Synopsis
Host Devin Thorpe interviews CEOs, celebrities, social entrepreneurs, impact investors and others making a difference in the world. New episodes are posted five days a week.
Episodes
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#248: 'Volunteers Are Playing A Vital Role In Making Governments More Accountable,' Author Says
17/06/2015 Duration: 18minJune 5, 2015 - Read the full Forbes article and watch the interview here: http://onforb.es/1KK4CA0. Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwitunes or on Stitcher by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwstitcher. On Friday, June 5, 2015, the United Nations Volunteers program will issue a report on the effectiveness of volunteering programs around the world. I obtained an advance copy of the report. The report suggests that volunteerism is a critical piece in moving forward to address global problems like the Millennium Development Goals and the post 2015 Sustainable Development Goals. The report’s author, Amanda Mukwashi, the Chief of the Volunteer Knowledge and Innovation Section at United Nations Volunteers, says, “The Sustainable Development Goals will only succeed in tackling poverty and inequality if they take on board the needs of all citizens. Volunteers can be catalysts for a much fairer and more equal world – if they’re invited to the table.” The report itself notes
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#247: Ben Hecht: 'Inequality Of Income Presents A Threat To Our Society, Our Economy And Our Democracy'
09/06/2015 Duration: 18minJune 5, 2015 - Read the full Forbes article and watch the interview here: http://onforb.es/1HNM7I4. Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwitunes or on Stitcher by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwstitcher. Ben Hecht, CEO of Living Cities, is an impact investor whose passion makes him more of a crusader than a financier. (Disclosure: a former client has an application for a loan pending with Living Cities.) Consider his statement to me, “Unless we ferociously change course, the majority of our citizens in 2040 will be less educated, less prosperous, and less free than our current majority, due to decades of dysfunctional systems, disinvestment, mass incarceration, and disenfranchisement of people and communities of color.” Advocating a wholistic, collective approach to addressing urban problems, Hecht says, “A new type of urban practice aimed at dramatically improving the economic well-being of low-income people faster will require all players – individuals, business,
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#246: Social Entrepreneur: 'I Learned To Manage Stress Instead Of Stress Managing Me'
03/06/2015 Duration: 21minMay 29, 2015 - Read the full Forbes article and watch the interview here: http://onforb.es/1FQfqN0. Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwitunes or on Stitcher by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwstitcher. Social Entrepreneur Doron Libshtein, a former Microsoft MSFT -0.68% executive, speaks a language that sounds downright foreign in a business context, but his current crowdfunding campaign has raised over $100,000, suggesting he’s tapping into something real. Libshtein recently wrote, “My mission is to bring a new consciousness to the world, transforming the world into vitality; to inspire each of you to walk your true path. I’m excited to write about a dream that has come true. Stress and pressure are part of life for all of us, and were part of my life until I discovered the world of meditation. The daily practice helped me relax, breathe properly, take breaks during the day and connect inner parts of me that I was not aware of. In short, I learned to manage stress in
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#245: These Women Wow Shark Tank, Get Cash, Light Up The World
26/05/2015 Duration: 17minMay 21, 2015 - Read the full Forbes article and watch the interview here: http://onforb.es/1AdTKKq. Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwitunes or on Stitcher by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwstitcher. Andrea Sreshta and Anna Stork, founders of LuminAID, were offered deals from all five of the investors on ABC’s Shark Tank earlier this year; they successfully closed a deal with Mark Cuban. Perhaps what made them both different and successful on the show, was a focus on social entrepreneurship, a double bottom-line that balances making a profit with having an impact for good. Their solar lights are not only terrific for camping, but perfect for long-term use in areas without power and great for use when power can’t be relied upon for evening studies. One of their largest customers is ShelterBox, featured here a few weeks ago. Sreshta explains, “LuminAID’s core technology–solar lights that pack flat for ease of distribution– was created to address both the need in an
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#244: Billionaire Offers Global Impact Tips, And Some Will Surprise You
22/05/2015 Duration: 14minMay 21, 2015 - Read the full Forbes article and watch the interview here: http://onforb.es/1EW8aKM. Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwitunes or on Stitcher by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwstitcher. Ranked #369 on the Forbes list of billionaires, Shari Arison is passionate about doing good business–and she means good. Her bestselling book Activate Your Goodness shared her take on the impact of doing good on people. Her new book, The Doing Good Model, provides a thoughtful look at 13 values that are intended to help business leaders rethink their impact on individuals, their communities and the globe. One of the most intriguing values that Arison puts forward in her book is “purity.” She explains it in the book, “Think of the many types of behavior that can affect you as a human being as well. For example, you might ask yourself, what am I putting in my body–is this good for me or not? What am I listening to? Is it something that is uplifting like music, or is it
