Your Mark On The World

August 26, 2015 - Read the full Your Mark on the World article and watch the interview here: http://bit.ly/1EUweyP. Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwitunes or on Stitcher by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwstitcher. Controlling interest in Gate Global Impact, a Your Mark on the World Center sponsor and an investment platform for impact investments and creating new market infrastructure, was recently acquired by Raptor Group via the formation of Constellation Fin Tech. I’ve been following Gate Global Impact for years now and have had founder Vince Molinari on my show several times. Last year, we talked with Daniella Foster of the U.S. State Department about the role that crowdfunding is playing in international development. We had previously talked about the same topic, Vince’s passion. Gate Global Impact is destined to become a major player in impact investing. Please consider whether a friend or colleague might benefit from this piece and, if so, share it.

August 26, 2015 - Read the full Forbes article and watch the interview here: http://onforb.es/1JtOoZg. Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwitunes or on Stitcher by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwstitcher. Carnival CCL +0.00% newest cruise line is sailing in a new direction; Fathom’s destination is social impact. Initially sailing with one vessel, the Adonia, Fathom passengers will visit the Dominican Republic and Cuba to work alongside locals as volunteers on water and other projects. The brains behind Fathom, its President, Tara Russell, explained, “We didn’t want Fathom to be a ‘voluntourism’ company. We wanted Fathom to be so much more than that. So we found a way to leverage the resources of the world’s largest travel and leisure company (Carnival Corporation) to create a new kind of cruise that combines the love of travel with the desire to make a difference. Truly nothing like this exists today.” “ We created Fathom to give people an easy, safe and convenient

August 26, 2015 - Read the full Your Mark on the World article and watch the interview here: http://bit.ly/1hXmsqV. Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwitunes or on Stitcher by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwstitcher. The Your Mark on the World Center is partnering with Bright Funds to create the Your Mark on the World Fund. The fund supports the work of 16 nonprofits that are working to solve some of the Earth’s biggest problems. Bright Funds CEO Ty Walrod said, “Bright Funds was built to address the needs of a new generation of donors who want to harness the power of strategic giving. The Your Mark on the World Fund is an extraordinary example of empowering donors to create impact in a variety of causes areas, ranging from environmental issues, human rights, disease research and prevention.” “New technology and a more enriched global perspective are responsible for changing the way we view donating to causes. A generation ago, giving was somewhat reactive. Society

August 26, 2015 - Read the full Forbes article and watch the interview here: http://onforb.es/1hXj6Ej. Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwitunes or on Stitcher by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwstitcher. This one is personal. I apologize now, but understand that I simply can’t be entirely objective about type 1 diabetes or T1D. My wife has had diabetes for over fifty years and my son has had it for nearly two decades. Improved treatments have largely spared my son the sorts of debilitating consequences my wife has experienced, but hasn’t spared him from multiple daily injections, finger pricks, and the cumbersome tethers of insulin pumps and glucose monitors. Derek Rapp, the CEO of JDRF, says that the organization dedicated to finding a cure for T1D is making progress. Like me, he says, “JDRF was created—and is still led—by people with a personal connection to type 1 diabetes.” Rapp adds, “It’s an exciting time for type 1 diabetes research, JDRF is on the verge

August 20, 2015 - Read the full Your Mark on the World article and watch the interview here: http://bit.ly/1PzIVpb. Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwitunes or on Stitcher by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwstitcher. Some people just don’t fit the mold you’d cast them in. Adlai Wertman, professor and Founding Director of the Brittingham Social Enterprise Lab at the Marhsall School of Business at the University of Southern California is just such a person. While a former investment banker becoming a business school professor is a well enough worn path, the shift from investment banking to a heartfelt passion for helping the homeless is startling. Adlai is also the founder of Chrysalis, a nonprofit enterprise that provides employment to the homeless in Los Angeles and has helped over 1,000 clients and generated over $4.5 million in revenue. Adlai explains his thinking, “It is unfair that historically business educations have been solely used for pursuing profit maxi

