fabiochiu/medium-articles huggingface dataset:
How What’s New Can Inspire Your Storytelling
By: Jessica Ryan
Tags: Csr, Nonprofit, Social Impact, Covid-19, Storytelling

Tool Proliferation

For reasons that are past my understanding, people are always so obsessed with *gear* in filmmaking. In my opinion, the much harder thing to grasp, learn and put into practice is the creative process, but no one ever asks about that. In our breakout, our friend Ernie mentioned that he was noticing a lot of people had tool paralysis when it came to all the ways you can tell a digital story. But like filmmaking, I’m with Ernie in thinking I’m not sure that’s the most effective thing to be worrying about.

I imagine Ernie would agree (feel free to yell at me in the comments if not) — our rule of thumb is

A lways find the story first

Or at least the kernel of the story. Then the dearth of tech tools at your fingertips becomes an advantage — you have the luxury to choose the one that best serves how you’ll tell that particular story.

The podcast I created and co-host, Take Me To Coffee, literally began with me trying to figure out a way to make up for the fact that it was not humanly possible to have coffee with every single person that asked me to sit down with them for mentorship. We played around with it as a weekly Facebook live show. But ultimately, we didn’t feel that tool served “the story” well enough. One thing led to another, and it became a podcast. I went looking for a tool that would allow our brilliant guests to collect questions from their fans — VideoAsk, bingo. Then I went looking for a tool to allow us to record remotely 100% of the time, as so many of our guests are internet-based entrepreneurs. Zencastr! Huzzah! And you know what — there are probably other great tools out there, but these do what I need and so they are just fine for now.
Startups & COVID-19: Curated Resources Part 3
Tags: Covid 19, Startup, Social Impact, Entrepreneurship

Written by Connette Blake

As part of our continuing coverage, StartingUpGood is scanning the web for the best resources for startups amid COVID-19. This is our third installment of curated resources. See our previous articles here and here.

Are you finding these resources helpful as you navigate business operations during this challenging time? Let us know by Tweeting StartingUpGood or commenting below.

First Round Review has curated advice from business leaders and investors who have been-there-done-that. While admitting that we are living in unprecedented times and the path of every startup is unique, this guide highlights tactics that have proven to be successful in the past.

Questions addressed include:

How do we approach planning given COVID-19?

What signals should we be watching before pulling the trigger on alternative spending plans?

How will the bar for fundraising be different in 18–24 months compared to now?

Are there any alternatives to a RIF while still decreasing burn?

How do we market during these times?

The Unreasonable Group has created a “dedicated hub to share some of the most useful resources that our team has encountered for navigating work, life, and business during this crisis.” Topic covered include Funding, Insights, Wellness, Remote Work, and how Unreasonable Fellows are taking action.

Business Fights Poverty, in partnership with the Harvard Kennedy School Corporate Responsibility Initiative, has created a response center. Featured here is a Response Framework for how companies and civic organizations can “respond to the immediate crisis and develop plans for longer-term recovery and resilience”. While not specifically targeting startups, this framework outlines how businesses can protect the most vulnerable stakeholders in their operations.

The site also includes an Action Mapping Tool with over 200 examples of business action across sectors and countries as well as links to a variety of virtual events and podcasts.

For ideas on what other startups are doing for COVID-19 relief efforts, CrunchBase is compiling a running list.

Octopus Ventures’ How-To guide gives entrepreneurs and investors some quick, practical tips for conducting a remote pitch.

TripplePundit’s recent article is not specific to startups but offers good advice that entrepreneurs can implement.

__________________________________

Connette Blake has over 15 years of experience advising organizations on their marketing, communications and fundraising strategies. Since joining StartingUpGood, Connette has worked to promote social impact in startups and advance impact investing. You can contact Connette at cb@startingupgood.info.
Break-in Reminder(s)
By: Zero Model Nova
Tags: Reentry, Jobs, Social Impact, Crime Prevention

After finally getting motivated to go workout late this morning (it’s rainy and Sunday, so you know how that can go), I walked to my car and realized it had been broken into overnight. They took my gym bag, my headphones that I love, one of my spinning bike shoes (The nerve! Why not take both? What am I supposed to do with one spinning shoe?), and of course my wallet that was in the car (totally my fault).

In my half-panic / half-rant about my misfortune to one of my business partners, Founder and CEO of Executive Transport, he said, “you have lost nothing of consequence…we are blessed beyond measure.” This made me think about my work and what we do at Zero Model to create economic opportunities for women and men.

My car getting broken into was a reminder of why the work I do is so important. I hustle and grind alongside entrepreneurs to launch and grow companies in order to create jobs that pay a living wage. I work hard to create a culture where people realize that their determination and effort to change really can pay off.

The value of a job and a living wage cannot be quantified. Meaningful employment helps prevent one from poor decision making, operating out of desperation, and being around the wrong crowd that contributes to negative behaviors. Meaningful employment creates a standard of showing up and working toward excellence. Long story short, a job that pays a living wage (and one that provides an opportunity for growth) is powerful.

