arab or a Jew, and therefore I have to hate you because of that.’ “And in that classroom, I made my first Jewish friends. From that point on, I understood that what divides us is a wall of ignorance, fear, and hatred. I wanted to put cracks in that wall. That became my mission in life.”  Today, Aziz runs MEJDI Tours. “MEJDI means honor and respect,” Aziz says. “We start with that for the local communities, those we work with, and all our travelers.” MEJDI originated the Dual Narrative™ method that brings both sides of a conflict together as travel guides presenting their respective narrative. This approach was first introduced in the Holy Land and reaped remarkable results there and throughout the world. MEJDI Tours goes against the grain by rejecting the model of traditional consumer tourism—a highly commercialized experience that supports big business and often damages local communities. Also, as peace-builders, we are tackling the challenge of a divided and polarized world.  Learn More About Aziz Abu Sarah and MEJDI Tours: Book: Crossing Boundaries: A Traveler’s Guide To World Peace: https://amzn.to/3bPvGDb MEJDI Tours: https://www.mejditours.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mejdi_tours Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MejdiTours

NOTE: For full show notes, see https://tonyloyd.com/isabella-he. High school students work on behalf of those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).   In the United States, 1 in 54 children has autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Unemployment rates for individuals with ASD are approximately 85%. More than half a million individuals with ASD will enter the workforce in the next decade. The need for specialized vocational training is growing by the minute. A CDC study found that 50 percent of children with severe ASD only have access to school-based treatment services. And 17 percent of children with ASD do not have access to occupational, speech, or language therapy whatsoever. At-home therapy is difficult for those with special needs, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. With most in-person therapy sessions closed, many parents of children with ASD don’t have the proper material and guidance to provide effective at-home therapy. Meet Isabella He Isabella He is a high school junior at Mission San Jose High School in Fremont, CA, and the founder and President of SN Inclusion. SN Inclusion is a nonprofit organization that provides career-technical education to neurodiverse individuals. She is also a co-founder of AUesome, a social enterprise that offers at-home therapy kits to children with autism. Isabella is also an intern at the Stanford Neurodiversity Project and a dedicated volunteer and program coordinator at Friends of Children with Special Needs (FCSN). Other AUesome co-founders include fellow high school students Anshul Gupta, Andrew Kim, and Arnav Gurudatt.  Learn More About Isabella He, SN Inclusion and AUesome: SN Inclusion: https://sninclusion.org AUesome: https://auesome.co SN Inclusion on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sninclusion SN Inclusion on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SN-Inclusion-102768024862916 AUesome on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/auesome.co Isabella He on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/isabella-kai-he/Isabella He on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iisabellahe Friends of Children with Special Needs (FCSN): https://fcsn1996.org Stanford Neurodiversity Project: https://med.stanford.edu/neurodiversity.html

What would you do if you were 1% more courageous? Judith Martinez is a leader at the intersection of social justice and the future of human capital. She is the CEO of InHerShoes, the modern woman’s community for courage. When Judith was in the fifth grade, she witnessed a scene that changed her life direction. “I’m a first-generation Filipino-American,” Judith explains. “I grew up with Filipino as my first language. My grandparents raised me. “I remember we were at the LAX airport. My grandmother was trying to explain in her broken English to a man that she needed help. And he just cast her aside. It was like she was nothing. ‘Oh, you’re no one. You’re nothing.’ For me, as a fifth-grader, it was two humans interacting, but one human didn’t feel like the other one was a human. “That ingrained in me a sense of justice. That has evolved in a variety of ways. That is part of why I chose to take on InHerShoes.” Today, Judith is the CEO of InHerShoes. InHerShoes is a non-profit committed to catalyzing courage for girls and women of all ages. They do that through an annual summit, workshops, and leadership training. The foundation of everything they do begins and ends with one question: What would you do if you were 1% more courageous? Judith was named a Forbes 30 Under 30 nominee, has been featured in NASDAQ and Forbes. She is a Vital Voices and a TRESemme Global Leadership Fellow. She was recently selected to be a United States of Women Ambassador representing the state of California. Learn More About Judith Martinez and InHerShoes: InHerShoes: https://www.inhershoesmvmt.org InHerShoes on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inhershoesmvmt InHerShoes on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InHerShoesMVMT

Helping bamboo farmers and women in impoverished regions become self-reliant while eliminating plastic waste. If Kathy Ku’s name is familiar to you, you might have heard about her previous social venture in Uganda, Spouts of Water. I interviewed Kathy in December 2016. Kathy and her co-founder John Kye left Spouts of Water, but it continues to thrive. Around the same time that Kathy and John were in Uganda working on clean water, Dr. Noah Park was volunteering in low-income countries. “One of our Korean co-founders visited our production site in Uganda seven years ago or so, but we had never met each other,” Kathy explains. “He traveled to the less developed areas of developing countries and noted that a lot of bamboo was being grown in these areas and wanted to do something about it. He calculated by developing the bamboo industry in Vietnam, he could triple or quadruple the average yearly earnings in an area with 150,000 inhabitants. He’s also a dentist, so he naturally came upon bamboo toothbrushes.” In the United States alone, over 1 billion plastic toothbrushes are thrown away each year. These toothbrushes are not recycled. They end up in the landfill or floating in the environment. To deal with these two problems – plastic waste and helping poor bamboo farmers, Dr. Park launched his bamboo toothbrush company in Korea under the Dr. Noah brand. In 2020, Dr. Noah raised Series A capital to move into the US market. That is when Kathy Ku and John Kye joined the team. About Kathy Ku “I grew up in an immigrant family and community that always stressed this idea of giving back,” Kathy says. “My mom would tell me, ‘you should run an orphanage when you grow up.’ Now, I look back and think we definitely should have been worrying about our roof over our heads. But this idea of looking to do good and doing well always stuck with me. “By the time I joined Juni Essentials, they were still trying to figure out the production process. We’re talking like 50 toothbrushes being made a day. I had a manufacturing background and helped ramp it up. We’re now making more than 50,000 toothbrushes a month. We’ll get to 100,000 soon. “Not a lot of people know about bamboo toothbrushes, and of the people who’ve tried them, I think a lot of people have been turned off by them. They feel different from plastic toothbrushes. And I think this is where we come in. “Our product is fundamentally made differently from other products out there. That’s why we chose to make it ourselves. Our surface is heat-treated using patented technology that provides this smooth surface - the toothbrushing experience is comparable to that of plastic toothbrushes, so why not switch? “I think I generally have good intentions, but the execution has been difficult. For example, I want to be good to the environment, and my husband and I compost and try to use compostable Ziploc bags. But I still drive my high school car, a Cadillac, which probably contributes to 50% of California’s carbon emissions. I think bamboo toothbrushes make me happy because it’s an active decision I make every morning and evening when I brush my teeth.” Learn More About Kathy Ku, Juni Essentials: Juni Essentials: https://juniessentials.com Juni Essentials on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juniessentials Juni Essentials on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/juniessentials Kathy Ku on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seulkathyku Kathy’s 2016 interview about Spouts of Water: https://tonyloyd.com/podcast/143-kathy-ku-and-john-kye-spouts-of-water-safe-drinking-water-for-all-ugandans/

Offering paid job training for youth. Sara Hart Weihmann is the Director of Social Enterprise at New Avenues for Youth in Portland. She oversees a portfolio of workforce development social enterprises that offer goods and services to the local community. This provides paid work experiences and job training for youth experiencing housing instability. These enterprises include a Ben & Jerry’s scoop shop and a screen-printing business, New Avenues INK. “I have always had a strong sense of environmental justice since I was a young kid,” Sara explains. “My parents would tell you that I was constantly giving them feedback about lights being left on in rooms. I had these little tickets I would issue to them if they left the lights on. “So I’ve always been Type A do the right thing. You fall into line. We owe the environment everything. So I really took that environmental view forward into my life. “In my younger years, I even thought that environmental justice needed to come first before social justice was addressed. “After graduating college, I found a unique MBA graduate program in the Bay Area with an emphasis on environmental sustainability and social justice. I started a business specializing in installing edible gardens and urban farms throughout the Bay Area. “What started as a passion for ecological sustainability and horticulture quickly evolved into a passion for food sovereignty, social justice, and elevating the voices of indigenous, black, and people of color to advocate for the resources they needed to thrive in the community. “I started participating on non-profit boards, coalitions, and councils focusing on food system equity. I found myself passionate about working with young people living in excluded neighborhoods and mentoring them in agriculture and business strategy. “There is nothing more fulfilling to me than seeing young people recognize their inherent value in an entrepreneurial setting where they get the freedom to brainstorm and take risks with their peers with guidance from mentors. “When I moved back to my hometown of Portland, I noticed this opportunity at New Avenues for Youth as Director of Social Enterprise. It seemed like an excellent fit for my skills and passion. It was a combination of business strategy and management to serve young people experiencing housing insecurity. “That was over seven years ago, and I still feel inspired every day by the impacts our workforce development social enterprises have on participants and the community.” About New Avenues INK: New Avenues INK is a screen-printing social enterprise owned and operated by non-profit New Avenues for Youth. Since its establishment in 2013, New Avenues INK has specialized in providing high-quality, cost-competitive decorated apparel items to customers while delivering paid work experiences and job training to youth experiencing homelessness in the community. New Avenues for Youth’s social enterprise portfolio has provided hundreds of paid internships over the years to young people who have little-to-no traditional work experience. Young people receive an hourly wage to learn necessary job skills and participate in career exploration and career coaching. Interns can build confidence in businesses, experience being a part of a team, practice receiving and providing feedback, and ultimately learn about the world of work in a trauma-informed environment. Learn More About Sara Weihmann and New Avenues INK: New Avenues INK: https://www.newavenuesink.org  