August 20, 2015 - Read the full Your Mark on the World article and watch the interview here: http://bit.ly/1PzMsnh. Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwitunes or on Stitcher by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwstitcher. “Everyday 8,300 students drop out of high school, costing society $292,000 over the course of their lifetime because they are more likely to live in poverty, experience poor health, and be involved in crime,” explains Kip Kint, the Director of Training for School of Life Foundtion, an organization that aims to significantly reduce the rate at which students drop out of High School. Jack Rolfe, the CEO and Founder of School of Life, notes, “The mission of the School of Life Foundation is to assist in reversing this trend and increase high school graduation rates. This is accomplished by teaching an afterschool program to at-risk students.” Kip explains the program’s focus on teaching life skills, “Taking ownership of one’s own life is the key to success

August 20, 2015 - Read the full Forbes article and watch the interview here: http://onforb.es/1PzDtT5. Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwitunes or on Stitcher by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwstitcher. Classy is among the largest crowdfunding sites focused on philanthropy. Scot Chisholm, CEO and co-founder, believes the company can fundamentally enhance a nonprofits ability to raise money and perform effectively. Chisholm says, “A lot of nonprofits fear that online fundraising is impersonal and disconnected. They have a point, because if done incorrectly, a donation can seem purely transactional. We are changing that by making the experience of giving, or investing in a cause, remarkable for every organization on the Classy platform.” “We look at our technology as a growth enabler for nonprofits and social enterprises. Whether you’re running a startup nonprofit organization or one that is already well established, we want to help your organization operate at a h

August 20, 2015 - Read the full Forbes article and watch the interview here: http://onforb.es/1LjJpku. Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwitunes or on Stitcher by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwstitcher. Ajaita Shah, founder of Frontier Markets, a retail distributor of solar powered products in rural India, was born in the United States to Indian immigrants; a part of who she is has always remained connected to her roots. Last year, she was recognized by Forbes as one of the 30 Under 30. Recently, she was recently recognized by Acumen as a world-class social entrepreneur, having been invited to join the SAP Social Entrepreneur Fellowship. Shah explained the challenges she faced trying to live in two communities at once. A member of the Jain Marawi religious community in New York City, Shah felt the extreme juxtaposition of her life. She lived in a close-knit religious community and at the same time in the larger, increasingly secular world. “I realized I was meant

August 13, 2015 - Read the full Forbes article and watch the interview here: http://onforb.es/1L6wShy. Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwitunes or on Stitcher by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwstitcher. Joel Solomon of Renewal Funds is not only a leading impact investor but also a leading voice for the impact investing movement. Based in Vancouver, British Colombia, his impact fund approaches $100 million. Solomon says, “All of us, particularly those involved in the world of investment and finance, have something to offer. Together we have the resources to achieve what may be the greatest ethical and economic shift in human history.” “The call right now is a big one: we need to reinvent capitalism,” he says with no hint of doubt. Solomon notes that traditional capitalism needs to be changed, “We need to enable and encourage private enterprise to build the new businesses, technologies and industries that will replace our current methods— many of which are unsustai

August 13, 2014 - Read the full Forbes article and watch the interview here: http://onforb.es/1Modcsu. Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwitunes or on Stitcher by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwstitcher. Robert Steven Kaplan , the former Vice Chair of Goldman Sachs, Harvard professor, venture philanthropist, author and regular guest on my show here on Forbes, will see his new book, What Your Really Need to Lead, published on September 15. In anticipation of a return to the show, Kaplan shared some thoughts with me about his new book. Kaplan said, “Leadership is one of the most important aspects of our society, yet there is enormous disagreement and confusion about what leadership means, and whether it can really be learned. I argue that leadership qualities are not something you either have or you don’t. Leadership is about what you do, rather than who you are, and it starts with an ownership mind-set.” Kaplan says, learning to lead involves three key elements: -

