Week Six Reflection

In week six, I pondered over Revenue Generation. The videos and articles I studied were a Ted Talk by Michael Porter titled, "Why Business can be Good at Solving Social Problems," Financial Model Section and Galvanizing Resources created by the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Foundation, "Social Entrepreneurs Don't Have It Easy Raising Capital" written by Genny Ghanimeh, and "Capital Sources for Social Enterprises" written by Drew Tulchin and Sunny Yi-Han Lin. One key point from the studies is shared value comes from combining social value and economic value together. Another thing to bear in mind are some popular funding sources for a social venture are donations, grants, special events such as annual fundraisers, races, and charity events, selling a product or service, endowments, Patient Capital coming from capitalists who are willing to donate and wait until the organization can return the investment capital and they do not expect high levels or rates of return on the investment capital, and lastly, unconventional funding sources such as using other people's resources or running the organization from home. Some regular start-up ventures are typically investments, banking, equity debt, convertible debt, and crowdfunding.

During my studies this week, I thought what Michael Porter had to say in his Ted Talk was very inspiring and profound. In particular, the moment when he said reducing pollution and emissions actually generates profit rather than wastes money really spoke to me. Most businesses assume it's too expensive to create a safer work environment and making sure the company creates less of a negative impact upon nature will require even more money. However, in the long run, it does the exact opposite. There are less sick days and less worker's compensation to pay for when employees are able to function in a safer, cleaner workplace. He did the calculations after starting up four different nonprofits. He stated "business does not profit from causing social problems." Instead, "business profits from solving social problems."

I do not think money can really buy happiness. It can provide shelter, safety, food, and everything else necessary to live comfortably in this life, but it cannot buy true happiness. The richest man in the world can still be sad. I know of people who attempt to buy their friends and they are still sad because deep down, they know as soon as the money is gone, each "friend" who showed up just for the financial benefits would disappear. However, I do think money can help change the world. Money can finance a project and help people obtain the much-needed supplies and manpower to make things happen. After all, not many people will work for free for long periods of time.

Week Five Reflection

In week five, the class went over Solution and Impact Evaluation. The week's reading and videos consisted of a video about Measuring Your Social Impact: Theory of Change, Getting Results: Outputs, Outcomes, and Impact, Measuring and Improving Social Impacts: A Guide for Nonprofits, Companies, and Impact Investors, Starfish Hurling and Community Service, the Eight-Word Mission Statement, and Kevin Starr: Lasting Impact. One of the key points is outputs are activities done by the nonprofit such as meals served by a soup kitchen, outcomes are observed effects of the outputs on the beneficiaries of the nonprofit such as the degree to which the meals served by the soup kitchen reduce hunger in the population, and impact is the degree to which the outcomes observed by a nonprofit are attributable to its activities such as the impact of the soup kitchen is the degree to which a reduction of hunger in the population they serve is attributable to its efforts. While a soup kitchen might serve a lot of meals and correctly observe that hunger is subsequently less prevalent in the population it serves, the reduction in hunger might simply be attributable to an improving economy, or a new school lunch program or some other activities that are not part of the soup kitchen’s efforts. The eight-word mission statement should have very concrete results and it's about the what, not the how. Kevin Starr says the Mission Statement must have a verb, a target, and an outcome. For example: for an island conservation, the verb is save, the target is island species, and the outcome is from extinction. Put them all together and you have "Save the island species from extinction." Four questions one should ask themselves before starting a project are is it needed? Is it really needed, does the thing work like it's supposed to, will it get to those who need it and a lot of them, and will they use it right when they get it?