People who were involved in the criminal justice system are more than their labels. Karen Lee is the Chief Executive Officer of Pioneer Human Services. She was born during the 1960s civil rights era. “During my lifetime, I’ve seen quite a bit of discrimination. I’ve always wanted to do something about that in a way that was true to me.” Karen graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point. She served our country until the 1990s. After her military service ended, she attended the University of Washington School of Law, where she received her JD degree. “I wanted to be a civil rights attorney,” Karen explains, “but I found that I liked working with people and leading organizations.” She took several middle management positions. In 2005, she was asked to serve as the Commissioner for the Washington State Employment Security Division. “We would get these reports on employment and wages from the labor economists that work there. That’s when I saw the disparity that exists in society today. “I got a good look at the income gap. What was troubling was that the income gap was most apparent with people who had a negative interaction with the justice system. Black people, indigenous people, and people of color were all at the labor market’s bottom. I wanted to do something about that.” Karen used her position in the labor department to try several programs. But then, the governor’s term was coming to an end. That’s when she noticed that Pioneer Human Services was looking for a new CEO. “This particular segment of the population is one that I have often been concerned about because of my race and because I know people that have been involved with the justice system. I have family members that have been involved with the justice system, and they’ve struggled to find employment. And so I’ve wanted to do something about that.” About Pioneer Human Services Pioneer Human Services provides counseling, treatment, housing, job skills training, and employment for those involved in the criminal justice system. Pioneer provides career paths and living wage jobs for a population many disregard. Pioneer is one of the nation’s largest nonprofit social-enterprises. Pioneer serves over 10,000 people a year through its diversion, treatment, housing, and job training programs. Under Karen’s leadership, Pioneer successfully operates several revenue-generating businesses that provide living-wage jobs and help fund its mission. Learn More About Karen Lee and Pioneer Human Services: Pioneer Human Services: https://pioneerhumanservices.org YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuGf99lQwbSXXObe9NlwrOQ LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/pioneer-human-services Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PioneerWA Twitter: https://twitter.com/PioneerWA

What Sandra Goldmark learned from a seven-year experiment fixing stuff. Sandra Goldmark is the Director of Sustainability and Climate Action at Barnard College. For seven years, she ran Fixup, a popup repair shop for household items of all kinds. It was staffed by theatre artists. “We use our backstage skills to fix people's broken stuff,” Sandra explains. “and to create an alternative to use and discard.” Sandra has gathered her lessons learned and put them in a new book, Fixation: How to Have Stuff without Breaking the Planet. “We are reinventing repair as a viable part of a sustainable, equitable, circular economy,” Sandra says. “We were mobile, so there was no fixed storefront. We accepted a wide range of items as a one-stop drop-off for our customers. We used an event-type structure to create a sense of urgency and community. And we partnered with a range of organizations.” It started with a vacuum cleaner. Around 2013, Sandra had a problem. Several items around her house broke – a lamp, a toaster oven, a backpack, and a vacuum cleaner. “It seemed crazy to me that it is easier to buy a new vacuum than get one fixed. It seems crazy to me to look around and see stores and homes and landfills filled with stuff. “Everywhere I looked around me the whole pattern of consumption seemed totally out of whack. The environmental impacts of our system of consumption are staggering. People aren't happy with this pattern and how it plays out in their own lives. And when you look at individual objects, many of them are actually fixable. The whole system seemed totally broken. But it also seemed fixable! “My work on circularity and repair is rooted in my work in the theatre - my belief that ALL of us have a role to play in finding solutions and building changes.” Sandra started simply. “I just started. I was home on maternity leave, and I got a bee in my bonnet and never let go. We started with grassroots advertising, word of mouth, and leveraging neighborhood networks, especially parent networks.” It worked! At their first popup event, people showed up with their broken stuff. “We partnered with other organizations to move into new neighborhoods, eventually operating pop-ups in neighborhoods across 3 boroughs.”   Sandra didn’t always get it right. “I tried to raise money from investors at one point during the process, and that did not work,” Sandra says. “The project didn't seem to fit some sort of model or mold that they were looking for, and we didn't seem to speak each other's language. I think this is an important point, not for my business per se, but about how we approach climate solutions, how we think about innovation, and how we can learn to work across siloes. “The hardest part was trying to iterate and pivot while also keeping our focus.” A popup shop becomes a book. Sandra sees the book as an extension of her work. “Now, in this latest phase, we are reaching more people through the book, Fixation. “Fixation provides a comprehensive look at the problem, a clear path forward, and a call to action for individuals, businesses, and policymakers.” Learn More About Sandra Goldmark and Fixation: Book: Fixation: How to Have Stuff without Breaking the Planet: https://amzn.to/3qLlK3M Sandra Goldmark: https://sandragoldmark.com

NOTE: For a full transcript of the conversation, see: https://tonyloyd.com/karim-abouelnaga. Close the Opportunity Gap through high-impact programs before, during, and outside of school hours. Karim Abouelnaga is CEO of Practice Makes Perfect, a company he founded when he was 18 years old. Practice Makes Perfect partners with K-12 schools to help narrow the opportunity gap. Karim is a TED Fellow and Echoing Green Fellow. At 23, he was named to Forbes’ 30 under 30 list in education, and at 24 was named to Magic Johnson’s 32 under 32 list. In 2016, he was ranked in the top 3 most influential young entrepreneurs under 25 globally. Karim’s TED Talk was named one of the 9 Most Inspiring Talks of 2017. Karim has gathered his lessons learned in a powerful new book, The Purpose-Driven Social Entrepreneur. Learn More About Karim Abouelnaga and Practice Makes Perfect: Book: The Purpose-Driven Social Entrepreneur: https://amzn.to/3seHTYO Practice Makes Perfect: https://practicemakesperfect.org Karim Abouelnaga: https://www.karimabouelnaga.com

If you want a better future, you need a better story. “Leading change has never been tougher,” Denise Withers says. “Fear, apathy, and uncertainty have paralyzed most of the world, making it almost impossible to engage people in even the most straightforward initiative. “But it doesn’t have to be like that. Story Design can help. It’s a practical way for leaders to take the risk out of change and create a better future.” Denise Withers is an award-winning storyteller and ICF certified leadership coach who helps clients reduce the risk of change and design better futures - with stories. Denise spent the first two decades of her career making whitewater films, corporate videos, and TV documentaries - primarily for Discovery Channel. Early in her career, she discovered the power of stories to drive change while directing a film about Indigenous youth for CBC and quickly found her niche creating docs about environmental and social issues for change-makers across the globe. Five continents, eight awards, and a hundred stories later, Denise left the media to study narrative, engagement, and design, ultimately becoming one of Canada’s top design educators. In 2013, she discovered how to combine storytelling and design thinking into a robust framework for change and pioneered the Story Design concept - a practical way to imagine a better future and make it happen. Since then, Denise has worked with hundreds of clients across sectors, including CEOs, scientists, politicians, entrepreneurs, academics, and creatives. Together, they’ve used Story Design to do things like advance clean energy, protect ecosystems, transform higher ed, and slow disease. Most recently, she helped two National Geographic photographers double the revenue, reach and impact of their ocean non-profit in less than a year. Millions of people have seen Denise’s stories on Discovery, CBC, NatGeo, SSIR, the UN, and National Post. Her first book, Story Design: The Creative Way to Innovate, is a favorite with purpose-driven leaders. And her podcast, Foreward: How stories drive change, ranks in the top 100 of management shows. In the last 35 years, Denise’s clients have used Story Design for impact projects such as clean energy, wilderness protection, reducing chronic disease, advancing food security, and improving financial literacy. Denise helps clients through custom coaching, training, storytelling, and retreats. As a certified leadership coach and storyteller, she shows you how to combine design thinking and storytelling. Her initiatives build trust, fuel innovation, engage supporters, and inspire action. “The world desperately needs a new story, says Denise. “Let’s see what we can create together.” Learn More About Denise Withers and Story Design: Book: Story Design: The Creative Way to Innovate: https://amzn.to/3bm7rfO Denise Withers: https://denisewithers.com Denise Withers on Twitter: https://twitter.com/denisewithers Denise Withers on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/denisewithers

