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Stanford Social Innovation Review
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Social Innovation Conversations


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Educational podcasts for world changers!

Social Innovation Conversations brings you social change ideas through audio lectures, panel discussions, audio interviews, and conference recordings. Download educational podcasts on social entrepreneurship, environmental sustainability, philanthropy, corporate social responsibility, responsible investing, and more.

Social Entrepreneurship and Economic Growth: Panel Discussion

International development is increasingly dependent on the entrepreneurship of local citizens. But has the U.S.-caused global recession robbed American business and government of the ability to persuade other countries to partake of the capitalistic entrepreneurial model? In this panel discussion, part of a conference convened by the Hoover Institute at Stanford, experts discuss the role of entrepreneurship in economic growth worldwide.
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International Development and Indian Women: Cheta Gala-Sinha

In India, microfinance has become an innovative means to foster international development. In this audio interview, Chetna Gala-Sinha talks with Stanford Center for Social Innovation correspondent Sheela Sethuraman about how her micro-enterprise development bank and foundation are economically empowering rural women. She describes the various tools and services that allow women to become financially independent and provide more adequately for their families.
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Human and Economic Development in South East Asia: Jane Tafel

Hagar was the biblical woman who became the victim of neglect and violence when she was cast out of the fold of Abraham and Sarah. In Cambodia, Afghanistan, and Vietnam, thousands of "Hagars" and their children suffer poverty, trafficking, and other human rights abuses. Janet Tafel, who was invited by the Center for Social Innovation at Stanford, discusses how her organization, Hagar USA, helps individuals restore their lives through holistic healing, community integration, and social entrepreneurship.
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Scaling a Social Enterprise through Crowdsourcing: Premal Shah

Kiva has created an online marketplace that allows ordinary citizens to help specific entrepreneurs around the world to thrive with as little as $25. In this Stanford Center for Social Innovation sponsored audio lecture, Kiva President Premal Shah discusses how the organization relies on bazaar management techniques to carry out the organization's everyday functions. He describes the benefits of cost reduction and execution time and talks about the future possibilities of bazaar management and social entrepreneurship in the for-profit sector.
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Ray Anderson - Confessions of a Radical Industrialist

Moira speaks with Ray Anderson, the founder and chair of the world's largest manufacturer of modular carpet. He discusses his book, "Confessions of a Radical Industrialist", and talks about his personal epiphany around the environmental impact of carpet.
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Lighting the Way to Economic Development: Sam Goldman

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 they are having in some of the most remote, poor areas.
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Environmental Sustainability in China: Lu Zhi

How can a country like China, which is still relatively poor, balance economic and environmental concerns? In this audio lecture, Peking University Professor Lu Zhi, who was invited to Stanford by the Center for Social Innovation, offers thoughts on conservation and some of its broader implications. Her message is that reversing the negative effects of rapid industrialization is possible, even in a developing country.
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Healthcare for All at Lifespring Hospitals: Anant Kumar

India has one of the highest child mortality rates in the world. This points to an underlying economic problem: poverty. Most poor women in that country simply cannot afford adequate health care. In this audio interview with Stanford Center for Social Innovation correspondent Sheela Sethuraman, Anant Kumar talks about how Lifespring Hospital in India provides quality care to women and children, regardless of their level of income. He talks about how the effort was launched, how it is sustained, and future goals.
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Social Change With a Networked Mindset: Heather McLeod Grant

What's happening in the new media arena of social networking? In this audio lecture at the Nonprofit Management Institute, Heather McLeod Grant discusses how individuals and organizations are using networked approaches to promote social change efforts. She focuses on the work of the Monitor Institute, in particular, and offers tips on how to use social networks effectively.
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Improving Healthcare Distribution in Africa: The Colemans

In the late 1980s, when Barry and Andrea Coleman noticed that motor bikes intended for use in the delivery of health care in Africa were not being used because they had broken down -- in some cases needing mere $3 oil filters -- they knew they had to put their own pedal to the metal. Speaking at the 2009 Responsible Supply Chains Conference at Stanford, they share some of the successes and challenges associated with running Riders for Health, which administers vehicles to keep health supplies flowing efficiently throughout the continent.
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Inside the Business of Modern Sex Slavery: Siddharth Kara

A woman or child is trafficked for sexual exploitation every 60 seconds. In this audio lecture recorded at Stanford University, author Siddharth Kara, a former investment banker and executive, uses theoretical economics and business analysis to propose measures that could eradicate sex trafficking by undermining the profitability of the illegal activities associated with the crime.
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Social Entrepreneurship in Louisiana: Mitch Landrieu

How is New Orleans rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina? In this Stanford Center for Social Innovation sponsored presentation at the Social Enterprise Alliance 2009 Summit, Louisiana Lieutenant Governor Mitch Landrieu discusses the role of tourism in the city's rehabilitation with Root Cause founder, Andrew Wolk. Landrieu details his work to found the nation's first government-run Office of Social Entrepreneurship, and emphasizes how New Orleans and the entire state are being strengthened by the development of their cultural assets.
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Starting and Growing a Social Enterprise: Panel Discussion

With the Obama administration's focus on social enterprise as a means of solving some of our most pressing problems, the social entrepreneur has emerged as the chief change agent of our time. In this panel discussion, part of the Stanford 2009 Entrepreneurship Week, leaders of several vital organizations talk about the motivations, successes, and challenges associated with running a social enterprise. They consider what the economic downturn has meant to their missions, and they offer practical advice to aspiring entrepreneurs.
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China's Environmental Sustainability Myths Dispelled: Mark Levine

Like Russia, China has been a huge and inefficient user of energy for decades. Now, however, the country is cleaning up its act. In this audio lecture, sponsored by the Stanford Center for Social Innovation, Mark Levine, Lawrence Berkeley Lab energy group director, dispels common American myths about China's energy and environmental practices, demonstrating that the country is becoming surprisingly progressive. He touches on areas such as subsidies, pricing, and emissions policies.
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Innovations in Philanthropy: Peter deCourcy Hero

Technologies such as mobile phones and computers are increasingly becoming tools for philanthropic giving. In this Stanford Center for Social Innovation audio lecture, former Community Foundation of Silicon Valley president Peter Hero discusses how global changes in philanthropy are providing opportunities in the online giving space. He considers how online giving can be made more robust, and how trends in this arena may allow for the strengthening of civic engagement around the world.
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Online Giving Markets - Niche or Revolution?: Panel Discussion

A pluralistic society boasts many independent centers of power and foundations have an instrumental role in supporting such diversity. Online giving marketplaces are further democratizing philanthropy by empowering donors to support the causes they care about. In this panel discussion, sponsored by the Stanford Center for Social Innovation, experts in the field consider whether such online spaces are simply useful adjuncts to the work of philanthropy--or whether they promise to revolutionize the sector altogether.
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