Month: November 2015

Pampered for Good: Black Friday Gifts That Give Back

Posted on by Case Foundation

This post was contributed by Sarah Hirshorn, intern at the Case Foundation.

With the endless barrage of advertising, sales, and deals, Black Friday can leave you feeling pressured to partake in the buying frenzy that begins after Thanksgiving. Many of us often end up overwhelmed with finding the perfect present for loved ones or ourselves. But hidden among the flat screen TVs and doorbusters, we know the best gifts are not only thoughtful and generous, but also give something back to the causes we care about the most.

To help you direct your holiday shopping needs, we’ve compiled a list of great gift options that also make a positive impact on you and the world. (And, you can order all of these online, so no standing in any lines at midnight, waiting for stores to open!) Whether you are looking to jump start your holiday shopping or treat yourself, we hope these diverse products help you become the toast of all your friends and family!

Don’t forget to share your favorite gifts that give back with us on Twitter or Facebook by using the hashtag #Gifts4Good.

NPR Listening Kit Party: This season, give the gift of listening. The Case Foundation has teamed up with NPR Generation Listen to launch the first ever NPR Listening Party Kit. Inspired by #GivingTuesday, this inaugural kit is giving themed and includes a curated collection of NPR stories that inspire dialogue around why people give, the future of philanthropy and people’s personal stories of giving. You’ll find everything you need to plan and host your own NPR Listening Party—we’ve even included conversation prompts, food and drink recipes and more to make sure your guests have an enriching and entertaining experience. Best of all, it’s free! Sign up now to be the first to get the kit when it debuts on December 1st. Listen for a cause.

100 Good Deeds Bracelets – These beautiful bracelets are designed so that every time you perform a good deed you can move the ring one bead closer to the button. In addition to spreading kindness, these bracelets are made by vulnerable women, many HIV+, who’ve been trained for this work in Uganda, Zambia, South Africa, Rwanda, Haiti, Bali, India and New York. Accessorize for a cause.

Bright Endeavors – Nothing says relaxation like some deep breathes nearby a lit candle. Bright Endeavors trains at risk mothers to craft premium soy candles in a supportive, professional environment. This group is a nonprofit social enterprise of New Moms Inc. that instills confidence, professionalism and responsibility into adolescent mothers. Unwind for a cause.

Cotopaxi – Getting into nature can be good for both mental and physical health. Cotopaxi creates innovative outdoor gear that funds sustainable poverty alleviation and aims to inspire adventure. Their business model enables their grantmaking focused on global poverty alleviation and represents a commitment to sustainable product design and charitable giving. Adventure on for a cause.

Indigenous Clothing – Indigenous clothes are great for your body and are made sustainably. The clothes contain only organic and natural fibers as well as low-impact dyes. In addition, they are certified fair trade so the hardworking individuals who made the clothes are treated with dignity. Dressing in Indigenous clothes and accessories helps you look beautiful inside and out! Dress for a cause.

Miir – Getting your blood pumping with a great bike ride is both exhilarating and good for your health. Miir bicycles are not only stylish, but they also help get bikes into the hands of those that need them most. In much of the world, biking is one of the most practical and affordable forms of transportation and the ability to get from point A to point B efficiently can change a life. Miir works internationally and in the US with partners to give new bikes, train mechanics and buy replacement parts. Bike for a cause.

RxArt– Coloring books are trendy for both youth and adults this Christmas. The Rx coloring book provides a therapeutic outlet for the artist. In addition, RxArt distributes free coloring books to partner hospitals. RxArt is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to help children heal through the extraordinary power of visual art. They commission exceptional contemporary artists to transform sterile healthcare facilities into engaging and inspiring environments full of beauty, humor and comfort. Craft for a cause.

Sweet Beginnings – Sweet Beginnings, LLC makes the family of beelove™ products, an all-natural line of raw honey and honey-infused body care products that are sourced from its natural urban apiary in the heart of the North Lawndale community in Chicago. Even further, Sweet Beginnings offers full-time transitional jobs for formerly incarcerated individuals and others with significant barriers to employment in a green industry. Moisturize for a cause.

S’well – S’well water bottles have been sweeping the market because consumers love that they can keep a beverage cold for 24 hours or hot for twelve hours. The company initially launched in 2010 with the mission to rid the world of plastic bottles. In the US alone, an estimated 50 billion plastic bottles are dumped in landfill sites each year, and over 200 billion globally. Even further, S’well, is a proud supporter of the US Fund for UNICEF, donating $100,000 to help provide clean water to the world’s most vulnerable children. Quench for a cause.

Theo Chocolate – Chocolate is a known source of antioxidants and mood boosting endorphins. Theo Chocolate makes the chocolate eating experience even sweeter because the artisan crafted bars are produced in an ethical and sustainable fashion. Currently, their current suppliers are Norandino in Peru, Esco Kivu in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Cocabo in Panama. Theo helps these businesses to thrive and succeed. Indulge for a cause.

Tom’s Roasting Company – With Toms, your friend’s morning cup of Joe will work to help individuals who do not have access to safe drinking water. TOMS Roasting Co. purchases support water systems in seven countries – in the same regions where they source their coffee beans. Drink for a cause.

Tory Burch Seed Box – The Tory Burch Foundation empowers women entrepreneurs by providing access to capital, education, networking events and an online resource hub. The Seed Box is one of several initiatives encouraging women to embrace ambition. This box includes a versatile towel, organic tea, watercolor pouch, travel candle and key fob. Enjoy for a cause.

And for the person who has everything already, consider a Network for Good or GlobalGiving gift card. These organizations make it easy to support the nonprofits and causes you care about. A donation to your family and friends’ favorite charities is one of the best gifts of all!

There are many simple and meaningful ways to give back on behalf of Mom, Grandpa or Cousin Stacy this year. Share your favorite gifts that give back with us on Twitter or Facebook using #Gifts4Good.

