Center for Social Innovation

Navigating Through Conflict

Gayle Lemmon discusses how entrepreneurs conduct business in some of the world’s most difficult and dangerous environments.

Resource: News Article

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"A Thoughtful, Systemic Approach"

How Scholarship Can Help Alleviate Extreme Poverty.

Resource: News Article

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Globalizing Entry-Level Business Processing Employment

A hybrid social enterprise offers employment and skills training to rural youth in Cambodia, Laos, and Kenya.

Resource: News Article

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Economic Development, Healthcare

Building Affordable Health Care in China

In an interview with Kewen Jin, the serial entrepreneurs discusses the rapid growth of China's health care industry and the idea of "innovation by subtraction."

Resource: News Article

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Tony Blair Urges Stanford Students to Help Out in Africa

The former prime minister of Great Britain said that much-needed economic development in Sub-Saharan Africa cannot go forward without improvements in governance.

Resource: News Article

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Navigating Through Conflict

Gayle Lemmon discusses how entrepreneurs conduct business in some of the world’s most difficult and dangerous environments.

Resource: News Article

Topic :

"A Thoughtful, Systemic Approach"

How Scholarship Can Help Alleviate Extreme Poverty.

Resource: News Article

Topic :

Globalizing Entry-Level Business Processing Employment

A hybrid social enterprise offers employment and skills training to rural youth in Cambodia, Laos, and Kenya.

Resource: News Article

Topic :

Economic Development, Healthcare

Building Affordable Health Care in China

In an interview with Kewen Jin, the serial entrepreneurs discusses the rapid growth of China's health care industry and the idea of "innovation by subtraction."

Resource: News Article

Topic :

Government, Nonprofit Management

Under One Roof

Stanford Social Innovation Review: Spring 2011

One-stop centers offer a safer future for victims of domestic violence.

-Subscription Required

Resource: Stanford Social Innovation Review Article

Topic :

For Love or Lucre

Stanford Social Innovation Review: Spring 2011

A veteran social entrepreneur provides a guide to those who are thinking through the thorny question of whether to create a nonprofit, a for-profit, or something in between.

Resource: Stanford Social Innovation Review Article

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A New Type of Hybrid

Stanford Social Innovation Review: Spring 2011

Social entrepreneurs have taken the hybrid model to a new level, crafting it into what is in effect a single structure that can operate as both a for-profit and a nonprofit.

-Subscription Required

Resource: Stanford Social Innovation Review Article

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Better Vision for the Poor

Stanford Social Innovation Review: Spring 2011

Several social enterprises are attempting to provide eyeglasses to the 500 million to 1 billion poor people in the world who need them. Some enterprises see the provision of trained optometrists as the key to solving the problem; others are focused on cost reduction; others still are focused on technological innovations. Why haven’t any of these approaches succeeded on a large scale?

Resource: Stanford Social Innovation Review Article

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Arts, Culture, and Religion

Increasing Civic Reach

Stanford Social Innovation Review: Spring 2011

Nonprofits must have influential board members who connect them to the communities they serve.

Resource: Stanford Social Innovation Review Article

Topic :

Social Entrepreneurship

Party’s Over

“There’s no question: with public trust in CEOs and corporations at rock-bottom and the change mantra out of Washington [and Davos] and this week’s TED2009 still freshly potent, cause-wired social entrepreneurs have never had a better opportunity to boost traction globally for their Web-powered ideas.” - the author

Resource: Blog Post

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The Changing Role of Nonprofits

The author initiates a conversation about the new role of nonprofit organizations in the current social media and/or technology revolution and invites readers to continue the discussion.

Resource: Blog Post

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Government

Field Building—Does it Matter What Field?

The author asks whether field building need always be done in the same way.

Resource: Blog Post

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Philanthropy, Responsible Investing

The Disappearance of yet Another Painless Way to Give

As the economy continues to shrink, individuals will need to make a more conscious effort towards charitable giving.

Resource: Blog Post

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Nonprofit Management, Philanthropy, Responsible Investing

Rays of Light in the Giving Gloom

Recent surveys on giving by corporations and high-net-worth individuals look promising for the nonprofit sector. The author submits how to best obtain these resources in a competitive fundraising environment.

