Americans gave nearly $300 billion to charities last year (2011). That is almost $1,000 per person, and surveys show almost 90% of that giving was by individuals, with those individuals consisting of 67% of the total U.S. population. Meanwhile… in the same year, 64 million Americans volunteered their time, just shy of 25% of the total population. Why do more Americans give away their money vs...
I want to live in a town with a thriving downtown core, with good restaurants, a great bakery, nice shops, and a comforting grocery store. I want to live in a community which supports these business owners. A community where I don’t have to get in a car, drive a half hour, sit in traffic, and shop in a 100,000 square foot store to buy things made halfway around the world. The problem is… it’s...
Living in our comfortable homes in America, boiling a pot of water is as easy as turning a dial on the stove. We forget that for billions of people around the world, heating water involves making a fire. Where is the fire, there is smoke, and where there is smoke, there are shortened lives and early deaths. The team at BURN Design Labs on Vashon Island outside of Seattle knows all about fire, and...
Seven exciting, impactful teams comprise the Summer 2012 cohort of “fledglings“. These companies are busy refining their ideas and polishing their plans. On September 23rd, come be inspired by their visions and plans, presented live, on stage, at the Playhouse/Intiman Theater at the Seattle Center as part of the Seattle Next 50’s celebration of commerce and innovation...
Some additional backstory on Fledge, from Forbes.com When people consider launching startup accelerators for social enterprises, there’s always the nagging question: Does the classic model work? Is three months enough to address the complicated issues founders must wrestle with? Michael “Luni” Libes has an answer. Libes has formed a new accelerator for mission-driven companies in Seattle called...
Dozens of applications arrived by the June 30th midnight deadline, including one 22 seconds into July 1st. Thank you to all who applied! The collection of teams and ideas is inspiring. The potential impact across these companies, once launched, could reach across billions of people, spanning the less fortunate billion living on $1 or $2 per day to small business owners and other neighbors in...
A large and growing number of consumers today are increasingly:environmentally conscious, energy conscious, health conscious, conscious of sustainability, of community, and even conscious of consumption itself. Entrepreneurs who aim to address these unmet needs find little help to do so, as the entrepreneurial infrastructure is primarily aimed at fostering “tech” (be it software, “clean” or...
A large and growing number of consumers today are increasingly:environmentally conscious, energy conscious, health conscious, conscious of sustainability, of community, and even conscious of consumption itself. Conscious of transportation, farmland, ingredients, and all things food-related. Conscious of supply chains, fairness, and social justice. Conscious that it takes an effort to build a...
Creating a thriving ecosystem of companies capable of tackling the “conscious consumer” market requires a few components, most of which exist today, plus a few which we can easily add: Education – multiple layers of meetups, certificates, and degrees to fill the gaps of knowledge Talent and Passion – people with the know-how and drive to create and operate companies...
“I think there’s every reason to believe that Seattle will be the capital of social entrepreneurship in the next ten years,” says Brian Howe, an adjunct professor at Seattle School of Law and founder of Hub Seattle , which rents space to social entrepreneurs. Reason.tv sat down with Howe and Michael “Luni” Libes, a “serial entrepreneur” who has helped...