Three Ways To Give Back During The Holidays For and With Our Kids

Posted on by Case Foundation

As November slips by, many of us have been occupied by autumnal activities — hunting down pumpkin spiced treats of all sorts, cozying up with extra layers of clothing, and cheering on a new season of fall sports. It’s also the beginning of the holidays with celebrations that are largely centered on giving, making this a great time to think about becoming a “Philanthro-Parent.” Whether you are a parent, teacher, neighbor, friend or relative, you can encourage the kids in your life to change the world for good and inspire them to give back in their own meaningful way.

And it’s not just about doing good during the holidays either. There are huge benefits for children who engage in acts of kindness that make generosity a valuable year-round pursuit. In addition to being healthier and living longer, researchers have demonstrated that kids who volunteer and “do good” have improved friendships and self-esteem, and perform better in school.

So how can you help the children in your life embrace the gift of giving? Here are three ways to make your season even brighter for you and your up-and-coming philanthropist.

Give better gifts
I’ll confess that if it weren’t for online shopping my niece and nephews would never see a box with an Auntie Louise tag. For many of us, there isn’t much time to run around to take care of gift wish lists, especially during the busy holiday season. But like with many things in life, we should take the time to slow down with our gift hunting. Let’s take an extra minute to make some of our purchases give back by using AmazonSmile (Amazon donates 0.5% of the eligible purchases to a charity of your choice). Let’s scour the wrappers for a fair trade label on that chocolate treat for our little snackers. Let’s do a couple more Google searches to find gifts that give back. It won’t be time wasted and we’ll feel even better once the wrapping paper starts flying. 

Share gifts
A lot of us take advantage of this season to donate gently used coats and cold weather gear as we replace clothes for our ever-growing kids, or to do a clean sweep of the toy box once presents are opened. Perhaps this year we can go one step further and encourage our child to choose one of their new toys or presents to donate. Or perhaps we can help our kids dream up ways to use their presents to benefit others, like using the new art set to create a poster for a fundraiser. We can tap into the power of choice that can actually enhance our kids’ altruistic endeavors with this twist on giving around the holidays.

Be a gift
Many of us learn better by doing, and it appears this is also true for giving back. Studies indicate that volunteering at a young age can create lifelong social and civic engagement in our kids. So, to help get you started, here’s volunteering ideas for kids from PBS, a list of thousands of children volunteer opportunities from Volunteer Match, a link to find your local food bank from Feeding America and a truly thoughtful curation of “40 Ways Kids Can Volunteer from Toddler to Teen” from author Laura Grace Weldon.

This holiday season, together with our kids, let’s make our gifts give more, share more deeply and be a blessing to others. We’d love to hear about your thoughts; please share your ideas on Twitter using #KidsGivingBack. Before I wish you Happy Holidays, I’ll let the infectiously joyful Kid President remind us that “The perfect gift is the something that makes the world better.”

Can the Bounty of Thanksgiving be Year-Round?

Posted on by Case Foundation

During the Thanksgiving holiday, many use the week to put their gratitude into action — volunteering, donating to their favorite causes and welcoming others in their homes for a bountiful meal and good company. For many, this includes gathering in our communities to prepare and pass out food to those who are less fortunate. This is certainly an effort worth applauding, as nearly 50 million Americans — including 16 million children — in the United States struggle with hunger. Food insecurity is indeed a national problem, but it disproportionately affects communities in large cities.

This leads me to wonder—how do we ensure that these philanthropic efforts around the holidays are not the only steps we are taking toward helping the vulnerable, but that we are instead building a network and food systems that provide good food for those that do not have access to fairly priced, healthy foods, year-round?

One of our core pillars at the Case Foundation is unleashing the power of entrepreneurship to address significant social challenges — and I believe that a business approach to addressing food insecurity in our country holds huge potential. Specifically, developing more urban farms in communities that don’t have easy access to fresh, affordable produce can offer a steady supply of fruits and vegetables throughout the year. Urban farms can leverage unused, often unsightly places within cities, thereby maximizing both the business and social good case. To be clear, what I am suggesting is not a community garden — these would be for-profit companies operating a business in areas of town that are currently lacking access to fresh and sustainable foods.

This admittedly isn’t an easy solution. Today, the barriers to entry might be too great for even a motivated entrepreneur to get started. Being a farmer is hard work and modern day agriculture has its own set of unique challenges. For example, the cost of land and access to electricity and water, fundamental needs when farming, can be prohibitive.

As citizens however, there are a number of things we can do to help make this a reality.

  • For one, we can encourage public/private partnerships between city governments and individuals or companies who want to create an urban farm.
  • Additionally, cities could provide under utilized land and create zoning laws that would allow for the farm’s food to be sold right on the premises. This would not only create more financial upside for the farmers, but could increase access and exposure to “where food comes from” for the customers.
  • City governments can not only help promote and encourage citizens to visit and purchase food, they can also become customers of the farms for some of their own food needs — including for public school meals, giving kids access to both healthy and truly local foods.
  • To help ease the barriers to entry for farmers, cities can also provide desirable financial assistance in the form of rebates, grants, tax breaks and more to help make starting up and running an urban farm less of a burden. The goal here would not be for cities to entirely finance urban farms, but for cities to be catalysts early on to get businesses that provide long-term benefits for their community up and running. The upfront capital is tough for new farmers, but once these farms are working, they can pursue more traditional forms of financing that will allow them to provide fairly priced, healthy foods all year.

This holiday season, let’s keep up the tradition of showing our gratitude by giving back, and giving others the opportunity to enjoy the bounty of a Thanksgiving meal. But let’s also think about what we can do to create a long-term, sustainable solution — unleashing the power of entrepreneurship — to make sure that all people have access to quality, healthy and sustainable foods year-round.

The Myth of Isolation

Posted on by Case Foundation

The Myth of Isolation is the second post in the Case Foundation’s Myth of the Entrepreneur series. This series is intended to intentionally examine, and change, the stories our culture tells about entrepreneurship. For more information on the Case Foundation’s approach to the Myth series and Inclusive Entrepreneurship, please check out our introductory piece. We encourage you to join the conversation using #Ent4All on Twitter.

The Myth of the Entrepreneur series is based on research conducted by Michael Chodos, former fellow with the Case Foundation and currently at the Beeck Center for Social Impact & Innovation at Georgetown University, with contributions from Aaron Coleman, former Case Foundation intern.