Resource: Blog Post

Video/Audio : All | Audio | Video

Topic:

Economic Development, Government

Macroeconomic Perspective on the Budget Deficit

Where is the United States economy and budget going? How can the U.S. stop accumulating debt at the same accelerated rate that's been happening over the past few decades? In this audio lecture, Joe Minarik summarizes how the U.S. deficit has gotten to the state it's in, and outlines steps needed to solve the problem and help the economy grow. The event was hosted by the Center for Social Innovation at the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

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Resource: Audio

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Saisir les clés du financement social

[photo - Pierre Carpentier, Jean-Michel Lecuyer, Céline Claverie]

Afin de donner vie à son idée, l'entrepreneur social doit se poser la question du financement. Quels sont les acteurs avec lesquels il convient de collaborer ? Guidés par trois de ceux que l'on appelle les "financeurs sociaux et solidaires" nous entrons dans les coulisses de leurs organisations pour comprendre leurs besoins et leurs attentes. Ils livrent les clefs directement utiles pour relever le défi du financement et promouvoir un projet d'entrepreneuriat social.

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Resource: Audio

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Mode d'emploi pour réussir dans l'entrepreneuriat social

[photo - Amandine Barthelemy - Romain Slitine]

L'économie sociale en France est un secteur à part entière qui regroupe les initiatives économiques d'utilité sociale et d'intérêt collectif. Mais peut-on tous devenir des entrepreneurs sociaux? Une étude a donc été réalisée sur les facteurs de réussite et les obstacles. Dans cet enregistrement audio, Amandine Barthelemy et Romain Slitine, experts associés de l'Institut de l'Innovation et de l'Entrepreneuriat Social, nous commentent les résultats de cette enquête et esquissent le profil type du bon entrepreneur social.

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Resource: Audio

Topic:

Nonprofit Management, Philanthropy, Responsible Investing

Connecting Nonprofits

Connecting good, effective nonprofits and other organizations that get the job done is the mission of Craigconnects, the latest enterprise of Craigslist founder Craig Newmark. In this audio interview with host Ashkon Jafari, Newmark discusses the organization's philosophy, primary activities, and future plans.

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Resource: Audio

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Renewable Energy and Environmental Sustainability

The environmental sustainability movement has long been pushing for the development of renewable energy resources. Yet to have a significant impact in the energy market, any renewable alternative must be scalable, argues Haas School professor Severin Borenstein in this audio lecture. Speaking at the 2010 Climate Policy Instruments in the Real World conference at Stanford, he suggests where policy interventions should be focused so as to pave the way for the greater appeal of renewable technologies.

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Resource: Audio

Topic:

Healthcare, Social Entrepreneurship

Using Social Media to Save Lives, Part 1 of 3

A leukemia diagnosis for Sameer Bhatia is the start of a nation-wide project to create a bone marrow registry in India. Robert Chatwani describes one family's innovative effort to create social change and, in the process, find a perfect match for Sameer.

Resource: Video

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Healthcare

Using Social Media to Save Lives, Part 3 of 3

A leukemia diagnosis for Sameer Bhatia is the start of a nation-wide project to create a bone marrow registry in India. Robert Chatwani describes one family's innovative effort to create social change and, in the process, find a perfect match for Sameer.

Resource: Video

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Khosla: Green Tech Must First Make Economic Sense

For Vinod Khosla, MBA '80, zero emission buildings and hybrid vehicles have broad appeal, but any climate change solution must first make economic sense in order to be truly effective.

Resource: Video

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Enhancing Business Education for Rural Entrepreneurs

In 2006, Stanford's Graduate School of Business students Scott Raymond and Katherine Boas took a service learning trip to Thailand and Cambodia. The result? A program that helps to alleviate poverty in Thailand that is now being duplicated at microlending organizations around the world.

Resource: Video

Topic:

Corporate Social Responsibility, Environment, Philanthropy, Responsible Investing

Opportunities In Environmental Area

How do environmental challenges create growth opportunities, new markets, and innovation? Two Goldman Sachs managers discuss how their investment firm is making the financing of corporate deals contingent upon the incorporation of increasingly stringent environmental criteria.

