Stanford Social Innovation Podcasts

How can a social enterprise save the lives of young people? In this audio lecture sponsored by the Center for Social Innovation, Steve Cole talks about the Re-Mission video game, a project that inspires young people to take their pills after their cancer has been put into remission. The game was the first product of HopeLab, an organization dedicated to improving the health and quality of life of young people with chronic illness.

Audrey Seagraves has a passion for international development and social enterprise. In this audio interview with Stanford Center for Social Innovation correspondent Sheela Sethuraman, the director of programs at World of Good talks about the creation of Fair Wage Guide software, a free tool that tells the viewer how wages being paid to any artisan worldwide compare to international wage standards.

Social entrepreneurship requires conscious leadership, says Whole Foods CEO John Mackey in this University podcast. Delivering a talk sponsored by the Stanford Center for Social Innovation, Mackey issues a clarion call for nothing less than "conscious capitalism," arguing that business can indeed serve more than the almighty dollar. He discusses his own company's challenges in the social enterprise arena.

Social entrepreneurship may be the most promising avenue for solving global problems, says Paul Rice, CEO of TransFair USA. In this audio lecture, sponsored by the Stanford Center for Social Innovation, Rice details his own work to establish Fair Trade. The movement has opened the U.S. market to more than 1.4 million small family farmers around the world who are now getting a fair price for their harvests and making dramatic gains in their living standards.

When Priya Haji put her mind to helping reduce global poverty, social entrepreneurship took a quantum leap. In this university podcast, sponsored by the Stanford Center for Social Innovation, the plucky founder of World of Good shares how she created a social enterprise that now empowers women in communities around the world by helping them sell their artisan goods in stores and online. She talks about strategies for using educated consumer choice and inspiring business competition to do good.

Promoting environmental sustainability is the responsibility of every world citizen, says Nobel Laureate and former Vice President Al Gore in this audio lecture. Speaking at the 2009 Tech Awards, he urges his audience to consider how they may make changes and press for policies that will address global warming. He asks Westerners, in particular, to consider how the consequences of their own actions may be causing suffering for millions displaced by climate change.

Those in nonprofit management constantly adapt to move their organizations forward. In this audio lecture sponsored by the Stanford Center for Social Innovation, Chip Heath, Stanford professor and coauthor of the book Switch, provides a framework for change. He demonstrates in case studies that three principles are involved in successful change, whether it be on the personal or societal front. Leaders in nonprofit management are called to attune to these principles when tackling change situations.

When you begin to wonder - Am I in the right job? - it may be time to try social enterprise on for size. In this audio lecture, sponsored by the Stanford Center for Social Innovation, Tom Tierney shares how he threw caution - and a big salary - to the wind when he first decided to found the Bridgespan Group. He talks about his challenges, fears, and ultimately, triumphs in establishing this organization dedicated to helping nonprofits and philanthropy achieve breakthrough results.

What does social responsibility look like after age 50? In this panel discussion, sponsored by the Stanford Center for Social Innovation, academic experts talk about how they've found meaning in their own lives, and what their research reveals about how others may take advantage of a long lifespan to make purposeful contributions to society. How is the new move toward "encore" careers helping people find motivation in the second half of life, and how are economic realities impinging on the dream of unlimited opportunity?