In our first deep dive into prevalent entrepreneurship myths in our culture, we’d like to tackle one of the biggest of them all – that all successful companies emerge from some solitary “moment of inspiration” in some solitary place. The idioms and the imagery – “light bulb moments” and garages where “it all started” – are deeply seeded in the narrative of what it takes to be an entrepreneur. Take a minute and think about the classic tales. It was in the garage that Steve Jobs invented the personal computer. It was in his basement that Alexander Graham Bell uttered those famous lines upon inventing the phone, “Watson, come here! I want to see you!” And Isaac Singer toiled away alone as he built the sewing machine from scratch.

All white men. All idolized for their solitary contributions to society. And all seen as having a stroke of genius while working by themselves in complete isolation. In our nation’s version of entrepreneur mythology, this magic takes place in the garage where the lone inventor works.

This myth is not only talked about in entrepreneurship circles, but even marketers have started using the “great things happen in a garage” sentiment to sell products. For a good example of this, watch the Cadillac ad below:

But it turns out the myths of the garage inventions and the lone inventors are more fiction than fact. Steve Jobs didn’t invent the personal computer in his garage – nor did he start Apple alone. Steve Wozniak pulled the first Apple computer together by tinkering with circuit boards along with a group of friends at the “Homebrew” computer club run out of a bicycle shop in Palo Alto; Jobs convinced him they could sell it.

And what we don’t hear about Bell’s invention of the telephone is that he built his version of the first telephone based on decades of similar designs from others. There was a wealth of knowledge and work on behalf of other brilliant individuals that contributed to Bell’s truly remarkable invention that altered humanities communication forever.

Singer has a similar entrepreneur experience with the invention of his sewing machine. While he’s credited with the invention, he built his work off of decades of incremental inventions by other engineers and designers. At least eighty patents for designs and working machines existed before his first patent was filed. In fact, he was successfully sued for infringing oth­ers’ patented designs.

This “teamwork disguised as individual successes” phenomenon is rarely talked about in mainstream entrepreneurship stories. It leads us to idolize the individual instead of analyzing the team and process that made the idea come to fruition. Steve Johnson, in his book How We Got to Now, takes a deep dive into six innovations that were highly collaborative and involved in how they developed. He discusses inventors like Bell and Thomas Edison, who we think of as lone innovators who had a stroke of genius, and breaks down the real life process that led to inventions that changed the course of history. Thomas Edison gets the credit for inventing the light bulb, but his “light bulb moment” was actually a much more common iterative process of building off the successes and failures of others in the space.

Entrepreneurship requires work, drive and guts; however, what these four changemakers’ stories reveal is that developing the idea and building the product or service requires the knowledge and contribution of both present and historical peers and networks. It requires the diversity of ideas and perspectives of many pioneering men and women who come together to build on both past and current work, while creating a support system that uplifts an entrepreneur and propels a business.

As research shows, the most successful ventures involve teamwork. A 2013 report published in the Harvard Business School Review (HBR) found that companies with leaders who possess both inherent diversity (gender, ethnicity and sexual orientation) and acquired diversity (robust and varied business and life experiences) were, “45 percent more likely to report that their firm’s market share grew over the previous year and 70 percent more likely to report that the firm captured a new market.” And HBR isn’t alone. Forbes, McKinsey and Company and Scientific American have all published articles and studies that reinforce the theory that greater inclusivity breeds innovation and growth. When we look at the historical facts of great innovations like Apple and the telephone, we see that their success was based on teams. And we see that diverse teams produce greater returns for their investors.

So why do we keep lifting up tales of solitary entrepreneurs from privileged backgrounds working in suburban garages as the ones to emulate? And why do we hold so dear to the idea of lone rangers having singular moments of discovery?

The history and the future of entrepreneurship are full of interesting and diverse characters and stories of great teamwork – and much more interesting than the myths and the models that continue to dominate the narrative. The most powerful ideas are really borne out of a “village”, more than they are happened upon in a rare “aha moment” by a single entrepreneur working in the isolation of their garage, dorm room or basement. Changing that narrative to better reflect reality has the potential to actually make it a reality for more people, in more places, from more backgrounds.

Join the conversation on Twitter at #Ent4All and be sure to check out the full Myth of the Entrepreneur series!

An Imperative for Nonprofit Boards: The Time is Now to Step Up Your Game

Posted on by Case Foundation

This piece originally appeared on BoardSource’s Exceptional Boards blog.

Over the years, I’ve had the great privilege of serving on a wide range of boards — from early stage startup companies to large, established nonprofits — and have observed firsthand the variety of hats we board members can wear. The role of board member compels us to be diligent in our roles as fiduciaries, but that’s just the beginning of our responsibilities. We also need to be champions of and networkers for the organizations we serve. And, particularly in a world where change is accelerating and disruption is becoming the norm, we also need to step up and challenge the organizations we care so much about.

Drop into the average board meeting as an observer and you’ll be quick to spot the fiduciary at work, or the helpful board member offering up valuable insights or supportive compliments. What might be harder to spot is the “fearless challenger” in the mix. And this is for a good reason: Quite commonly, board members view their role as “protector” of the organization, legally bound to ensure the longevity and solvency of their organization. For some, this mandate is a call to exercise an abundance of caution and focus on risk mitigation — in essence, do what they can to be sure bad things don’t happen. But, while of course that’s important, it’s incomplete. Today’s board members have to go further, and challenge the organization to be sure good things happen, too.

Earlier this year, BoardSource released Leading with Intent: A National Index of Nonprofit Board Practices 2015 in which chief executives and board chairs used BoardSource’s 10 basic responsibilities of nonprofit boards — including mission, financial oversight and strategy — to assess their board’s performance. The result was a disappointing B- average, reflecting “responsible, but not necessarily exceptional, performance.” The Leading with Intent survey found that boards have a particularly difficult time adapting and adjusting to change, noting that “boards do well at functions related to compliance and oversight, but face challenges with their strategic and external work.”

Given the critical role boards play in influencing and guiding the work of social sector organizations, when it comes to performance, anything less than exceptional is simply unacceptable. Underpinning all of our fiduciary and legal responsibilities on the boards we serve is the need to help our organizations adapt, innovate and…change.