Resource: Video

Topic:

Nonprofit Management, Philanthropy, Responsible Investing

Private Equity in Africa

Africa represents a promising frontier for many global entrepreneurs. In this university podcast, Thomas Gibian, chairman of Emerging Capital Partners, discusses his experiences developing a private equity business focused on Africa, and how it has changed over the years. Speaking at the Stanford Africa Forum, he points to areas of future growth for those interested in investing in the African continent.

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Resource: Audio

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Leadership Trends of the 21st Century

Less than one in 10,000 companies will survive long enough to celebrate their 100th anniversary. For those who do, how does brand identity change over the decades while staying true to its core values? In this panel discussion, the CEOs of three such organizations discuss the rewards and challenges of carrying on a corporate legacy in the nonprofit sector: Peter Goldberg, of the Alliance for Children and Families, Cathy Tisdale, of Campfire USA, and Jim Gibbons, of Goodwill Industries International.

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Resource: Audio

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Healthcare and Biotechnology

[photo - Levison, Manian, Sabry, Chess, Joseph]

How can innovation be harnessed in the healthcare sector? In this panel discussion, professionals discuss new products and ventures they've been involved in to impact the biotechnology field. Topics range from laser film recorders to support tools for companies that break down barriers, to improving social health. The discussion was part of the 2011 Healthcare Summit, held at the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

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Resource: Audio

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Environment, Government

Environmental Sustainability and Energy Policy

New Obama administration goals are making this an excellent time for professionals interested in environmental sustainability. So say senior government energy and technology officials in this panel discussion convened by the Stanford's Steyer-Taylor Center for Energy Policy and Finance. Pointing to the challenges ahead, they outline where the opportunities will lie for energy-focused entrepreneurs.

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Resource: Audio

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Service Innovation

[photo - Experts at the 2011 Healthcare Summit]

Innovation in any sector is not for the faint of heart, and that's even more the case in the world of healthcare delivery. In this panel discussion, four intrepid professionals talk about how they have plunged forward in the world of healthcare innovation and made substantial progress. The discussion was part of the 2011 Healthcare Summit, held at the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

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Resource: Audio

Case Studies : All | Academic Cases

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Breaking New Ground: Using the Internet to Scale

Commissioned by KaBOOM! and authored by Katherine Fulton and alumna Heather McLeod Grant of the Monitor Institute, this case study looks at the challenges KaBOOM! faced and lessons the organization learned while pioneering an online strategy to scale its impact. This strategy involves giving away the nonprofit model online for free to empower others to act on KaBoom's behalf.

Resource: Practitioner Case

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Nonprofit Management, Philanthropy, Responsible Investing

Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation Portfolio Management in the Nonprofit Sector: Measuring Performance and Optimizing Results Across Multiple Programs

The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation has approved a $110 million nursing initiative to improve patient care in hospitals. The case addresses how the Foundation can determine which grants to make under the initiative, and how it may most effectively allocate funds.

Resource: Academic Case

Topics:

Corporate Social Responsibility

Grameen Bank

Grameen Bank lent hundreds of millions of dollars to millions of poor entrepreneurs in Bangladesh. Managing Director Muhammad Yunus faced tremendous challenges brought about by political upheavals and natural disasters in this country.

Resource: Academic Case

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Newmont in Peru

This case describes events with Peruvian intelligence chief Vladimiro Montesinos, his network, and his interventions in affairs of the Newmont Mining Corporation. It provides an inside view of how business gets done where the rule of law is subordinated to political influence.

Resource: Academic Case

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Corporate Social Responsibility, Healthcare

Notes on AIDS and the Pharmaceutical Industry

These notes discuss the AIDS epidemic including history, treatment, drug pricing, and economics.

Resource: Academic Case

Topics:

Philanthropy, Responsible Investing, Social Entrepreneurship

An Introduction to Social Return on Investment

This paper discusses how socioeconomic results are quantified with traditional financial measures. It briefly outlines the methodology used by the Roberts Enterprise Development Fund.