Maybe one day in the future I will come face-to-face with the person or people that took my stuff. Maybe they will recognize my name from my license or credit cards (probably not, but in my vision they do and they are remorseful). I don’t know the circumstances of why they broke into my car and took my belongings, although I have made many assumptions.

I am rightfully angry and upset; however, when the time comes, and this individual desires to change and move in a different direction, I am excited to know that if they find themselves applying for a job within Zero Model, we are ready to hear about their commitment to change and how they are working hard to showcase their talents and skills in a legit, meaningful way.

People should not be defined by the worst things they have done in their past. After they pay their debt to society, they should be able to re-enter our communities and be provided the same opportunities for upward mobility as everyone else. I am proud that an opportunity will be available at Zero Model when they are ready.

In the meantime, you will find me at the DMV getting a new license and using my spare time monitoring my bank and credit reports. Until then…
Catalyst project: Coffee Connections
By: Tori Ellaway
Tags: Charity, Coffee, Social Impact, Projects, Learning

General details

Outcome area: Practice & Network

Practice & Network Phases: Delivery

Delivery Timeframe: Ongoing

Ongoing Doing the work:

CAST — Tested “Randomised Coffee Trials” in May 2018 as a way to enable serendipitous conversations between charity staff.

Summary of work

Randomised Coffee Trials is based on this Nesta initiative. The trial has now evolved into Coffee Connections.

Coffee Connections is a scheme to help charity and non-profit staff connect with others within the sector and have conversations about their roles, projects and charities. Once a person has signed up, they are matched completely randomly with another charity worker by email. Then it’s up to them to arrange a coffee or a remote call, if they’re not based in the same city or area.

More on this work

See the CAST Coffee Connections landing page.

Intended output

Lots of coffee meet-ups over 6 months, then tweak the process if necessary.

Feedback on other useful ways of matching people up: location, causal area, size of charity, etc.

Fit with Catalyst purpose

By linking two people up in a completely random fashion, we’re hoping to create more connections between charities and: “Galvanise an effective, sustainable and collaborative cross-sector network to drive sector change.”



And by enabling conversations about digital and other things, we hope that this will contribute to: “A growing number of nonprofits making effective use of digital, design and data to improve their services and their organisational resilience

Key contacts

If anyone would like to discuss or build on this work, please get in touch:
Catalyst project: Amber
Tags: Charity, Social Impact, Social Change, Technology, Projects

General details

Outcome area: Support

Support Phases: Discovery

Discovery Timeframe: Jan — Mar 2019

Jan — Mar 2019 Doing the work:

CAST — To gain a better internal understanding of the problem space, so we can figure out what needs exist before planning further work.

Description of work

Research into how charities scope out digital work and start positive relationships with digital partners.

More on this work

Here is the full Discovery Playback (Google Slides).

The biggest finding was that agency procurement is often opaque, secretive, lacking reality of working together, and unequal. However, good working relationships require transparency, trust, openness and equality. This slide highlights an often glaring misalignment in the procurement process.

Intended output

Discovery Playback, pulling together existing challenges, needs and behaviours when charities and partners work together on digital projects.

Fit with Catalyst purpose

Increase in the number of high quality relationships between charities and digital partners.

Key contacts

If anyone would like to discuss or build on this work, please get in touch:
Celebrating 5 Years of Social Impact
By: Jordan Wolken
Tags: Bridge The Gap, Consulting, Global Development, Social Impact, Social Entrepreneurship

At BfE, we believe that it’s these social entrepreneurs that can help change the world.

We also know that there are many passionate and dedicated early-stage entrepreneurs who could benefit from a global community intent on empowering them to scale and generate greater impact. As an altruistic non-profit, this is precisely why we offer our 6–8 month Incubation Programme completely free-of-charge. Our virtual program is designed to provide actionable strategic recommendations for startups, while allowing our entrepreneurs to remain focused on running their business at the same time. A few stories about our impact can be found on the Startup Spotlight page. We will continue to highlight more moving forward.

At this 5-year junction, we are encouraged by the continued passion our students in Cambridge, New York, and Singapore show. Our mission could not be carried out successfully without their tireless effort and commitment. Similarly, we owe a debt of gratitude to the 200+ professionals who stand ready to mentor our entrepreneurs and student teams. We want to assure you that your efforts do not go unnoticed.

So, what’s next for BfE? We are currently building some new tech tools, expanding our global team, and onboarding new Advisors. The future looks bright, and if you’re reading this, we’re excited to share this next phase in our growth with you. Thanks for joining us on this journey to build a more inclusive and sustainable future.
Well begun is half done…
By: Villgro Philippines
Tags: Changemaker, Workplace, Personal Development, Social Impact, Empowering Women

Abby gives us a sneak peek into her life as Program Associate at Villgro Philippines.

Over the years, I’ve learned more and more about different sectors. I joined student organizations that focused on children’s needs, then I eventually branched out to the environmental sector where I learned how everything had a connection to the natural world. Those two sectors still contribute greatly to how I set my values, who I surround myself with, and how I consciously live my life.