YardHomes Minnesota uses a prefabrication approach and an innovative financing model to create affordable housing. YardHomes Minnesota is creating housing affordability by building and maintaining accessory dwelling units (ADUs). “We are a startup that focuses on delivering ADUs in Minnesota as a method of housing,” Nichol Beckstrand explains. “ADUs are tiny houses designed to be permanent living spaces. The problem we set out to solve is housing affordability.” Under its Y-HELP program, YardHomes installs an ADU on an existing residential property owned by a partner. YardHomes holds and manages the ADU for ten years, offering it as an affordable rental unit for low-income tenants. Each month, YardHomes typically shares a portion of the ADU rental income with the property owner. After 10-years, YardHomes transfers ownership in the ADU entirely to the partner. The problem YardHomes Minnesota is solving: Nichol grew up in a house where she could have fun and feel safe. As a parent, she created a space for her children. But, she soon realized that a safe, secure home is not an option for every family. “We are creating more affordable housing for the housing insecure. We create a community setting for them. This creates wealth for the families and nonprofits that participate as host locations for our ADUs.” “I’ve understood the finance side of affordable housing all my life, but I needed to partner with someone. My business partner understands the building side and the cost factors that go into building a home. I also know that under my current model, the units’ affordability could change after ten years. So I knew I needed to partner with organizations and people who had a desire to keep the property in play for affordable housing after the ownership transfers. I spent a fair amount of time understanding how ADU’s work, how city policy can be helpful (and sometimes harmful) to adding density. I focused on also creating a community connection for the individuals that we are housing.” Here’s how they solve it. Yard Homes Minnesota is creating more living spaces quickly. This efficient building model meets housing and safety standards. With more homes in supply, this will eventually reduce the cost of housing. “We leverage our Y-HELP leasing program. YardHomesMN asks an intermediary between nonprofits or people with the land they would like to use for affordable housing. We own the ADU and maintain it. We lease the land where the ADU will be placed and rent the ADU’s to an individual on voucher programs. The program amortizes the lease over ten years, thereby transferring the ADU ownership to the nonprofit or individual landowner at the end of the ten years.” Here’s how they’re funded. “Thus far, we are self-funded. We recently established a Program Related Investment (PRI). Our lead donor is the Maggie Foundation, with a matching grant from The Bush Foundation. We will be using their funds as a down payment on a loan to leverage five times to create five times this amount of housing. For every $25,000, we can create one unit of housing with our lease program.” Learn More About Nichol Beckstrand and YardHomesMN: YardHomes: https://www.yardhomesmn.com YardHomes on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/yardhomesmn/64755918 YardHomes on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YardHomes-MN-103884421228762 YardHomes on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yardhomesmn

For every planner and course sold, #ThisIsMyEra helps a child with an education. #ThisIsMyEra produces a 90-day planner that helps you set goals that align with your values. They also provide online courses to help you get clear on your life’s purpose. For every planner that is purchased, #ThisIsMyEra donates school supplies to kids in need in Africa. So far, they’ve provided more than 10,000 school supplies. And for every course that is purchased, they provide a school scholarship. Why Education? “In Ghana and most African countries, public education is not free,” Ruth Biza explains. “So if your family cannot afford to pay for your tuition, you stayed at home.” Ruth recalls a particularly humiliating experience. “It was in the middle of a session, and the financial aid lady comes in class, and they call out every single person that owes the school money. When they call you out, you stand in front of the class. So this is an embarrassing moment because every person on that list means you can’t afford your education. You owe money. They parade in you in front of the class.” On that particular day, The person from financial aid called out Ruth’s name, and she had to stand in front of the class. “I thought we were a middle-class family, and we could afford the tuition. When I got sent home that day, I spoke with my parents. I learned that we actually could afford my education. Being the selfless person she is, my mom was using half of my tuition to pay for the schooling of other kids who were not so fortunate - kids who had lost parents or kids who lived with grandparents who could not afford it. “That was the first experience for me, where I noticed how people view you and how education can just affect you.” Late, Ruth had a second experience that shaped her. “I was around nine or ten. My mom and I were returning home from the market. We had stopped at a red light. Often, in Ghana, at a red light, people approach the cars selling anything, just anything they can find to make money and make ends meet. “We were approached by this girl that looked so out of place to me. And I realize she is my she’s probably the same age as me. Why is she here approaching the car asking for money when she should be at home playing or in school? She seems so out of place, and it did not sit well with me. My mom being the chatty lady, decided to strike up a conversation. We learned that her mom was sitting across the street. Her mom was blind, and she was taking care of a newborn baby. So it was up to this nine-year-old girl to find the resources to feed her family. “ These two incidents sent Ruth Biza on a quest to provide education for those who cannot afford it. Today, Ruth runs #ThisIsMyEra. About Ruth Biza Ruth was born in Ghana, went to middle school in Zimbabwe, completed high school in Switzerland, and moved to the U.S. to study at Lynn University. Ruth is the Co-Founder of #ThisIsMyEra, a personal development brand that donates school supplies for every planner purchased to kids in need in Africa. They have sold over 10K planners and counting. Together with her husband Kuda, they founded the Amani Hope Foundation, a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization whose mission is to empower underprivileged children by providing scholarships. Ruth is also a Fitness Trainer and Consultant to social impact brands. She is driven by her desire to leave a positive impact on the world and inspire others to fulfill their potential. Learn More About Ruth Biza and #ThisIsMyEra: ·        #ThisIsMyEra: https://thisismyera.com ·        #ThisIsMyEra on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisismyeraofficial   ·        Kuda Biza’s speech at the 2014 Millennium Campus Conference: https://youtu.be/fac_roNrfyI

For extended show notes, see https://tonyloyd.com/zoe-levin Trees Should Capture Carbon, Not Crap We know the problems with carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions: Climate change, rising sea levels, flooding, droughts, wildfires, ocean acidification, climate refugees, political instability, and a lot more. We know that it’s important to reduce the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere and the oceans. We can do that by reducing the production of CO2. We can also do that by capturing CO2 in carbon sinks. In the US, forests store 14% of our annual CO2 emissions. Trees are a valuable, and powerful carbon sink. And yet, in the United States, 27,000 trees are flushed down the toilet every day. And here’s another problem. Paper-making is a toxic process. It uses toxic chemicals. It creates air and water pollution. This is especially a problem for people with chemical sensitivities. Zoë Levin calls herself “The toilet paper queen.” She is the Founder and CEO of Bim Bam Boo. They make sustainability-focused, health-forward essentials from fast-growing bamboo. Last year, they experienced 900% growth in annual revenue. And they saved 1.2 million pounds of virgin forest from getting flushed down the toilet.  Help Launching and Growing a Business with a Social Mission: If you need help thinking about these questions, take one of the free self-assessments at CultureShift.com. If you need help thinking about your strategy to start and grow a business with a social mission, you can schedule a complimentary strategy call. Also, we have provided a full transcript of this conversation at https://tonyloyd.com/zoe-levin. Learn More About Zoë Levin and Bim Bam Boo: Bim Bam Boo: https://bimbamboopaper.com Bim Bam Boo on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bimbamboopaper Bim Bam Boo Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/bimbamboopaper Bim Bam Boo on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bimbamboopaper Lunar Startups: https://www.lunarstartups.org Free Self-Assessments: https://cultureshift.com/assessments Complimentary Strategy Call: https://cultureshift.com/strategy

For extended show notes, go here: https://tonyloyd.com/karima-ladhani/ 80% of maternal and infant deaths are preventable. Dr. Karima Ladhani is the daughter of immigrants. Her parents moved from India to Uganda. In 1972, Ugandan president Idi Amin expelled Asian minorities. He gave 90 days to leave the country. Karima’s mother made her way to Canada. Her father was in a refugee camp in Malta before immigrating to Canada. “We can’t take for granted the luxuries and privileges that we have,” she says. “There are people going through things. We have an opportunity and responsibility to help them. Others have helped us. We never know when we could be in that position in the future. It’s our responsibility to society to do our best to uplift all.” When Karima was in fifteen years old, she volunteered to travel to Chitral Pakistan where she taught English and Science. “It was transformative. It was my first experience of seeing dignity in places we don’t often associate with dignity.” From Finance to Free Falling As an undergrad at the University of Waterloo, Karima studied finance. “I thought my goal was to work on the trading floor and to become a trader.” In her fourth year of school, Karima had a chance to work on the trading floor. “Within two weeks, I realized I hated it. The world I was in was interesting. I always thought I could volunteer on the side. My work and these other interests don’t have to align. But I found it wasn’t sufficiently motivating for me. I decided I had to take drastic change. “Before I graduated, I emailed every professor. I told them that I have no experience in science. But I have a hunch that there is something in this medical-health field that would be more satisfying for me. Here are the transferrable skills I could bring to the table. “Only one professor replied to me. When all my friends went on to high-paying jobs, I went on to a minimum wage research assistant job in this small town of Waterloo. “That’s how I learned about public health. I was exposed to this world of population-level health. Then, I was trying to figure out my next steps. I often call this my free-falling period. I took a risk. I had no idea where I was going to end up. Taking a risk is what allows you to grow. If I continued to know what ground I was going to step on the ground in front of me, I could only land where I expected – what was in the realm of my imagination. But, by free-falling, I allowed myself to go beyond that.” Giving Cradle and Barakat Bundle In North America, Giving Cradle provides a safety-certified, eco-friendly bamboo rocking cradle. Families can make a safe choice for their newborn and for a newborn in need. In South Asia, they provide lifesaving Barakat Bundles. These bundles include a Giving Cradle, evidence-based medical items, and health education to families in need. Karima pitched the idea at the Harvard Business School New Venture Competition. They won enough funding to help them get started. Today, Karima is the Founder & CEO of Giving Cradle. They sell safety-certified bamboo rocking cradles to families in North America. For every Giving Cradle sold, a mother and newborn in South Asia receive a bundle of needed supplies through Barakat Bundle. “I think it is unjust that women and newborns continue to die from causes the world has already solved,” Karima says. “80% of maternal and infant deaths are completely preventable. We already have the tools to solve this problem. We just haven't figured out how to get the items that are needed into the hands of people who need them. If we do get them the needed items, we need to teach them how to use them, and they need to want to use them.” Learn More About Karima Ladhani, Giving Cradle and Barakat Bundle: Giving Cradle: https://givingcradle.com Barakat Bundle: https://barakatbundle.org Giving Cradle on Instagram: https://instagram.com/givingcradle  Barakat Bundle on Instagram: https://instagram.com/barakatbundle

