Business - Articles

Podcast

Kent Thiry - From Demoralization to Living Community

DaVita is the largest independent provider in the United States of dialysis services to people with chronic kidney failure. In 2000, DaVita was being investigated by the SEC and sued by shareholders. In this audio lecture recorded at Bridging the Gap, the Stanford 2005 Net Impact conference, Kent Thiry explains how building community and shared values bumped DaVita's market capitalization to $3 billion and turned it into a leader in its field.

Podcast

Nonprofit-Private Alliances - Bridging the Gap Panel

The corporate world is oftentimes approached for favors, but very few evolve into mutually beneficial alliances between nonprofits and private-sector companies. As described in this audio lecture, First Book's Kyle Zimmer and Disney executive Kathy Franklin explain what it takes to build a successful long-term strategic relationship.

Podcast

The Next Social Leaders - Bridging the Gap Conference

In this panel discussion, social entrepreneur veteran Laura Scher and more recent entrants, Kirsten Gagnaire and Jenny Shilling Stein, offer advice on what it takes to create a successful for-profit or nonprofit organization with a social purpose. The key components, they agreed, are a strong leader, a clear social mission, consistency, and focus.

Podcast

Corporate Environmental Footprint - Bridging the Gap Conference

As the world awakens to the challenges of global warming and water shortages, corporations slowly recognize the reduction of their environmental footprint as a significant component of corporate social responsibility. This panel discussion explores some of the leading corporate initiatives toward environmental sustainability.

Podcast

Greening the Supply Chain - Bridging the Gap Conference

How did Patagonia make the transition to using 100% organic cotton in its product line?  In this panel discussion from Bridging the Gap, the Stanford 2005 Net Impact Conference organized by the Stanford Graduate School of Business, Randy Harward discusses the challenges of garnering internal support, ensuring adequate supply of raw materials, and keeping prices affordable as Patagonia greens its supply chain.

Podcast

International Coffee Markets - Bridging the Gap Panel

Over 125 million people rely on coffee for their livelihood. What are Starbucks, the Fair Trade certification, and other nonprofit initiatives doing to help them out of the coffee crisis? This panel discussion describes the mechanics of the global coffee crisis and explores strategies to address sustainability issues on the economic, social, and environmental levels.

What Business Execs Don’t Know—but Should—About Nonprofits

By Les Silverman & Lynn Taliento 24

Business leaders play vital roles in the nonprofit sector – as board members, donors, partners, and even executives. Yet all too often they underestimate the unique challenges of managing nonprofit organizations.

Chilling With Greenpeace, From the Inside Out

By Cathy L. Hartman & Edwin R. Stafford 1

Greenpeace catapulted Greenfreeze, an ozone- and climate-safe refrigerant, into widespread use and launched the first Green Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, in 2000.

The Enterprising Type

By Alana Conner Snibbe

How the personalities of entrepreneurs and managers differ.

Carving out a Niche

By Will Tizard

A Czech social enterprise uses woodworking to help drug addicts.