August 14, 2015 - Read the full Forbes article and watch the interview here: http://onforb.es/1Moaljm. Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwitunes or on Stitcher by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwstitcher. Andrei Cherny, CEO and co-founder of Aspiration, is creating a whole new model for financial services in America. The idea is to provide the sorts of investment strategies employed by the wealthy to ordinary, working Americans. The strategies include impact investing. Cherny explains the companies philosophy, “We think of ourselves as a financial firm with a conscience. And there is no reason that needs to be a contradiction in terms.” “At Aspiration, we are first and foremost in the opportunity business. We want our customers to be able to get economic opportunity for themselves and give it to others at the same time. And that’s what they want too,” Cherny adds. “Every financial firm out there keeps yelling ‘Trust us!’ We’re the only one that actually trusts them

August 14, 2015 - Read the full Forbes article and watch the interview here: http://onforb.es/1L5GPvG. Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwitunes or on Stitcher by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwstitcher. Eric Stowe saw a problem in the developing world and did something about it. He saw a need for clean water in the slums and created Splash, a nonprofit organization, to solve the problem. “While working in orphanages internationally, I became aware of the crucial need for clean water for kids on the periphery in urban areas,” Stowe explains. “Hotels and restaurants had access to clean water, but across the street, children at poor schools and orphanages did not. It was, and continues to be, an easy problem to fix by leveraging economies and infrastructure that already exist rather than re-creating the wheel.” Stowe’s Splash has some audacious goals: provide clean water to every orphanage in China, every public school in Kathmandu, Nepal and every “child-serving” in

August 13, 2015 - Read the full Your Mark on the World article and watch the interview here: http://bit.ly/1L6tSBA. Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwitunes or on Stitcher by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwstitcher. Your Mark on the World Center sponsor Mike Schwager is a media consultant who focuses on impact in all he does. He operates MediaMavens.com and TVtraining.tv, helping people prepare for appearances on television. Mike explains his philosophy, “Serve companies that tell the truth about the products and services they deliver, that minimally don’t hurt anyone; and optimally serve the public good and interest. Who you represent is an extension of who you are.” He works to choose his clients carefully, noting, “The best companies value people above profits, encouraging human development as the cornerstone of quality products and services.” Mike offers some important advice about promoting a client that applies equally to those promoting themselves, “In pro

August 6, 2015 - Read the full Forbes article and watch the interview here: http://onforb.es/1MbyvNZ. Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwitunes or on Stitcher by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwstitcher. The world’s first-ever Development Impact Bond has been issued to support education of girls in India. This proof of concept financing could open a new channel of funding for the international development programs. Modeled on social impact bonds or pay-for-success programs, the Educate Girls Development Impact Bond funded by the UBS Optimus Foundation will earn its return only if educational outcomes in terms of literacy and numeracy among girls are achieved. Phyllis Costanza, CEO of UBS Optimus Foundation, explains, “Our aim is to establish a proof of concept’, showing potential donors and investors how development impact bonds can contribute to societal gains while also still offering financial returns.” “What’s different about the Educate Girls Development Impac

August 6, 2015 - Read the full GoodCrowdinfo article and watch the interview here: http://bit.ly/1W1NZHc. Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwitunes or on Stitcher by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwstitcher. GlobalGiving started nonprofit crowdfunding long before the term “crowdfunding” came into use. The platform is innovating again using “gamification” to give nonprofits meaningful incentives to follow best practices. Britt Lake, Senior Director of Programs, explains, “GlobalGiving is using game theory, incentives, and behavioral economics to help our nonprofit partners increase their effectiveness and social impact on the ground. For the first time ever, organizations focused on listening to the people they serve, acting on what they hear by testing new ideas, and learning faster and more efficiently will be rewarded with more visibility and the chance for more funding through GlobalGiving’s crowdfunding community.” “Vetted nonprofits in the GlobalGiving communit

