Thinking about E-Books

With the release of the iPad this weekend, much attention is again drawn to electronic books, a social innovation that is shaping how and what we read. An increasingly popular way to read with an estimated one million plus e-readers sold, the iPad joins the market of other popular devices, including the Amazon Kindle and the Barnes & Noble Nook.

Only a small portion of American bookbuyers buy and read books electronically, but that number has been steadily on the rise. Studies show that most readers and frequent book-buyers still prefer their books in print, but as people grow more comfortable with reading digital texts, more consumers do seem willing to try e-books.

Even if you don't own an e-reader and/or aren't confident that it's the right technology tool for you, there are several other ways in which you can read e-books:

Computer screen (You can download files as PDFs or TXTs or in other formats depending on the software you are using)

PDA/smartphone (There are multiple applications you can download and install)

paper (Print it out!)

If you're not certain you want to invest in an e-reading device like an iPad -- or even if you already have -- here are some resources where you can find free eBooks. This is not only a good way to save money when testing to see if you like reading e-books, but it's a nice way to read "the classics," many of which are freely available in the public domain.

WEBSITES

• Project Gutenberg 30,000 free books (also available through the iBookstore)
• Google Books
• Wowio

MOBILE APPLICATIONS

• iBooks
• Amazon Kindle App
• Kobo
• Barnes & Noble
• Stanza

(Another source for free e-books, although not to everyone's taste I realize, are the iPhone and iPad Comics Apps Marvel and ComicsX)

As a book lover, I have resisted e-readers, preferring to have the paper-bound one in my hands. Having gone to graduate school to study literature, I have had a hard time imagining a world without the printed word, without "the book." (I also have a hard time not taking notes in the margins) But as I find myself spending more and more time reading online (reading blogs, reading the news), I've become increasingly comfortable with digital text. However, this type of reading is quite different, I would contend, than the type of reading I do with a book, physically, in my lap. On a computer, I tend to multi-task and follow links, not reading with the same focused and solitary concentration that a book gets (or supposedly gets).

How will this new form of reading change how we think about books -- both those delivered in print and electronically?

Have you tried e-books? What are your thoughts? How will a social and technological innovation that shapes how we read shape us in turn?

$50,000 for Social Entrepreneurs

The Hitachi Foundation is searching the country to find young social entrepreneurs making an impact in their communities. The foundation is especially looking for new social enterprise start-ups that focus on helping move people out of poverty and into "mainstream America."

The award is offered by the Yoshiyama Program, which is named after Mr. Hirokichi Yoshiyama, the Chairman of Hitachi, Ltd. Upon his appointment as Chairman, he established the Hitachi Foundation. Upon his retirement with the donation of personal funds from his pension, he expanded his foundations reach and created the Yoshiyama Award for Exemplary Service to the Community. This award was operated by the foundation from 1988-2008. In 2008, the Yoshiyama Program was established. This program goes beyond the Yoshiyama Award for Exemplary Service in that the Program does not just honor young people for the changes they have made, instead, recognizes and rewards young people for the changes they are making. It also differs in that it focuses the award on young entrepreneurs and their quest to help low-wealth individuals in a targeted community in the US, overcome one or more barriers to economic security.

The Yoshiyama Program will select 6 entrepreneurs who will each receive $50,000 and technical resources to strengthen their business. The cash award will be dispersed over a two year period. The Foundation will provide a peer learning/mentoring network. This would include helping with the development of a marketing plan, financial management, leadership training, general management, and human resources policies.

The Program aims to discover the next generation of young business leaders. Along that vein, the Program seeks to identify 18-29 year olds who have formed financially viable businesses that create jobs, supply goods or services, or use internal management practices. While the Foundation recognizes business leaders of all ages are being productive in fostering substantial change, the Hitachi Foundation has a history of honoring young people, and seeks to continue that tradition.

