In this episode we discuss social innovation and the military. Read more
The Social Ideas Podcast: social innovation in the air

In this episode we discuss social innovation and the military. Read more
20 August 2018. A 15-year-old girl steps up – and out of school – and goes on strike. Thousands follow Greta Thunberg’s example, collectively shaming older generations for inaction or ineptitude in the face of climate crisis. For Thunberg, even Sweden, with its relatively ambitious carbon policies, is halfhearted and too little, too late[1]. Doing… Read more
Social entrepreneurship is all the rage. Delivering social impact through enterprise is lauded by politicians, policy makers and practitioners. Not only should you do well, you should do good as well. It is a message that resonates with many aspiring entrepreneurs as well as social organisations looking to make more impact or strapped for cash… Read more
When issues of women rising to leadership positions arise within organisations there is much squirming in the seats by senior managers (male and female) who invariably believe (or at least articulate) there is no problem here as ability always trumps gender. Since the term ‘glass ceiling’ was coined in 1984 to illustrate the invisible yet… Read more
Today many organisations want to be virtuous. It is a post-financial crash zeitgeist. Greed and exploitation is passé, so we are told. Being nice to people, the planet and making a profit is becoming de rigour. But can we really foresee a time when the Wolf of Wall Street becomes a lamb? Is being virtuous… Read more
Making a difference to society is a noble aim, and leaders shouldn’t be put off by a few bumps along the way. If my experience in social innovation has taught me anything, it’s that making social change is not for the faint-hearted. Making a difference and achieving change requires stamina and resilience as well as… Read more
When it comes to public services, reform is often in the eye of the beholder, says Neil Stott, Chief Executive of Keystone Development Trust and Executive Director, Centre for Social Innovation at Cambridge Judge Business School. Are you a “change is good” or an “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” type of person? Reformers… Read more
In the second part of his blog, Neil Stott, Chief Executive of Keystone Development Trust and Executive Director, Centre for Social Innovation at Cambridge Judge Business School, says the public sector could play a key role in encouraging enterprise. When you read about entrepreneurship and innovation, it is easy to become captivated by stories of… Read more
The public sector doesn’t always get great press but, says Neil Stott, Chief Executive of Keystone Development Trust and Executive Director, Centre for Social Innovation at Cambridge Judge Business School, it just might surprise you. Bureaucratic. Risk averse. Wasteful. Sometimes it seems no one has a good word to say about the public sector. And… Read more