San Francisco's young and charismatic mayor, Gavin Newsom, has suffered his share of punches for taking bold positions on controversial issues. In this Stanford Center for Social Innovation sponsored talk, Newsom tells of the courage and persistence it takes to make real social change as a leader. He outlines progressive reforms in areas such as education, health care, and business, and reflects on the personal and professional price paid for supporting one particularly contentious issue: gay marriage.

Ken Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch, gives a thoughtful perspective on the "State of Human Rights" in the 70 countries where they work. He thinks the biggest issue in human rights is the lack of leadership from governments that can exert a positive influence. America has become sidetracked and lost some of its moral high ground, while the European Union's structure keeps it from acting strongly enough.

When do great artists produce their greatest art--and great social innovators make their most significant contributions? In this talk, sponsored by the Stanford Center for Social Innovation, economist and creativity researcher David Galenson debunks the myth that high achievement is the domain of youth and genius. Applying lessons from lives of artists and leaders, he considers the creatives' style differences and time horizons, emphasizing that social innovation is more about slow burn than flash in the pan.

When Dr. Vera Cordeiro Rio worked at Hospital da Lagoa in Rio de Janeiro, she witnessed a constant admission/re-admission cycle in childcare treatment. To break that cycle, she gathered medical community volunteers to form Renascer, addressing root causes that prevent families from providing adequate care. Join host Sheela Sethuraman as she interviews Dr. Cordeiro Rio, and learn how Cordeiro Rio's passion translated into a methodology that is quickly sweeping through Brazil and the world.

The question of what to eat to be healthy has spawned a rash of often contradictory advice by "experts." In this talk, 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.

A panel of experts -- Thomas Deichmann of Novo magazine, Julie Hill of Green Alliance, author Julia Hailes, and spiked magazine's Rob Lyons -- debate the importance of recycling. Those against argue that recycling at the household level doesn't lead to the perceived benefits, but instead wastes more money and precious time. Those in favor argue that we are nearing a resource crisis that can be mitigated by the re-use of recycled material. Due to brief profanity, this program may not be appropriate for work or family listening.

Feliciano Reyna, Founder of Accion Solidaria, talks with Design For Change host Sheela Sethuraman about his multi-pronged approach to tackling AIDS in Venezuela. He shares his successes in influencing his government's policies and his strategies for engaging the corporate sector in this effort.

People in the developing world expend more than a quarter of their potential earnings on energy. Economic development, environmental health and global stability all hinge on wise management of global energy resources. David Goldwyn and David Dollar paint a positive picture on what developing countries and governments in the west can do to improve energy use abroad and at home.

In the frenzy over accountability, funders, donors, and the general public are calling for more program evaluation. Yet few understand how expensive and complex good evaluation is. Dr. Alana Conner, senior editor of the Stanford Social Innovation Review, illustrates how half-hearted evaluation can do more harm than good. Rick Aubry of Rubicon Programs Inc. and Victor Kuo of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation join her to give nonprofit and foundation perspectives.

AIDS, malaria, and maternal mortality are some of the chronic public health issues that plague Africa. Invited to Stanford, Paul Farmer talks about how his Boston-based organization, Partners In Health, is spending donor dollars to bring the lessons garnered from its work in Haiti to scale up health care services in war-torn Rwanda. His organization seeks to fill the gap that exists between medical R&D and health care delivery so preventions and cures can be brought to more of the people who need them.

Lots of big news in this podcast: IT Conversations (our flagship channel) celebrates its fifth birthday; Google Grants supports The Conversations Network; ;08 Conversations, our latest channel, covers the 2008 U.S. Presidential election; Joel Spolsky and Jeff Atwood bring their StackOverflow podcast to IT Conversations; and we give you a sneak preview of The Conversations Network - Phase 2 strategy.

Ten years ago, "entrepreneur" didn't exist in the lexicon of many parts of the world. Now, thanks to the work of a nonprofit called Endeavor, entrepreneurs are emerging in countries where such activity was once impossible. In this talk, sponsored by the Stanford Center for Social Innovation, co-founder and CEO Linda Rottenberg shares how her organization has gone from a "crazy" idea of two business school graduates to an important engine for empowering entrepreneurs in Latin America and beyond.

As global leadership evolves from siloed hierarchies to multilateral approaches, networked governance has important potential and faces significant challenges. Panelists, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, Ashraf Ghani, Ambassador John Bruton, Ambassador Harriet Babbitt, and Sir Ian Forbes, address the factors, from the practical to the philosophical, at play.

Join host Sheela Sethuraman for this interview with Beulah Thumbadoo, founder of Everyone's Reading in Africa. She shares her experiences promoting adult literacy, first from within government and university, and then through her own organization. She also shares some advice from her own experience on social entrepreneurship.

With valuable advice for all types of entrepreneurs, this panel from the second annual Social Entrepreneurship Day at Stanford University offers a unique perspective for funding a social entrepreneur start-up. Kriss Deiglmeier, Executive Director of the Center for Social Innovation, leads an engaging discussion between funders and social entrepreneurs that provides actionable advice and insightful lessons.

While volunteering at a charter school, Rafael Alvarez was confronted with some shocking information--hardly any students in the senior class had plans to attend college. So, in true social entrepreneurial fashion, he decided to match up this under-served market with another under-served market, entry level IT. He explains to host Sheela Sethuraman how Genesys Works prepares students technically and professionally to enter a corporate environment and change their lives.