There are a few stipulations to being eligible for the Program. Your business has to have generated some income. The Yoshiyama program is focused on businesses that are 1-5 years old and have been generating income for at least the last 12 months. If your business has not yet reached that milestone, the Program encourages applicants to apply in the future when they have.

The Yoshiyama Program will also document the stories of the selected young business leaders and put them in a position to serve as examples of how to run a financially sustainable business. The program hopes that the promotion of these young leaders and entrepreneurs will cause others to learn from. Furthermore the Program hopes to inspire the creation of other businesses that will strengthen the community.

If interested here is the timeline:

March 22 - Round 1 applications due

April 16 - Round 1 judging complete

June 7 - Semifinalist applications due (This portion of the application will include a phone interview, further documentation and references)

July 16 - Semifinalist judging complete

September 9-10 - Finalist presentations and interviews with judging panel- Washington, D.C.

September 24 - Prize recipient notification

Early-mid November - Yoshiyama retreat and Awards Banquet

What do you think, could your business use $50,000?

Photo courtesy: Winnermoney

Corporate Innovation via INTRApreneurship

My mother has been telling me my entire life that it is not always necessary to reinvent the wheel. These wise words were usually given because she was trying to convince me to just believe what she said and not try to prove it to myself. Like when she told me that touching the blades of a running fan would probably hurt my fingers. True to my inquisitive form, I touched the fan blades anyway and bruised my finger before the blades came to a stop. When she realized what I had done she offered those infamous words- why do you always have to try to reinvent the wheel? When considering social enterprises, the same theme can be applied.

According to the National Center for Charitable Statistics, between 1995 and 2009, 1.5 million nonprofit organizations have been established. Those 1.5 million organizations are applying for the same grants, and competing for the same donors. With that many organizations, there is no getting around the fact that just within the United States, there are probably several organizations providing the same services to the same populations. Social Entrepreneurship is a fairly newer field with not as much competition, but the interest is growing and so will the number of existing companies. This begs the question: Is it necessary to always reinvent the wheel, so to speak?

To address this question, the Ashoka foundation has coined the term, "Intrapreneur." This term is being applied to change making individuals who are fostering ideas from within existing organizations. Individuals are finding ways to use current resources from an already established organization and put them to use in a socially motivated manner. Many corporations are trying to find ways to inspire and motivate their employees to focus on internal practices that will be new and innovative, as opposed to discouraging such ideas and forcing their employees to have to leave and start-up a new company.

Many of the 1.5 million organizations mentioned above will struggle to provide their services. Many will fight for a membership that is strong enough to accomplish any real goals, and as mentioned before they will definitely struggle to secure enough financial support to carry out their missions. With so many organizations in existence the talent pool just gets stretched too thin.

It is similar to the current political party structure. Primarily there are the Democrats, Republicans and Independents. The Independent party has become such a strong force to be reckoned with that it often splits the votes of the other camps. When voters were feeling removed from both the Democratic and Republican parties in the 1992 election, Ross Perot gained popularity with the independent voters. While he did not gain majority support, he did set the stage for Bill Clinton to squeak out a win by drawing would be Republican voters to vote for him. Had he not been a contender, those Republican voters could have turned out for George H.W. Bush and history may have been different. Applying the same philosophy, if workers within existing organizations would ban together to make operations better, instead of starting something new, the organization's history may be changed. It is just not always feasible to split the workforce and expect to get productive social returns.

Some may believe that they cannot effect the same change from within an existing organization. I have heard that the battle for internal resources to support your idea can be exhausting. Having to fight against established norms and traditional dogmas can be discouraging. And finding enough people from within the organization to support you can be frustrating as well. But, the reassuring thing is, intrapreneurs are a lot like entrepreneurs. They are innovative risk takers who possess conviction, persistence and insight. An intrapreneur thinks like an entrepreneur, looking out for opportunities, which profit the organization. Intrapreneurship is a novel way of making organizations more profitable where imaginative employees exercise entrepreneurial thoughts. And utilizing the resources of existing company personnel does not require any different set of skills or mindset than that of the entrepreneur. The mind only has to shift from creating ideas that will help get a company off the ground towards creating ideas that will help their current company perform better. It is in the best interest of an organization to encourage intrapreneurs as they will be the ones to benefit from the ability to reinvent themselves as a socially responsible corporation and improve performance.

