Archives - Page 3

  • Issue 47 | Asia’s Social Innovations, Social Enterprises, and Public-Private Partnerships
    No. 47 (2018)

    Dear Reader,

    Across the globe there has been a rapid rise in the number of social sector innovators and entrepreneurs who want to find innovative ways to solve, or move the needle on, society’s problems. They are increasingly deploying the methods of business and private capital, if that helps them to do so. However, “despite the growing interest and commitment by stakeholders, there exists a gap between funders and Social Purpose Organizations (SPOs)...the common feedback is a struggle by funders to identify the right SPOs.”1

    In Asia, “while governments have a vital role to play, it is increasingly the private sector that is stepping up to tackle the challenges of inequality and poverty.” To address these challenges, AVPN is leading a regional strategy by convening a diverse group of social investors and providing them with a platform to foster collaboration and knowledge sharing. The Deal Share Platform reinforces AVPN’s work to increase the flow of financial, intellectual, and human capital towards greater social impact in the sector. We find this strategy confirmed by other international markets that are creating spaces of encounter for academia, government, the private sector, and civil society dialogue to enable collaboration and the development of new cross organizational investment models. Internationally, we see the need for new spaces led by social enterprises that seek a community of practice with their peers to share sector-based knowledge concerning evaluation, finances, funding, and sponsors; hiring and diversity; and mentorship from those enterprises that have achieved scale and offer transparent spaces to share their models with interested investors. 

    In addition, actors in the Social Innovation and Enterprise industry are concluding that social innovation and social enterprise, while achieving better social impact goals, need to engage in the world of public policy and systems change. Although social innovation and enterprise are sparking change, large-scale change often can only be achieved through national, state, and local policy changes that embrace innovation and new social sector models. Social Enterprises need to be Social Capital Agents as they are motivated by social good and are there for the long-term. They foster, formulate, perform, and evaluate society’s policies that are in the furtherance of public good. 

    The current status is evident, and though difficult, a path forward has been laid out. By creating spaces of encounter for academia, state, the private sector, and civil society the next steps towards more sustainable and innovative models and necessary policy change are crystal clear.

    We hope you read the articles (highlighted below) in this publication to gain a sense of the promise and future of Asia’s evolving Social Sector.

    Sincerely,

    Nicholas Torres 
    Tine Hansen-Turton
    Co-Founders

    Kevin Teo
    Managing Director of Knowledge Center
    AVPN

    1 Teo, Joy (2018). AVPN Deal Share, Bridging Social Investments.  Social Innovations Journal

  • Issue 46 | Chicago’s Social Innovations, Social Enterprises, and Public Private Partnerships
    No. 46 (2018)

    Dear Reader,

    Across the globe and in the Greater Chicago Region, there has been a rapid rise in the number of social sector innovators and entrepreneurs who want to find innovative ways to solve or move the needle on society’s problems, and increasingly they are deploying the methods of business and private capital to help them do so.

    This edition, titled: Chicago’s Social Innovations, Social Enterprises, and Public Private Partnerships, demonstrates how Chicago, the third largest city in the United States, is leading the international social impact and social policy movement. The Greater Chicago Social Sector Region has learned that creating social impact is not bound by tax status. New vehicles for social enterprise and social investing are spurring innovation and bringing new resources to the sector. 

    Forefront, Illinois' statewide association of nonprofits, grantmaking foundations, advisors, public agencies, and social impact sector allies, is leading this movement by convening leaders in this field to grow investments and build the sector's capacity to work in new and innovative ways. Forefront is focused on achieving the goal of a thriving and innovative social enterprise sector in Illinois which utilizes the power of the marketplace to fund social change. Since 2015, Forefront convenes a Social Enterprise Roundtable comprised of funders, social entrepreneurs, universities, incubators, businesses, and others to discuss the current state of social enterprise in Illinois and how to better align organizations with the funding and resources they need to succeed. The Social Enterprise Roundtable evolved into a research study, funded by Dunham Fund and Delta Institute, that concluded with three key findings:

    1. Social enterprises seek a community of practice with their peers to share sector-based knowledge concerning evaluation, finances, funding and sponsors, hiring and diversity, and mentorship from enterprises that have already achieved scale.
    2. Social enterprises seek reliable, multi-year sources of funding, matching grants, and/or low-interest loans.
    3. Social enterprises seek funds for securing consulting sources, such as strategic planning assistance, market research, feasibility studies, critical strategy decisions, accounting, financial planning, branding and marketing, and administrative structure.

    More recently, actors in the social innovation and enterprise industry have concluded that although social innovation organizations and social enterprises are achieving better social impact goals, there continues to be a need for them to engage more directly in the world of public policy and systems change. Although social innovation and enterprise are sparking change, large-scale change can only be achieved through national, state, and local policy changes that embrace innovation and new social sector models. Nonprofits and social enterprises are Social Capital Agents, as such they are motivated by social good and are focused on long-term change. They foster, formulate, perform, and evaluate society’s policies to advance public good. 

    The current status is evident, and though difficult, a path forward has been laid out. By creating spaces of encounter for academia, state, the private sector, and civil society the next steps towards more sustainable and innovative models and necessary policy change are crystal clear.

    We hope you read the articles (summarized below) of this publication to gain a sense of the promise that innovation holds for the future of Greater Chicago’s Social Sector.  

    Sincerely,

    Nicholas Torres
    Tine Hansen-Turton
    Co-Founders

    Eric Weinheimer
    Kim Casey
    Forefront

  • Issue 45 | Social Innovation’s Ecosystem in Argentina and Chile
    No. 45 (2018)

    Dear Reader,

    As we continue sharing social innovations tools and knowledge across the globe, we are honored to present this edition titled: Social Innovation’s Ecosystem in Argentina and Chile. This edition was made possible through the personal and professional introductions and connections of the Eisenhower Fellows, and Social Innovations Journal’s Director of Latin America, Alejandra Navas-Martinez, who cultivated each relationship and curated the contributing articles that reflect organizations across Argentina and Chile sharing their social innovations respectively. Alejandra Navas-Martinez best expressed the impact of this edition when she stated, "There are no words to describe how my life became richer after talking with all the authors of this edition and learning about their amazing work."

    We encourage you to read the introduction article to this edition as it provides a macro context to the social innovations movement within the respective countries of Chile and Argentina. In brief, the edition concludes, as summarized in the introduction article, that social innovations in Latin America emerge from the intersection between different processes -- where theory meets practice, where innovators share experiences, sponsors finance and take risks, public and private organizations cooperate, scientific information is sound, and where knowledge comes from the experiences and the practical needs being met. The key is synergy.1 By creating spaces of encounter for academia, state, the private sector, and civil society the path forward towards sustainable and inclusive development becomes clearer.  

    Within the context of Chile and Argentina, the local government provides public services that were transferred from the central government, mostly without the required resources to manage them properly. Which leads us to the imminent need for innovation. Innovation comes together as a result of the cooperation between entities including local and national governments. At the local level, it is essential to strengthen local governments to enable them to lead the process of social and economic development; and at the national level, the government must create necessary infrastructure and regulatory framework to achieve development. Finally, as innovations are often driven by passionate individuals, this edition concludes that we need passionate leaders who inspire and channel the energy of the community to focus their skills to guide and transform ideas into action, while also demonstrating the need for the community to commit to sustainable solutions to ensure the dignity and pride of its people.   

    At the Social Innovations Journal, we believe the potential of good ideas to inspire more good ideas cannot be underestimated. As we attempted to focus this edition on Chile and Argentina’s social innovations we learned that every obstacle we encountered lost its power in the face of the irrepressible force of sharing knowledge and ideas, and resulted, organically, with good ideas finding their own way to the light to accomplish their mission and inspire more good ideas.  