August 6, 2015 - Read the full Forbes article and watch the interview here: http://onforb.es/1MbEUIU. Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwitunes or on Stitcher by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwstitcher. Elio Motors seems to have found the capital it needs to launch the most revolutionary car since the Tesla Model S was introduced. The $6,800, three-wheeled car is designed principally for commuting and will get 84 an estimated miles per gallon. Capitalizing the venture has seemed tricky, but new rules promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission governing Regulation A offerings created an interesting “test the waters” option that allows an issuer to gauge market interest in an offering demonstrated plenty of interest. Over $27 million of interest was expressed. Regulation A+ as the new rules are being called, gives ordinary rather than “accredited” or wealthy investors the opportunity to invest in early stage companies. The bulk of the investment interest i

July 30, 2015 - Read the full Forbes article and watch the interview here: http://onforb.es/1Is6oal. Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwitunes or on Stitcher by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwstitcher. “For the vast majority of my career I have been both a capitalist and a philanthropist, and I’ve struggled at both. I struggled to make my change meaningful, and struggled at making meaningful change,” Bobby Turner told me in preparation for this piece. His response: create one of the largest firms in the impact investing space. He founded Turner Impact Capital just 18 months ago to acquire and operate affordable residential housing projects and fund construction of charter schools in high-need communities. “Our investment strategy is based on recognizing that making money making and making positive societal change need not be mutually exclusive,” He adds. “In fact, it’s the interdependency between profits and purpose that enable us to drive significant risk-adjusted

July 30, 2015 - Read the full Forbes article and watch the interview here: http://bit.ly/1DbErmL. Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwitunes or on Stitcher by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwstitcher. Andreas Karela is on to something. And people are lining up to support his work. Andreas explains, “RE-volv connects community-serving organizations seeking ways to finance solar projects with community members looking for ways to take action on climate change and support clean energy in their community.” “While 91% of Americans support solar development, solar produces less than 1% of the country’s electricity. RE-volv’s main goal is to involve as many people as possible in building a clean energy future, empowering people to solve the climate crisis by taking collective action locally,” he adds. Andreas reports, “RE-volv’s three solar projects to date have been crowdfunded by nearly 1,000 donors from 38 states and 22 countries. This shows that people everywhere are e

July 30, 2015 - Read the full Forbes article and watch the interview here: http://onforb.es/1ILIjxh. Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwitunes or on Stitcher by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwstitcher. My friend and mentor, Ty Bennett is nearly two decades younger than I, but infinitely wiser. He, along with Hall of Fame speaker Chad Hymas and New York Times bestselling author Don Yeager, recently announced the publication of their book, The Two Most Important Days, a parable about finding and living your purpose in life. While the book targets a broad audience, it will resonate with social entrepreneurs as especially relevant. “The main idea,” Bennett says, “is to discover what your purpose truly is. When you are driven by passion and living your purpose, your work becomes contagious.” He adds, “I think for entrepreneurs and changemakers it is important to understand that people don’t buy what you do, they buy what you stand for. Purpose creates movements and bui

July 30, 2015 - Read the full Forbes article and watch the interview here: http://onforb.es/1ILDu77. Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwitunes or on Stitcher by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwstitcher. Today, Microsoft MSFT -0.36% is kicking off its launch of Windows 10 with a $10 million give-back campaign. Nine nonprofits have already been chosen to receive a portion of the $10 million and a tenth will be chosen by people using the hashtag #UpgradeYourWorld on social media. “Giving back and supporting non-profits is a cornerstone of our company culture. Microsoft and its employees collectively give thousands of hours, and donate more than $1 billion each year to nonprofit organizations around the world,” Elisa Willman, Senior Manager Marketing Communications, Corporate Citizenship & Public Affairs for Microsoft, said. “Microsoft is proud to work with more than 86,000 nonprofits around the world every year to provide them with affordable access to the technology t