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	<title>Sustainable Bonanza &#187; 2010 &#187; May</title>
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	<link>http://www.kirstenbonanza.com</link>
	<description>Living with Passion and Purpose.  Create Better Impact</description>
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		<title>SVN Spring Conference: Financial Strategies to Expand Your Impact</title>
		<link>http://www.kirstenbonanza.com/2010/05/23/spring-conference-financial-strategies-to-expand-your-impact/#utm_source=feed&#038;utm_medium=feed&#038;utm_campaign=feed</link>
		<comments>http://www.kirstenbonanza.com/2010/05/23/spring-conference-financial-strategies-to-expand-your-impact/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 23 May 2010 17:10:09 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Financial Strategies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[SVN]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[SVN conference]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.kirstenbonanza.com/?p=822</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p class='fb-like'><iframe src='http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kirstenbonanza.com%2F2010%2F05%2F23%2Fspring-conference-financial-strategies-to-expand-your-impact%2F&amp;layout=standard&amp;show_faces=true&amp;width=450&amp;action=like&amp;colorscheme=light&amp;height=65&amp;font=lucida+grande' scrolling='no' frameborder='0' allowTransparency='true' style='border:none; overflow:hidden; width:450px; height:65px'></iframe></p><p><!--<small>May 19th, 2010 by socialventurenetwork</small>&#8211;></p>
<div>
<p>While 9am on a Saturday might seem a bit early to discuss  investing strategies, David Berge and David Chen had a lively and  entertaining discussion about how to make sure your socially responsible  investments have the impact you want.</p>
<p>The financial models for high-impact investing are not new. They can  be expressed in many different ways, but the basics for these typse of  investments have existed for a long time. But to make sure your  investment has the impact you envision today you must envision the  environment tomorrow. David Berge of <a href="https://www.vancity.com/">Vancity  Savings Credit Union</a> suggests that entrepreneurs need to look at  least 5 years out and realize that the influence of minority and women  on markets is significant now and will only grow.<span id="more-822"></span></p>
<p><a href="http://impact.svn.org/wp-content/uploads/ChenBerge.jpg"><img title="ChenBerge" src="http://impact.svn.org/wp-content/uploads/ChenBerge.jpg" alt="ChenBerge" width="560" /></a></p>
<p>He also offered up a few gems to keep in mind while raising money for  a venture: Clarity of vision creates structure. Don’t argue that “the  plan will happen.” Instead, argue that “the plan will succeed.”</p>
<p>David Chan of <a href="http://www.eq-cap.com/">Equilibrium Capital  Group</a> came to impact investing and social venture later in <a href="http://www.eq-cap.com/dave_chen.php">his distinguished career</a>,  but his intelligent perspectives are clear and in line with how SRI  should look. His main theme of ‘who you invest in and who invests in you  are equally important’ sheds light on the challenge of deciding on who  to accept capital from. When thinking about taking money, businesses  should figure out if they are partnering with traders, investors, or  owners.</p>
<p>He cited a situation where the investors actually moved into a  companies office and were actively helping to bring in partners and  deals. Further, he points out that having mutual values is important for  a relationship.</p>
<p>The cherry on top of this session was the number of different ways  these investors made suggestions which empowered the business owner,  something you don’t often hear when pitching with someone for capital.</p>
<p><em>This post was written for <a title="Social Ventures Network Blog" href="http://impact.svn.org/" target="_blank">SVN</a> during their    spring member conference.</em></p>
<p><em> </em><em>Click <a href="http://impact.svn.org/tag/2010-spring/">here</a> to see the rest of the SVN coverage of the 2010 Spring Member Gathering.</em></p>
<p><em> </em></p>
<p><em>Photos graciously taken  by Nancy Jo.</em></p>
</div>
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		<title>The Challenge of Teaching to the Future</title>
		<link>http://www.kirstenbonanza.com/2010/05/21/the-challenge-of-teaching-to-the-future/#utm_source=feed&#038;utm_medium=feed&#038;utm_campaign=feed</link>
		<comments>http://www.kirstenbonanza.com/2010/05/21/the-challenge-of-teaching-to-the-future/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 22 May 2010 03:05:37 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Educating for Sustainability]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Creativity]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.kirstenbonanza.com/?p=819</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[When designing curriculum and lessons I try to remind myself that we are teaching the leaders of tomorrow.  They will hold jobs that probably do not yet exist.  They will live in a world that we can not even begin to imagine, and yet, that is our task.  Prepare the students for something about which [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p class='fb-like'><iframe src='http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kirstenbonanza.com%2F2010%2F05%2F21%2Fthe-challenge-of-teaching-to-the-future%2F&amp;layout=standard&amp;show_faces=true&amp;width=450&amp;action=like&amp;colorscheme=light&amp;height=65&amp;font=lucida+grande' scrolling='no' frameborder='0' allowTransparency='true' style='border:none; overflow:hidden; width:450px; height:65px'></iframe></p><p>When designing curriculum and lessons I try to remind myself that we  are teaching the leaders of tomorrow.  They will hold jobs that probably  do not yet exist.  They will live in a world that we can not even begin  to imagine, and yet, that is our task.  Prepare the students for  something about which we know little to nothing.  There is certainly not  a proficiency exam for this, unlike those that you must take to obtain a  license in your chosen specialty.</p>