During my studies, I was inspired by an excerpt written by Marc J. Epstein and Kristi Yuthas titled, "Measuring and Improving Social Impacts: A Guide for Nonprofits, Companies, and Impact Investors." In this excerpt, there is a five-step process in creating and measuring social impact. These steps are what will you invest, what problems will you address, what steps will you take, how will you measure success, and how can you increase impact? The excerpt went on to describe the donor resources which are human, material, and financial. Lastly, the excerpt described the four stages of impact measurement road map which are prepare the measurement foundation, consider how you will use the results, identify key impacts and metrics, and develop your measurement system. These steps, resources, and stages were stated so simply, it helped me see that it is possible to get out there and do my part in helping the community get to a better standing. 

Keith Morton's article titled, "Starfish Hurling and Community Service" had me rethink the entire meaning and purpose of the starfish story. I think the first time I heard about the starfish story was maybe either in high school or the start of my college career. It initially had me compare people to starfish and even if I could only help one person then that was all that really mattered, However, after reading Morton's take on the story, I have realized perhaps the story really was nothing more than just people throwing starfish back into the ocean. The true purpose of the tale is the fact the story is apolitical, it is just about helping starfish, not people. Starfish are passive and have no voice. It avoids the possible complexity of ecology. The story suggests we should work from an emotional response rather than with our heads. Lastly, the story privileges random, individual acts of kindness. Based on what I have learned from Morton's insight on the story, I should talk to people who may have an issue in the community, listen to their problem, build relationships within the community, know myself and my environment, and work with others where they and the situation itself can teach me how to act with more knowledge and effectiveness.

Individual throwing starfish. Art found through Google Images.

Week Four Reflection

In week four, my class went over Design Thinking. I was given the opportunity to ponder over articles and videos that explained the importance of design thinking in the social innovative world. The Fast Company Staff wrote an article titled, "Design Thinking... what is that?" There is a video titled, "What is Human-Centered Design?" Martin Kirk, Jason Hickel, and Joe Brewer wrote an article titled, "Using Design Thinking to Eradicate Poverty Creation." I also read a few pages from D. School's book titled, "Bootcamp Bootleg." Lastly, I watched a Ted Talk by David Kelley titled, "How to Build Your Creative Confidence." Some key points I have gotten out of this week's reading and videos were  Herbert Simons' seven steps, a three step process, design flaws, and the empathize mode. Simon's seven steps of Design Thinking consist of define, research, ideate, prototype, choose, implement, and learn. The three step process of Design Thinking consists of see, shape, and build. Some design flaws consists of how the development industry defines the problem itself, a built-in blindness to power dynamics, and metaphors matter. The empathize mode consists of observe, engage, and immerse. 

What really got me excited this week was learning about Doug Dietz and his work on helping children overcome their phobia of MRI machines. I was born with multiple health issues, so I am familiar with the hospital setting. As a child, a lot of things in the hospital used to terrify me ranging from the operating room itself right down to the needles for a basic blood draw. I was even afraid of the x-ray machine. Fortunately, I did not encounter an MRI machine until I was much older and no longer had a fear of scanning machines. What Doug has done is transform MRI machines into a pirate ship and made the procedure into an adventure for children to enjoy and not as many children needed to be sedated anymore. Doug's story made me wish his line of thinking existed about thirty years ago. It would have been nice to enter an operating room painted like a tropical island and the operating table was like a boat. I would have gladly gone aboard on that kind of table instead of fighting and screaming to the point where I had to be sedated with a sharp sting from a needle to the leg then knocked out with anesthesia through a gas mask.

New York Children's Hospital CT Scanner

Design Thinking is an important skill in social innovation because it can help the innovator really empathize with the community and their current issue at hand. In fact, the first step from the Bootcamp Bootleg reading is empathize, followed by define, ideate, prototype, then finally test. Design Thinking helps an individual be aware of the fact they are working with live, actual fellow human beings and it is imperative to focus on solutions which can address their specific needs. Doug is a great example of a social innovator. He was initially proud of just getting children through the MRI machine and locate the problem at hand, but then he really paid attention to how the children behaved with the machine. He empathized with the children and did something about it.