Entrepreneurs will always have their place, without them we would be without numerous innovations that have changed our lives. But, entrepreneurship is not always going to be the best answer- and as my mom always said: it just not necessary to always try and reinvent the wheel.

As always, let me know what you think!

Social Enterprise on TV

Now social entrepreneurship has its own TV show, thanks to a partnership between the Skoll Foundation and the BBC World global network. The eight-episode series started February 13, 2010, is called Alvin’s Guide to Good Business, and is being hosted by financial expert Alvin Hall.

Hall brings his 25 years of experience on Wall Street to probe the business models and results of eight social entrepreneurial organizations working around the globe.

In the most recent episode, the third in the series, Alvin traveled to Japan, where the Marine Stewardship Council has been working to convince both fishers and consumers of the importance of sustainable fisheries.

In the second segment, Alvin traveled to India to look at IDE-India, which makes affordable irrigation products to help farmers grow their crops during the dry seasons. The first episode looked at Riders for Health, led by Andrea and Barry Coleman, 2006 Skoll social entrepreneurs. The group uses motorcycles to deliver health care in Africa.

Upcoming segments will feature Apopo, Partners in Health, Friends International, Kiva, and Camfed. Each series segment is being streamed online here at http://rockhopper.tv/skoll/default.aspx during the week of its broadcast and beyond.

The series is being developed in conjunction with RockhopperTV, which also runs a blog about the behind-the-scenes people and entrepreneurs Hall encounters while producing the series.

Micro Lending vs. Pay Day Loans

Take a drive down any urban thoroughfare and you will see an abundance of businesses exalting their "pay day is today" mantras. These businesses thrive in low income neighborhoods where individuals are generally living check to check and need some extra cash in between pay checks to make ends meet. You can also find a strong force of these services online, where there has been an uptick in business with the recent economic downturn.

If you have been fortunate enough not to have needed such a service here's how they work. You go into one of these store fronts (or apply online) and provide a recent pay stub and a recent bank statement. Based on how much you earn every pay period, you are then approved for a certain amount- generally not to exceed $500.00. Once approved you write the company a personal check for the amount you were approved, plus the interest fee (more on that later). This check is then held for collateral until you repay the debt. The repayment periods are usually about 2 -4 weeks (to coincide with your pay frequency).

This sounds like an ideal service for those who need it right? Wrong! These companies may not offer credit checks, which make their services widely accessible, but they do lend this money at exorbitant interest rates. The price associated with not having your credit run, is generally an annual percentage rate of about 300-400%. This means that the customer is paying so much in fees that they almost have to take out another loan to cover the hit they have taken to their monthly or bi-weekly budget. As a result a vicious cycle is created and the lenders have a cache of return patrons.

This for-profit service is vastly different from the social enterprise of micro lending. The patrons of a micro lending service are looking to secure small amounts of money to start a business of some sort. In the United States many of the persons interested in this service live below the poverty line and do not posses credit scores that would make them eligible for a conventional business loan. With a micro loan- their business ideas can be realized.

Unlike pay day loans, which only offer a financial trapto its customers; micro financing services usually come with education and training in addition to the funds. Those who receive the loans receive training on how to spend and allocate the funds to make the most of their proposed venture. In the New York City social venture Project Enterprise, local residents with poor credit submit a business plan along with their application for loans requesting amounts ranging from $750-12,000. In addition to the funds, the applicant receives business training, and network opportunities.

Socialinnovations such as Project Enterprise fill a much needed void in the economic community that does not come with the cyclical borrowing of pay day loan institutions. Pay day lenders seem to capitalize off the low income community in which they do business, while micro financing offers the opportunity for residents to reach above the poverty line and enhance their community. Micro lenders also do not adhere to the stringent repayment guidelines of most pay day lenders; allowing their recipients a repayment schedule of 1-2 years.