Airbnb.org to support emergency response around the world. Natural disasters are on the rise. Climate change has accelerated wildfires and hurricanes. Healthcare workers are responding to the global pandemic. People find themselves displaced without warning. Who better to provide a safe place to stay than Airbnb and their global network of hosts? To respond to the need for safe housing during disaster, Airbnb has launched Airbnb.org. Airbnb.org is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to facilitating temporary stays for people in times of crisis. The inspiration for Airbnb.org began in 2012 with a single host named Shell who opened her home to people impacted by Hurricane Sandy. Since then, Airbnb hosts have responded to natural disasters like an earthquake in Nepal, and manmade tragedies, like the Pulse Nightclub shooting. Airbnb hosts have provided stays to evacuees, relief workers, refugees, and asylum seekers. Recently, frontline workers fighting the spread of COVID-19 have benefited from the generosity of Airbnb and their hosts. More than 100,000 hosts have opened their homes and helped provide accommodations to 75,000 people in times of need. Going forward, Airbnb’s Open Homes and Frontline Stays programs will now be called Airbnb.org. Katherine Woo to Lead Airbnb.org Katherine Woo is the new Head od Airbnb.org. She brings a wealth of business and tech experience. She has held roles at Netscape, PayPal, eBay, and Facebook. But it was her work at Kiva.org that helped her to realize that her work could have a direct impact on people in need. She is joined by a staff and a board that reflects the communities they serve. Airbnb.org is building a diverse team at all levels, starting with its founding board of directors. At launch Airbnb.org’s founding board is composed of 80% women and 40% underrepresented minorities. Board members include: Joe Gebbia, Co-Founder of Airbnb, Chairman of Airbnb.org Jennifer Bond, Founder & Managing Director of the University of Ottawa Refugee Hub and Chair of the Global Refugee Sponsorship Initiative (GSRI)Jocelyn Wyatt, CEO of Ideo.orgMelissa Thomas-Hunt, Head of Global Diversity and Belonging at AirbnbSharyanne McSwain, COO of Echoing Green Learn More About Katherine Woo and Airbnb.org: Airbnb.org: https://airbnb.org  Katherine Woo on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katherinewoo

For extended show notes, see: https://tonyloyd.com/regina-larko A place and a community shaped Regina Larko. Regina Larko was born and raised in Vienna. “Three generations raised me,” Regina says. “My great-grandmother played a huge role in raising me. Her generation had experienced the hardships of the second world war. One of my great grandfathers never came home from the war.” When Regina was around nine years old, the former Yugoslavia broke apart, plunging the territory into ethnic wars. Refugees poured across the border into Austria. Many of Regina’s classmates moved to Austria to escape the fighting. She heard first-hand the stories of refugee children. “I felt immense gratitude for growing up in a peaceful, safe city,” she says. Regina also spent her summers in a small village of 300 inhabitants located 50 kilometers outside of Vienna. There, she learned the value of community. She saw how community members took care of one another. “There is so much purpose and meaning in every single small action,” Regina explains. “Neighbors and extended family members would always look out for each other. This is the reason I am so passionate about purpose-driven work that draws its energy from the community. “It has always bothered me that there is so much inequality in the world - that I had privileges just because of the place and time I was born. I always wanted to live in a fair, equal, and peaceful place. I wanted everyone to have the same rights and possibilities I have. It frustrates me that there are so many people out there suffering every day, just trying to survive.”  #impact Podcast is Born Regina launched #impact Podcast in the spring of 2017. They feature inspirational, motivational, and impactful stories. The listeners of #impact Podcast are interested in social impact and sustainability initiatives. #impact marries two passions in Regina’s life: audio and purpose-driven work. As an audio enthusiast, Regina has always loved how intimate the medium of audio felt. Listeners create pictures in her head. #impact Podcast tells impactful stories in a light, refreshing and inspirational way. Regina talks about the issues, but she also talks about solutions. #impact Podcast portrays individuals making a positive impact in the world. They talk about why and how they got started, the challenges along the way, and what keeps them going. Listeners feel inspired by the individuals that Regina and her co-hosts interview. Listeners feel empowered to create change. The podcast guests often find new volunteers and donors. “The first interviews for #impact were game-changing,” Regina says. “I was clumsily setting up my microphones. I asked very scripted questions. Yet, I saw the impact the conversations made on the guest I featured. These NGOs had never had the chance to tell their story. They humanized their work, giving their cause a voice that people could connect to. They reached new listeners. They found new volunteers. “The first listeners started to reach out, thanking me for introducing them to NGOs. Many listeners started volunteering or donating, thanks to #impact Podcast. That’s when I knew that it was so worthwhile and that I have to continue producing and expanding the show.”  Regina Larko’s Work Today Today, Regina is a TEDx speaker. She has been named “10 Women who are shaping Hong Kong for the better”. Her work has been featured in radio, print, and online media. Regina is passionate about inspiring everyone to start making a positive impact. She also mentors aspiring podcasters, empowering them to find the confidence to get their voices heard. Learn More About Regina Larko and #Impact Podcast: #impact Podcast: https://www.hashtagimpact.com #impact on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hashtagimpact Free Podcasting Guide: http://www.hashtagimpact.com/guide Podcasting Course: https://www.hashtagimpact.com/start-a-podcast

How do we get more people involved in social innovation? NOTE: For extended show notes, see https://tonyloyd.com/tom-dawkins Tom Dawkins is the founder of StartSomeGood, the leading home of cause-driven crowdfunding, innovative partnerships, and social entrepreneur education. I first interviewed Tom nearly five years ago, on December 14, 2015. You can hear our previous interview at https://tonyloyd.com/018. Tom keeps coming back to one fundamental question. How do we get more people involved? “All of us are smarter than any of us,” he says. “It’s essential in a world that is evolving so rapidly. It’s never good enough to come up with a single good idea, a single solution, because things that were proven to work yesterday won’t work tomorrow. “Those of us who care about the future, the planet, and the community, we need not just to find innovations, we need to build an innovation muscle. As a community, the best way to innovate is to ensure that every perspective is heard. Everyone has an opportunity to participate in that process of creating a better future. “One of my foundational beliefs is that all the ideas are already out there. They’re often held by someone who has lived experience of a particular challenge. “But so many people don’t know how to get their ideas out into the world. They don’t know how to turn it into a story that will resonate with people. They don’t know how to identify: Who is it for? What’s the value I create for them? “They don’t have access to a network or impact investors or other types of supporters. So, we started with crowdfunding, but since then, we’re adding all these pieces that might help people make that leap as well.” What Do Early-Stage Social Entrepreneurs Need? “There are three key types of capital they need to underpin progress and impact. “There’s intellectual capital, which is knowing how to do things or accessing the people who do. “Financial capital is in some ways to fill the gaps of your intellectual capital – to pay for things that you can’t acquire in other ways. And to boost growth and reach. “And then relational capital, which helps you not to burn out. It’s more than accessing people who know stuff. It’s people who care about you – people who understand the journey. “ The Next Level of Evolution for StartSomeGood Today, StartSomeGood builds capacity for early-stage social innovators in several ways. They run accelerators on behalf of corporate partners. They have the Good Hustle, a ten-week social enterprise design course. And they offer other workshops. They run live crowdfunding events called Pitch for Good. They run inspirational events such as their annual Starting Good virtual summit. They provide the Starting Good Network, an exclusive community for those committed to changing the world. And they continue to innovate on their crowdfunding platform. StartSomeGood now offers a recurring crowdfunding model. Learn More About Tom Dawkins and StartSomeGood: StartSomeGood: https://startsomegood.com Recurring Crowdfunding model: https://startsomegood.com/recurring Good Hustle: https://www.goodhustle.online Starting Good virtual summit: https://www.starting.gd Starting Good Network: https://startsomegood.com/starting-good Tom Dawkins on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomdawkins Tom Dawkins on Twitter: https://twitter.com/tomjd

