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In the world of international development, microcredit has become an increasingly important means of poverty alleviation. In this audio interview, Stanford Center for Social Innovation correspondent Ashkon Jafari talks with Nobel Peace prize winner Muhammad Yunus about how he founded Grameen Bank to offer economic building tools for some of the poorest people in Bangladesh. Yunus shares lessons learned along the way, future directions, and what gets him up and motivated every day.

Can schools be turned around, and can the system change? Yes, say an experienced district and state school leader in this panel discussion during the Driving Dramatic School Improvement conference at Stanford. Navigating questions by moderator Jordan Meranus, they talk about what they are doing in Louisiana and Baltimore to radically reform schools so that more children can meet state standards and receive an excellent education.

The question of what to eat to be healthy has spawned a rash of often contradictory advice by "experts." In this audio lecture, sponsored by the Stanford Ethics and Society Program, NYU professor and author Marion Nestle offers simple advice that cuts through the confusion. She highlights the difference between "nutrients" and "food," and suggests how to bring "nutrition" back into the food realm. Her discussion forays into how agriculture and business interact to produce the foodstuffs on our shelves.

Amidst much debate and acrimony, Congress has at last passed the Affordable Care Act -- the new health law. The law makes health coverage available to those denied health insurance by private insurance companies because of a pre-existing condition. In this panel discussion at Stanford, medical and public health experts consider what's strong and weak about the new measure, and how it will change our health care system.

How do you spot an asshole in the workplace--or figure out whether you might be one? Robert Sutton, author of the best-selling book, The No Asshole Rule: Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One That Isn't, provides a sure-fire test and offers tips for keeping your "inner jerk" from rearing its ugly head on the job. Drawing on serious research and analysis, Sutton shows his Stanford 2007 Nonprofit Management Institute audience how managers can eliminate mean-spirited and unproductive behavior.

Your organization has an important mission. But could a potential funder or volunteer tell that by looking at your website or your annual report? And could one of your employees make the right decision in a tough situation by reading it? In this audio lecture recorded at the 2007 Nonprofit Management Institute at Stanford, Chip Heath discusses how you can craft a mission statement that inspires people and helps them make important decisions, thereby offering powerful tools to lead your organization.

How can philanthropy have a greater impact on social problems? In this audio lecture, Katherine Fulton, Monitor Institute president, envisions a new era in which philanthropy will reclaim the American dream for communities that have been left behind. In a talk sponsored by the Stanford Social Innovation Review, Fulton reviews how philanthropy has changed over the last 10 years, and how the public and private sectors can work together to create social change.

When nonprofits set out to look for funding they usually start with a PowerPoint presentation and hard-to-articulate data about the issue they are trying to address. In this audio lecture, Andy Goodman argues that all they have to do is tell a story. Goodman addresses social innovators over the age of 60. His ambition is nothing less than to inspire the generation of baby boomers to contribute their experience to a better world.

Patagonia has found corporate social responsibility to be a profitable strategy. In this audio lecture, Yvon Chouinard, founder, offers a slew of counterintuitive business tips on how to save the environment while making money. This self-proclaimed "reluctant business man" reveals himself to be a business visionary.

Throughout the Energy Efficiency series, Amory Lovins, has diligently presented countless statistics and case studies to support the need for, and demonstrate the benefits of, improved energy services. In this audio lecture, he now identifies a significant number of formidable barriers to energy efficiency, and prescribes a variety of ways to overcome these barriers, including sexy marketing campaigns and a direct appeal to the bottom line.

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.

Twitter may be based in San Francisco, but it's used by folks in nearly every country in the world. In this university podcast, sponsored by the Stanford Center for Social Innovation, author Sarah Milstein shows you the ins and outs of how to use this real-time information network for your personal or business advantage. She offers tips on searching, posting, and making an impact on the world with your ideas.

Jessica Jackley is cofounder of Kiva.org, the nonprofit microfinancing website that allows people to promote international development and break the cycle of poverty by lending as little as $25 to a specific third-world entrepreneur. In this audio lecture, sponsored by the Stanford Center for Social Innovation, Jackley talks about how she is revolutionizing philanthropy and inspiring a new generation of philanthropists through technology.

Making environmental sustainability stick is requiring the cooperation of the for-profit and nonprofit sectors. In this audio interview, Stanford Center for Social Innovation correspondent Ashkon Jafari interviews Ceres president Mindy Lubber about how her organization brings together investors, government, human rights groups, and others to build a cross-sector voice for sustainability.

It wasn't long ago that people looked askance at blogs and Facebook, wondering: What's the point? Now such social media tools are being used in nonprofit management and beyond to help social causes. In this brief audio interview, nonprofit consultant Beth Kanter talks about how such tools can be used effectively to create social change.