Resource: Academic Case

Topics:

Corporate Social Responsibility

Cisco Corporate Philanthropy

As the Cisco Foundation, an outgrowth of Cisco Systems, moves beyond its start-up phase, the director of corporate philanthropy wants to assess the philanthropic program’s results. She hopes to evaluate whether the Foundation effectively drew on the company’s core strengths, and whether costs to shareholders had yielded benefits to Cisco and its grantees.

Resource: Academic Case

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Economic Development, Human Rights, Nonprofit Management, Philanthropy, Responsible Investing

Global Fund for Women

The CEO of the Global Fund for Women, an organization that seeds and supports women’s rights groups, must examine how to guide the fund’s growth without having it lose its connections with donors and grantees. She also wonders how the fund could do better at assessing grant outcomes and sharing success stories.

Resource: Academic Case

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Lutherwood-CODA (Community Opportunities Development Association)

The Canadian nonprofit Lutherwood-CODA is engaged in a bold real estate project to develop a retirement community. Can the organization face a new level of financial risk associated with creating an assisted living center?

Resource: Academic Case

Topics:

Economic Development, Nonprofit Management, Philanthropy, Responsible Investing

Mirae: Charitable Giving in North Korea

Mirae, a group of affluent housewives in Seoul, is working to prepare for the reunification of the North and South by raising strategic funds. The group ponders how to create a nonprofit in a society that has traditionally thought of charity as an intra-family issue.

Resource: Academic Case

Topics:

Arts, Culture, and Religion, Nonprofit Management

The Seattle Theater Industry

By the close of 2001, theatres in Seattle were experiencing box office slumps. The vibrant theatre industry faced monumental challenges to remaining both critically acclaimed and financially sound.

Resource: Academic Case

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Healthcare, Philanthropy, Responsible Investing

Canary Fund and the San Jose Grand Prix (A)

The Canary Fund supports the development of methods for early cancer detection. This first case describes the choice to sponsor a high-profile racing event to raise funding and awareness.

Resource: Academic Case

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Healthcare

Drug Eluting Stents: A Paradigm Shift in the Medical Device Industry

In the mid-2000s, drug eluting stents had been shown to significantly reduce restenosis rates and promised to be one of the most dynamic and complex segments of the medical device industry: explosive growth, product recalls, and intellectual property litigation, but also inter-industry collaboration.

Resource: Academic Case

Topic :

Corporate Social Responsibility, Environment, Social Entrepreneurship

Green River Environmental

David Dodson started the septic company Green River Environmental after mixed results in his previous entrepreneurial ventures. This case tracks three difficult mangerial situations Dodson faced during his tenure as CEO and chairman of the company.

Resource: Academic Case

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Minnesota Public Radio: Social Purpose Capitalism

Minnesota Public Radio had evolved from a small public radio station to a network of 38 stations, mainly through social purpose capitalism. The founder came under criticism after creating for-profit ventures to support and build the enterprise.

Resource: Academic Case

Topic :

Economic Development, Healthcare, Social Entrepreneurship

Napo Pharmaceuticals

Napo was developing a compound to treat diarrhea while arranging an innovative public-private partnership to distribute it in the developing world. When that partnership proved difficult to arrange, the founder had to decide whether to continue pursuing it.

Resource: Academic Case

Research Papers : All

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Slowing Introductions of New Electronic Products Reduces E-Waste

Some types of regulations governing disposal of electronic waste can reduce the world's mountains of devices waiting to be recycled, and also slow the rate of new product introductions says Stanford Graduate School of Business Professor Erica Plambeck.

Resource: Research Paper

Topics:

Corporate Social Responsibility

Contention and Corporate Social Responsibility

At the confluence between social movement theory and organizational studies, Sarah Soule's Contention and Corporate Social Responsibility examines protests against corporate practices and policies before 1990 and offers a framework to better understand anti-corporate social movements and their role in shaping socially responsible practices in the global economic arena.

Resource: Research Paper

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Foster a More “Giving” Identity to Rouse Donors and Volunteers

How nonprofits ask for support can make their potential donors more generous with both their time or money, says Professor Jennifer Aaker. The trick is to help donors develop a more giving identity -- for instance helping them see themselves as the kind of people who support a specific cause.