In season two, we’ve been telling stories of a just and equitable transition to a clean energy future. The Coronavirus is a wakeup call. If you don’t know by now, the way we’ve been living isn’t working for the earth. Most of all, it is not working for the poorest inhabitants of the earth. Climate change, extreme weather, hurricanes, floods, droughts, melting glaciers, rising sea level , wildfires, degraded food supplies, tick-borne diseases, mosquito-borne diseases, climate refugees, political instability  – these are just a few results of our current way of living. The way we produce, transmit, and store our energy, hurts the poorest among us. The way we grow, waste, and consume food hurts the poorest among us. The way we transport ourselves, and our goods, hurts the poorest among us. We way we produce and consume goods, hurts the poorest among us. The way we build, heat, and cool buildings, hurts the poorest among us. The climate crisis is a social justice crisis. But there are solutions: wind energy, solar, energy efficient lighting, smart buildings, regenerative agriculture, alternative transportation systems, and consumer trends are available to us. We must change. We can change. And we will change - if not for ourselves, for the poorest among us. That is why we produced season two of Social Entrepreneur where we’ve been telling stories of a just and equitable transition to a clean energy future. Season Two Wrap-up In Season Two, we talked with: Jonathan Foley of Project Drawdown. Jessica Hellman, Director of the Institute on Environment at the University of Minnesota. Ry Brennan. Ry reminds us that the problems with electrical generation and distribution are systemic and complex. The solutions are at the systems level. Janet McCabe of the Environmental Resilience Institute Mark Kuo of Routific Robert Blake of Solar Bear. Deepinder Singh of 75F Mary Jane Melendez of General Mills Lauren Gregor of Rent-a-Romper Steven Downey of Harmony Fuels Sebastian Sajoux of Arqlite Dave Goebel of enVerde Looking Ahead to Season Three of Social Entrepreneur We’re kicking things off with someone I admire and consider to be a friend, Tom Dawkins of StartSomeGood. Karima Ladhani will tell us about Giving Cradle and Barakat Bundle. Ruth Biza will tell us about #ThisisMyEra. One of my favorite storytellers, Denise Withers will talk about Story Design. And Nichol Beckstrand will talk about YardHomesMN. Still Looking for Guests for Season Three Our commitment is this: We tell positive stories from underrepresented voices, focused on solutions. If you know someone we should interview, here is what we’re looking for in a guest: https://tonyloyd.com/guest.

enVerde converts organic waste into sustainable clean energy. The Office for Technology Commercialization (OTC) is the office at the University of Minnesota whose mission is to facilitate the transfer of technology to licensees. This allows for the development of new products and services that benefit the public good. It also fosters economic growth and generates revenue. Since 2006, the University has spun out 170 startup companies. But there is a challenge. Technology transfer is not simple. For a venture to be successful, it must be desirable (the market wants it), feasible (an organization can produce a market solution), and viable (the cost structure and returns are sustainable). There is a vast desert from license to commercialization. Research can create an idea that is desirable but is not viable or sustainable. It takes time to prove out and commercialize a technology. The time and effort to commercialize a technology is often called the commercialization gap. On today’s episode of Social Entrepreneur, we talk to Dave Goebel, CEO and Founder of enVerde. enVerde has licensed a thermochemical catalytic technology from the University of Minnesota. The catalyst converts organic material into heat energy. enVerde provides circular economy solutions by repurposing carbon-containing waste into clean, sustainable energy and chemicals. The Problem with Organic Waste Every day, the average American generates 4.4 pounds of waste. That includes paper, plastics, yard trimmings, food waste, wood, rubber, leather, textiles, and more. At the same time, the US Energy Information Administration predicts nearly 50% increase in world energy usage by 2050. What if we could use organic waste to provide clean, renewable energy? That’s the promise of enVerde. They are addressing the nearly infinite amount of organic waste and the growing need for energy. They do so in an environmentally friendly, cost-effective manner. Waste becomes a resource instead of a problem. “Waste is stored energy and we have a clean way to liberate, free, that energy for our use,” says enVerde Founder and CEO, Dave Goebel. “We economically transform organic wastes into a product called syngas. We also produce heat in the process. Both syngas and heat can be power sources for making electricity. “Syngas is also convertible into new clean fuels like hydrogen, methanol, or dimethyl ether. It can be green precursor for other chemical processes displacing petroleum products. “Agricultural, industrial, commercial, and other organizations decrease their operating expenses by significantly reducing their waste streams and creating clean fuels/heat they can use locally and immediately.” Recent Successes enVerde is finding some successes along the way. The inventor of the technology, Dr. Paul Dauenhauer won a MacArthur Foundation Genius Award.  enVerde was also selected as a member of the next cohort with Creative Destruction Lab. Creative Destruction Lab accelerator program is based out of Calgary, Alberta. Learn More About David Goebel and enVerde: enVerde: https://www.enverdellc.com enVerde on Twitter: https://twitter.com/enVerdeLLC enVerde on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/enVerdeLLC University of Minnesota Office for Technology Commercialization: https://research.umn.edu/units/techcomm/about-us/overview Dr. Paul Dauenhauer, MacArthur Fellow: https://www.macfound.org/fellows/1056 Creative Destruction Lab, Energy: https://www.creativedestructionlab.com/streams/energy

For extended show notes, look here: https://tonyloyd.com/sebastian-sajoux/ 93% of plastic is not recycled.   Only seven to nine percent of the plastic that is generated on an annual basis is recycled. Sebastian Sajoux explains, “The plastics go to a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF, pronounced “Murph”), and then go into a recycling system. Still, 50% of plastics that are manufactured are impossible to recycle with current technologies.   “The number that’s really scary is, by 2050 the amount of plastic used and discarded will double.”   “We are in this race to become more efficient in separation and recycling, but we are still manufacturing products that cannot be recycled.”  Why Some Plastic is Born Unrecyclable   "Plastics are divided into categories,” Sebastian told me. “Usually, you see the numbers one through seven in a recycling system. They can only be recycled within the same stream.   “There are also rigid plastics, such as a shampoo bottle, and flexible plastic, which is a wrapping, for example, for an Oreo Cookie or Lays Potato Chips.   “For flexible plastics, because it is so thin, it requires different layers to work together to be safer, to keep the product for more time. So, you exchange thickness for another technology. If you combine two different types of plastics, it is automatically unrecyclable.   “What we are addressing is all of the flexible packaging out there that was born unrecyclable. It seems like a wrapper from, let’s say a butter toffee, it’s harmless. But people discard them every day.   “So, laminates are our main focus.”   A Solution to Unrecyclable Plastics  Arqlite takes unrecyclable mixed plastic and produces a gravel that can be used in construction.   When compared to traditional mineral gravel, Arqlite’s smart gravel is three times lighter, ten times better insulator, doesn’t break or produce dust, and doesn’t require hydration. These are all characteristics that are desirable in the construction industry.   Lighter gravel is easier and cheaper to transport. It can be manufactured locally, reducing costs and greenhouse gas emission. And, it does not require mining to produce.   Builders who use Arqlite smart gravel can gain LEED points. The material is recycled, it is locally produced, and it improves insulation.   The solution is scalable. “I didn’t want to make countertops and sell 100 countertops per day,” Sebastian says. “I wanted to make gravel and sell 100 trucks per day.”   Learn More About Sebastian Sajoux and Arqlite:  Arqlite: https://www.arqlite.com   Arqlite on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arqlite_us   Arqlite on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/arqlite   Arqlite on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2aC0VRGB6dLgKxEtCkAI6A/videos  

How do you reduce your carbon footprint without breaking the bank?   Did you turn on your heat this week? A lot of people in the northern hemisphere either already did, or they will soon. For 12 million homes in the US, that meant burning heating oil or propane, both of which contribute to climate change.   For single family homes, the cost of replacing oil and propane furnaces is unrealistic. According to Bankrate, only 40% of Americans could absorb an unexpected expense of $500 or more. Lots of people want to reduce their carbon footprint, but they don’t have extra money to spend.  That’s where Harmony Fuels comes in. They are the only carbon-neutral provider of home heating fuel in the US. They didn’t invent a new oil or propane. They make it easy for consumers to reduce their carbon footprints by offering carbon offsets. For each gallon of heating oil or propane its customers purchase, Harmony Fuels buys the equivalent number of pounds of carbon offsets from certified green energy projects.  Steve Downey is the president of Harmony Fuels. He admits that carbon offsets are not a silver bullet, but it’s a step in the right direction.   Learn More About Steven Downey and Harmony Fuels:  Steven Downey on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevenjdowney   Harmony Fuels: https://www.harmonyfuels.com   Harmony Fuels on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/harmonyfuels   Harmony Fuels on Twitter: https://twitter.com/harmonyfuels   Harmony Fuels on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/harmony_fuels  