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#243: Nepali Nonprofit Leader: 'I'm Not Discouraged'
15/05/2015 Duration: 25minMay 13, 2015 - Read the full Forbes article and watch the interview here: http://onforb.es/1Fiu80U. Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwitunes or on Stitcher by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwstitcher. Bishnu Adhikari leads the Nepali efforts of CHOICE Humanitarian, a nonprofit that seeks to end extreme poverty around the world. Since the 7.8 magnitude earthquake on April 25 and the major aftershock of 7.3 magnitude today, CHOICE has been refocusing its short-term energy on emergency relief. Adhikari’s story was told in 2014 in a feature film called Meet the Mormons. The tragedy in Nepal has a personal feel to me. In March, I visited Nepal and spent several days in a remote village with Adhikari helping village families install clean, wood-burning stoves in their homes to replace their open indoor fire pits. I have been worried about those people ever since. I reported on my trip here. Two weeks ago, I did a piece about the work of Effect.org in the immediate afterma
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#242: Endless Reinvents Computer; Targets Developing Countries
11/05/2015 Duration: 22minMay 6, 2015 - Read the full GoodCrowdinfo article and watch the interview here: http://bit.ly/1OVewoH. Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwitunes or on Stitcher by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwstitcher. Recently, I came across a Kickstarter campaign for the Endless computer and it really got me excited. While I often back Kickstarter campaigns, this was the first time I did so just to get in touch with the founders so I could talk to them on my show! Matt Dalio is the genius behind Endless. He explains the company mission this way, “Ask a person in the developed world whether people in emerging markets want computers, and their guess will often ‘why would they need it?’ Then ask someone in the developing world whether they want a computer and they will tell you ‘of course I want a computer!’ People who can’t afford today’s computers want the same things we do, they just want it to be made for them. Currently, that’s not an option, and that’s where Endless comes in.
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#241: With Millions Displaced, ShelterBox Has Essential Relief For Nepal
07/05/2015 Duration: 19minMay 6, 2015 - Read the full Forbes article and watch the interview here: http://onforb.es/1F4dMcj. Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwitunes or on Stitcher by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwstitcher. Thirty days ago, when I scheduled this interview with Alan Monroe, the Interim Executive Director of ShelterBox USA, this was intended to be a standard profile of a social entrepreneur making a difference in the world. Then an earthquake hit in Nepal and changed everything. Shelterbox is one of many organizations providing relieve to Nepal, where I happened to spend a week volunteering, just six weeks ago. With millions displaced from their damaged or destroyed homes, shelter is an acute need in Nepal. With millions displaced from their damaged or destroyed homes, shelter is an acute need in Nepal. Monroe explained, “On average, ShelterBox deploys to a country every other week. Many [deployments] never hit the news cycle. Whether it be the major disasters like the Ha
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#240: Report On Nepal Relief Effort
30/04/2015 Duration: 13minApril 30, 2015 - Read the full Forbes article and watch the interview here: http://onforb.es/1GKJ6gg. Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwitunes or on Stitcher by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwstitcher. Filmmaker Casey Allred was working on his film Stolen Innocence in India when the earthquake struck Nepal. The next day he landed in Kathmandu and began providing relief. His organization, Effect.org, set up a website at NepalRises.com to search Twitter TWTR +1.22% in real time looking for available volunteers and needs, working to match them up. Using resources already in their coffers, Effect.org began immediately to gather and deploy aid. Allred reported yesterday, “We have over 100 volunteers, 20 motorbikes and 4 cars importing and exporting supplies. We’ve purchased 410 kg of food and 4,147 pieces of medical supplies and 250 tents… Just today! HQ inventories all supplies and is delivered the same day. We have two film crews documenting everything and 6 Engineer
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#239: Seed Equity CEO Joins GoodCrowd.info for Live Interview
