The stark numbers In December 2014, 21.4 per cent of the European people under 25 that were able to work, and were actively looking for work, remained unemployed[1]. The gravity of the youth’s problem becomes particularly clear when we compare this number with the 9.9 per cent overall unemployment rate. Young people often lack the… Read more
I’ve been reflecting on an interesting seminar on social ventures by Cambridge Judge Business School’s Centre for Social Innovation I recently attended. Neil Stott and Paul Tracey argued that the legal construct of a venture should be irrelevant, and that it was the organisation’s ability to bring about social change that mattered. Time constraints prevented… Read more
The Play-Doh factory Remember Play-Doh? If not, Play-Doh is a children’s modelling clay used for arts and crafts projects. It is composed of flour, water, salt, boric acid and mineral oil. First manufactured in Cincinnati, Ohio USA in the 1930s, Play-Doh was repurposed from a failed attempt at wallpaper cleaner. I love Play-Doh. As a… Read more
Some early steps to make your great idea for a development project even better. An adviser recently asked one of my project teams how many NGOs we thought were operating in Kenya. The answer? 29,200. There are a lot of places where motivated, capable people can have an impact in developing countries, but once you… Read more
Working with young women as they enter their teenage years, in any society, is of paramount importance and key to impacting on wider issues such as economic development. Young women often have the least access to education, the lowest self-esteem and are most vulnerable to issues around abuse and exploitation compared to young men of… Read more
‘Business.’ What does that even mean? I’m not sure what it means to you. But for us, it’s our door – our gate – to a better life. Not for our individuals’ lives. I mean for the lives of our people. My community, my children and grandchildren. For my neighbors, my partners in life. It’s… Read more
What started as a way to formalise social enterprise in the United States has become a global movement. It’s a model where business is used a vehicle to “Be the Change.” I’m referring to the B Corp model. B Corps hold profit and mission as equals and measure their impact based on community, governance, workers… Read more
Cambridge Social Ventures was launched in spring 2014 and ran two Social Venture Weekends at the Cambridge Judge Business School which attracted 120 delegates and 25 ventures were selected to receive up to a further 12 months support. Solving social problems through business methodology All of the ventures are trying to solve a social problem… Read more
A changed agenda Concern for the environment, equitable pay for suppliers and welfare of employees are no longer afterthoughts to doing business; they are becoming integral to doing business across the public, not for profit and corporate worlds. Surprisingly, recent investigations of the Dark Net have revealed that even the world of hard drugs has… Read more
People increasingly expect all aspects of their lives – from their careers to their purchasing decisions and the way they spend their spare time – to have a positive impact on the world. This is not a trend. It’s a profound societal shift in thinking. It is happening everywhere. We call this the Values Revolution.… Read more