Center for Social Innovation

Welcome to Monterrey! Just five years ago, Monterrey was considered one of the safest cities in Mexico. Unfortunately for my home town, the situation has changed dramatically with the arrival of waves of violence and the petty crime that comes with it. In Monterrey, people feel unsafe, don't trust the government and are scared to participate in their city. This is where Centro for Integración Ciudadana (CIC) comes into the picture.

At this time of year I seem to be in “pitch” sessions for any number of courses, competitions, and fellowships. A criterion that is always on the judging sheet is “scale.” Clearly, as Jeff Bradach noted in his article in the Stanford Social Innovation Review, Scaling Impact “Today, there may be no idea with greater currency in the social sector than ‘scaling’ what works.” 

Sitting at my air conditioned desk in Brooklyn and eating a sandwich ordered over Seamless Web, I find it hard to believe that over three billion people worldwide still prepare their daily meals on open wood fires. Don't we live in the 21st century?

I am now halfway through the second week of my internship with the San Francisco Wholesale Produce Market. The Market is the largest produce wholesale and distribution facility in San Francisco. It has a long history: It was originally located near Embarcadero in the city center and was relocated to Bayview in the early 1960s to make space for new development.

As a competitive athlete for 17 years, I have always had a passion for sports and competition.  For that reason, this summer is turning out to be a dream come true as I am interning at Stanford Athletics and will be taking a mid-summer trip to London for the Olympics!

My goal for my summer was to figure out where on the spectrum from nitty-gritty operations to high-level strategy in an education organization I want to work long-term. With only a week and a half under my belt, I can say with much confidence that this summer will help answer that question.

As we get ready to take summer vacations, bringing along a good book is a must. Our list of summer reads includes some "older" tried and true favorites that have real staying power. Have a great summer, expand your knowledge and take action.

Impact investing, hybrid structures, the networked nonprofit, collective impact, design thinking  - these are just a few of the many innovations currently being developed and implemented to drive social change. They are impressive and indeed, in many cases, deserve attention and application. Yet I'm also finding that the hype behind so many “new” approaches is creating a bit of chaos. 

We all know that we must get a grip on consumption and waste or we will soon be drowning in our own mess. Recycling programs abound, but people are often lackadaisical about putting plastic, paper, glass, and metal into those bins. How can we get more people to recycle? An interesting intervention recently conducted in Canada is pointing the way, and the message is all about … well, the messaging.

Everywhere you turn these days, “investing for impact” seems to be at the forefront of social innovation thinking.  At conferences, in the media, and in education, the term “impact investing” – defined as investment that aims to solve social or environmental challenges while generating financial profit – seems to be getting all the attention.  Somehow, good old “giving” has gone out of vogue. But what is the field of social value creation losing if we leave straight philanthropy behind?