We live in a world where the pace of change is unprecedented. It’s not just the old organizations that have to reinvent their ways of doing business to keep pace, even new and highly successful organizations such as Google, Facebook and Amazon routinely adapt their structures, their practices and even their workforce to stay relevant and ensure they are well poised for the future or adapting to new market opportunities as they emerge.

In the social sector, many of the organizations we serve are on the front lines of the world’s most pressing challenges where the “same old way of doing things” is simply not an option. As noted in the Leading with Intent report, this assessment should serve as a wake-up call for boards. If we want to move from a B- to an A+, we all have work to do. We must understand that while risk mitigation is important, it’s also important to push the organizations we serve to try new things, experiment and challenge the status quo. Often for an organization to stay nimble, it needs to feel it has the backing of its board to take some risks and be bold. If we, as board members, don’t provide the requisite “air cover” to encourage risk taking, we are not really serving the organizations’ long-term interests.

Through time there have been many examples of organizations we can learn from that missed the mark on these fronts. Shouldn’t Kodak have brought us Instagram? Shouldn’t Blockbuster have brought us Netflix? Instead, they were utterly disrupted by these upstarts. These companies didn’t have their heads in the sand — they were aware of the upstart challenges — but they didn’t organize and prioritize to meet the challenge. They were taking what they thought was the safe route, and it turned out to be the risky route. They were stuck playing defense, when they needed to play offense.

If we are privileged to serve in board roles then we need to be bold enough to ask the hard questions and challenge the organizations we are there to support. In this period of great disruption and change, it is imperative that boards don’t just focus on the current operations, but also keep an eye toward the future — and make room for the necessary strategic conversations about the future.

How can these ideas be put into practice? Here are three specific suggestions:

  • Ask your CEO to highlight “threats and opportunities” as a routine part of board sessions, not just report out on current operations. On this point, remember that often everything is fine until it is not, so relying just on current operating activities without an eye on the broader landscape can represent its own “head in the sand” risk.
  • Make sure someone at the table is routinely asking, “How is the landscape around us changing, and are we adapting fast enough to meet these challenges and leverage new opportunities?” If you don’t have board members asking these questions already, you can “assign” this role to a given board member or members to ensure that the requisite conversation takes place. This “designated hitter” approach (often via a lead director) offers a safe and effective method to put on the table what some board members are really thinking or questioning, but often don’t feel comfortable to be the first to put forth. By openly “assigning” this role at the start of dialogue, a CEO can get the “unspoken” issues on the table.
  • Ask the CEO what she/he needs to ensure that the organization’s future can be ensured, and strengthened. As a board, be prepared to listen carefully to the answer to this question. All too often budgets are prepared under the assumption of what the board expects. What the board really needs to know is what the CEO really thinks the right path forward should be — not what the CEO thinks the board wants to hear, or might readily approve.

By formally inviting an all-cards-on-the-table conversation, board members can be candid and honest in providing feedback, without worrying that their suggestions or critiques might be viewed as unsupportive. This kind of dialogue can help build trust and a sense that “we are all in this together,” which can go a long way to furthering the goals of the board and the organization.

Last year, I had the privilege of speaking at the BoardSource Leadership Forum about why we all need to Be Fearless in the social sector. I laid out the five key principles that typically are present when organizations or movements achieve transformative breakthroughs. The response was overwhelming, as I heard from many in the community afterwards about what they were already doing in line with the Be Fearless principles, or what they were inspired to do moving forward.

Since then, we have been working closely with practitioners in the field to improve our Be Fearless Framework for Action. We heard from many of you what worked and what didn’t, and as a result we’ve revamped the tools, to make them more useful — including adding more ways to assess your organization and identify opportunities for increasing your impact.

I invite you to check out the new Framework at CaseFoundation.org/BeFearless — and hope you will let me know what you think about it so we can continue to improve it.

Being the fearless one in the room — especially the boardroom — is never easy, but it is necessary if we are going to fully support individuals and organizations that will create the transformative change the world needs. These ideas may seem foreign to some, given the traditional boardroom dynamics that are so commonplace, but they are grounded in real-world examples and best-in-class practices that yield results…results the world cannot wait for any longer.

Jean Case is CEO of the Case Foundation, and serves in a number of board roles, including: the National Geographic Board of Trustees; Accelerate Brain Cancer Cure (ABC2); SnagFilms; BrainScope Company, Inc.; and the White House Historical Association. In addition, she is also a member of several advisory boards, including: Georgetown University’s Beeck Center for Social Impact & Innovation; Harvard Business School’s Social Enterprise Initiative; and the Stanford Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society.

Meet the Entrepreneurs of Women’s Venture Xchange – Africa

Posted on by Case Foundation

Earlier this summer, the Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN) kicked off to a new mentorship and exchange program for high-growth women entrepreneurs based in Africa called the Women’s Venture Xchange-Africa (WVXA). Run in partnership with the Case Foundation, the Mara Foundation and the U.S. Department of State, the inaugural cohort of four women entrepreneurs convened in Nairobi, Kenya this week to begin their month-long mentorship. (To learn more about the WVXA, check out Sheila Herrling’s blog post, Women’s Venture Xchange-Africa: Expanding Women-led Businesses in Africa.)

As we wrap up our weeklong celebration of entrepreneurship in all communities—including women, people of color and those who are using business as a source for good—we are excited to introduce you to this cohort of four exceptionally talented women!!


Hyasintha Ntuyeko – Kasole Secrets
Hyasintha NtuyekoHyasintha Ntuyeko knew at a very young age that she wanted to be an entrepreneur. In 2013, fresh from university, she founded Kasole Secrets Company, Ltd. Kasole’s organically manufactured sanitary napkins, Glory, are disrupting the industry in Tanzania. Hyasintha’s desire and determination to succeed in her new career is an inspiration to many and duly recognized – she is a Tanzania Young Professionals Trail Blazer, an award given to individuals who demonstrate exceptional leadership skills in difficult circumstances, and a Mandela Washington Fellow.