Being a part of the Villgro team has shown me that while I have learned a lot the past few years, all that knowledge is only a tiny speck of all there is to know. What I love most about my job is the countless opportunities for growth and learning. I love learning and I love the idea of knowing there’s always something new to read up on. I’ve been here for less than two months but I’ve already learned more about the housing sector, the importance of improving sexual and reproductive health, and how to better empower women entrepreneurs. It’s incredible. I personally think this is more of what the world needs today — people who can find a way to pay attention to what is lacking in these different sectors, create innovative solutions, and challenge the norm and the system.

I entered Villgro a bit confused and maybe even overwhelmed with all the new information that was available to me. But as I find my footing and get used to my work environment, I am becoming more comfortable with the work and the people I work with. The Villgro team has some of the kindest and most hardworking people I know. They motivate me and inspire my growth not just as a member of the team but also someone who is passionate about creating long-lasting change in the world. It fulfills me knowing that what we do is with and for the people and I can’t wait for Villgro’s future projects to see how else we could expand our scope of work to cater to more sectors in the Philippines and the rest of Southeast Asia.
Mesut Is Disrupting The Scholarship System With a Cutting Edge Technology Platform in Turkey
By: Romain Sion
Tags: Social Impact, Technology, Students, Turkey, Entrepreneurship

Mesut Is Disrupting The Scholarship System With a Cutting Edge Technology Platform in Turkey Romain Sion Jun 16, 2019·2 min read

👋Did know that in Turkey🇹🇷 40% of the young graduates 👨‍🎓👩‍🎓are unemployed? Nowadays, many promising students are working hard ⚒️to make sure they could get a job 👨‍💼👩‍💼after graduation. However, being accepted in a tier one Turkish 🇹🇷or International🌍 University is not enough. They need to pay💰 for the University fees and many of them can not afford it😟. Every year, hundreds of thousands of Turkish students apply for scholarships.



Few years ago, Mesut was a brilliant 🌠🌠student at Galatasaray University. His dream🚀 was to become a computer💻 science engineer but he needed a grant💰. After many time consuming & inefficient applications, he finally obtained one and he successfully attended great 💪Universities such as Galatarsaray, La Sorbonne and the Bogazici Universities😀. During that process, he noticed every foundation or institutions had their own internal process which was complex and fastidious.



After graduating🎓, Mesut decided to digitalize the scholarship system by launching a technology platform called E-Bursum which seamlessly connects international 🌍donors with the most promising Turkish🌠 students. To make the process more efficient & trustful, he integrated Artificial intelligence & Machine learning. For example, the platform can complete full background checks through governmental databases, it can calculate precisely how much a grantee really needs…



➡️And it works! 🌠300 000+ students are currently registered on E-Bursum. Since 2015, E-Bursum has distributed more than🌠 $5M+ to thousands of Turkish students. Mesut and his team are now targeting🌠 $10M by the end of year



🌠🌠🌠At our own pace and scale, everyone can aspire to change the world
ESG Investing Needs Clear, Smart Regulation-And Fast
By: Handshake Partners
Tags: Environmental Impact, Social Impact, Esg Investing, Esg

The incorporation of environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria into investment decisions is a popular, evidence-backed strategy to reduce risk. Yet some regulators remain wary of ESG, putting the continued growth of sustainable investing in doubt. For example, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recently proposed a rule that would limit the ability of fiduciaries — investment advisors who are bound to act in the best interest of their clients — to invest in ESG funds for retirement products such as 401(k) plans. Similarly, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) leadership has pushed back against calls for ESG to be integrated into public company disclosure requirements, despite a statement from one of its own sub-committee advocating for clarity around how public companies report on these issues.

It’s clear that regulating how companies and investors disclose information about their sustainability practices is complex. ESG can be interpreted to cover many different kinds of issues, from carbon emissions to diversity and inclusion policies. Moreover, companies report on sustainability in different ways, depending on how material-or relevant-certain issues are to their business. And while there are many voluntary standards, there are no universal accounting frameworks for ESG reporting. However, many investors believe these discrepancies call for more regulatory action, not for authorities to dismiss ESG outright. With ESG-focused investment strategies having outperformed their counterparts during COVID-induced market turmoil, the argument that ESG factors are not financially relevant is losing credibility.

Investors and responsible business stakeholders are not backing down.

During the 30-day comment period for its rule, the DOL received 8,737 public comments, with the majority opposing to the rule as written. Even as U.S. regulators move to stem ESG, other governments are pressing ahead with more enabling policies. Global trends prove that the integration of ESG frameworks is here to stay, and the companies that want to compete on the global stage will continue to lead the way.
The Past, Present and Future of Positive Social Change
By: Grow Ensemble
Tags: Journalism, Social Justice, Social Impact, Podcast, B Corp

To find the podcast on iTunes, click here.

Eric Nee has held the post of editor-in-chief of the Stanford Social Innovation Review (SSIR) since 2006, nearing 15 years with his finger on the pulse of the social impact ecosystem.

