Almost two weeks ago, I had the privilege of sitting down with some of the Microsoft Community Affairs team in Redmond, WA.
The small group I met with focuses primarily on the company’s Strengthening NGOs Through IT program, which is led by Jane Meseck, a non-profit technology and public policy expert who has been with [...]
I had the chance to jump on a conference call on Friday that brought bloggers together to discuss the Ashoka Tech4Society conference in Hyderabad, India. Due to some technical difficulties, we were unable to connect with two of the 106 social entrepreneurs who had planned to join us in the discussion. However, we learned [...]
Back in December, I came across Mr. Alex Cone, the marketing manager for MANA Nutrition, on twitter. He was tweeting about this organization that will tackle severe acute malnutrition with an innovative social business model producing ready-to-use-therapeutic-food (RUTF). After speaking with Cone about the process of being a start-up organization, I proposed a project [...]
Back in August, while I was visiting that Mexican village that is so close to my heart, I spent some time with one of the kids I met when I first went to that place. Adiel was one of the “lucky kids” of the village. His family, due to his sister marrying well, was [...]
On my way home from New York City on Saturday evening, I picked up the business section of the New York Times and began reading a column- the headline of which peaked my interest. “You, Too, Can Be a Microlender” by Ron Lieber. I’ve spent a fair amount of time studying the microfinance “niche” [...]
About three weeks ago, I was flipping through the channels and landed on PBS. If you know me, I spend about an average of 1 hour per week by the television, and it’s usually to catch the most recent episode of The Office. However, this particular night, PBS caught my attention. What I saw [...]
Family vacation. I have to chuckle when I read those words. I have this image of tons of a luggage, racing to get to the car on time, somebody crying, and a the oldest child bargaining with his parents as to why he should be allowed to stay home alone. It’s the concept that [...]
I’m tired of philanthropy. That is, the current understanding of it. Even the word “donor” has this stodgy air to it that makes me want to yawn. The entire concept wrapped around donations, cold calls, mailings, capital campaigns remind me of how I felt in my computer class during my freshman year of college. [...]
Did you ever have to make a patch for a quilt in elementary school? We had to design one that represented our family or something unique about us for the new library wing. I remember feeling pretty excited to see the quilt put together and hanging on the library wall. Most of all, seeing [...]
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In the most recent #Mifimon discussion, we discussed microfinance and the impact here in the United States. Within this conversation emerged a theme: the importance of education within microfinance programs. In fact, it went beyond “important” to crucial. I found this to be what Julie Soforenko, at ACCION USA calls “non-coincidental serendipity”, as [...]
Today, along with the United Nations, world leaders, philanthropists, small business owners, and young children, we celebrate and advocate the basic human right to adequate shelter. Today, we celebrate World Habitat Day 2009. In 1986, the United Nations declared that every first Monday of October would be set aside to commemorate the need for [...]