Nobukhosi Ndlovu – Caudliss Trading T/A Nutrie Foods
Nobukhosi NdlovuPrior to launching her own company, Caudliss Trading T/A Nutrie Foods, Nobukhosi Ndlovu worked as a Human Resources Consultant. She started Nutrie Foods with a mission – satisfy the Zimbabwean market’s domestic consumption requirements through efficient, effective manufacturing technologies and dedicated staff. Nutrie Foods manufactures and packages peanut butter, kapenta fish and salt. However, their ambitions don’t stop there; in the next two years they will begin manufacturing and distributing scouring powder, jam, cooking oil and fruit, with plans for greater expansion over the next five years.

Nobuskhosi aspires to lead a corporation that is a dominant player in the manufacturing and distribution of household products in Zimbabwe and beyond. Her team values the quality of its products, the innovative nature of their business model and the excellent customer experience they provide.

Linda Mukangoga – Haute Baso
Linda MukangogaLinda Mukangoga is one of two young female Rwandan designers who founded Haute Baso. Linda was born in Washington, DC, to Rwandan parents. Linda spent time between the US and Rwanda and finally settled permanently in Rwanda to work for Gahaya Links, a company that trains rural women in the production of artisanal crafts for international markets. After participating in the design and distribution of pieces that were carried in large, international retail chains including Anthropologie and Macy’s, Linda was empowered by the belief that there is a market to showcase Rwanda globally while creating employment opportunities for the girls she works with. From this belief, Haute Baso was born – a Rwandan ethical fashion brand.


Annet Ayamba – Your Choice Agro Processors
Annet AyambaAnnet Ayamba is from Kampala, Uganda and holds a Bachelors of Art in Education from Makerere University. Annet founded Your Choice Agro Processors in 2000 with just $200, and has since accelerated the company’s growth and market share, becoming the head of a leading agriculture processor in Uganda. Your Choice Agro Processors produces millet, cassava, maize, honey, rice and soybeans. Annet’s five-year plan includes expansion regionally with a focus on Kenya and internationally with increased global sales.

 

At the Case Foundation, we are excited to play a part in this pilot program that aims to unleash the promise of great entrepreneurs around the globe, and are particularly thrilled to introduce you to each of these high-potential entrepreneurs who represent diverse African cultures and budding industries. We hope you will join us in supporting and following the journey of the fearless entrepreneurs!

 

Entrepreneurs + Toilets: A Matchup that Won’t Go Down the Drain

Posted on by Case Foundation

This week at the Case Foundation, we’ve been celebrating entrepreneurs — their role as innovators, job creators and the heart of economic growth — as part of National Entrepreneurship Month and Global Entrepreneurship Week.

It just so happens that within this busy week falls another day that is close to our heart — World Toilet Day — focused on raising awareness of the 2.4 billion people around the world who lack access to clean water and sanitation. Today’s efforts will also shine a spotlight on the incredible people and organizations working towards meeting the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal to ensure access to water and sanitation for all.

For me, it’s a not just a happy coincidence that these two important world celebrations — entrepreneurs and toilets — fall in the same week. In fact, I see them as closely intertwined. Admittedly, it’s an odd couple at first glance… what do entrepreneurs and toilets have to do with each other? Actually, quite a lot.

We talk a lot at the Case Foundation about the role that entrepreneurs can — and must — play to solve some of our most intractable social challenges. And opportunities abound to bring entrepreneurial thinking and approaches to address the sanitation crisis.

One of the organizations living this idea is Sanergy, a social enterprise and a grantee of the Case Foundation. We’ve written about its groundbreaking work in the informal settlements of Nairobi, Kenya and had the opportunity to spend time with the Sanergy team during our visit to Africa this summer. But what’s particularly worth highlighting about Sanergy on this year’s World Toilet Day is its unique approach to leveraging the power of entrepreneurship. Through its franchise model, Sanergy has created a community of 370 micro-entrepreneurs — known as Fresh Life Operators — who purchase and operate Fresh Life toilets, providing their communities with access to clean, safe and affordable hygienic sanitation.

The Sanergy team mentors and assists these entrepreneurs along the way: from providing training in basic business skills, to partnering with Kiva to provide access to interest-free loans, assisting in the set up of savings accounts and holding regular forums on best practices. Creating a community of successful Fresh Life Operators goes well beyond enabling these entrepreneurs to provide hygienic sanitation to their friends and neighbors (via the 764 Fresh Life Toilets deployed to date), but they are also helping them create jobs. To date, nearly 150 Fresh Life Operators have hired attendants to help run their toilets, creating new, steady jobs in an area with 40 percent unemployment.

Sanergy certainly isn’t alone in this endeavor to leverage entrepreneurship to address the sanitation crisis — our long time partner Water for People has piloted a “sanitation as a business” initiative, which it intends to build on in 2016. And WSUP (Water and Sanitation for the Urban Poor) has been a leader in this space, incubating a number of new initiatives that leverage the power of business and entrepreneurship to provide sanitation solutions in places like Ghana, Bangladesh, Kenya and Zambia, through its innovative WSUP Enterprises effort. And companies like Sanivation (an alumni of the incubator program run by our friends at Halcyon House), Pivot, x-Runner Venture and many others are making an impact by providing toilets and removing waste from communities in places like Kigali, Naivasha and Lima. The list of innovative organizations leveraging entrepreneurship to address the range of challenges in the sanitation crisis goes on and on.

It is my hope that someday, we won’t need a World Toilet Day because each and every person will have access to safe, hygienic sanitation, forever. But until that day, let’s celebrate the unexpected and critical role that entrepreneurs and innovators can play in changing the status quo.

Show your support for World Toilet Day by tweeting: Celebrate the innovative entrepreneurs working to address the global sanitation crisis this #WorldToiletDay! https://bit.ly/1NEDuT4

Be Fearless Spotlight: Reliefwatch

Posted on by Case Foundation

This Spotlight is authored by guest writer Caitlin Kelly as part of a special blog series by the Case Foundation featuring Be Fearless stories from the field. Follow along with us as we meet people and learn about organizations that are taking risks, being bold and failing forward in their efforts to create transformative change in the social sector.

Disclosure: Reliefwatch received a program-related investment from the Case Foundation in 2015.