Week Three Reflection

By the third week, my class dove into the subject of Root Cause Analysis. At the start of this semester, my teacher has asked us which topic we were most interested in for this semester and this was the subject I've mentioned. I think it is crucial to always get down to the root of the problem and resolve it for good instead of just providing a temporary fix by sticking a band-aid on the surface. For this week, we studied cause and effect, getting to the root of the problem, how to use the fishbone diagram for root cause analysis, the Mind Control Team's Five Whys, and how a U.S. team rescues child slaves. The Ishikawa Diagram or Fishbone Diagram should start out with an agreement on the problem statement. This statement is placed at the mouth of the "fish" and it should be as clear and specific as possible. The problem shouldn't include a solution such as "we need more of something." Next, there should be an agreement on the major categories of the problem. These categories should be written as branches from the main arrow. These categories could be equipment or supply factors, environmental factors, policy factors, and people factors. The next step is to brainstorm all the possible causes of the problem by asking, "why does this happen?" As the ideas come up, they are added to the fishbone as causal factors under the designated branches labeled with the appropriate categories. These causal factors can be placed under multiple categories if necessary. Continue to ask, "Why?" and create sub-causes branching off the cause branches. This will help create deeper levels of causes and help reach the root cause to help prevent future issues. The Mind Control Team's Five Whys is a fairly easy concept and can be used for simple or moderately difficult problems. The way it is done is by assembling a team with a facilitator to help keep people on tract on finding the root of the problem. Next, the team discusses the problem. Then the facilitator asks why. After the first response, the facilitator asks why four more times–all while sequentially working towards the bottom of the main issue at hand with solid facts instead of speculating. A U.S. team rescued child slaves by having Tim Ballard lead a small group of people in Colombia and set up a fake prostitute ring by disguising it as a bachelor's party to extract the children before the criminals could get to them. Tim Ballard has created Operation Underground Railroad and rescues children from slavery on a regular basis.

Below are examples and templates of what I have previously discussed regarding the Fishbone Diagram and the Five Why's so an individual is able to get a better picture of what I have described.

The Ishikawa Diagram or Fishbone Diagram

The Five Whys Template

This week I have also learned about the non-profit organization called the Southwest Creations Collaborative–or SCC. I learned about the SCC from an article titled Good Business Creates Good Business: Southwest Creations Collaborative (A) written by Jeanne M. Logsdon, University of New Mexico and Jonathan N. Bundy, University of Georgia. This sparked some interest in me. It was fascinating to see a woman by the name of Susan Matteucci wanted to create a better society by uplifting women in poverty so they can become productive members of the community. She helped the woman utilize the skills they already had to earn some money. The particular skills she focused on was sewing because most women in poverty already knew how to sew their own clothes. If a woman did not know how to sew, it was simple enough for a woman to learn quickly. 

Week three was the week I had to come up with a social issue to stick with for the rest of the semester. The social issue I have chosen to work on was children getting an early childhood education in Orange County, California. The thing I'm looking forward to the most will be to learn how much the established organizations have already done for the children so far. I want to research and see how the funds are acquired, which policies have been created to ensure children can obtain an early childhood education, and how they reach out to the parents and guardians so children have a better chance at succeeding in the early childhood education program.

Week Two Reflection

In week two, the class focused on becoming the change we wish to see. I thought it was a very enlightening subject. I read through various articles and contemplated their meanings. Jeffery A. Thompson wrote an article about "What Is Your Calling In Life?",  HELP International made an incredible short video I would like to encourage others to check out sometime, and I even read an article about how not everyone should be a social entrepreneur and that is just fine. It helped reassure me that even if I can't do what a social entrepreneur can do, I can still contribute in other ways such as through volunteer work.

I spent a great deal of time reading Chapter Three from How to Change the World Second Edition. There is this incredible story about a man named Fábio Rosa who helped improve the rural lands of Brazil in the 1980's and 1990's through some of his version of social entrepreneurship. He improved the farmlands through cheaper and more efficient means. This chapter gave me hope and inspiration in the fact we can achieve anything through baby steps. This chapter also taught me when there is a will, there is always a way. One just has to be determined to find those alternative ways.