27/04/2015 Duration: 20minApril 22, 2015 - Read the full GoodCrowdinfo article and watch the interview here: http://bit.ly/1GeY0bD. Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwitunes or on Stitcher by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwstitcher. In the three years since the JOBS Act was signed into law by President Obama, the world has seen a tremendous proliferation of equity crowdfunding sites. Many, however, anticipated a more rapid implementation of the Act’s Title III rules for investment crowdfunding from ordinary investors. A small group of companies organized themselves as broker-dealers under the old rules and are now doing business. Seed Equity is one of this breed. Founder and CEO Todd Crosland says, “Seed Equity was built by successful and experienced entrepreneurs and investors, who aren’t only experts in the industry, but have a passion for it. Seed Equity currently has investors, entrepreneurs and members in over 90 countries and has made one international investment to date in a startup t
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#238: 2nd Annual 'Give Local America' Hopes To Beat 2014's $53 Million In One Day
23/04/2015 Duration: 14minApril 22, 2015 - Read the full Forbes article and watch the interview here: http://onforb.es/1D8qiQt. Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwitunes or on Stitcher by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwstitcher. The current record for a single day crowdfunding event was set on May 6, 2014 at $53 million. On May 5th, 2015, nonprofit organizations across the country will work to break that record using the online platform Kimba for the second annual Give Local America event. The remarkable program will involve thousands of nonprofits, each promoting its own cause. Some community foundations organized nonprofits in their respective communities for a collaborative effort, like the Seattle Foundation, which raised over $12 million with the nonprofits in its community. Please consider whether a friend or colleague might benefit from this piece and, if so, share it.
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#237: New Crowdfunding Site Focuses On Disaster Recovery
17/04/2015 Duration: 15minApril 16, 2015 - Read the full GoodCrowdinfo article and watch the interview here: http://bit.ly/1Og8rgR. Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwitunes or on Stitcher by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwstitcher. Tamara Habib, with her partner Paul Lewis, has launched a new crowdfunding site, Firelily, that allows people to raise money after experiencing a disaster, most often a house fire. Tamara explains, “The majority of families fundraising on Firelily were impacted by house fires, an event in which there is little help to recover. Firelily’s recovery guide, Rebuilding After Disaster, was downloaded over 3,000 times in it’s first four days on their website.” The site offers some innovative features, Tamara says. “Firelily provides a donor matching function; it’s kind of like online dating, but we connect fundraiser to potential donors based on common interests. Firelily is the only crowdfunding website that verifies the information of its fundraisers to ensure the ut
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#236: Crowdfunding Experts Address New Regulation A+ Rules Live
13/04/2015 Duration: 36minApril 7, 2015 - Read the full Forbes article and watch the interview here: http://onforb.es/1yeV52H. Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwitunes or on Stitcher by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwstitcher. The SEC recently issued new rules for offerings under Regulations A, creating a two tier system that allows issuers to raise up to $50 million without facing all of the requirements of a public offering but potentially providing some of the benefits. To help readers understand the nuances of the new regulations, I’ve assembled three experts to explain the issues and implications of the new regulations. Sara Hanks, CEO of CrowdCheck, says, “Regulation A is going to be an effective way for early-stage companies to raise funds from a wide variety of investors.” “Reg A can’t be done without experienced lawyers, but they don’t have to be expensive,” she adds. Highlighting the complexities of the law, Hanks notes, “The issuer’s ability to ‘test the waters’ and find out w
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#235: RealityCrowdTV Hosts Discussion On Social Good Crowdfunding
09/04/2015 Duration: 54minApril 7, 2015 - Read the full GoodCrowdinfo article and watch the interview here: http://bit.ly/1y6CSUZ. Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwitunes or on Stitcher by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwstitcher. On Tuesday, April 7, 2015 at 9:00 PM Eastern, Manolis Sfinarolakis will host Stephanie Arrowsmith of StartSomeGood and me, Devin Thorpe, of GoodCrowd.info to talk about social good crowdfunding. Please consider whether a friend or colleague might benefit from this piece and, if so, share it.
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#234: Reporter Creates News Company To Change The World
06/04/2015 Duration: 12minMarch 31, 2015 - Read the full Forbes article and watch the interview here: http://onforb.es/1BGiJQr. Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwitunes or on Stitcher by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwstitcher. Cristi Hegranes is out to change the world using journalism as a development tool. After being assigned as a foreign correspondent and seeing editorial decisions being made on the other side of the world by editors who thought they understood better than she just what the story actually was when she was on the ground seeing the story unfold, she decided not only that there had to be a better way but that she’d create it. She created the Global Press Institute, the Global Press Journal and the Global Press New Service to train reporters, publish their articles and syndicate them, respectively. Please consider whether a friend or colleague might benefit from this piece and, if so, share it.