Resource: Research Paper

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Economic Development, Government

The Growth Report: Strategies for Sustained Growth and Inclusive Development

This paper discusses key findings of the Commission on Growth and Development’s report. It identifies ways developing countries can grow and how to encourage private investment.

Resource: Research Paper

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Human Rights

Feminist Theory and Critical Theory: Unexplored Synergies

Although both feminist theory and critical theory focus on social and economic inequalities, and both have an agenda of promoting system change, these fields of inquiry have developed separately and seldom draw on each other's work. This paper argues that synergies between these two fields could, and should, be explored.

Resource: Research Paper

Courses : All

Topic :

Healthcare

Biodesign Innovation: OIT 581/3

The two-quarter Elective Course series provides lectures from a diverse group of faculty that expose students to the practical aspects of technology invention and development. The class features a presentation or discussion from one of the guest speakers or faculty. Students work in small project teams in the Biodesign prototyping lab or bench space, collaborating with the fellows of the program.

Resource: MBA Course

Topic :

Social Entrepreneurship

The Power of Social Technology: GSBGEN 358

The goal of this seminar is to investigate how social technology (e.g., blogs, websites, podcasts, widgets, community groups, social network feeds) can change attitudes and behaviors in ways that cultivate social change. We study the strategies and tactics used by companies and causes that have successfully catalyzed social persuasion.

Resource: MBA Course

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Strategic Thinking in Action - In Business and Beyond: STRAMGT 373

This seminar helps participants develop strategically informed action plans that are imaginative, inspiring, and workable in highly dynamic environments. Through informed debate and the writing and presentation of position papers, participants evaluate and hone their views on the seminar's critical themes.

Resource: MBA Course

Topic :

Social Entrepreneurship

Social Entrepreneurship: STRAMGT 369

This course focuses on the efforts of private citizens to create effective responses to social needs and innovative solutions to social problems. It equips students with frameworks and tools that will help them be more effective as a social entrepreneur.

Resource: MBA Course

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Strategic Management of Nonprofits: STRAMGT 368

This course surveys strategic, governance, and management issues facing a wide range of nonprofit organizations in an era of venture philanthropy and social entrepreneurship. It introduces students to core managerial issues in the nonprofit sector, such as development/fundraising, investment management, performance management and nonprofit finance.

Resource: MBA Course

Innovators : All

Topic :

Corporate Social Responsibility, Economic Development, Education, Human Rights, Nonprofit Management, Philanthropy, Responsible Investing, Social Entrepreneurship

An interview with Daniel Grossman

Daniel Grossman's Wild Planet creates toys that parents love as much as kids. His aim is to inspire learning and inventiveness.

Resource: Alumni

Topic :

Corporate Social Responsibility, Economic Development, Nonprofit Management, Philanthropy, Responsible Investing, Social Entrepreneurship

An interview with Bruce McNamer (JD/MBA '96)

Bruce McNamer empowers entrepreneurs in rural areas around the world to become self-sufficient. He finds helping people to help themselves a noble calling.

Resource: Alumni

Topic :

Economic Development, Education, Environment, Government, Philanthropy, Responsible Investing, Social Entrepreneurship

An interview with Josh Becker (MBA ’99)

Josh Becker combines private, public, and government-sector solutions in addressing big social challenges. His focus is innovation.

Resource: Alumni

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Corporate Social Responsibility, Environment, Government, Social Entrepreneurship

An interview with Adam Stern (MBA '87)

Adam Stern's Web site lets people offset their own carbon emissions by supporting renewable energy projects. He's working to stop global warming.

Resource: Alumni

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Enhancing Educational Data Systems

Colleges and universities need an alternative to traditional data systems so that they may better manage their student prospects and information. In this Stanford university podcast, Matthew Schnittman, president of TopSchool, talks about the organization's new online software that features the latest innovations in student management software. He spoke at the Global Education Conference at Stanford.

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Resource: Audio

Topic :

Arts, Culture, and Religion

The Rx for Innovation

Baba Shiv explains why creativity rests on diet, exercise, and a good night's sleep.

Resource: News Article

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