Local Clean Energy for All
Alexis Belonio has accomplished the seemingly impossible and developed a clean burning cooking stove and continuous-flow industrial flow burner.
Environmental Sustainability in Electricity
Professor Frank Wolak considers how different utility rate structures might accelerate or delay the vision of an intelligent energy supply/demand nexus in the home.
Innovations in Global Health
Venkatesh Mannar, 2010 Tech Award winner in Health, discusses the large-scale social impact double fortified salt has brought to improving health and nutrition.
A Witness to the Egyptian Revolution
Conversations Network Executive Direct Doug Kaye share the story of his trip to Egypt as the country began its possible revolution
Crowd-Sourcing Disaster Relief
Jeannie Stamberger discuss how to write retweetable messages, how to separate legitimate helpers from posers and how to use social media to prevent loss of life.
Using Technology to Achieve Ambitious Goals: NewSchools Venture Summit Panel Discussion
Opportunities for learning are now available 24/7/365, as students utilize technology to interact with, learn about and communicate with the world. Mindful of this, educational entrepreneurs have found ways to integrate technology to add breadth and depth to a student’s experience. In this panel discussion, Gary Knells speaks on how the multi-platform approach of Sesame Street Workshop has become a gamechanger for early childhood education. Katie Salen discusses how teachers connect to their students in the digital age at Quest to Learn. Joel Rose transforms the old classroom with new models that offer personalized instruction for students. Milton Chen closes by sharing examples of 21st century innovations in education, which can be further explored at Edutopia.org and in his recently published book, Education Nation. They spoke at the NewSchools Summit, an event convened by the NewSchools Venture Fund. This podcast is sponsored by Social Innovation Conversations.
Jennifer Aaker - The Dragonfly Effect and Social Enterprise
How can you leverage the power of design thinking and psychological research with practical tools and strategies to get your social enterprise off the ground? In this university podcast, sponsored by the Stanford Center for Social Innovation, Stanford Graduate School of Business marketing professor Jennifer Aaker introduces the "dragonfly effect" model to illustrate how technology can be used to support business and social missions.
Jim Fruchterman - Harnessing Technology for Social Enterprise
Harnessing engineering innovation and technology to further social causes is one path to social enterprise. In this university podcast, sponsored by Stanford's Center for Social Innovation, former rocket scientist Jim Fruchterman talks about how he created Benetech, an organization that uses technology innovation and business expertise to solve unmet social needs. He discusses how he has leveraged the intellectual capital and resources of Silicon Valley to create solutions that are truly life changing.
Dipika Matthias - Social Enterprise to Solve Malnutrition
Malnutrition is a prime target for social enterprise efforts. In this audio interview with Stanford Center for Social Innovation correspondent Sheela Sethuraman, Dipika Matthias talks about Ultra Rice, a technology developed by PATH in Seattle, which is being introduced to millions of families around the world with great health and productivity benefits. The project director talks about the genesis of the project, its progress so far, and where it is headed.
Steve Cole - Social Enterprise for Kids with Cancer
How can a social enterprise save the lives of young people? In this audio lecture sponsored by the Center for Social Innovation, Steve Cole talks about the Re-Mission video game, a project that inspires young people to take their pills after their cancer has been put into remission. The game was the first product of HopeLab, an organization dedicated to improving the health and quality of life of young people with chronic illness.
Audrey Seagraves - Fair Wage Guide Software and Social Enterprise
Audrey Seagraves has a passion for international development and social enterprise. In this audio interview with Stanford Center for Social Innovation correspondent Sheela Sethuraman, the director of programs at World of Good talks about the creation of Fair Wage Guide software, a free tool that tells the viewer how wages being paid to any artisan worldwide compare to international wage standards.
Sam Goldman - Lighting the Way to Economic Development
Let there be light! That's Sam Goldman's motto, and he's taking it around the world. The founder of d.light design talks with Stanford Center for Social Innovation correspondent Sheela Sethuraman about how he is bringing affordable, ecologically sustainable electricity and lighting to billions who are now operating in the dark. In this audio interview, he details aspects of the design, function, marketing, and distribution of the organization's products, as well as the kind of impact the social enterprise is having in some of the most remote, poor areas.
Randy Wang - Education Through Community Participation
If you had to design a system to improve the quality of education in distant underprivileged schools, where would you begin? You might first step away from the problem and ask: What is the simplest "system" that could work in the real world? In this audio interview with host Sheela Sethuraman, Randy Wang describes his motivation to create Digital StudyHall, a collection of mundane technologies that have dramatically improved long distance education. He also talks about his progress and goals.
Craig Venter - Genetics and Environmental Sustainability
Can environmental sustainability be supported by genetics? In this audio interview, Craig Venter, a pioneer in genetic research, discusses some of his key discoveries that are advancing the state of science in genomics and synthetic life. He shares how, in his current work on DNA programming and building synthetic organisms, he is using the building blocks of life to approach society's most pressing problems such as energy and food.
Marc Koska - Preserving the Right to Safe Injections
In India and Africa, syringes are frequently reused, despite the obvious dangers of cross infection and death. Marc Koska talks about his involvement with Star Syringe, which designed and licensed an auto-disable syringe that prevents syringe reuse. He discusses how single-use syringe adoption is progressing in India, and also talks about the activities and aims of his charity SafePoint Trust.