It’s just part of his more than 35 years of experience in journalism and publishing. Before joining SSIR, Nee was a senior writer for Fortune magazine. Prior to Fortune, Eric launched and managed the Forbes Silicon Valley bureau. He also served as editor-in-chief of Upside magazine for close to five years.

Our full video podcast with Eric Nee, editor-in-chief of SSIR.

SSIR may be in the traditional media space — editing and publishing a print magazine, publishing online content, hosting webinars and conferences, and producing a podcast — but it isn’t necessarily a traditional publication. Rather than hiring a writing staff to produce all of its written content, SSIR serves as a peer-to-peer learning facilitation platform, relying on members of the social impact community to submit articles about their work and the community at large. This means Nee and others at SSIR have the responsibility of shaping the conversation that the overall community has, and they treasure their acclaimed position.

During this podcast conversation, Nee discusses the role of journalism in the social impact space and how SSIR factors into the field of advancing social innovation. He also talks about cross-sector collaboration, covering some of the gaps and other challenges that social innovators face as they tackle systemic problems.
At 21, Immaculate Already Knows How She Will Give A Better Future To Her 6 Sisters
By: Romain Sion
Tags: Education, Social Impact, Bethechange, Carolina For Kibera, Kenya

At 21, Immaculate Already Knows How She Will Give A Better Future To Her 6 Sisters Romain Sion Jul 19, 2019·3 min read

😉This meeting with Immaculate was unforgettable🌠. From her tiny 10 square meter shelter🏚️, she explained us what was her plan to get out of poverty🎯. She was only 21 years old and she already had a clear idea 💡on how to get a brighter ☀️future for her sisters 👧with a realistic plan.



When you come from a slum like Kibera in Kenya🇰🇪, you are disadvantaged from the very beginning. Unemployment 👨‍💼👩‍💼reach levels as high ↗️as 80%. The major pain points that we identified were: the lack of mentorship👩‍⚖️, the lack of financing💰 and the lack of network🕸️. When there is no success story 🚀within a community, it is almost impossible to envision a better life and to make plans to achieve it.



Sometimes it is counter-intuitive, young motivated💪 teenagers👦 do not require massive funding💵 or support to get a job which will change their lives. The main question is how NGOs design✏️ their programs to be the most efficient in terms of time ⏰and money to address those issues. For example, Carolina for Kibera involves a lot of mentoring into its programs to empower🌠the youth and it works.



With CFK🌠, Immaculate received mentorship and a training support on graphic 💻design which enabled her to get her first internship💼. This internship converted into a full time employment😀. This full time job enables her to pay for her accounting📊 classes. Later on, once she will receive her diploma👩‍🎓, she will be able to support 6 people. This indirect impact is also massive once the initial support is carefully adjusted. It is inspiring🌠 to discuss with young leaders who already demonstrate advanced maturity.



🌠🌠🌠At our own pace and scale, everyone can aspire to change the world!🌠🌠🌠
What Is UBI? And Why Is GoodDollar’s UBI Wallet Demo A Game-Changer?
Tags: Universal Basic Income, Cryptocurrency, Social Impact, Basic Income, Blockchain

What Is UBI? And Why Is GoodDollar’s UBI Wallet Demo A Game-Changer?

GoodDollar just released a test version of its universal basic income wallet ahead of the official launch of its UBI protocol and coin — but what is UBI? GoodDollarHQ Follow May 5, 2020 · 2 min read

What is UBI?

In long-form, UBI stands for universal basic income, and in short, it’s an unconditional cash payment given to anyone regardless of social standing, wealth or income.

It’s an idea backed by thinkers, economists and leaders across the political spectrum such as Andrew Yang, Mark Zuckerberg, Jack Dorsey, and Pope Francis and others.

The reasoning behind UBI is that if you give someone a sum of money to support basic necessities, it will not only advance them personally but also create a wave of economic growth for everyone else.

What is GoodDollar?

It’s a not-for-profit organization that builds tools and products for distributing universal basic income, specifically by leveraging blockchain and digital asset technologies. GoodDollar’s goal is to create financial inclusion and deliver financial literacy on a global scale…

Continue reading this article on GoodDollar.org — Click Here!
LONDON, UK, SocialBox.Biz Laptops for homeless and vulnerable Initiative receiving unprecedented Number of Requests for Laptops during Covid19 pandemic
Tags: Social Impact, It Manager Uk, Social Box, Chief Information Officer, Cio

LONDON, UK, SocialBox.Biz Laptops for homeless and vulnerable Initiative receiving unprecedented Number of Requests for Laptops during Covid19 pandemic SocialBox May 5, 2020·1 min read

SocialBox.Biz have witnessed unprecedented times so far in 2020, but that hasn’t stopped them from coming together and doing wonderful things. In a time where virtually everyone is using technology at a quickening pace to keep up with classes, work at home, and communicate with loved ones, vulnerable populations have the highest need ever for access to technology.