    From each one of these articles we can highlight common elements -- leadership, commitment to service and helping others, and the awareness that only by working together and searching for integral and sustainable solutions can we make the impossible become possible. We hope that the inspiring power of every one of these articles leaves an impact on each of you and inspires you to have the audacity to drive innovative efforts based on new ideas and change.

    Yours in Innovation,

    Nicholas Torres, Co-Founder
    Tine Hansen-Turton, Co-Founder 

     

    Footnotes

    1Claves de la innovación social en América Latina. CEPAL. 2008

  • Issue 45 | Ecosistema de Innovación Social en Argentina y Chile
    No. 45 (2018)

    Querido lector, 

    A medida que continuamos compartiendo herramientas y conocimientos de innovaciones sociales en todo el mundo, tenemos el honor de presentar esta edición titulada: Ecosistema de Innovación Social en Argentina y Chile. Esta edición fue posible gracias a las presentaciones y conexiones realizadas por Eisenhower Fellows(enlace a Eisenhower Fellowship Homepage) y Alejandra Navas-Martinez quienes cultivaron cada relación y sus respectivas innovaciones sociales. Alejandra Navas-Martinez expresó mejor el impacto de esta edición cuando afirmó que "no hay palabras para describir cómo mi vida se hizo más rica después de hablar con todos los autores de esta edición y aprender sobre su asombroso trabajo". 

    Lo invitamos a leer el artículo introductorio a esta edición, ya que proporciona un macrocontexto al movimiento de las innovaciones sociales en los respectivos países de Chile y Argentina. En resumen, la edición concluye, como se resume en el artículo de introducción, que la innovación de innovaciones sociales en América Latina surge de la intersección entre diferentes procesos, donde la teoría se encuentra con la práctica, donde los innovadores comparten experiencias, patrocinan finanzas y toman riesgos, cooperan organizaciones públicas y privadas , la información científica es sólida y el conocimiento proviene de las experiencias y las necesidades prácticas que se satisfacen. La clave es la sinergia. Al crear espacios de encuentro para la academia, el estado, el sector privado y la sociedad civil, el camino hacia el desarrollo sostenible e inclusivo se vuelve más claro. Particularmente en el contexto de Chile y Argentina, el gobierno local proporciona servicios públicos que fueron transferidos del gobierno central, en su mayoría sin los recursos necesarios para gestionarlos adecuadamente. La innovación se conjuga cuando los gobiernos locales y nacionales se unen.  A nivel local, es esencial fortalecer a los gobiernos locales para que puedan liderar el proceso de desarrollo social y económico; y a nivel nacional, el gobierno debe crear la infraestructura requerida y el marco regulatorio para lograr este desarrollo. Finalmente, como las innovaciones a menudo son impulsadas por personas apasionadas, esta edición concluye que necesitamos líderes apasionados que inspiren y canalicen la energía de la comunidad y enfoquen sus habilidades para orientar y transformar las ideas en hechos, al mismo tiempo que demuestren la necesidad de una comunidad comprometida a la búsqueda de soluciones sostenibles para garantizar la dignidad y el orgullo. 

    En The Social Innovations Journal creemos que no se puede subestimar el potencial de las buenas ideas para inspirar más buenas ideas. Mientras intentamos enfocar esta edición en Chile y las Innovaciones Sociales de Argentina, aprendimos que cada obstáculo que encontramos pierde su poder frente a la fuerza irreprimible de compartir conocimiento e ideas y resulta, orgánicamente, con buenas ideas encontrando su propio camino a la luz para cumplir su misión e inspirar más ideas.  De cada uno de estos artículos podemos destacar elementos comunes: liderazgo, compromiso con el servicio y ayuda a los demás, y la audacia y conciencia de que solo trabajando juntos y buscando soluciones integrales y sostenibles podemos hacer que lo imposible sea posible. Esperamos que el poder inspirador de cada uno de estos artículos deje un impacto en cada uno de ustedes y lo inspire a tener la audacia de liderar esfuerzos basados en nuevas ideas y cambios.