Imagine having to walk for three days simply to reach the nearest clinic to access the medicine you or your child desperately need. Now, imagine reaching your destination only to find the medicine you need is not there. In many parts of the developing world, that’s the reality. Reliefwatch founder and CEO Daniel Yu is helping to address this critical problem of expired medications (and a lack of needed supplies) that affect more than one million health centers and countless patients in the developing world.

It was on a trip to rural Egypt in 2012 that Yu, then an undergraduate student of international studies at the University of Chicago, encountered the problem firsthand. A local pharmacy had shelves full of various medicines, but many were out of date and therefore useless. In speaking with the local pharmacist, Yu learned that there were also no reliable communication channels—they operated without an inventory tracking system. “There was no computer or internet access, so there was no way for suppliers to see how this was happening,” explains Yu. But what was plentiful? Basic mobile phones.

At its root, the problem was one of distribution—aggravated by a serious and health-impairing failure to communicate. If only those prescribing and distributing the medicines had a reliable, consistent and easy way to make sure the warehouse knew what they needed.

Yu wasn’t then focused on the many challenges of improving public health or the specific logistical mechanics of pharmaceutical distribution. But, in a classic example of being fearless, he let a personal sense of urgency conquer his fear and reached beyond his bubble to begin substantive conversations with strangers many thousands of miles away, in places like Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania, who urgently needed a solution to this pressing problem.

Being fearless means reaching beyond your familiar areas of expertise, as Yu did. “I didn’t have deep expertise in the NGO world,” he admits. But he didn’t let that stop him. Though he lacked a background in international development, he did know the world of information technology. Yu notes, “More people in the developing world have access to a cell phone than a toilet. You can use technology to effect change. And that goes beyond simply creating the next social media site, but rather solving a problem that is fundamentally affecting people’s lives.”

But how to make use of that specific connectivity? Yu brought together a small team to create innovative software that could manage inventory records with basic mobile phones. He dove in “headfirst” with Reliefwatch simply because “no one had done it.” Being fearless and taking a risk to help people live better lives “was in our DNA from the start.”

“The big problem is availability and information transfer,” he explains. Faxed forms get lost or ignored. Phones might not work. The internet might go down, or become unreliable or expensive. So this became the challenge Yu decided to tackle, making a Be Fearless-style “big bet” that his novel and untried solution could help.

ReliefWatch Image

Even when a central warehouse is well-stocked with medicine, transferring information quickly, clearly and reliably between far-flung pharmacies and clinics—as well as those also responsible for getting stock out to others—is an ongoing problem. Yu looked to solve the question, “How do you make information collectible and actionable?”

Participating clinics get an automated call twice a week at a pre-scheduled time. The employee who answers is then asked, “How many bottles of amoxicillin do you have?” The employee’s keyed-in reply is then integrated into a cloud system and goes directly to the supplier. Yu shares, “It makes their life easy and straightforward. Instead of loading up a random truck once a month and finding out once they’ve arrived on-site that the pharmacy didn’t need it or, worse, they needed it a month ago.”

“Often, it’s a volume issue. The supplier is responsible for hundreds of clinics with no personal contact and lots of parts within that supply chain,” says Yu. “Sometimes it’s the manufacturer who needs the information. It becomes a transparency issue.”

At its core, says Yu, “Reliefwatch is a tool that helps organizations be more efficient and effective by reducing waste and loss.” Some organizations, having invested their resources in medicines, lose up to 10 percent of it annually when it expires before being used, he adds. Users of his system include NGOs, government organizations, private organizations “and any entity invested in making sure that medicine gets to the last mile and is available.”

USAID is currently using Reliefwatch’s system in Uganda with the country’s Ministry of Health to make sure that vaccines are being distributed; the pilot project is being tested in two districts and 80 sites and may expand to the rest of the country. “To date, we’ve had a 100 percent response rate in our data collection [in Uganda]—you’re often lucky to get responses in the double digits.”

The reason that’s important is because the fundamental problem Reliefwatch is trying solve is to use their system by collecting data (and making it actionable) in areas where it’s previously been very difficult or costly to do so. So, though previously a Ministry of Health like Uganda’s may only have had reliable information on the availability of medicines in 15 percent of their clinics, today, using Reliefwatch, they could potentially be able to access data on nearly all of their clinics, which would dramatically increase their ability to provide reliable health services, particularly in times of crisis or disease outbreaks.

Yu’s fearless plan for 2016 is to double Reliefwatch’s reach, adding Honduras, Kenya, Panama, Nicaragua, Rwanda, the Philippines, Indonesia and China. “Going into an emerging market is not as straightforward,” he says. “We’re often going in blind or semi-blind.”

It also takes a willingness to jump on a plane to Nairobi, as he did to explain his system face-to-face with dubious potential users there. Three months ago, Yu and his team noticed that East Africa is the fastest-growing business region in Africa, but at the same time, that there’s a lot of uncertainty about how to best create relationships there, let alone effective ones.

“How would we meet our ambitious goals unless we took actions to get on the ground? It wouldn’t be possible,” he says. So Yu “knocked on doors” once they arrived in Kenya and quickly saw results from his big bet. “When we actually sat across the table from people, they were extremely receptive and were more than happy to meet with us.”

And there is proof that the bet paid off: A planned two-week visit blossomed into a fruitful 2.5 months as Reliefwatch hired a full-time employee in Nairobi to handle the new business.

Feeling inspired? If you’re ready to begin your own Be Fearless journey start by downloading our free Be Fearless Action Guide and Case Studies.

Header photo credit: Flickr user DFATAustralianAID, used via Creative Commons.

The Myth of the Entrepreneur

Posted on by Case Foundation

Entrepreneurship is the bedrock of our country’s economy. In the US, fast-growing, innovation-driven startups represent only two to three percent of all businesses, but they create almost all of the revenue growth in our economy. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, over a recent three-year period 34 percent of all private sector jobs were created by 80,000 high-growth businesses. Beyond the creation of jobs and wealth, entrepreneurship serves perhaps an even more essential function to Americans—it embodies our shared belief in limitless individual opportunity. Our Chairman, Steve Case, often reminds us that America itself represents one of the greatest startup ventures ever. Deeply ingrained in America’s startup business proposition was the belief that any individual—no matter their race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, economic background or geographic location—could bring their entrepreneurial talents to building the kinds of strong and diverse businesses and communities we need to keep our nation prosperous.