They are helping the many at-risk elderly people and young adults who need help. These people are receiving laptops that are connecting them to the world around them and helping them get back on their feet. In a time when so many have been impacted by the global coronavirus pandemic, we are proud that we’ve been able to continue to help enhance the lives of those in need.

Latest updates: https://twitter.com/socialboxbiz

Needless to say, their Initiative is needed more than ever and large IT users are in a unique position to donate their old technology to benefit these at-risk groups. Contact SocialBox.Biz today to learn how easy you can leave a lasting impact on the lives of many.
诗歌与摄影，成见与反抗
By: Miercat Nature Photography
Tags: Social Impact, Poetry, Photography, Blm, Chinese

今天读哈莱姆文艺复兴代表人物之一朗斯顿·休斯（Langston Hughes）的诗，我对这位1902年出生在美国的非裔（民族：非裔美、白美、美原住民）诗人、小说家、剧作家，产生了强烈的好奇。我很难想象在那个时代的密苏里州，他是如何成长为一个如此绅士、有涵养的人的。我在他的诗歌里找到了部分答案，也在他的生平简介和家族历史中里找到一些。其中最印象深刻的是这个小事。

虽然这件小事不能代表他所有的政治观点，但我特别喜欢这个小故事里他对待社会不公的态度。有时候别人强加给我们的东西，也许不用急于摆脱。看看里面有没有什么是有益的，有没有什么可以加以利用来增强自身的，不妨保留下来。

一起来欣赏休斯的两首主题不同的小诗：

读休斯的诗，我总会希望能和Gordon Parks的摄影作品放在一起赏析。诗歌和摄影一样，都是一种表达方式。Gordon Parks和Langston Hughes，一个用摄影（等多种媒介），一个用诗歌，一点一点消除美国历史上空的阴霾。

Gordon Parks，一个极度才华横溢的全能美国人，1912–2006，摄影师，民权运动活动家，小说家，电影制作人，油画画家，数码画家，诗人，编舞，作曲家， All-Around Renaissance Man。

一起来欣赏第二首小诗。

Harlem Sweeties by Langston Hughes

Have you dug the spill

Of Sugar Hill?

Cast your gims

On this sepia thrill:

Brown sugar lassie,

Caramel treat,

Honey-gold baby

Sweet enough to eat.

Peach-skinned girlie,

Coffee and cream,

Chocolate darling

Out of a dream.

Walnut tinted

Or cocoa brown,

Pomegranate-lipped

Pride of the town.

Rich cream-colored

To plum-tinted black,

Feminine sweetness

In Harlem’s no lack.

Glow of the quince

To blush of the rose.

Persimmon bronze

To cinnamon toes.

Blackberry cordial,

Virginia Dare wine —

All those sweet colors

Flavor Harlem of mine!

Walnut or cocoa,

Let me repeat:

Caramel, brown sugar,

A chocolate treat.

Molasses taffy,

Coffee and cream,

Licorice, clove, cinnamon

To a honey-brown dream.

Ginger, wine-gold,

Persimmon, blackberry,

All through the spectrum

Harlem girls vary —

So if you want to know beauty’s

Rainbow-sweet thrill,

Stroll down luscious

Delicious, fine Sugar Hill.

1942
Using e-commerce to link the Zambian expat community to home
By: Bridges For Enterprise
Tags: Social Impact, Archive, International Development, Social Entrepreneurship, Bridgesforenterprise

Victoria, can you tell us what the vision behind ShopZed is?

We wanted to create a convenient way for Zambians living abroad to shop for their families the same way they shop on eBay or Amazon. So, just like buying a cell phone online and entering a shipping address, they could do the same with groceries and enter a shipping address in Zambia or other countries instead.

What inspired you to start this project?

The realisation of how difficult and expensive it is for expatriates to send money back home. Sometimes, sending money has limits if you are supporting more than one person. ShopZed offers an alternative way of sending back money to help the Zambian economy.

Was finding financial support in the early stages of your enterprise difficult? How did you overcome this?

It was very difficult. Actually, such support was non-existent. So, we decided to work from home to avoid the costs of opening an office, and we tried to keep spending at sustainable levels by shopping as each order came through.

How did you become aware of Bridges for Enterprise, and why did you choose to connect with us?

We heard about BfE from the Director of Entrepreneurship at the BongoHive innovation hub in Lusaka.

In what ways do you think Bridges for Enterprise has helped you achieve your vision?

The network’s really dedicated mentorship has helped us with accountability (sticking to what we say we will do). The marketing report was instrumental in convincing us to shift to a more profitable model of delivery, after seeing that demand was low locally. The phone sessions were also very helpful; they made us think outside the box and provided feedback for certain ideas we had in mind but were unsure of implementing.

Which two tips would you give to someone thinking of becoming a social entrepreneur?

Make do with what you have, and draw up an action plan!
Founder Feature: Ruchita Verma and The Community of Peace & Love
Tags: Youth, Motivation, Social Impact, Esg, Entrepreneurship

Watch Ruchita’s pitch for The Community of Peace & Love

What does your organization do?