<p>What a daunting task.<span id="more-819"></span></p>
<p>The  speed of life seems to be increasing.  Innovations come faster.   Engineering students first year knowledge is invalid by their third  year.  So while we can certainly go forward by imagining what might be  in the future, it seems that it might make more sense to make sure that  we raise adaptable students, who are creative and can assess and meet  any challenge they might face with systems thinking and an eye to  sustainability.</p>
<p>Still a little daunting to think about, but I  believe that is a much more manageable challenge and one which we can  begin to incorporate into class tomorrow.</p>
<p><em>This post is also viewable on <a href="http://www.iteachtoo.com/index.cfm?go=journal.viewpublic&amp;JournalEntryID=45" target="_blank">iTeachToo.com</a>.</em></p>
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		<title>SVN Spring Conference: Change Philanthropy</title>
		<link>http://www.kirstenbonanza.com/2010/05/12/spring-conference-change-philanthropy/#utm_source=feed&#038;utm_medium=feed&#038;utm_campaign=feed</link>
		<comments>http://www.kirstenbonanza.com/2010/05/12/spring-conference-change-philanthropy/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 12 May 2010 14:20:39 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Book]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Innovation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Philanthropy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[SVN]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[SVN conference]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.kirstenbonanza.com/?p=802</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[How wonderful it is to know that there are foundations out there going beyond the traditional; leading in a way that benefits innovative entrepreneurs and in turn society as a whole. The “Change Philanthropy” breakout session brought together three women who are leading the pack in this area- Alicia Korten of ReNual, Mary Stranahan of Needmor Foundation, [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p class='fb-like'><iframe src='http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kirstenbonanza.com%2F2010%2F05%2F12%2Fspring-conference-change-philanthropy%2F&amp;layout=standard&amp;show_faces=true&amp;width=450&amp;action=like&amp;colorscheme=light&amp;height=65&amp;font=lucida+grande' scrolling='no' frameborder='0' allowTransparency='true' style='border:none; overflow:hidden; width:450px; height:65px'></iframe></p><div>
<p>How wonderful it is to know that there are foundations out there  going beyond the traditional; leading in a way that benefits innovative  entrepreneurs and in turn society as a whole. The “Change Philanthropy”  breakout session brought together three women who are leading the pack  in this area- Alicia Korten of <a href="http://www.renual.com/" target="_blank">ReNual</a>, Mary Stranahan  of <a href="http://www.needmorfund.org/index.php" target="_blank">Needmor  Foundation</a>, and Julia Novy-Hildesley of <a href="http://www.lemelson.org/" target="_blank">Lemelson  Foundation</a> – to discuss high impact giving.<span id="more-802"></span></p>
<p>Alicia kicked off with six principles  of high impact giving:</p>
<ol>
<li>Develop a theory of change</li>
<li>Match goals to resources</li>
<li>Use all your resources</li>
<li>Know your potential grantees</li>
<li>Amplify grantee voices</li>
<li>Evaluate Work</li>
</ol>
<p>She also delved into some of the case  studies that can be found in her book <em><a href="http://www.josseybass.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-047043516X.html" target="_blank">Change Philanthropy: Candid Stories of Foundations  Maximizing Results through Social Justice</a>. </em>One of the points which was particularly  illustrative was that in the financial collapse of the recent past, many  foundations lost 40% of their endowment while those who practiced SRI  lost 20%. <a href="http://www.confluencephilanthropy.org/Confluence_Website/Welcome.html" target="_blank">Confluence Philanthropies</a> itself exists solely to  promote mission based investing and support for foundations and  non-profits.</p>
<p>One  of the great things that the Needmor Foundation does is to put  money into the communties where their grantees live. By taking out CD’s  in those Calvert-screened, local credit unions, this nearly 60 year old  family foundation knows that it will be able to have a greater impact on  the communities it serves. Mary Stranahan had a lot of expertise to  offer. One nugget to take home: “You can make money doing good work.”</p>
<p>Finally, Julia Novy- Hildesley shared  how the Lemelson Foundation nurtures innovators acknowledging that  prosperity is nurtured by entrepreneurship. The foundation is able to  put grant money behind powerful creative business ideas. Support goes to  students designing new technology as well as grants for innovative  curriculum development. The point is that foundations are not subject to  market pressure and can therefore be creative. They are also in a  position to take a risk on an early stage social venture.</p>
<p><em>This post was written for <a title="Social Ventures Network Blog" href="http://impact.svn.org/" target="_blank">SVN</a> during their  spring member conference.</em></p>
</div>