    Atentamente en Innovación, 

    Nicholas Torres, cofundador 
    Tine Hansen-Turton, cofundador

  • Issue 44 | Social Innovations to Advance Social Mobility Models in Urban Cities
    No. 44 (2018)

    Dear Readers,

    Americans, according to Brookings1, have been getting better educated in the last half-century, but class gaps in post-secondary educational attainment remain large. College drop-outs have average earnings levels and unemployment rates closer to that of high school graduates than college graduates; individuals born into families at the bottom of the income distribution who get a college degree have more upward mobility than those who do not; and parents pass on their educational advantage to the next generation. Most higher education models focus on getting students into college, but fewer focus on, more importantly, tracking the obtainment of a diploma. Without receiving a diploma, good intentioned individuals, organizations, and colleges often cause more HARM than good towards students who are left without a diploma but burdened with significant loans. 

    The theory of disruptive innovation teaches us that the establishment needs to pay attention to the exceptional or “non-consumers” of the social mobility system who have developed alternative models to current practices of what is offered by those in power. As background, a disruptive innovation is an innovation that creates a new market and value network and eventually disrupts an existing market and value network, displacing established market leading firms, products, and alliances. The term was defined, and phenomenon analyzed, by Clayton M. Christensen and coworkers beginning in 19952. Since the early 2000s, "significant societal impact" has also been viewed as an aspect of disruptive innovation3. Disruptive innovations tend to be produced by outsiders and entrepreneurs, rather than existing market-leading companies. A disruptive process can take longer to develop than by the conventional approach and the risk associated with it is higher than the other more incremental or evolutionary forms of innovation.  

    We have learned that the best correlation for individuals to earn family sustainable wages is either a higher education degree or a vocational certificate tied directly to a trade. Without a higher education degree or vocational certificate we know that individuals are usually “stuck” in the cycle of poverty, because even if they successfully increase their earning potential their public benefit subsidies decrease at the same rate keeping them poor.

    At this time of heightened awareness in which we are operating in a global economy this edition of the Social Innovations Journal titled: SOCIAL INNOVATIONS TO ADVANCE SOCIAL MOBILITY MODELS IN URBAN CITIES, examines successful and innovative social mobility models in corporations, higher education, institutions, and social enterprises and offers strategies for them to scale or scale their impact.   

    We especially encourage our readership to read the article College Rankings based upon Affordability, Graduation, Social Mobility, and Class Size Criteria by Michael Clark as it presents a new paradigm for how the average student in the United States should consider what college to attend. The college rankings by U.S. News and World Report (U.S. News), in our view, are not targeted to the average student. At best, these rankings contain irrelevant factors of concern; at worst, they perpetuate inequality and do more harm than good. If college administrations manage to outcomes driven by U.S. News, they cater to students and parents already sitting at the top of the economic ladder while eliminating opportunities for students lower on the ladder who seek social mobility through higher education. We encourage other large urban cities across the United States to develop and publish a similar college rankings system to better inform their residents of the best local opportunities for attaining opportunity through higher education.


    Yours in Social Innovation,

    Nicholas Torres
    Tine Hansen-Turton
    Co-Founders

     

    1 www.brookings.edu

    2 Bower, Joseph L. & Christensen, Clayton M. (1995)

    3 Assink, Marnix (2006). "Inhibitors of disruptive innovation capability: a conceptual model". European Journal of Innovation Management. 9 (2): 215–233.