The Community of Peace & Love provides a safe shame-free space for adolescents to be honored, seen, and heard. We offer a variety of creative sessions ranging from just talking to art, crafts, dance, yoga, journaling, meditation, and to our fan-favorite manicure therapy! These sessions allow adolescents to know that their feelings are there to guide them, that they are worthy, are enough, and that they deserve to take up space!

What was your inspiration for your organization?

I was inspired to create The Community of Peace and Love after seeing how mental health shapes every aspect of our life since our thoughts are so powerful. After seeing mental illnesses such as schizophrenia and depression affect my loved ones, I found it essential to create a platform where teens can come to take some weight off their shoulders by meeting a new friend who will listen with an open heart and are able to leave with resources to utilize during challenging times! Teens are allowed to feel good in their own skin and are able to realize their worth through our fun activities such as building gratitude chests, five-finger breathing, EFT tapping, and etc!

What keeps you motivated?

My love for the world and people keeps me motivated because we are in this together! Seeing change and working towards making the world a better place motivates me as well because change is beautiful and it’s the moments that make us uncomfortable, that allow us to grow the most. It’s so inspiring to see people authentically be and share themselves with the world!

What does the Que Phillips Social Impact Award mean to you?

The Que Phillips Social Impact Award means the world to me since it’s about making a difference in people’s lives. It’s a huge honor to receive an award after Que who is very inspiring himself. I plan on using the award by funding The Community of Peace and Love for our future endeavors and donating a portion to organizations that are also helping to save lives.

Fun fact(s) about yourself?

Some fun facts about me are that I love to travel and I dance for about 20 hours each week!

What’s your advice to other students like yourself out there who are just starting their businesses or thinking about starting their own businesses?

My advice to other students like myself who are starting their businesses or are thinking about starting their own businesses is that you can do it because you are so capable!! Commit fully to your vision and do not give up no matter how hard it gets because you are so worthy of making your dreams into a reality. There will be bumps on the road, but trust yourself, let your intuition guide you, and commit to your passion because the world needs you and your light!
When Companies Lead Change
By: Lisa Gralnek
Tags: Branding, Social Impact, Values, Leadership, Business

The New Influencer Marketing (part 3)

A month or so ago, I began what has now become a short series about “new influencer marketing”. In a world where so much is in turmoil and change is afoot, it felt necessary to go back to the original definition of “influence” to understand where action is happening. Who has power, and who is exerting this influence to drive desired behavior? This is the 3rd and final installment.

Illustration: Sarah Grillo for Axios

Throughout history, from Rome to rock ‘n roll — uniquely positioned individuals and organizations have wielded influence over the masses. Through public education (or miseducation) — influential parties have guided decisions around health, economics, politics, and consumer choice.

Over the past decade, so-called “influencer marketing” has capitalized on this power of some to influence the purchasing behavior of many. In 2019, companies spent more than $6.6B on this as an advertising channel, with experts estimating spend will rise towards $15B in the next two years.

Now in 2020, at a moment when so much feels uncertain, including the state of American democracy itself — celebrities and brands are stepping up to use their influence- not to sell something, but to provide information, encourage voting, and engage citizens in the civic process of democracy. This particular use of influence feels more important than ever. Why?
Driving Returns with Social Impact
By: Kishen Raghunath
Tags: Financial Services, Investing, Social Impact, Impact Investing

Image Courtesy of Net Impact

Historically, doing social good has been associated with a lower financial return. On the contrary, we are now seeing actionable social impact as a significant driver of financial returns and this is playing a role in the increasing size of socially responsible investments. A few of these secular shifts include:

More socially conscious consumers (including 80 million US millennials with a combined spending power of $4 trillion)

Widespread access to data and information increasing visibility within industries and corporations

Increasing recognition that diversity, inclusion, and a “level-playing field” for all is constructive to business and driving collaborative cultures

At Knightsgate Ventures, we fundamentally believe that “doing good is good business” and this strategy is reinforced by many of the same long-term and secular trends driving an increase in socially responsible investing. These trends are poised to accelerate as education about socially responsible investing increases.
Our Community 4 Impact Grows With The New Addition Of Fundación Aldaba
Tags: Ong, Corporate Giving, Ngo, Social Impact, Aldaba

Our Community 4 Impact Grows With The New Addition Of Fundación Aldaba Brand4Impact Sep 23, 2020·2 min read

It takes a courageous heart to protect and care for the most vulnerable of the society and Fundacion Aldaba has the perfect team to make this happen!

We talk about a plethora of things — their projects, NGOs during the times of Covid, the more administrative side of raising funds specifically for smaller NGO projects with limited visibility, the importance of transparency and trust in the world of corporate giving, and much more.

Auxi and Maria are inherently curious and as we align on our objective of bridging the gap between corporate giving to NGOs and their mission to make the world better by enabling the more vulnerable of the society, they also give us immense insight into the brave new world of corporate donations and how closely it ties into their core purpose.