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#233: John Taft: Wall Street Can Be A Force For Good
03/04/2015 Duration: 22minMarch 31, 2015 - Read the full Forbes article and watch the interview here: http://onforb.es/1GHQeZs. Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwitunes or on Stitcher by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwstitcher. John Taft, the CEO of RBC Wealth Management US and a frequent guest here on my show, has compiled the thoughts of some of Wall Street’s elite discussing how its power can be used for the greater good in a new book, A Force For Good. [Note: An RBC Wealth Advisor sponsored my conference, GoodCrowd14.] The book includes chapters written by Robert Shiller, Sheila Bair, Charles Ellis, Jack Bogle, Judd Gregg, Barbara Novick and David Blood. These power players describe the role of enlightened finance and its potential to drive good in society. Taft explains, “Enlightened finance is informed by hope. It is about innovating to solve problems and asking what finance can do to help make the world a better place.” Please consider whether a friend or colleague might benefit fr
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#232: 'We Need More Businesses That Think Beyond Their Bottom Line'
01/04/2015 Duration: 18minMarch 31, 2015 - Read the full Forbes article and watch the interview here: http://onforb.es/1GHRZWo. Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwitunes or on Stitcher by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwstitcher. “Capitalism has transformed the modern world, but it has also evolved greatly over the last hundred years,” said Cotopaxi CEO Davis Smith. “I’m a believer that capitalism and businesses can be a force for good in the world. We need more businesses that think beyond their bottom line – that look to how they can give back to people and planet.” “As business leaders, we have a responsibility to give back through our businesses,” he concluded. Please consider whether a friend or colleague might benefit from this piece and, if so, share it.
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#230: World Housing Gives Away Houses Like Tom's Gives Away Shoes
11/03/2015 Duration: 17minFrom the archives - Read the full Your Mark on the World article and watch the interview here: http://bit.ly/1wXdUGZ. Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwitunes or on Stitcher by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwstitcher. Inspired by Tom’s Shoes, World Housing claims to have created the world’s first one-for-one housing program. While developing condos in North America, the company is donating housing to deserving families in developing companies. By focusing on communities surviving in and around garbage dumps, World Housing is addressing the needs of the poorest of the poor. Working through carefully vetted NGOs, World Housing says it ensures that recipients get quality housing and that they employ local workers. The NGOs work to carefully choose families for housing that will serve as role models in their communities. Please consider whether a friend or colleague might benefit from this piece and, if so, share it.
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#229: RallyMe Boasts 17,000 Sports Boosters
10/03/2015 Duration: 15minMarch 5, 2015 - Read the full GoodCrowdinfo article and watch the interview here: http://bit.ly/1ATbqsQ. Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwitunes or on Stitcher by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwstitcher. Bill Kerig, CEO and Founder of RallyMe, says, “The cost of participation in sports is rising dramatically, while support for athletics (from schools, communities, and other centralized organizations) is decreasing. No longer can athletes and teams rely on a large organization to foot their bill. Now is the time for athletes to build their own armies of support through people-to-people funding.” Explaining his mission to help athletes, he says, “My vision for RallyMe is that it becomes the standard for all online athletic fundraising. Whether you’re an Olympian or a 9-year-old triathlete or a girl’s lacrosse team, we’re dedicated to helping you pursue your athletic goals.” “Our mission is to make sure that no athlete, team, or organization has to forgo their sport
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#228: ImpactAlpha Tracks Deals, News For Impact Investors
09/03/2015 Duration: 24minMarch 5, 2015 - Read the full Your Mark on the World article and watch the interview here: http://bit.ly/1wIgpNd. Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwitunes or on Stitcher by clicking here: http://bit.ly/ymotwstitcher. David Bank is building on the expertise he developed at the Wall Street Journal to create a platform he calls “ImpactAlpha" for reporting on impact investing players and deals. Explaining his motivation, he says, “Our most pressing challenges – food, water, energy, health care, education, sanitation – also are among the biggest business opportunities of the 21st century.” "A growing category of investors are looking for such opportunities, seeking outsized returns by helping to solve outsized problems, in the U.S. and around the world," he adds. "They are not merely socially responsible, screening out or divesting destructive products or companies from their portfolio. They are not simply philanthropists by another name, trading off financial returns fo