    The Social Innovations Journal’s mission is to promote innovative ideas and incubate social innovation and thought leadership (i.e. teaching leaders “how” to think and not “what” to think) to spark a culture of innovation to create new models and systems change. The Social Innovations Journal (SIJ) takes a regional approach to sourcing social innovations and enterprises. Since 2008, SIJ has published hundreds of articles and convened thousands of people to discuss social innovations and social sector models at the local level. SIJ has a regional, national, and global following reaching millions of readers across the globe daily.

  • Issue 43 | Social Innovations in Nursing: Taking the Lead to Transform Health Care
    No. 43 (2018)

    Dear Readers,

    Despite U.S. health care expenditures surpassing $3.2 trillion dollars annually and accounting for 18 percent of the gross domestic product, millions of U.S. residents still do not receive accessible, affordable, and high quality care. The nation’s health care crisis is fraught with challenges, including massive, unsustainable costs and perpetuation of fragmented, ineffective models of health care delivery.

    As the future structure of the United States health care system remains uncertain, the need for wide-ranging transformation is clear. Primed to lead this charge are the 3.5 million nurses registered in the United States, representing the largest segment of the nation’s health care workforce. Through their work in varied settings and at all professional levels, nurses possess an enormous reach and capacity to address crucial gaps in care across the U.S.

    In 2010, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) issued a landmark report, the Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health, calling for nurses to take the lead in health system transformation. The report offered recommendations to transform health care through nursing, so all Americans can have access to high quality care, with nurses contributing to the full extent of their education, training, and competencies. The resulting Campaign for Action -- a joint initiative of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, AARP, and AARP Foundation -- challenged nurses to “lead and diffuse collaborative improve efforts” as part of an interprofessional initiative to redesign care. The IOM’s 2015 progress report further noted the need for interprofessional health care education to highlight “leadership, management, entrepreneurship, innovation, and other skills that will enable nurses to help ensure that the public receives accessible and quality health care.” 

    Innovations in nursing expand beyond technological advancements to new process methods and creative cross-sector partnerships. This edition of the Social Innovations Journal, entitled “Social Innovations in Nursing: Taking the Lead to Transform Health Care,” examines the transformational work of nurses in the U.S. through a focus on the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. This edition is designed in partnership with the Pennsylvania Action Coalition, one of 51 state action coalitions charged with implementing the recommendations of the Future of Nursing report.

    This edition describes innovations driven by nurses in various sectors. These examples demonstrate the power of new approaches spearheaded by nurses in some of the most critical issue areas facing health care today: the opioid epidemic, reducing preventable deaths, and community safety.


    Sincerely,

    Nicholas Torres
    Tine Hansen-Turton
    Co-Founders


    The Social Innovations Journal’s mission is to promote innovative ideas and incubate social innovation and thought leadership (i.e. teaching leaders “how” to think and not “what” to think) to spark a culture of innovation to create new models and systems change. The Social Innovations Journal (SIJ) takes a regional approach to sourcing social innovations and enterprises. Since 2008, SIJ has published hundreds of articles and convened thousands of people to discuss social innovations and social sector models at the local level. SIJ has a regional, national, and global following reaching millions of readers across the globe daily.

  • Issue 42 | Greater Philadelphia's Social Innovations, Social Enterprises, and Public/Private Partnerships
    No. 42 (2018)

    Dear Readers,

    Jean Monnet, the architect of European Unification said, “People of ambition fall into two groups: those who want to do something and those who want to be someone.” Many social entrepreneurs spend decades quietly, steadily, and unremittingly advancing their ideas, influencing people in small groups or one-on-one. Often, they become recognized only after years of working in relative obscurity. A person must have a very pure motivation to push an idea so steadily for so long with so little fanfare.  