Turns out that Aldaba is also based on a value system of transparency and solidarity — and thus ensues a long discussion on how Brand 4 Impact, which is essentially created around the core principles of blockchain, can immensely enable this.

Fig: Aldaba In Numbers

Join us in welcoming our brand new addition Fundación Aldaba onto the community 4 impact!

Brand 4 Impact envisions a world where corporates can donate to NGOs in the most user-friendly and transparent way possible with complete traceability — at no cost to the NGOs and corporates. Currently, we are accepting requests from NGOs to join our upcoming platform.

If you are an NGO (with a fiscal presence in Spain) looking at receiving corporate funding (or know someone at an NGO you like), feel free to reach us at contact@brand4impact.com and we will take it from there!

About Fundación Aldaba:

Fundación Aldaba is a private, non-profit entity that since 1999 has had a single objective: to generate new services that result in the development of the social services system and the well-being of the most vulnerable citizens.

Aldaba currently has 122 workers and has served more than 1657 individuals in need. Explore more on their amazing projects ranging from El Molino Municipal Occupational Center, the Aldaba Family House for residential care to underprivileged kids, projects on gender violence, elderly, and more on https://www.aldaba.ong/nuestros-proyectos/

They stand strong on the pillars of transparency, solidarity, and social commitment.
Feeling down about the news? Do This.
By: Today Do This
Tags: Social Impact, Social Change, Activism And Advocacy, Sustainability, Everyday Activism

Feeling down about the news? Do This.

Two years ago, Today Do This published its first ‘do-something-about-the-news letter’. It was an antidote to the barrage of negative headlines; a way to spotlight people doing good, and a tool to inspire more of us to follow their lead.

Every Friday since, we’ve picked a recent news story and shared one simple thing you can do that day to make a difference. Readers say it makes them feel less victim to the troubles of the world and more confident to create change. Which is exactly the change we want to create…

For too long, we’ve all been led to believe that we, as individuals, can’t do anything about the state of the world. We’re too small, too inexperienced, too ignorant of the situation, too lacking in talent or connections or influence. We don’t buy that.

Each and every one of us — through our actions, or inaction — bears some responsibility for making the world how it is. And it’s our small individual actions today that create big collective change tomorrow.

via Tumblr

Over the past year, the link between individual action and collective change was particularly hard to miss. School kids affected government climate policy. Workers pressed companies take a stand on racial injustice. Voters challenged threats to democracy. And the choices we each made on whether to wash our hands and wear a mask influenced the ebbs and flows of a global pandemic.

It just goes to show, you can make real change. Yes, you. And so, today, we’re sharing the news stories and practical actions featured in our weekly newsletter over the past year. Because there’s more we can all do to build a freer, fairer, more sustainable world.

Want more?

Subscribe to join thousands of people changing the world every week.

P.S. This is our second annual round-up. See the first here.
Etsy’s 2020 Social Impact Goals
By: Hilary Young
Tags: Diversity And Inclusion, Social Impact, Diversity In Tech

Enabling equitable access to the opportunities that we create.

Image by HunterGatherer

We have developed an impact strategy that reflects the positive economic, social, and environmental impact we want to have on the world while advancing and complementing our business strategy. Since announcing our impact strategy in 2017, we have updated some of our goals to be more specific, measurable and time bound. We expect to continue to evolve our impact strategy in the future as we grow and our impact work matures. In August 2019, we finalized our acquisition of Reverb, the leading global online marketplace dedicated to buying and selling new, used, and vintage musical instruments, with a vibrant community of buyers and sellers all over the world. We are excited to continue to amplify our impact by harnessing the power of Reverb’s business and community.

Our social impact goal is to:

Enable equitable access to the opportunities that we create.

To advance this goal, we’ve set three sub-goals and targets where appropriate:

1. Build diverse and inclusive workforces that are broadly representative of their communities:

Targets:

Approximately double the percentage of Black and Latinx employees in Etsy’s workforce by 2023.

Set a baseline and goals for Reverb’s performance and pay practices, hiring rubric, and diversity & inclusion strategy.

2. Build a diverse, equitable, and sustainable supply chain to support our operations and bring value to both Etsy and our vendors.

Target: Ensure at least 50% of Etsy’s small and medium-sized enterprise suppliers are owned by women, minorities, or veterans by 2022.

3. Ensure our marketplaces are diverse, welcoming, and inclusive places to sell and shop.

Target: By 2021, define a key performance indicator and establish a baseline for marketplace diversity and inclusivity.

We’ll continue to keep our stakeholders informed on our progress, challenges, and learnings through this section of our Impact blog.
My IC Journey as a Strategic Partner
By: Circles Of Angels
Tags: Startups, Accelerator, Socialimpact, Investing, Impactcollective

What you can get out of this acceleration program

I started my journey with Impact Collective (IC) by working together and supporting IC as a strategic partner. I have introduced expert judges and encouraged start-ups across the region to join the community and acceleration Programme. As part of our work with Circles of Angels (COA) being a judge and expert, COA leverages blockchain technology to trace and track impact for social enterprises, founders and organizations.