As the economy continues to be halted by the current financial crisis, lending to small businesses has come to an almost complete stop. Without an almost perfect credit score, those with desires to start their own business are finding their American Dream to be almost impossible. Micro lending provides a valued service and allows opportunities in communities where traditional lending practices are virtually nonexistent.

What do you think?


Photo Courtesy: About.com

India Nonprofit Uses Twitter to Get Books to Calcutta Kids

There has been a lot of talk about how Twitter is being used to help raise funds to help those in need around the world, but Pratham Books, a Mumbai-based nonprofit in India, recently used Twitter in a different way—to track down the young volunteers behind a mobile library project that was using a cycle-van to deliver free, second-hand books to poor children and teaching them to read.

Upon reading a story about the project earlier this month in Newstrack India, Pratham Books, a nonprofit trust that publishes high-quality children’s books, decided it wanted to help. Trouble was, nobody knew how to make contact with the mobile library service, including the news bureau that picked up the story. Undeterred, PB trustee Kanchan Bannerjee offered to sponsor the contribution of some Bengali books for the project, but only if PB could find the children involved.

PB volunteer Gautam John (@gkjohn) jumped on the challenge, turning to Twitter in an effort to crowdsource the contact information. He sent out the following tweet: “Anybody in Calcutta who can help @prathambooks get in touch with these kids please? He attached a link to the Newstrack India story—and a half-hour later, people started retweeting the message, and within a day, Pratham Books had the information it needed.

The result? According to the nonprofit’s blog, Pratham Books “will be sending out a set of Bengali books to these kids, who every Wednesday drive their mobile library, aptly named Boi Gari (Books Van) so they can distribute the books to children in rural areas. A huge thank-you to all the Tweeple who helped us connect.”

Pratham Books (@prathambooks) says the Twitter experiment has inspired them to find other such projects all over India—proof positive that there’s not only wisdom in a crowd, but also generosity.

Social Entrepreneur Philip Berber’s 5 Lessons for Social Change

Internet millionaire-turned-social innovator Philip Berber, speaking at today’s TEDxAustin conference in Texas, said his Glimmer of Hope Foundation has learned five lessons in its 10 years of building water wells and helping the poor in Ethiopia. He urged fellow conferees, many of them also social entrepreneurs, to take heed.

“Traditional international aid programs don’t work,” Berber said.

Here, he says, is what does:

1. Start in a single village and work bottom-up. “Traditional international aid starts in an ivory tower, looking down their noses, telling poor Africans what they need and want,” Berber said. “We rejected that model and we started by asking people what they wanted.”
2. Work with and listen to the rural poor. “They have the will, ability, and motivation o improve their lives. What they need is the support and funding. Give them bricks, they will build a wall. Give them a pump and they will dig the hole.”
3. Work with organizations already on the ground. “We don’t need more ex-pat Westerners driving around in Land cruisers telling people what to do. See what aid already exists and see if it’s something you and they can use.”
4. Help the poor make their own money. “As obvious as this sounds, the way to get out of poverty is the make money to do it. Think agriculture and enterprise. Aid and trade.”
5. Knit together a group of services, simultaneously. “Just getting the poor clean water won’t do it,” Berber says. “They need water and sanitation, health care and schooling, food and a place to go to the bathroom. Let your donors choose which project in one village that they want to fund and then keep them informed with photos and GPS photographs of the schools they are building and the wells they are paying for.”

“One of the greatest injustices on the planet is that so few have so much, and so many have so litter. Let us not be that generation that watches Africa go up in flames while we all stand around holding our watering cans.”

Over the past 20 years, Austin, Tex.-based Glimmer of Hope has invested $135 million into 4,000 projects in Ethiopia and has been able to impact 2 million lives. Says Berber: “We’re just getting started.”