    This edition celebrates Greater Philadelphia Social Sector Leaders and Social Entrepreneurs as they often go without the recognition they deserve as they are too busy “doing” and creating change than promoting themselves. This edition recognizes these people as "the mavericks" who refuse to accept the status quo as they look at the world, are dissatisfied with what they see, and resolve to change it. They are both dreamers and doers; imagining a brighter future and setting about making that dream into a reality. They are true social entrepreneurs; innovators who are passionate and resourceful, who are prepared to take risks and who apply their energy, drive, and ambition to effecting social change...” 1

    We hope this edition and its articles will inspire social innovators to continue sharing their ideas and inspiring new ideas across the globe. Join us on this journey to change the world in the belief that the potential for good ideas to inspire more good ideas cannot be underestimated and the value that entrepreneurs and innovators bring to local communities and regions across the nation needs to be harnessed and shared. Please take the time to read and share these articles which, ideally, will provide you with the inspiration, knowledge, and tools to become a civically-minded innovator to improve your local, regional, and/or national health, education, social mobility, and human services challenges to ensure dignity and respect for everyone.


    Sincerely,

    Nicholas Torres
    Tine Hansen-Turton
    Co-Founders

    1  http://www.socialentrepreneurs.ie/pages/social-entrepreneurs.php


    The Social Innovations Journal’s mission is to promote innovative ideas and incubate social innovation and thought leadership (i.e. teaching leaders “how” to think and not “what” to think) to spark a culture of innovation to create new models and systems change. The Social Innovations Journal (SIJ) takes a regional approach to sourcing social innovations and enterprises. Since 2008, SIJ has published hundreds of articles and convened thousands of people to discuss social innovations and social sector models at the local level. SIJ has a regional, national, and global following reaching millions of readers across the globe daily. 

  • Issue 41 | Boston Edition
    No. 41 (2017)

    Dear Readers,

    We live in an ever expanding -- and yet, with technology -- ever shrinking global ecosystem in which the sharing, within and between regional ecosystems, of social innovations are of upmost importance. 

    We are proud to have joined forces with the SOCIAL INNOVATION FORUM; Boston Mayor's Office of New Urban Mechanics; Harvard Kennedy School ASH CENTER for Democratic Governance and Innovation; MASSCHALLEGE; CITY AWAKE; SOCIAL VENTURE PARTNERS BOSTON, GREENLIGHT FUND BOSTON; and AMPLIFIED IMPACT to publish and distribute Boston’s SOCIAL INNOVATORS, SOCIAL ENTERPRISES, AND PUBLIC/PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS.   

    The Boston Mayor’s Office of New Urban Mechanics best summarizes the focus of this edition that showcases Boston’s social innovations to the world.  

    “From global leadership to national policy to state and local ideology, there is no doubt that change -- both beautiful and terrifying -- is imminent. It is in these moments where opportunity exists: opportunity to redirect the rhetoric, opportunity to slow the pace, opportunity to shift the paradigm. For those who see, seek, and seize these opportunities, the impact is often grand. And yet, because the entirety of impact is often felt long after implementation, it is difficult to recognize those movement makers, those insightful implementers, those do-ers as they make, implement, and do.

    In this moment, the City of Boston itself swirls in change. Within the city, questions of stability and mobility, equity, safety, and quality of life pervade our homes, our workplaces, our streets, our schools, our people. Amidst these questions, our own Bostonians -- community leaders, entrepreneurs, students, parents, immigrants, academics, and artists -- are pursuing solutions. From community models that capitalize social capital into financial capital to research methods repurposed to learn about experiences and disparity to programs that empower Bostonians to demand and obtain the things they want and need to thrive, the City of Boston is rich with opportunity -- and those who seize the moment to create something new. As the City’s internal social innovation office, we at New Urban Mechanics relish, value, and take pride in working with and alongside this strong fabric of innovators, entrepreneurs, and experts.

    This edition of the Social Innovation Journal highlights a fraction of the social innovations that keep the City of Boston on pace with change. From the viewpoints of the movement makers, the insightful implementers, and the do-ers themselves, you’ll learn about Boston’s challenges and opportunities. And you’ll also get to glimpse into the authors’ collective vision for Boston’s future.”