For a extended show notes and a full transcript of this conversation, see https://tonyloyd.com/lauren-gregor. Rent-a-Romper makes parents' lives easier while reducing the negative effects of the fashion industry.   For just a moment, think about your clothes. At some point in time, you chose each item and brought it into your home. Your neighbor did the same thing. So did the house down the street, and the one several miles away. The same thing happened in a house on the other side of the world.   The global population is increasing. The middle class is growing. And so is our demand for fashion.   By 2030, the world population will increase from 7.8 billion today to 8.5 billion. You can watch the world population increase in real time here.   Not only are there more people on the planet, our standard of living is increasing. The GDP per capita is growing at 2% per year in the developed world and 4% in the developing world. That means more demand on our world resources.   Apparel consumption is expected to rise by 63% by 2030, from 62 million tons today to 102 million tons in 2030. That’s the equivalent of adding 500 billion T-shirts to the environment.   Why is that a problem?   The fashion industry produces about 10% of global carbon dioxide emissions.   By 2030, the industry’s CO2 emissions are projected to increase by more than 60%. That’s like adding 230 million more passenger vehicles on the roads.   And, it’s not just greenhouse gasses that are a problem. Fashion requires fresh water. The fashion industry consumes 79 billion cubic meters of water per year. That’s equivalent to 32 million Olympic-size swimming pools. But that’s today. By 2030, the fashion industry’s water use will increase by 50%.   Apparel production puts toxic substances such as mercury and arsenic into our waterways.   Most of the clothing waste ends up in landfills or is incinerated. Only 20% of clothing is collected for reuse or recycling. The amount of solid waste produced by the apparel industry is going to increase about 60% by 2030.   So, the environmental impact of apparel is increasing at the same time we need it to be decreasing. If we have any chance of limiting global warming to a 1.5°C increase, we need carbon emissions to be reduced by 45%.  One Small Step in the Apparel Industry  Lauren Gregor is a mom. She saw what was happening in her own house. With two small children two years apart, she was horrified by the parade of cardboard boxes showing up on her doorstep.   “I would get frustrated by the amount of waste that we're generating,” Lauren explains. “But also, how often I felt like I was turning around and getting back to the stores to buy them new things, especially clothes. My boys are tall, they grow fast, they grow very fast at those young ages and I just felt like I was constantly having to do things on my to-do list.”   Lauren came up with a solution. She calls it Rent-a-Romper. Rent-a-Romper makes parents' lives easier while easing the negative effects from the fashion industry. Parents can sign up for a monthly subscription and receive a customized capsule of clothing to meet the needs of their growing children.   Learn More About Lauren Gregor and Rent-a-Romper:  Rent-a-Romper Website: https://www.rentaromper.com/   Rent-a-Romper on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rentaromper   Rent-a-Romper on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rentaromperus  

General Mills is blending regeneration and philanthropy to create impact. How do you feed a hungry world without destroying the planet? And, how do you do so in a way that is just and equitable? Agriculture and forestry activities generate 24% of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. The world population will reach 9.7 billion in 2050. And, a growing middle class in emerging countries is straining our global food supply. Mary Jane Melendez is Chief Sustainability and Social Impact Officer for General Mills. She also serves as President of the General Mills Foundation. “It’s broader than philanthropy and broader than sustainability,” Mary Jane says. “It’s those two areas coming together to drive greater social impact.” General Mills is a leading global food company whose purpose is to make food the world loves. They are a 150-year-old company that is using their scale to produce more quality food while reducing their footprint. Regenerative Agriculture “Our work is rooted in the earth,” Mary Jane explains, “and we want to restore it. We share a unique bond with nature. When there are threats to nature through changes in climate, those are threats to our business. At General Mills, this is a business imperative and a planetary imperative. “Today, about a third of the world’s topsoil is degraded. We have lost about 40% of insect species on the planet, including pollinators that are important to our food. There is nothing about that fate that should be sustained. We don’t want to sustain declining ecosystems. “At General Mills, what we’re being very thoughtful about is our responsibility to move beyond sustainability and think about regeneration.” General Mills has commitment to advance regenerative agriculture practices on one million acres of farmland by 2030. Regenerative agriculture is a system of farming practices that enhance soil health, pulling carbon from the air and storing it in the soil. It helps land to be more resilient to extreme weather events. 100% Renewable Energy Scale can be a force for good as demonstrated by General Mills’ commitment to regenerative agriculture. But scale can also be a burden on the planet. In 2015, General Mills was the first company to publish a goal approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) to reduce absolute greenhouse gas emissions across the company’s full value chain by 28% by 2025. That means that, no matter how much they grow, they committed to reducing their 2010 greenhouse gas emissions. Last April, General Mills also set a goal of 100% renewable electricity worldwide by 2030. “Technology changes quickly,” Mary Jane told me. “As new technologies come online, we are constantly keeping our eyes open for new ways to activate that technology, drive the investments to help reduce our greenhouse gas “ Learn More About Mary Jane Melendez and General Mills: Mary Jane Melendez on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-jane-melendez-4a45915/ General Mills Global Responsibility Report: https://blog.generalmills.com/2020/04/2020-global-responsibility-report/ General Mills and Regenerative Agriculture: https://www.generalmills.com/en/News/NewsReleases/Library/2019/March/Regen-Ag General Mills and Renewable Energy: https://www.generalmills.com/en/News/NewsReleases/Library/2020/April/General-Mills-commits-to-100-percent-renewable-electricity-globally-by-2030 General Mills CEO Jeff Harmening’s LinkedIn post from June 4: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/where-we-go-from-here-jeff-harmening/

Optimizing building energy efficiency can be complicated and expensive. According to Deepinder Singh, it doesn’t have to be. The world has more than 230 billion square meters of building space with another 65 billion square meters coming online in the next decade. Buildings account for 6% of global greenhouse gasses. With the ongoing global pandemic, the CDC has developed guidelines that encourage more fresh air circulation. The goal is to maintain lower viral load in the work atmosphere. Those guidelines could increase energy consumption. Improving energy efficiency could make a significant dent in climate change. It Started with His Daughter Deepinder Singh is a computer network engineer by training. He designed some of the world’s fastest core networks for AT&T, NTT, and Verizon. In his work on complex systems, he found ways to simplify operational complexity and to make products intuitive. “If you use Verizon,” Deepinder told me, “there’s a 95% chance it goes over a network I built. My claim to fame is that I had one of the first petabit routers sitting in my garage for five years.” When he and his family moved to Minnesota, he ran into a problem that was a little closer to home. “My daughter, who was one at the time, would wake up in the night crying. The temperature in her room would drop ten degrees at night. The thermostat was in the mater bedroom, which was west facing. We were nice and warm because the sun would keep it warm in that room. In the rest of the house, the heat would not kick on. “When my daughter was this uncomfortable, I quit my job to fix the damned problem.” Since Deepinder was not trained in HVAC, he used his computer network skills to solve the problem. 75F, Born Digital to Solve Problems for Commercial Buildings After solving his own problem, Deepinder realized he had a solution with a commercial application. In 2012, Deepinder and his cofounders launched 75F, an intelligent building solution that utilizes the Internet of Things and the latest in Cloud Computing to create systems that predict, monitor and manage the needs of buildings. “I found that there was an even bigger problem in commercial buildings. People are there all day, and somebody is wearing a coat during the summer.” “The building controls industry, the last innovation that they had was in the mid-1990s. They are mechanical engineers who try to design It-controlled solutions. Those solutions are archaic by today’s standards. In the controls industry, people are taking these Lego pieces and they are building a custom solution for each building. To me, that’s an opportunity to disrupt. “I had none of this baggage. I had no idea what the heck I was doing. We were born digital, so we looked at IOT and cloud computing, and created a completely different architecture. It’s modern. It keeps getting upgraded all the time. We look at the building holistically. We use machine learning and AI to implement things that people are doing manually. The building is continuously adjusting and adapting.” 75F uses smart sensors and controls to make commercial buildings healthier, more comfortable, and more efficient than ever before, all at a disruptive price. “Normally energy efficiency and comfort oppose one another,” Deepinder commented. “We’re trying to do both at the same time.” 75F helps customers achieve an average savings of 41.8 percent in energy consumption and carbon footprint.  Learn More About Deepinder Singh and 75F: 75F: https://www.75f.io/ Deepinder Singh on Twitter: https://twitter.com/FlyingSardar

Solar Bear is a Native American owned solar installation company. Robert Blake of Solar Bear has a habit of mashing up two problems and coming up with a solution. His driving philosophy is “healing is in the environment.” Solar Bear is a Native American owned solar installation company. They train people on the Red Lake Indian Reservation to install solar power. “If we can do this in Red Lake, we can bring this out to other tribal nations,” Robert explains. “We’re going to see that solar energy can solve a human health crisis. On Native Nations and reservations, there is a high poverty rate, alcohol addiction, and drug addiction. What I’m hoping is, with this energy source, we can provide opportunities and give purpose to community members.” Solar Bear also works with the Department of Corrections, and the Willow River Correctional Facility to provide a solar installation workforce development program for the inmates. “The idea here is to battle mass incarceration with climate change,” Robert says. “Here in the United States, we are one of the leaders in incarcerating our citizens. We have this existential problem. Can we get individuals that are incarcerated to fight climate change? “I believe that healing is in the environment. If we can have these individuals work in the solar industry, be installers, maybe become electricians, this will be a way to heal and give back to society. “It’s a ripple effect. When these individuals come out of the correctional facilities and are doing solar, they are taking their families off of public assistance. They show their kids that they have a steady job, and that breaks the cycle.” Robert is also the executive director of Native Sun Community Power Development. Native promotes renewable energy, energy efficiency, and a just energy transition. They use education, workforce training, and demonstrations. One Native Sun project is creating a K -12 curriculum on climate change. In the pilot program on the Red Lake Reservation, they teach children about energy efficiency, renewable energy, recycling, and gardening. “Imagine a polar bear family that wear sunglasses. They’re solar bears,” Robert explains. “It’s going to be the kids who are going to have to deal with the aftereffects of climate change.” Another Native Sun project is to teach solar installation skills to military veterans. Learn More About Robert Blake, Solar Bear, and Native Sun: Robert Blake on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-blake-b5b82543 Solar Bear: https://solarbear.earth Native Sun Community Power Development: https://www.nativesun.org

