TedXMidAtlantic Challenges Us to Start Now

Merge supermodels, scientists, social innovators and Spanish culinary masters in one room and you have a recipe for success. Now, put these talented individuals with inspirational stories on stage at the 2013 TEDxMidAtlantic conference and you have more than 800 captivated attendees. Sponsored by the Case Foundation and PBS, TEDxMidAtlantic gave attendees insights on innovative solutions to societal problems and drove us to think about our world through the framework of this year’s theme—Start Now.

Highlights from the two-day event included: Sam Berns, a 17 year old diagnosed with Progeria, a rare genetic disease for which there is no cure that presents symptoms resembling premature aging; General Stanley McChrystal, a four-star general who emphasized the importance of face-to-face connectivity in a world with countless social tools; and Shiza Shahid, co-founder and director of the Malala Fund who showed us the power that fearlessness, determination and peace can make in the world.

Inspired by the 50 speakers who took the stage, the Case Foundation and its staff curated a collection of our favorite tweets, quotes and sayings from the event that challenged us to innovate and share ideas that can change the world. Tell us on Twitter (@casefoundation) how you plan to #StartNow!

TEDx (@TEDx) on Bayeté Ross Smith
“We’re all media makers. We all have the responsibility to create things that challenge us to evolve our thinking.” @BayeteKenan#TEDxMid

Doug Donovan (@DougDonovan) on Rep. Jim McGovern
@TEDx: “Nothing changes in this world unless good people come together to fight for it.” – Congressman Jim McGovern#TEDxMid @Philanthropy

Sarah Koch (@sarahtkoch) on Chef José Andrés
“The act of introducing clean cook stoves can spark an entire economy.” @chefjoseandres #TEDxMid

Oceana (@Oceana) on Jackie Savitz
“Biodiversity is not at odds with abundance; in fact, they’re aligned.” — Oceana’s @JackieSavitz at #TEDxMid:http://tedxmidatlantic.com/live/

The Case Foundation (@CaseFoundation) on Ben Miller
“What will you build [in your neighborhood]? 10 years from now people will build their own cities” @BenMillerise @fundrise#TEDxMid

Rita Pasi ‏(@ritapasi15h) on Chef José Andrés
“People of the world do not want your pity. They want your respect.” – Chef Jose Andres at #TedxMid http://fb.me/11SBzuMZG

Brooke James (@BrookeLJames) on Angel Gil-Ordóñez + Post-Classical Ensemble
“We seek impact. That means engaging the audience in every possible way.” – Angel Gil-Ordóñez @postclassical #TEDxMid

Michael D. Smith (@msmithDC) on Liz Ogbu
“I’m an architect that doesn’t design buildings. I design opportunities for impact.” @LizOgbu #tedxmid

Brooke James (@BrookeLJames) on Jon Jarvis
“Nature is no longer natural because of climate change.” – Jon Jarvis of @NatlParkService #tedxmid

TEDx (@TEDx) on Jen Oxley
“Math is not just for boys or people who are born with innate math skills.” – Jen Oxley on teaching girls to love math #TEDxMid

TEDxMidAtlantic (@TEDxMidAtlantic) on Lale Labuko
@LabukoLale is speaking now at #TEDxMid. “We owe our generation love and care. We have to say, “This is bad” and change it.”

Elyse Greenberg (@elyseindc) on Henry Evans
“Your disability doesn’t make you any less of a person, and neither does mine.” – Henry Evans #TEDxMid

Allie Burns ‏(@AllieB) on Angel Gil-Ordóñez + Post-Classical Ensemble
Haunting, beautiful performance by @postclassical at #tedxmid http://instagram.com/p/f53BTiPyHo/

Jade Floyd (‏@DcThisWeek) on the Beat Making Lab
“What happens when you merge the works of art and activism? #Artivism @durhamite @applejuicekid @BeatMakingLab@TEDxMidAtlantic

NatGeo Explorers ‏(@NatGeoExplorers) on Labuko Lale
“We must speak out to make change” #Explorer @LabukoLale at #TEDxMid on ending child killings in Ethiopian tribes

The Case Foundation (@CaseFoundation) on Michael Smith
@msmithDC says “Don’t donate another dollar until you know the impact…Invest in results and research and development.”#TEDxMid

Dee Snow ‏(@DeexScience27) on Jen Oxley
“Know what you’re good at and go for it.” Filmmaker Jen Oxley #TEDxMid

Didn’t have the opportunity to attend TEDxMidAtlantic? Watch a replay of the livestream at http://new.livestream.com/tedx/tedxmidatlantic

Changing the World – One Code at a Time

Identifying organizations that make big bets and tackle pressing social issues is an important part of our Be Fearless mantra here at the Case Foundation. Our work across the United States has helped lift up and fund extraordinary changemakers and their programs. This year the Case Foundation hosted the first-ever Aspen Scholars pitch competition at the Aspen Ideas Festival at which we awarded more than $25,000 in grant money to competing Aspen Scholars. The grand prize winner was Kristen Titus of Girls Who Code. We are thrilled to work with this new organization as a grantee and a partner.