Yet today the American dream that any individual has the power to change his or her own trajectory, and in doing so be a part of driving our nation’s entrepreneurship and innovation legacy forward, is fading. The vast majority of today’s celebrated startups continue to be founded and funded by white, well-educated, well-networked males. Women are at the helm of 30 percent of all businesses in the US, and these businesses are leading the way in terms of hiring and growth. However, startups with women CEOs still receive only three percent of venture capital funding. Minority-owned businesses are growing at a faster clip than non-minority owned businesses, but are receiving an even smaller fraction of investments.

Why is that? It’s not that high-potential, high-performance companies founded by women and entrepreneurs of color don’t exist—check out the amazing talent featured at the first ever White House Demo Day this summer. It’s not that performance data isn’t on their side—women-founded ventures are outperforming their male counterparts and companies with diverse executive teams (gender and race) are more likely to have higher financial returns. It might be that unconscious bias permeates—bosses tend to hire people that look like they do, think like they do and come from similar experiences that they do. Investors tend to do the same. Sadly, it might be that men are perceived as “more persuasive” pitchers. Whatever the reasons, it can’t be that leaving half the team on the sidelines is a winning game plan.

In an effort to level the playing field and leverage the maximum potential of America’s entrepreneurial talent, earlier this year the Case Foundation launched a new effort to catalyze a movement around Inclusive Entrepreneurship. We have been inspired by the data that suggest diversifying our entrepreneurial ecosystem is good for business and good for the world. We have been inspired by early pioneers like Forward Cities, PowerMoves and JumpStart, Inc., who have been leading the way in engaging, networking and financing diverse entrepreneurs in their communities. And we have been exceedingly curious about the extent to which the American culture and mythology surrounding entrepreneurship, perpetuated by the media, may be impeding the success of women and entrepreneurs of color.

Unbundling The Myth of the Entrepreneur

Today, when you look at the most highly celebrated entrepreneurs—or look at how entrepreneurs are depicted in pop culture—it’s not exactly a picture of diversity. And typically the story of the entrepreneur casts main characters that appear to be singularly heroic, toiling away in garages and labs until, suddenly, a Eureka Moment! Culture begets behavior, and behavior creates outcomes. So if we want to change outcomes by expanding access to entrepreneurship, we must start with what informs our culture of entrepreneurship: We must very intentionally examine, and change, the stories we tell.

In conjunction with National Entrepreneurship Month and Global Entrepreneurship Week, we are doing our small part to start changing the narrative by launching a new blog series called The Myth of the Entrepreneur. Through this series we will take a critical look at the common stories told in startup culture. We want to distinguish between what stories should be embraced and what stories are holding us back. And to suggest it’s time to reboot and re-focus the narrative on entrepreneurship, and create a message of inspiration and aspiration grounded in inclusivity. The next era of entrepreneurship is about leveling the playing field, expanding participation and scaling the networks of social, financial and inspirational capital that provide the foundation for successful startups and scalable business. The new paradigm of entrepreneurship will replace the myth of isolated geniuses with teams of diverse problem-solvers working hard and collectively to build and scale businesses that make life better for all, not just more convenient for an elite few.

If we can debunk these long-standing and highly influential myths, perhaps we can, together, put a new “face” on today’s entrepreneur. We hope you will join us on this journey—offer up your thoughts, inspiration and new era entrepreneurs you admire on twitter using the hashtag #Ent4All. Check back here next week to learn the truth about one of the most infamous myths of entrepreneurship today—The Myth of Isolation.

50 Entrepreneurial Influencers You Should Be Following On Twitter

Posted on by Case Foundation

At the Case Foundation, we celebrate the power of entrepreneurship—as a means to help changemakers tackle global challenges, transform communities, create jobs, spur economic growth and close the opportunity gap—every day of the year.

This week however is special, as we join with millions of others in the world’s largest celebration of entrepreneurs, innovators and job creators during Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW). Now in its ninth year, GEW “inspires people everywhere through local, national and global activities designed to help them explore their potential as self-starters and innovators.” It has become a “platform for connection and collaboration—engaging all players along the entrepreneurship spectrum in strengthening ecosystems around the world.”

To forge a stronger, more dynamic and increasingly diverse entrepreneurial ecosystem, we have curated a list of 50 influencers in the entrepreneurial space—with a focus on social entrepreneurs, women entrepreneurs, entrepreneurs of color, impact investors and ecosystem builders—who we encourage you to follow and engage with on Twitter. We recognize that there are thousands of others who are actively engaging in this conversation on Twitter… so if you want to shine a spotlight on others supporting this ecosystem, please let us know on Twitter using @CaseFoundation and the hashtag #Ent4All.

And don’t forget to keep in touch with the Case Foundation and our team!
@CaseFoundation   @JeanCase   @SteveCase   Full Team List

Entrepreneurial Influencers*:
Easily follow every Twitter handle on this list through our Entrepreneurship Twitter List.

Halcyon Incubator

@HalcyonIncubate

Supporting intrepid social entrepreneurs with transformative ideas to solve 21st century challenges.

PowerMoves

@PowerMovesNOLA

PowerMoves.NOLA is about creating power through opportunity – the opportunity of high growth minority Traditional & Tech Entrepreneurship.

1776

@1776

Global incubator & seed fund helping startups transform industries that impact millions—education, energy & sustainability, health, transportation & cities.

FundGoodJobs

@FundGoodJobs

We bet on good job creators.

Propeller

@GoPropeller

Propeller is a New Orleans nonprofit that works to solve local problems through social innovation. #PropelForward #PropelChange

Scott Case

@tscottcase

@MainStGenome Co-Founder *** Up Global https://www.UP.co *** @MalariaNoMore to end malaria deaths in Africa by 2015.

Entrepreneur Magazine

@EntMagazine

Premier business magazine for entrepreneurs. Our main account is @Entrepreneur. Follow this account for all print-related content and material.