    We want to thank the Bostion Edition Editorial Advisory Board for their work and contributions that led to this edition publication.  

    Sarah Beaulieu: Greenlight Fund 
    Darcy Brownell: SOCIAL VENTURE PARTNERS BOSTON
    Tim Burke: Harvard Kennedy School ASH CENTER for Democratic Governance and Innovation
    Danielle Curry: CITY AWAKE
    Melissa Duggan: SOCIAL INNOVATION FORUM
    Kiki Mills Johnston: MASS CHALLENGE
    Justin Kang: CITY AWAKE
    Kimberly Lucas: BOSTON MAYOR'S OFFICE OF NEW URBAN MECHANICS
    Atyia Martin: City of Boston
    Christina Marchand: Harvard Kennedy School ASH CENTER for Democratic Governance & Innovation
    Andrea McGrath: AMPLIFIED IMPACT
    Anna Trieschmann: SOCIAL INNOVATION FORUM

    We hope this edition and its articles will inspire social innovators to continue sharing their ideas and inspiring new ideas across the globe. Join us on this journey to change the world in the belief that the potential for good ideas to inspire more good ideas cannot be underestimated and the value that entrepreneurs and innovators bring to local communities and regions across the nation needs to be harnessed and shared. Please take the time to read and share these articles which, ideally, will provide you with the inspiration, knowledge, and tools to become a civically-minded innovator to improve your local, regional, and/or national health, education, social mobility, and human services challenges to ensure dignity and respect for everyone.

     

    Sincerely,

    Nicholas Torres
    Tine Hansen-Turton
    Co-Founders


    The Social Innovations Journal’s mission is to promote innovative ideas and incubate social innovation and thought leadership (i.e. teaching leaders “how” to think and not “what” to think) to spark a culture of innovation to create new models and systems change. The Social Innovations Journal (SIJ) takes a regional approach to sourcing social innovations and enterprises. Since 2008, SIJ has published hundreds of articles and convened thousands of people to discuss social innovations and social sector models at the local level. SIJ has a regional, national, and global following reaching millions of readers across the globe daily. 

     

    This Edition titled Boston’s SOCIAL INNOVATORS, SOCIAL ENTERPRISES, AND PUBLIC/PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS was made possible in partnership with Boston’s Social Sector Ecosystem.  THANK YOU!

  • Issue 40 | European Edition
    No. 40 (2017)

    Dear Readers,

    We live in an ever expanding -- and yet, with technology -- ever shrinking global ecosystem in which civic engagement is of upmost importance. Now, more than ever, we need to unite the global social innovators to share their ideas with the knowledge that “good ideas inspire more good ideas.” Our global social sector innovators and entrepreneurs who are working to solve or “move the needle” on society’s problems are the catalysts that will propel society forward towards greater social good. These leaders represent a reminder that at the core of human life, we are here to ensure that all people not only have their basic needs met, but are able to thrive socially and economically, and through our collective advancements build socially-minded and civically-conscious communities of the future.

    This edition focuses on the European Commission and represents the uniting synergies of three continents, North America, South America, and Europe. What we are learn through this edition is that our communities, cities, regions, states, and countries – although, operating under different circumstances -- all struggle with similar challenges in healthcare, education, social mobility, and human services and we are all working towards similar goals of ensuring human dignity and respect for all members of our respective societies. We are also learning that many of our social solutions are not unique and therefore there is an untapped potential in the sharing of ideas and their potential to improve societies across the globe.  

    We want to thank the European Commission for their foresight and leadership to host the European Social Innovation Competition and source Europe’s BEST innovations. We are excited to partner with them and help share their knowledge, tools, and innovations with you and others around the globe.  As stated in this edition’s overview article, economic growth should not benefit the lucky few, but also provide opportunities for all members of society. We hope this edition and its articles, both in written and video format, will inspire business models that will enable everyone to equally seize the opportunities offered by technological change. 