Girls Who Code was launched in 2012 in an effort to close the gender gap in the computing and online fields. Its programs have earned the support from top Fortune 500 companies and have delivered more than 3,000 hours of intensive instruction to young women and high school girls. Each participant is equipped with the skills and resources they need to pursue careers and opportunities in the computing field. From mobilizing top executives, educators and engineers, to developing a new model for computer science education and launching eight immersion programs spanning five cities – Kristen and the Girls Who Code staff have worked to catapult young female minds into the tech sector.

The Case Foundation sat down with Kristen to chat about Girls Who Code and their work on the heels of her Elle Magazine debut naming her one of the “11 Women Who Just Might Change the world” and Business Insider’s 2013 nod for one of the “30 Most Important Women Under 30 In Tech.” We could not agree more, Kristen and her girls who code are on their way to big things in the tech world.

Our Interview with Girls Who Code

CF: What goals are you working towards at Girls Who Code? How will the Case Foundation’s funds help you achieve that goal?

KT: Girls Who code has set out to tackle what we believe to be one of the most pressing problems facing our generation: the gender gap in technology. We’re starting on the ground by inspiring, educating and equipping high school girls to pursue technology through our Summer Immersion and after-school Club programs. The Case Foundation is supporting the scaling of these programs, and helping us bring computer science education to girls across the country. Each girl who goes through our programs represents one step closer towards gender parity in technology.

CF: Tell us about a moment when you failed in life and how you used that as an opportunity to fail forward?

KT: Last spring, Girls Who Code launched our first ever after-school program pilots. We had a very successful model for an intensive summer program, and we were eager to find out how to replicate the program in a format designed to scale. One model we tested involved having our graduates organize clubs and teach their peers. This model just did not work, and it was disappointing because it held much potential. We were, however, able to incorporate successful components of the model into what we have ultimately found to be the best format, and are now in the second phase of testing of this program. We can’t wait to see how the program grows.

CF: How have reached outside of your bubble or your sector to raise awareness or perhaps funding for your organization?

KT: Increasingly, computer science skills are relevant to industries outside of what we typically think of as the tech sector. From fashion to medicine to banking, companies rely on technologists to do business, and we absolutely look to these corporations as partners. What’s more, we incorporate the experiences of engineers at companies that, traditionally, would not be considered to be technology companies in order to expose our students to the incredible variety of opportunities available to those with a CS background. 

This is the first in a series of four articles featuring new grantees of the Case Foundation who have won awards in our 2013 pitch competitions. Check back for our next feature on the Rid-All Green Partnership, an urban farm in Cleveland, OH.

How Your Nonprofit Can Get More Out of LinkedIn

Chances are your LinkedIn profile is focused on your resume and headshot, but if you’re reading this and love social good as much as we do, then you may want to check out LinkedIn’s new social good capabilities. The site has become a gathering place for influencers to discuss, learn and connect with old friends, trusted colleagues and new business connections. In the past year, LinkedIn has rolled out a number of new features that make the site a useful platform for nonprofits to engage their current supporters and identify new ones.

The first new feature is a “Volunteers & Causes” section of a member’s profile. This allows users to showcase what causes they have volunteered for and the ways that they would be interested in getting more involved (i.e. offering pro bono work and serving on boards). Not only does this allow your connections to see what you are passionate about, it shows future employers that you are an engaged citizen and well-rounded candidate – setting you apart from others. In fact, one out of five hiring managers has hired a candidate because of their volunteer experiences. The graphic below (provided by LinkedIn) shows how easy it is to add this information to your profile.
VC Field One pager

As we near the end of Pro Bono Week 2013, take the opportunity to update your LinkedIn profile with your recent service, just like over a million members have already done.

In addition, nonprofits can capitalize on the opportunity to set up a LinkedIn Board Member Connect profile (BMC) – a method to help you find talented people that are passionate about your cause and want to take their involvement to the next level. BMC exists to seamlessly bring nonprofits and individuals together not only to find potential board members, but to share best practices in governance, and ideas for running effective nonprofit boards.
Board Member Connect overview

So if you haven’t already, be sure to take a fresh look at LinkedIn for these new opportunities to connect with potential supporters and engage in new ways.

 

A Billion + Change Celebrates Pro Bono Week

This post was written by Jenny Lawson of the Points of Light Corporate Institute on behalf of the Case Foundation:

Over the past two years, we’ve seen more than 500 companies pledge $2 billion in pro bono services to nonprofits through the national A Billion + Change campaign.

Pledge companies are inspiring others to lend their time and talent to nonprofits through the powerful business and social impact that pro bono offers.

A picture is worth a thousand words, so to celebrate Pro Bono week, we’ve partnered with A Billion + Change to release an infographic showcasing the broad social impact and business value the pledge companies are generating.

So, for Pro Bono Week, why don’t you join us in celebrating the scale of pro bono around the world and the new innovations that are emerging? How can you lead the change through pro bono?

We invite you to read the recent Stanford Social Innovation Review article on the “three trends in creative collaborations that are leading to larger-scale success” authored by Jenny Lawson and Kate Ahern.

A Billion + Change Infographic