Penny Pritzker

@PennyPritzker

The official Twitter feed of the United States Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker

TechStars

@TechStars

Techstars is a global ecosystem that empowers entrepreneurs to bring new technologies to market wherever they choose to build their business.

Catalyst

@CatalystInc

Working globally to build inclusive workplaces and expand opportunities for women and business. Terms of use: https://catalyst.org/node/683

Tory Burch Foundation

@ToryBurchFdn

The official Tory Burch Foundation tweets.

UBS

@UBS

Follow us for news about UBS, our events and opinions from around the world.

Startup Weekend

@StartupWeekend

Create communities & build companies in a weekend! No Talk. All Action. Part of @techstars and powered by @GoogleForEntrep

Kauffman Foundation

@KauffmanFDN

Fostering economic independence by advancing education & entrepreneurship. RTs ≠ endorsements. House Rules https://kff.mn/110LS6x

Global Entrepreneurship Network

@unleashingideas

#GEW has given rise to a Global Entrepreneurship Network of entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers, researchers and other startup champions in 160+ countries.

Branson Centre

@bransoncentre

The Branson Centre was established by Richard Branson and Virgin Unite to identify promising entrepreneurs and equip them to launch successful businesses.

Inc

@Inc

Everything you need to know to start and grow your business now.

Conscious Company

@ConsciousCoMag

Print and digital publication about innovative, sustainable businesses that are doing good in the world.

Forbes

@Forbes

Official Twitter account of https://Forbes.com , homepage for the world’s business leaders.

FastCompany

@FastCompany

Official Twitter feed for the Fast Company business media brand; inspiring readers to think beyond traditional boundaries & create the future of business.

Skoll Foundation

@SkollFoundation

Driving large-scale change by investing in, connecting, & celebrating social entrepreneurs & innovators dedicated to solving the world’s most pressing problems

Forward Cities

@ForwardCities

A national learning collaborative between cities of innovation. Focus: inclusive innovation; shared learning; social impact; entrepreneurship.

New Economy Initiaitve

@NEIMichigan

New Economy Initiative for SE Michigan is accelerating the transition to an innovation-based economy that expands opportunities for all.

Christopher Gergen

@cgergen

Focus on urban innovation & developing next generation high-impact leaders. Author, teacher, father, entrepreneur.

Arlan Hamilton

@ArlanWasHere

Investor/Managing Director at @Backstage_Cap 

Earl Robinson

@pmnolaearl

CEO, New Orleans Startup Fund & PowerMoves.NOLA: Providing underrepresented, early-stage treps with access to capital, guidance and a national ecosystem.

Idea Villages

@IdeaVillage

For entrepreneurs and those who believe in them.

Jess Knox

@jknox78251

Movement maker; growth consultant; father; Maine Startup & Create Week, @startupportland @olympicostrat

Blackstone Launch Pad

@BxLaunchPad

Blackstone LaunchPad is a campus entrepreneurship program offering coaching, ideation and venture creation support.

Kapor Center

@KaporCenter

The Kapor Center is relentlessly pursuing creative strategies to leverage tech for positive, progressive change.

SBA

@SBAgov

The official Twitter account of the U.S. Small Business Administration. News, tips, and resources for the small biz community.

JumpStart Inc

@JumpStartInc

JumpStart is a nationally recognized nonprofit accelerating the success of diverse entrepreneurs, their high growth companies and the ecosystems supporting them

The Pew Trusts

@pewtrusts

Driven by knowledge to solve today’s challenging problems, improve public policy, inform the public, and invigorate civic life. RT does not imply endorsement.

Ross Baird

@rossbaird

Executive Director of @villagecapital; also teach at @UVA. Enable entrepreneurs to solve major global problems. Big fan of @UVa basketball, @braves.

CityLab

@CityLab

All things urban, from The Atlantic.

Aspen Institute Center for Urban Innovation

@AspenInstitute

Exploring ideas. Inspiring conversations on issues that matter.

National Urban League

@NatUrbanLeague

Established in 1910, National Urban League is the nation’s oldest and largest community-based movement devoted to empowering African Americans.

Small Business Majority

@SmlBizMajority

We are a national small business organization founded and run by small business owners.

Opportunity Hub

@ohubatl

Opportunity Hub is the largest minority owned multi-campus coworking space, entrepreneurship school, pre-accelerator and incubator.

John Hope Bryant

@johnhopebryant

Thought leader, founder, chairman and CEO, Bryant Group Ventures & Operation HOPE, bestselling author of How The Poor Can Save Capitalism & LOVE LEADERSHIP

Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship

@NFTE

Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) is a global nonprofit that unlocks potential in young people by teaching them how to think entrepreneurially.

Opportunity Finance Network

@OppFinance

OFN is a national network of CDFIs (community lending institutions) that invest in opportunities to benefit low-income and low-wealth people in the U.S.

Ellevate Network

@EllevateNtwk

A global women’s network. The essential resource for professional women who create, inspire and lead. Together we #InvestInWomen.

Sallie Krawcheck

@SallieKrawcheck

Ellevest, Ellevate Network…past head of Merrill Lynch & Smith Barney ….past research analyst…..mom….crazed UNC basketball fan

Lesa Mitchell

@lesamitchell

Supporting networks that enable inventors and startups to scale.

Craig Shapiro

@cshapiro

Founder and managing partner @collabfund. Student of history.

Jacqueline Novogratz

@jnovogratz

Founder/CEO of @acumen, dedicated to changing the way the world tackles poverty. Author of The Blue Sweater

Linda Rottenberg

@lindarottenberg

Endeavor CEO and Co-Founder, high-impact entrepreneurship promoter, mom of identical twins. Author of Crazy Is A Compliment

Omidyar Network

@OmidyarNetwork

A philanthropic investment firm harnessing the power of markets to create opportunity for people to improve their lives. #PositiveReturns

Google for Entrepreneurs

@GoogleForEntrep

News and updates from Google for Entrepreneurs.

*This list is provided for informational and educational purposes only. Inclusion on this list does not include endorsement by the Foundation.

Build Your BE FEARLESS Style On ReadBeFearless.com