This I Believe

I kind of like the "This I believe" program on NPR. I certainly haven't heard all of them, as it is summer and I am trying to commute on my bike as much as possible.

Anyway, at least with respect to the topic of this blog (focus, here), this is what I believe:

I believe that entrepreneurial approaches are needed to help solve the global challenges we face, particularly in the developing world.

I believe that private enterprise, practiced by ethical people, will be the most powerful, and positive, force of change in this century.

I believe that those that "do" can also "teach". In fact, I believe that those that "do" should feel a strong obligation to teach others... there are many ways to teach, and it is so important.

Not sure this would make the NPR cut, but hey, this is my blog.

What a great surprise today! I subscribe to the Stanford Social Innovation Review and was scrolling through the new issue that came out today. One of the articles caught my eye- "Creating Social Change- 10 Innovative Technologies"... I clicked and started reading... Yikes,... our company, Envirofit International, was one of the 10. What an honor- we are really inspired by being in the mix with all these other great organizations.

It is great to get this type of recognition and rewarding for our whole team. So, we're going to go celebrate at Coops, then get back to work. And, while Coops is not our official sponsor... we wish they were.

Bainbridge Graduate Institute

"Changing Business for Good" is the motto of Bainbridge Graduate Institute. One of its founders, Gifford Pinchot, recently invited me up to see BGI in action. What a cool place!

First of all, its location at Islandwood on Bainbridge Island just fits so well. They time-share with the local schools, and take over this facitily for long weekends. Green buildings tucked in the forest.

Second, the community is terrific as well. The students are there to learn, and they are a diverse and interesting bunch. Seeing them interact over the weekend was inspiring... creative, passionate, dedicated to making the world a sustainable place. For those who have built organizations, this one is special and reflects well on all those that have been involved in building BGI. I felt very welcome as a "newcomer" and had great conversations with many students.

Third, the curriculum is ground breaking. I teach a class on Social Entrepreneurship and Sustainable Business, and am in the process of designing a graduate program for the Colorado State Business School in this area. It was great to see a functioning program that emphasizes the "triple bottom line" and see the student presentations applying these concepts. Many of the projects were for companies (e.g., REI, Chaco Sandals) that had sought out advice from these students.

So, I am a big fan and recommend this program to those who believe that business can be a powerful force for positive change. For another take on this program, see the recent article in the Chronicle of Higher Education. Personally... I didn't hear even one chorus of Kumbaya while I was there, although they throw a great end of the year campfire/roast!

I like Seth Godin's concept of the "purple cow" of market differentiation. To me, differentiation is not just about being different, but being "clearly better" for some market segment. BGI lives up to its motto, and for some, is clearly better than a traditional (and not so differentiated anymore) MBA program.