I was super excited & humbled to be one of the expert judges as well as regional anchor/mentor for some of the promising high growth/ impact startups who are interested in growing the business and scaling in Asia to be part of the unique equity-free acceleration program. If selected, the startup will be able to access IC’s USD $50k and up in investments.

The Communities and networking for IC were great for impact makers, experts & community voters, impact startups & ecosystem players across various regions taking part in discussions together with policymakers. We have shared insights and challenges faced across the region and discussed what’s the best practice model available.
Deforestation Non-Profits to Support
By: Michael Luzich
Tags: Social Impact, Philanthropy, Charity, Deforestation

The forests of the world are in danger. For centuries, forests have been destroyed for the sake of expansion, construction, and development. In 2017 alone, roughly 61,000 square miles of tropical forest (more than the entire state of Georgia) were lost due to deforestation. Compelling reasons to support the anti-deforestation movement include:

to preserve natural biodiversity

ensure the safety of indigenous populations

mitigate harmful carbon emission and

protect the future of the planet.

These non-profit organizations have been highly-rated as “effective” by CharityNavigator and CharityWatch and deserve our continued support:

Rainforest Action Network

Commonly abbreviated to RAN, this non-profit promotes an optimistic view of the future when it comes to environmental and humanitarian concerns. They support the idea of a world that maintains healthy forests, respects all communities, and never seeks profit at the expense of the planet or its people. They abide by anti-oppression principles , as well as a practice of non-violence, to hold themselves accountable when engaging with various cultures and advocating for human and environmental rights. In researching and solving crises like deforestation, RAN openly acknowledges and celebrates biodiversity and the importance of natural environments such as rainforests.

Amazon Watch

The Amazon rainforest is one of the most celebrated ecosystems in the world, and it has become increasingly threatened over the years. Amazon Watch strives to target deforestation, challenge climate change, and support the rights of indigenous peoples living in the rainforest. They often promote education through social media, documentaries, and news coverage. Support them as they champion indigenous peoples and advocate for their rights while boosting indigenous autonomy and protections.

Trees for the Future

At a surface level, the practice most publicized by Trees for the Future is simple: plant trees to combat deforestation. However, this organization strives to not only restore the trees lost to deforestation but also to prevent more forests from suffering the same fate. The target of Trees for the Future lies in the agriculture industry, as a large percentage of deforestation occurs as the result of food production . In an effort to combat this phenomenon, Trees for the Future hosts the Forest Garden Program which teaches farmers how to sustainably restore their land, replant lost trees, and promote greater vitality in the soil as well as the produce they grow.

Other ways to show your support besides donating money:
Oppo created panic in the world of mobile phones, launched this powerful phone, know what its specifications and battery backup.
Tags: Technews, Technology News, Technology, Mobile Marketing, Tech

Oppo created panic in the world of mobile phones, launched this powerful phone, know what its specifications and battery backup. Technoven Apr 23, 2020·2 min read

HomeRedmi Oppo created panic in the world of mobile phones, launched this powerful phone, know what its specifications and battery backup.

Xiaomi launched Redmi 7 smartphone for Rs 7500, apart from strong battery and processor, these are the features

Diamond-cut design has been given on the back panel of Oppo A12 smartphone, which has been seen in many Realme smartphones before. Oppo A12 has a dual rear camera and entry-level specifications such as MediaTek Helio P35 processor and a 13-megapixel primary camera.

Honor launches two powerful budget smartphones, know price and features

Talking about the specifications of Oppo A12, this phone with nano dual sim works on Android Pie based ColorOS 6.1.2. This phone comes with 6.22 inch HD + (720 × 1520 pixels) display, 89 percent screen-to-body ratio, 1500: 1 contrast ratio, 450 nits brightness and Gorilla Glass 3 protection. In addition, the phone has 4 GB RAM with the Octa-core MediaTek Helio P35 processor.

Nokia launched this budget smartphone in India; Learn price, features and offers here

The Oppo A12 handset is dual rear camera cellus, whose primary camera is 13 megapixels and its aperture is F / 2.2. It has a secondary camera of 2 megapixels. It acts as a depth sensor.

Samsung launched triple rear camera smartphone in the budget range

For selfie, you will get a 5 megapixel camera, which has an aperture F / 2.4. This camera is located in a waterdrop-style notch. Not only this, the camera app of this phone comes with digital color mode, about which the company claims that it works to improve the picture with natural color.

Nokia launched this cheap smartphone, learn all the features

Talking about storage, in addition to 64 GB storage, there is support for microSD card up to 256 GB. The battery of the phone is 4320 mAh. For connectivity, OPPO A12 has 4G, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS.

Samsung Galaxy A20s: Samsung’s budget smartphone launched with Dhansu features

Talking about the price of Oppo A12, the price of its 4 GB RAM and 64 GB storage variants in Indonesia is IDR 2,499,000 (about 12,300 rupees). The phone will be available in two color options — Black and Blue. How long will the Oppo A12 launch in India, information is yet to be known.