Sunday, June 8, 2008

Social Entrepreneurship

Today's BIY is not an article, but rather a thought. I would love this to be the start of a discussion.

Over the last 2-3 years, I have been working on a couple different start-up companies. As a result, I have taken a lot of enjoyment from studying the markets for products--particularly consumer goods and internet services. When I started this blog, the idea was to eventually become a non-profit run in a for-profit business model. This week, I came across a Design 21 Competition called Power to the Pedal.

"The DESIGN 21 series challenges designers of all disciplines to find solutions to social and global issues. It’s guided by UNESCO’s premise that education, science, technology, culture and communication are tools to spread knowledge and information, build awareness and foster dialogue."

Inspired by the plot, I think this can be taken to the next level to create a phenomenal project in social entrepreneurship. Read on...

THE IDEA
Providing innovative solutions to everyday problems in poverty stricken regions.

SUMMARY
When people believe in ideas, they do not need to be monetarily compensated for their effort. Think Wikipedia. Think the translation of Facebook. With this in mind, I want to create a worldwide network to design and develop products that will solve everyday problems in poverty stricken regions.

People in poverty stricken regions face countless problems that those in developed nations take for granted--access to food and water, transportation, medical supplies, power supplies, shelter, and many more categories come to mind. Creative minds around the world have a plethora of ideas to help solve these problems economically. This business will connect the two.

HOW TO DO IT
1. Use an open social platform to create a network of product designers who will create solutions to everyday problems in poverty stricken regions.
2. Take investment to develop the best solutions--as decided by the network.
3. Create an e-commerce solution to sell the products before manufacturing, and mass manufacture based on demand. Products will be purchased by people around the world for those in poverty stricken regions. All revenues over manufacturing costs will be put back into the company for product development.
4. When enough units of a product are ordered to create economies of scale, manufacture using an approved facility in a developing nation and distribute in the specified regions.

HOW MANY PEOPLE WILL IT TAKE?
1. To begin, one full time person to coordinate all elements. This person must be able to build and maintain both the networking platform and the e-commerce solution. He/she must also be able to oversee the production and distribution of products. As we start to manufacture more products at the same time, more people may be necessary.
2. Marketing Department: Members of entrepreneurship clubs worldwide
3. Designers: Worldwide volunteers interested in seeing their designs developed and manufactured
4. Manufacturing: Approved facility in developing nation

HOW MUCH MONEY WILL IT TAKE?
I believe this project can begin under $100,000 and become self-sustainable thereafter.

WHY WOULD THIS BE A GOOD NON-PROFIT?

There are tons of charities out there--too many to count. For a person who wants to give to a charity, it is very difficult to decide. Moreover, when giving to a charity, it is even more difficult to know where your money is actually going. This project would be completely transparent--every cost would be broken out and made readily accessible to the public. For every purchase someone made, they would see exactly how much money goes to the manufacturing and distribution of a product, where the product is going and how it is helping, and how much money is going to future product development.



So, this is a fairly brief synopsis of the idea. But, what do you all think? Ridiculous or realistic?

Monday, June 2, 2008

NAACP Detroit Deputy Director

Who: Donnell White
Age: 31
What: NAACP Detroit Deputy Director


After a week-long hiatus, BIY is back with a great story about the NAACP Detroit Deputy Director. This story is from The Detroit News.
Be sure to check out the blog as well, where we just installed a great google gadget pulling stories about people making a difference.



Monday, June 2, 2008
Desire to make a difference runs in the family
Detroit NAACP deputy director represents next generation of leaders.
Candice Williams / The Detroit News


DETROIT -- During the mid-1980s, young Donnell White watched as the city's elite arrived for meetings at his great-grandparents' home in the historic Boston-Edison neighborhood.

Shelton Tappes, a former United Auto Workers executive board member, and his wife, Louise, also active in the community, opened their home to the likes of U.S. Rep. John Conyers, civil rights activist Rosa Parks and former Mayor Coleman A. Young.

Even with a family heavily involved in community activism, it wasn't always apparent to White, who today is deputy executive director of the Detroit NAACP, that he would follow the same path. But, at 31, he's quickly building a reputation as an emerging leader in Metro Detroit.

"I used to want to be a pediatrician, on the SWAT team, and my real passion was to work for an accounting firm," said White, who had a change of heart when he began volunteering at the NAACP. "I found everything I wanted to accomplish careerwise I could do here. The work we do really makes a difference."

Since becoming deputy director last year -- the youngest in branch history to hold the position -- White has led event panels and helped organize the Detroit NAACP Freedom Fund Dinner, which draws 10,000 people to Cobo Center each year.

Friends, co-workers and community leaders describe him as informed, kindhearted and a voice to be heard.

"He is a perfect representation of the next generation of leaders," said Tonette Bryant-Carter, senior development officer for the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History. "He's very involved in the community."
Making his own job

White's career path began as a volunteer in 2001 at the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People's Detroit branch, the country's largest.

"He was pretty impressive because he created a job for himself," said Heaster Wheeler, branch executive director. "I was wondering why he kept showing up. I said, 'Since you're sitting there, you may as well answer the phone.' And all of a sudden, we learned that he had very good skills with people."

White worked as an office assistant for a couple of years. Then he became director of youth and education programs and coordinated a youth competition, ACT-SO, which stands for the Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics.

He was promoted to deputy executive director shortly after working on a campaign against Proposal 2, a state constitutional amendment that banned affirmative action in Michigan's university admissions and in government hiring. The position had been vacant for a couple of years.

In this role, White oversees the branch's day-to-day operations, meets with community members and is branch spokesman.

"If I decided to move on, I would feel very comfortable that a power succession would be in place," Wheeler said, adding that White brings balance to the organization.

The 21-year age difference between them is an asset, she said.

"We view our lives and community through different eyes," Wheeler said. "His way of viewing the world helps bridge what would have been a generational divide."
Encouraging others' activity

Recently, White visited Westside Academy, where he talked to a group of high school students at about racial profiling, prison population growth and expansion and the importance of being active in the community.

"I told them, 'If you don't join the NAACP, join your block club. If you don't join your block club, join one of the auxiliaries at church,'" he said. "And if it isn't one of those, just try something that you're fed up dealing with and make a commitment that you're going to make a difference about that."

Albert Jones, a member of the parent group at Westside, said it's inspiring for the young people to see White in a high position at the NAACP. Jones has known him for about 10 years.

They attend Fellowship Chapel in Detroit, where White is a worship leader.

"We have some boys that haven't been so good," Jones said. "They're beginning to see some men they want to look to as role models. (White) is one of those persons."

Born during a family trip to Chicago, White lived briefly in Detroit, grew up in Taylor and graduated from John F. Kennedy High School before earning a finance degree from Michigan State University in 2001.

Last year, White led a group of about 100 Metro Detroiters to Jena, La., to protest the treatment of six black high school students accused of beating a white classmate. Months before, in August 2006, nooses were hung from a tree at the school. In January, when the master of ceremonies couldn't make it to a Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. celebration at the Charles H. Wright Museum, officials turned to White to bail them out.

"He stepped right in and didn't miss a beat," Bryant-Carter said. "He stayed on task. He asked the right questions of the panelists. He was there as ... a guest, but then he put on another hat and did his thing."

When asked if people are dismissive because of his age, White notes that King became involved in the civil rights movement in his 20s.

As for the future, White would consider running for a public office. City clerk, county clerk or secretary of state would be a good fit for him, he said.

"I come from a family that wanted to make a difference," he said. "That makes the work I do worthwhile."

You can reach Candice Williams at (517) 552-5504 or cwilliams@detnews.com.