Now, back to Jeffery Thompson's article, he discussed five different Heresy's. These five are if you're lucky, the one true calling, bliss awaits, the praise of the world, and work gives life meaning. First of all, luck has little to nothing to do with our calling in life. If you want something done, you have to at least put a little bit of effort into it. There is no such thing as just one true calling. A person may have various callings throughout their life. An individual could start out as a volleyball champion in high school, a line cook for the Navy, and a friendly neighborhood mechanic well into retirement. A person doesn't have to work towards bliss, they could have bliss now if they truly desire it. One could find joy in the calling they wish to be a part of. To participate in a calling, one doesn't have to be the praise of the world. Most callings end up being a humble responsibility and that is just fine. Work could give life meaning, but there is so much more to life than just work itself. There is also family, friends, and so many other joys found in this world. Thompson's article can easily be tied into the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the fact that everyone has a purpose here on Earth. We all have callings. When we need help with something, the Lord will assist us as long as we put a little bit of effort in as well. Social innovation can be tied into the gospel and Thompson's article in the fact that social innovation requires some effort on our part, some people are called to come up with ways to improve society in some way, shape, or form, and Jesus Christ can inspire people to do the work of the Lord.

Week One Reflection

This has been an incredible first week of the semester in my Innovation class. I have learned so much in so little time. I have pored over various videos and articles such as Making a change through social entrepreneurship, Ambition, What is Social Innovation, Meaning of Social Entrepreneurship, Rediscovering Social Innovation, and a video about the Ballard Center. First of all, I have learned about the definition of what innovation truly means. Next, I have learned about a couple of examples of innovation. Finally, there is a reason why social innovation is more prevalent today than ever before and I'll get to that point at the end.

Innovation is what happens when people get together and try to make a huge, positive impact in society by addressing issues starting at the roots. It can also mean it is a form of a process, product, or program that can truly provide a transformation in any system such as in a place as small as a family or as large as the planet, or somewhere in between like a city. One example of innovation include Ecoscraps, a program that takes scraps from places such as Walmart and Costco to create rich and nutritious potting soil for plants. Another example would be Tilapiana, a fish farming company that helps create fish farms in places where there are food shortages such as in Ghana.

What intrigued me most from my studies would have to be when I learned what Social Entrepreneurship really means. There are several factors and they are adopting a mission to create and sustain social value (not just private value), recognizing and relentlessly pursuing new opportunities to serve that mission, engaging in a process of continuous innovation, adaptation, and learning, acting boldly without being limited by resources currently in hand. and exhibiting heightened accountability to the constituencies served and for the outcomes created. This intrigued me because I honestly did not really think much about entrepreneurship until recently. Entrepreneurs really do constantly pursue new opportunities. I wish I had the motivation and being healthy enough to start certain things such as bringing back a camp program I grew up attending, but it is no longer in operation due to lack of funds, but I really do not know how to restart the program and I have some personal trials I have to overcome first. But you know what, that is okay. Maybe I will eventually come up with some way to bring it back some day, with more friends to help out. I have noticed in this day social innovation is much more prevalent. That reason could possibly be there are more people with a desire to change the world, change today's society, so we can have a brighter future. With today's technology and how we can communicate with each other halfway around the world, I feel that social innovation is made more possible today than even thirty years ago.

Purpose of this blog

 

Welcome to my blog!

I have initially created this blog for a course I am taking through Brigham Young University Idaho's online program called Social Innovation. I am currently working towards a Bachelor's degree in Marriage and Family Studies. Another reason is to simply have a place to put my organized thoughts, opinions, and insight from my recent studies pertaining to this major.

I hope this blog will benefit people in some way. Enjoy!