InfoCompanions » Social Entrepreneurs http://www.infocompanions.com Brain spasms of an enthusiast who loves to live at the intersection of business, innovation, process and technology Sun, 26 Sep 2010 16:37:28 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 The Power of Unreasonable People: How Social Entrepreneurs Cause Change http://www.infocompanions.com/the-power-of-unreasonable-people-how-social-entrepreneurs-cause-change/ http://www.infocompanions.com/the-power-of-unreasonable-people-how-social-entrepreneurs-cause-change/#comments Sun, 17 Aug 2008 06:00:00 +0000 Himanshu Sharma http://www.infocompanions.net/?p=105 Renowned playwright once said “The reasonable man adapts himself to the world, the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.” By this definition, some of today’s entrepreneurs are decidedly unreasonable–and have even been dubbed crazy. Yet as John Elkington and argue in The Power of Unreasonable People, our very future may hinge on their work. John Elkington talks about how the most successful social entrepreneurs are unreasonable, but their emotional, highly ambitious nature drives them to solve some of the world’s most pressing problems.

Click here to view the embedded video.

About John Elkington:
Co-founder of in 1987 (Chair from 1995 -2005), and Founding Partner & Director of Ventures, John Elkington is a world authority on corporate responsibility and sustainable development. In 2004, BusinessWeek described him as “a dean of the corporate responsibility movement for three decades.” Established in 1987, SustainAbility advises clients on the risks and opportunities associated with corporate responsibility and sustainable development. Working at the interface between market forces and societal expectations, SustainAbility seeks solutions to social and environmental challenges that deliver long term value. With offices in , Zurich, New York and Washington, DC and team members representing more than ten nationalities, SustainAbility works with leading companies, NGOs and influencers around the world. Clients include ABN Amro, BP, Coca-Cola, Ford, Microsoft, Nestlé, Nike, Norwich Union, Shell, Swiss Re, Unilever and Wal-Mart. A global network of experts and partners helps SustainAbility to track emerging agendas, evaluate the market implications and engage business and its main stakeholders worldwide.

Read more about John Elkington

]]> http://www.infocompanions.com/the-power-of-unreasonable-people-how-social-entrepreneurs-cause-change/feed/ 0 Making movies that make change http://www.infocompanions.com/making-movies-that-make-change/ http://www.infocompanions.com/making-movies-that-make-change/#comments Sun, 24 Feb 2008 06:00:00 +0000 Himanshu Sharma http://www.infocompanions.net/?p=72 made his fortune as the first president of eBay. Now he’s spending it at the movies. His company, Participant Productions, makes entertaining, issues-driven films that inspire real change — Murderball, Syriana, An Inconvenient Truth … Here, he talks about the people who’ve inspired him to do good, and about some upcoming films that will open your eyes.

Click here to view the embedded video.

About Jeff Skoll:
Jeff Skoll was eBay’s employee number 2 and president number 1. He left with a comfortable fortune and a desire to spend his money helping others.

The Skoll Foundation, established in 1999, invests in, connects and celebrates social entrepreneurs — offering grants to people who build businesses, schools and services for communities in need. Every year, it presents the Skoll World Forum on Social Entrepreneurship at Oxford, and runs Social Edge, a networking site for social entrepreneurs.

His production company, Participant Productions, is what Skoll calls a “pro-social media company,” making features and documentaries that address social and political issues and drive real change. His film North Country, for example, is credited with influencing the signing of the 2005 . Participant’s blockbuster doc, An Inconvenient Truth, is required viewing in classrooms around the world, and has unquestionably changed the debate around climate change. Upcoming for Participant are two films about Afghanistan, and a documentary about ’s controversial 2006-7 book tour.

]]> http://www.infocompanions.com/making-movies-that-make-change/feed/ 0