I love it when I see blogs outside of the standard economic development/ non-profit sphere reference interesting models for changing the world. Recently Guy Kawasaki listed some Design for the Other 90% items, namely the Q-drum and the Pot-in-Pot system, in his Cool Stuff Monday blog. Guy Kawasaki is a successful entrepreneur, author, and blogger who spends his time helping us keep up with cool new things and has a very Silicon Valley audience as far as I can tell. I think it is also interesting that one if his most popular posts is The Six Lessons of Kiva. I personally believe that business has a lot to learn from social enterprise and very few are actually figuring out how to create those partnerships.
The Walker Art Center in Minneapolis is hosting an installation called Design for the Other 90%. It is an interesting exhibit designed to cover innovations for the majority of the planet. It covers shelter, water, transportation, and agriculture, but it does draw from a familiar well of initiatives. Kick Start’s Money Maker pump is on display as well as the Pot-in-Pot cooler system, along with One Laptop per Child. There were many other innovations, but it prompted me to make my own list of favorites, starting with the for-profits with interesting business models.
Top 5 Favorite For Profits for Social Good
| Company |
Description |
Innovation |
Where Did I Hear About Them |
| Speak Shop Learn Spanish for Good |
Online Spanish language tutoring using highly qualified tutors from Guatemala and Nicaragua |
Using the internet, these tutors can, as Speak Shop puts it, “participate in the global economy”. As consumers, we get culturally authentic one-on-one tutoring for as low as $8/ hour. |
Net Impact 2008 Conference |
| AirAsia |
Low-cost Asian airline |
Air Asia had apparently been known to offer specials like $3 one way tickets. With those prices and hubs in Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia, they are allowing a whole new group of people to use air travel. Critics wonder if they can keep their prices so low as they add long-haul to Australia. |
Fast Company Fast 50 |
Finnegan’s Beer
Drink Like you Care |
“Non-profit” beer with profits going to end homelessness |
Okay this isn’t particularly innovative and is in Minneapolis, not the developing world, but I do like the model of creating a product specifically to obtain funds to serve a social need. Finnegan’s differentiates itself in the competitive craft beer market by what it does with its profits. This is similar to Ethos Water. |
Net Impact Minneapolis Professional Chapter |
| Nokia |
Mobile Phone company |
Nokia has 40% market share largely due to its presence in China, India, the Middle East, and Africa. Shipments to the Middle East and Africa grew over 50% while North American sales slid. Nokia hit a record sales of handsets (133.5 million) while one competitor, Motorola, saw sales decline. I believe on-the-ground research like that of Jan Chipchase keeps them ahead of the pack. |
Jan Chipchase: TED |
| Avarind Eye Clinic/ Aurolab |
Eyecare Clinic with tiered pricing the subsidizes eyecare for the poor/ low-cost cataract lens manufacturer |
Maybe the Dr. V Aravind Eye Clinic story is getting old, but it is inspiring. For every paying customer receiving high quality, efficient eyecare, four others can be served, usually with Aravind traveling to rural areas of India to reach out to those without eyecare. In addition, US entrepreneur David Green created Aurolab right next door to provide cataract lenses at a fraction of the cost available. |
PBS documentary The New Heroes |