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		<title>SVN Spring Conference: Gunter Pauli’s Blue Economy</title>
		<link>http://www.kirstenbonanza.com/2010/05/11/svn-spring-conference-gunter-pauli%e2%80%99s-blue-economy/#utm_source=feed&#038;utm_medium=feed&#038;utm_campaign=feed</link>
		<comments>http://www.kirstenbonanza.com/2010/05/11/svn-spring-conference-gunter-pauli%e2%80%99s-blue-economy/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 11 May 2010 14:20:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kirsten</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Economic Anthropology]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Biomimicry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Book]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Innovation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Physics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[SVN]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[SVN conference]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.kirstenbonanza.com/?p=800</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[During a conversation at the Fall 2009 SVN conference over tea, Diana Lee of the Biomimicry Institute added this wisdom to our conversation; “There is no energy crisis in nature.” Waste exists in our minds and in our culture but in the natural world which we are a part of, the outputs of one process [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p class='fb-like'><iframe src='http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kirstenbonanza.com%2F2010%2F05%2F11%2Fsvn-spring-conference-gunter-pauli%25e2%2580%2599s-blue-economy%2F&amp;layout=standard&amp;show_faces=true&amp;width=450&amp;action=like&amp;colorscheme=light&amp;height=65&amp;font=lucida+grande' scrolling='no' frameborder='0' allowTransparency='true' style='border:none; overflow:hidden; width:450px; height:65px'></iframe></p><p>During a conversation at the Fall 2009 SVN conference over tea, Diana  Lee of the Biomimicry Institute added this wisdom to our conversation;  “There is no energy crisis in nature.”  Waste exists in our minds and in  our culture but in the natural world which we are a part of, the  outputs of one process become the inputs of another.</p>
<p>The opening night plenary of the SVN Spring Member Gathering delved  into this topic with Gunter Pauli, the co-founder of SVN Europe, <a href="http://www.ecover.com/">Ecover</a>, and the <a href="http://www.zeri.org/">Zero Emissions Research &amp; Initiatives</a> (ZERI) took the stage.</p>
<p>Gunter wants you to believe that you can change the rules of the game  and throughout the presentation, example after example showed just how  much could be done toward preservation and conservation while doing just  that.<span id="more-800"></span></p>
<p><a title="View Gunter Pauli - The Blue Economy on Scribd" href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/31043198/Gunter-Pauli-The-Blue-Economy">Gunter  Pauli – The Blue Economy</a> <object id="doc_733581423371951" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="100%" height="600" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="name" value="doc_733581423371951" /><param name="wmode" value="opaque" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#ffffff" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="FlashVars" value="document_id=31043198&amp;access_key=key-16y8om0s053iw0enlbfv&amp;page=1&amp;viewMode=slideshow" /><param name="src" value="http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="flashvars" value="document_id=31043198&amp;access_key=key-16y8om0s053iw0enlbfv&amp;page=1&amp;viewMode=slideshow" /><embed id="doc_733581423371951" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%" height="600" src="http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf" flashvars="document_id=31043198&amp;access_key=key-16y8om0s053iw0enlbfv&amp;page=1&amp;viewMode=slideshow" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" bgcolor="#ffffff" wmode="opaque" name="doc_733581423371951"></embed></object></p>
<p>He has combed the natural world with the world’s leading academics  looking for innovations that could revolutionize industries. But in  order for an innovation to be considered, it must</p>
<ul>
<li>Be inspired by the ecosystems</li>
<li>Be based on physics</li>
<li>Target blatant models of unsustainable consumption</li>
<li>Always generate multiple benefits</li>
</ul>
<p>Gunter showed examples from the 100 innovations he profiles in his  book. The idea that most grabbed the crowd’s imagination was the  possibly of building a battery-less cell phone that charges itself by  collecting body heat and motion. The other 99 innovation can be found in  his book, <em>The Blue Economy; 10 Years, 100 Innovations, 100 Million  Jobs</em>.</p>
<p>As the conversation continued, the greatest challenge of using less,  it seems, is not in developing the innovations themselves but in  resistance from corporations which stand to have their business plans  upended. It is in their short-term interest to block these innovations  from succeeding. These challenges may slow down progress, but they will  not stop it completely and with the greater needs of the planet in mind  we have to continue looking to nature for the solutions that will help  to make our lifestyles more sustainable.</p>
<p>Gunter thinks we do need to change the game, but we need to be cagey  about it: “David took on Goliath and won because he changed the rules of  the game – and he didn’t tell Goliath.” And he closed by challenging  SVN: “Please conspire to make this a better world.”</p>
<p><em>This post was written for <a title="Social Ventures Network Blog" href="http://impact.svn.org/" target="_blank">SVN</a> during their spring member conference.</em></p>
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