Routific uses AI to cut mileage and drive time by 20%-40%. Marc Kuo is the Founder & CEO of Routific. He is a routing expert with nearly a decade of experience in last-mile logistics. But he didn’t always work in logistics. “Being a fresh grad out of school, I just wanted to get into either management consulting or investment banking, simply because of its prestige,” Marc told me. “I was ambitious. I wanted to aim for something challenging. “Once I was in finance, I was on the equity trading floor for one of the investment banks in Hong Kong. It was a glamorous dream job. I was sitting on the fifty-first floor of one of the tallest skyscrapers in Hong Kong. But I just felt a little empty. I was quickly disenchanted by this glamorous job and the corporate life. “I wasn’t adding much value to society, using algorithms to move money from the retired pensioners to the rich bankers. I didn’t feel like it was value added to society.” After being on the job for a year, Marc decided to go back to what he studied in graduate school. He wrote his thesis on route optimization algorithms. From his perch on the fifty-first floor, he watched the ships, trucks, and logistics in the harbor. “I felt a calling to move physical goods and rout them more efficiently. Physical goods are being moved anyway. Why not do it that much more efficiently?” The Big Problem Transportation is responsible for 14% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Imagine a delivery business that delivers to 500 locations every day with a fleet of 10 vehicles. The puzzle of deciding which vehicle goes where and in what order, while making sure the fleet operates as efficiently as possible, is extremely hard. “Every day we optimize the routes of hundreds of delivery businesses around the globe to save them time and fuel,” Marc explains. “Our mission? To make route optimization software accessible to every delivery business. We are passionate about helping businesses thrive and creating a more sustainable world. “Routific surveyed 11,246 businesses and found that 72% still plan routes manually. That means they plan routes using tools like spreadsheets, pen and paper, and Google Maps. Businesses dependent on manual route planning struggle with the consequences of inefficient routes—hours of manual route planning time and inflated delivery costs. “It’s hard work. And humans are not particularly good at it. Businesses report spending anywhere from one to three hours a day trying to plan delivery routes – many of which are not efficient nor optimal.” This is where route optimization software can help. “Aside from saving the manual route planner a lot of time, we also cut mileage and drive time by 20%-40% by generating more efficient routes than humans can ever find.” The fact that most businesses are still manually planning routes is a big problem for the environment. Third-party environmental consultants estimated carbon emission reductions equivalent to planting 86 trees/year for every driver that switches over from manually planned routes to one optimized by Routific. In 2019 alone, Routific helped delivery businesses around the world save 11,322 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions, the equivalent of planting more than 500,000 trees. More Information: https://routific.com/

The Environmental Resilience Institute helps midwestern communities understand and prepare for environmental change.  There’s something powerful about understanding how a global trend impacts your local community. For example, it’s one thing to hear about world hunger. It’s another to hear about hunger in your state. But there’s a different feeling when you realize that there’s a hungry kid in your neighborhood. As Tip O’Neill said, “All politics is local.” It’s the same thing with climate change. You’ve probably heard about the global climate crisis. And, when your state is mentioned, you might pay attention. But, when you notice the impact on the health and wellbeing of your local community, well, there’s something compelling about that. Climate Change in the Midwest We hear a lot about the impacts of climate change in far-flung corners of the world. We are aware of the dangers of flooding along the US coastline. But what about the Midwest? The average annual temperature has been increasing across the Midwest. Warmer air holds more moisture, which changes moisture patterns. That means more frequent flooding, and drought. For each 1 degree Celsius of warming, the crop yield declines for corn, wheat, rice, and soy. Warmer, wetter winters have led to higher tick populations. The mosquito season is longer. Mosquitoes and ticks spread diseases. Helping Midwestern Communities Understand and Prepare for Environmental Change Janet McCabe is an expert in environmental law and policy. She is the director of the Environmental Resilience Institute at Indiana University. The Environmental Resilience Institute collects data across all 92 counties in Indiana to predict changes in climate, groundwater systems, vegetation, wildlife, and more. Their goal is to help Indiana understand how a changing climate will affect health, communities, industry, and agriculture. Before joining the Environmental Resilience Institute, Janet held key positions in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Indiana Department of Environmental Management. Learn More About Janet McCabe and Indiana University Environmental Resilience Institute: ·        Indiana University Environmental Resilience Institute: https://eri.iu.edu ·        Janet McCabe on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janet-mccabe-204b53126

The problems are systemic and complex. So are the answers. Globally, the United States accounts for 5% of the world’s population, but we produce 15% of the energy-related CO2 emissions. Coastal flooding, hurricanes, drought, and fires are all related to climate change. And who suffers the most from the impacts of climate change? Mostly the poor and vulnerable. Bringing this closer to home, in the US, 5.9 million people live within three miles of a major coal-fired power plant. On average, these people have a per capital income of $18,400, which is 17% lower than the average in the US. A Yale University study found that Hispanics have the highest exposure rates for 10 out of 14 air pollutants. African Americans have higher exposure rates than whites for 13 out of the 14 air pollutants. 68% of African Americans live within 30 miles of a coal-fired power plant. Black people are exposed to 1.5 times more particulate matter than white people. Hispanics have about 1.2 times the exposure to particulates than non-Hispanic whites. African Americans are hospitalized for asthma at three times the rate of white Americans. And, the death rate from asthma is 172% higher for African Americans than white Americans. Among children, the results are even worse. According to the Centers for Disease Control, black children are twice as likely to have asthma as white children. And black children are 10 times more likely than white kids to die of complications from asthma. And, that is not to mention increased birth defects, heart disease, lung disease, learning difficulties, and lower property values. The average US household spends 4% of their income on energy costs, while low-income families spend 17% of their income. African Americans spend around $40 billion on energy. Yet, 1.1% of energy jobs are held by African Americans. And, only .01% of energy revenue went to African Americans. The Solutions Can Be the Problem At one level, we have the solutions in hand. King Coal is dead. It is more expensive to generate electricity from coal than from either wind or solar. Wind is the cheapest source of new electricity generation in Minnesota. The cost fell by 16% in one year. The price of solar energy in Minnesota has declined 34% over the last five years. LED lighting is energy efficient. Electric cars don’t emit CO2 from combustion. However, as H. L. Mencken said, “There is always a well-known solution to every human problem—neat, plausible, and wrong.” The problems are systemic and complex. The solutions are at the systems level. According to Ry Brennan, a doctoral researcher at the University of California, Santa Barbara, “Solving the problems with our existing energy infrastructure requires creating resilient energy systems. These systems must be decentralized, diverse, and open to democratic deliberation. This change will require a dramatic remaking of our hard and soft energy infrastructures.” A Call to Action In this episode of Social Entrepreneur, Ry challenges us to think deeply about our electrical system. “Figure out how energy gets from the plant to your light switch. If you're not happy about it, find out what people in your town are doing about it. If they're not doing anything about it yet, ask if anyone wants to help you make some noise. If you are happy about it, share your community's good idea with someone else.” About Ry Brenna Ry Brennan is a doctoral researcher at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where they study energy justice, infrastructure, environmental sociology, prison ecology, and democracy, especially as these themes and fields relate to energy decentralization. They are also a community organizer working in a range of different affinity groups with the simple ambition of ending oppression in all its forms to cultivate the flourishing of humans, non-human animals, and their ecosystems. They do nothing in their spare time because they have no spare time.

If you could invent a post-pandemic world, what world would you create? I hear a lot of people talking about the desire to return to “normal.” However, normal was unsustainable. Before the pandemic, there was another crisis, an environmental crisis. A crisis in our food systems, our energy systems, our clean water systems, and our unequal economic systems. Coronavirus did not break our systems. It revealed how broken our systems already are. There is a saying, “Problems cannot be solved by the same level of thinking that created them." That is why, when faced with intractable problems like COVID-19 or the climate crisis, I like to talk to thought leaders. On the other side of the pandemic, we have an opportunity to begin again. What world can you imagine in a post-pandemic world? I asked this question to Jessica Hellmann, the Director of the Institute on Environment at the University of Minnesota. The Institute on the Environment has a bold vision for the world: Sustainable agriculture feeds the world.Renewable energy powers healthy homes, efficient transportation, and flourishing businesses.Every person has access to food, water and shelter.Oceans, lakes and rivers are clean and healthy.Communities have vibrant economies, neighborhoods and cultures.Thriving ecosystems support thriving economies and societies. Overall, humanity restores and renews resources for the benefit of all living things. IonE is accelerating the transition to this future by supporting breakthrough research across disciplines. They develop the next generation of global leaders, discover breakthrough solutions, and build transformative partnerships. “Universities have been profoundly important in figuring out what environmental issues are,” Jessica explains. “Now, it’s equally, if not more important in addressing those problems.” Jessica says, “Occasionally, there are projects or activities that are created within an interdisciplinary institute. Some ideas continue to flourish within an institute, and some go off elsewhere.” One example of a spinoff from the institute is Geofinancial Analytics. Jessica is the Chief Scientist at Geofinancial Analytics. They are a science-driven benefit corporation. Their mission is to accelerate capital flow from climate stressors to sustainable solutions. They inform investment decisions with transparent, objective facts. Learn More About Jessica Hellmann: Jessica Hellmann: https://jessicahellmann.org/Institute on the Environment: http://environment.umn.edu/Geofinancial Analytics: https://geofinancial.com/

In season two, we are telling stories of an inclusive and just transition to a clean energy future. Happy Earth Day! Welcome to Season Two of Social Entrepreneur. You already know that we tell positive stories from underrepresented voices, focused on solutions. In season two, we are focusing on stories of an inclusive and just transition to a clean energy future. Here are the kinds of guests we will feature: Underrepresented voices such as women entrepreneurs, people of color, Native Americans, LGBTQ voices, and others who don’t normally get the spotlight. The venture capitalist Arlan Hamilton refers to them as the underestimated. We highlight the true hustlers, those who have overcome the most on their journey.Are working to solve big problems, tied to sustainable development goals. In this season, we are focused on an inclusive and just transition to a clean energy future.Have a sustainable business model. We give preference to for-profit businesses. We will consider nonprofit businesses who sell a product or service to sustain their impact.Are solution-focused. Our Guests are making a lasting difference through direct action. Upcoming Episodes: We’re excited to bring you new stories about our clean energy future. Here are some examples of upcoming episodes: Jonathan Foley, Project DrawdownJessica Hellmann, University of Minnesota’s Institute on the Environment and Geofinacial AnalyticsRy Brennan, Grad Student, UCSBJanet McCabe, Environmental Resilience Institute at Indiana UniversityMarc Kuo, RoutificSteve Downey, Harmony FuelsMany more. 

