Social Innovation

This week I learned about the lean start-up method and the business model canvas. Lean start-up is a method used to develop business and products. The business model canvas is a visual chart with nine components that helps new and existing businesses see their value, customers,  finances, resources, etc. I liked the "5 Keys to Success for Social Entrepreneurs" video by Llusi Pareras. It was interesting to hear him describe the 5 things social healthcare entrepreneurs have in common. The one that stuck out the most to me was that they know the value of an idea. It's zero. Pareras said investors don't invest in ideas, they invest in the execution of ideas. This makes sense, but I hadn't thought of it this way before. An idea really doesn't matter unless you can do something with it - execute. Sharpening business skills is important. I've learned in this class that business is in everything we do. The best way for social...

This week I learned about generating revenue for social entrepreneurs. Many times, nonprofits are used for social problems and it's difficult for them to find sustainable funding. The answer is in business. Shared value is when a social problem is addressed with a business model. This partnership and collaboration is the best way to tackle social issues. I read an example of this this week in "How to Change the World" chapter 11. Vera Cordeiro founded Renascer to help children and families in Sao Paulo, Brazil. She partnered with McKinsey, a management consulting firm, and was able to increase the impact of Renascer. I really enjoyed reading and learning about Renascer. I'm an Applied Health major so I really liked seeing the partnership of Renascer and McKinsey and the impact they were able to have. Vera Cordeiro's idea to help children and families after they left the hospital so that they wouldn't end up back in the hospital was very inspiring. She helped b...

This week I learned about solution and impact evaluation. It's tricky to find a solution that doesn't create more problems. Mission statements are important and so are metrics to measure success or impact. I liked learning about the eight-word mission statement. It's important to state a verb, target population, and an outcome in a concise way.  I was surprised at the Starfish Hurling and Community Service article by Keith Morton. I have heard that story so many times over the years. I'm sure most of us have. I will never think of it the same way again! It really was eye opening to read and I see the points he makes. We must be more community minded. Community mindedness, being aware of the circumstances and getting as much information as possible is important. It's also important to not run out to help immediately, but to to talk to others, know the environment, and work with others to gain knowledge to make the best and most effective decisions possible. Reflectin...

This week I learned about Design Thinking. This model is a process, an action. Anyone can use Design Thinking to create options and solve problems. It has four steps: Define the problem, Create and Consider many options, Refine selected directions and pick the winner. I also learned about building creative confidence and that we can all be creative if we practice and don't worry about judgement from others.  I liked David Kelley's video "How to Build Your Creative Confidence". I was shocked and saddened with the story of his friend in grade school making a clay horse and a girl on the table telling him he did it wrong and it didn't look like a horse. I think this happens all the time. We have all probably been in a similar situation where someone said something to us or maybe we were the ones who said something like that to someone else. It makes me sad. It really only takes that happening once for our confidence to be destroyed. I also liked when he talked...

This week I learned about big problems in the world and root cause analysis. I learned that it's important to really look into what causes problems before jumping into a solution. This way everything gets looked at and hopefully nothing will be missed. There is a greater chance for success this way. I learned about the fishbone tool and the 5 why's to help look at causes of social problems. I really liked the "How Not to Be Ignorant About the World" video. The world has come a long way in solving problems and people are better off generally than they once were. I also liked how this video talked about personal bias, outdated facts, and new bias. We need to carefully consider these when we view/hear information. The Operation Underground video was crazy. It makes me mad and angry that this stuff goes on in the world. I can only imagine how it affects all those kids. It makes me sick. I'm grateful for all the people who are doing things to help those affected by thi...