Positive stories of resilient people who thrive in life, connect with others, and contribute to the world in the face of adversity. Who do you know who is modeling resilience during difficult times? Have you heard any good stories lately? In this critical time, we are surrounded by acts of heroism, both large and small. I want to introduce you to the podcast, Thrive. Connect. Contribute. Here is What You Will Hear: I am sharing stories of resilient people. Here are three examples. Episode 3: How I Overcame Anxiety, Found the Purpose of Life, and Lived a Year of Personal Bests. If you’ve been wondering “What happened to Tony?” This answers the question. It’s been quite a year. Episode 4: These Children Show Us How to Connect with Others in a Time of Crisis. I interview a 10-year-old boy and his 7-year-old sister. They launched a new podcast so that kids can learn and have fun. Episode 10: Crowdsource Kindness During the COVID-19 Crisis with Morgan Schmidt. According to Morgan, the world is full of kind people. She found a way to crowdsource kindness. What I'm Doing During the COVID-19 Crisis I’m looking for these stories. I’ll bet you have heard stories like this. And, I’ll also bet that you have stories from your life. In the middle of this pandemic, I feel compelled to do this. I am calling for stories. Here’s how it works. You can nominate a story that you heard from someone else, or you can tell your own story. Why "Thrive. Connect. Contribute."? Last year I did a personal experiment called “My Year of Personal Bests.” If I boiled the entire year-long experience into one phrase, it would be this: You are here on earth to connect with others and contribute to the world. But before you can connect and contribute, you must first practice self-care. In other words, you must thrive. Thrive. Connect. Contribute. In that order. Take Control of Your Destiny So, help me out, will you? Let’s find and tell the stories of people who are thriving, connecting, and contributing in the face of adversity. Nominate someone to tell their story. Or, let us know about the story you have to tell. We need these stories now more than ever. 

Global Gaming Initiative provides a suite of tools and services to make it easier for game developers and publishers to produce and monetize games for social good. Note: Between now and the end of the year, we’re counting down the top twelve popular podcast interviews of 2018. It is a people’s choice award, determined by the number of downloads. This interview originally aired on February 12, 2018. Elizabeth Sarquis was born in a small town along the Magdalena River in Colombia. When Elizabeth was five years old, her family moved to the US. Growing up, she went to school in the US and spent time her summers in Colombia. Elizabeth says “It struck me, when I would see children on the streets begging. Then I would go back home, and I would have everything. It didn’t make sense to me.” As an adult, Elizabeth worked in nonprofits focused on children’s issues. During the 2008 financial meltdown, Elizabeth observed how difficult it was for nonprofits to raise funds. And, after the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, she noticed that there was a wide gap between the money raised and the impact of those funds. “I knew something had to change,” she says. “I wanted to create a model that used technology, which I love, and create an impact.” In 2010, Elizabeth’s 14-year-old son traveled to Ecuador to volunteer with a nonprofit. Her son told her a story about a boy he met. The boy did not have transportation, and therefore, did not attend school. Elizabeth’s son challenged her to help. Around this same time, Elizabeth found herself playing Angry Birds for hours. She thought, “Can’t we figure out a way to use games, tied to impact?” From this thought cam Global Gaming Initiative. Global Gaming Initiative is a mobile game company that creates games and aligns them with social impact. They are a cooperative. They work with game developer who wants to create social impact through their game. Global Gaming Initiative is a BCorporation. They have been selected as a “Best for the World” company two years in a row. Global Gaming Initiative was not successful right away. They hired eight engineers and animators, spent months on the game, but it was not commercially successful. “We didn’t bring marketing in soon enough,” Elizabeth explains. “At that time, it was a bit more of the wild west in the app store.”   One of Global Gaming Initiative’s first successful games was Sidekick Cycle, a competitive retro arcade game that positions players in a race against time. Profits from in-app purchases and advertisement go towards bicycles for kids. The game is popular and has provided lots of bikes. However, parents began to push back on the content of the advertisements. To help control the types of ads that are presented on their games, Elizabeth and her team created Jukko. Jukko connects game players with socially-conscious brands. Jukko is scheduled to launch around April of 2018. Social Entrepreneurship Quotes from Elizabeth Sarquis “You can make games and you can have an impact.” @elizabetsarquis, @GGInitiative “You have to surround yourself with a network of people who believe in what you’re doing.” @elizabetsarquis, @GGInitiative “Get involved in your community.” @elizabetsarquis, @GGInitiative Social Entrepreneurship Resources: Global Gaming Initiative: https://www.globalgaminginitiative.com/ Global Gaming Initiative on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GlobalGamingInitiative Global Gaming Initiative on Twitter: https://twitter.com/gginitiative Jukko: https://jukko.com Jukko on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/myjukko Jukko on Twitter: https://twitter.com/myjukko Free Bikes 4 Kids: http://fb4k.org Book: Crazy Good Advice: 10 Lessons Learned from 150 Leading Social Entrepreneurs: https://tonyloyd.com/book  

In the Business of Change features stories of changemakers who use the power of business to address society’s most pressing problems. Note: Between now and the end of the year, we’re counting down the top twelve popular podcast interviews of 2018. It is a people’s choice award, determined by the number of downloads. This interview originally aired on May 24, 2018. Elisa Birnbaum is the publisher and editor-in-chief of SEE Change Magazine, a digital publication of social entrepreneurship and social change. You may recall her interview from June 2017. Elisa has a new book out, In the Business of Change: How Social Entrepreneurs are Disrupting Business as Usual. The book highlights how social entrepreneurs are using business savvy to create change in their communities. Elisa tells stories from a wide range of sectors, including employment, food, art, education, and social justice. Each chapter focuses on lessons learned and measurable impact. The book provides practical tips for starting and scaling a social enterprise. Social Entrepreneur Quotes by Elisa Birnbaum: “It’s part storytelling and part lessons for those who want to start their own social enterprise.” @ElisaBirnbaum @SEEChangemag “It’s for the average person who wants inspiring storytelling.” @ElisaBirnbaum @SEEChangemag “Look at all of this amazing work being done.” @ElisaBirnbaum @SEEChangemag “I wanted to provide a broad spectrum of people doing things in different sectors.” @ElisaBirnbaum @SEEChangemag “The book has actually been on my mind for a long time.” @ElisaBirnbaum @SEEChangemag “It’s good to tell stories in different medium.” @ElisaBirnbaum @SEEChangemag “You want to get these stories out there in as many ways as you can.” @ElisaBirnbaum @SEEChangemag “This was a lot more strategic.” @ElisaBirnbaum @SEEChangemag “There were a couple of chapters that ended up changing.” @ElisaBirnbaum @SEEChangemag “You have to be flexible.” @ElisaBirnbaum @SEEChangemag “Social entrepreneurs are taking a bigger role in systems change.” @ElisaBirnbaum @SEEChangemag “I didn’t start writing until I had a contract.” @ElisaBirnbaum @SEEChangemag “I had a book on my mind for many years.” @ElisaBirnbaum @SEEChangemag “People don’t get to see the grit, the passion, and the work that goes into it.” @ElisaBirnbaum @SEEChangemag “These stories, I find so inspiring.” @ElisaBirnbaum @SEEChangemag “I enjoyed the process more than I imagined I would.” @ElisaBirnbaum @SEEChangemag Social Entrepreneurship Resources: Book: In the Business of Change: How Social Entrepreneurs are Disrupting Business as Usual: https://amzn.to/2ILp2OA Elisa Birnbaum’s previous interview on Social Entrepreneur: https://tonyloyd.com/storytelling-platform-social-entrepreneurs-elisa-birnbaum-see-change-magazine SEE Change Magazine: http://www.seechangemagazine.com SEE Change Magazine on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seechangemagazine SEE Change Magazine on Twitter: https://twitter.com/seechangemag SEE Change Magazine on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seechangemag In the Business of Change podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/in-the-business-of-change/id1214748429 Book: Crazy Good Advice: 10 Lessons Learned from 150 Leading Social Entrepreneurs: https://tonyloyd.com/book