    Please take the time to read and share these articles and videos which, ideally, will provide you with the inspiration, knowledge, and tools to become a civically-minded innovator to improve your local, regional, and/or national health, education, social mobility, and human services challenges and to ensure dignity and respect for everyone.

    Sincerely,

    Nicholas Torres
    Tine Hansen-Turton
    Co-Founders

    The Social Innovations Journal’s mission is to promote innovative ideas, incubate social innovation and thought leadership (i.e. teaching leaders “how” to think and not “what” to think) to spark a culture of innovation to create new models and systems change. The Social Innovations Journal (SIJ) takes a regional approach to sourcing social innovations and enterprises. Since 2008, SIJ has published hundreds of articles and convened thousands of people to discuss social innovations and social sector models at the local level. SIJ has a regional, national, and global following reaching millions of readers across the globe daily. 

  • Issue 39 | Creating a Social Innovations Movement Within the Health and Human Services System: The Bucks County, Pennsylvania Story
    No. 39 (2017)

    Dear Readers,

    Health and human services agencies along with their nonprofit and community partners in counties around the country have started to approach traditional long-standing societal challenges differently. They are capitalizing on public/private partnerships; breakthrough technologies; brokering unique cross-sector partnerships; blending funding sources, and applying family-centered and community-based approaches to find innovative solutions with the expectation that these will lead to efficiencies and better client outcomes. Ultimately, regional health and human services agencies, collectively, are shaping a new ecosystem across sectors and systems that will align services, integrate data systems, leverage technologies, and create system transformation. The American Public Health and Human Services Association said it best, “Health and human serving system leaders are discarding the old ways of doing business in favor of new approaches that are innovative, efficient, effective, and responsive to the needs and demands of a dynamic and rapidly changing society. We are shifting from a reactive and crisis-oriented services delivery model to one that focuses “upstream” and better enables all of us to live to our full potential and to more effectively identify and address root causes when we do encounter roadblocks along the way.”

    The Social Innovations Journal in partnership with Bucks County Human Services, Woods Services, and Magellan Health Services is pleased to host the Fall 2017 edition and symposium that will examine successful and innovative models and partnerships within the Bucks County, PA Region as an example of how health and human services organizations are innovating across the country. This edition specifically explores new innovative models of care for Aging Populations; Mental and Behavioral Health; Children and Youth; Drug and Alcohol; and Physical and Developmental Disabilities. As you review the articles in this edition you will see tremendous steps towards engaging public/private partnerships that better serve the community for such key issues as the opioid epidemic (BCARES and BPAIR) and protecting our citizens (Ben’s Campaign and Crimes against older adults).  You will find how we are working with our Medicaid Managed Care Organization to be more data informed and outcomes oriented (Value Based Purchasing). You will also see stories on innovation and our team oriented model of practice through our internal Criminal Justice Advisory Board/Behavioral Health joint efforts (Mobile Crisis Engagement).  

    We hope this edition will inform and inspire health and human services organizations as the potential of good ideas to inspire more good ideas cannot be underestimated.  

    Sincerely,

    Nicholas Torres
    CEO/Publisher

    Tine Hansen-Turton
    Publisher
    President & CEO of Woods Services 

    Jonathan Rubin
    Human Services Director
    Buck's County 

  • Issue 38 | Hubs for Innovations in Immigrant Integration
    No. 38 (2017)

    Dear Readers,

    America’s cities have long been gateways for immigrant arrivals. Even as increasing numbers of immigrants settle in the suburbs, urban areas continue to house the majority of the foreign-born in the United States. Many cities have developed rich networks of nonprofits, community groups and innovative programs to support immigrant and refugee communities. Many municipal governments recognize and appreciate the numerous benefits that immigrants bring to their cities, including cultural diversity, population growth, and economic development. Yet, they also struggle to address the challenges associated with integrating diverse, low-income, and limited English proficient (LEP) populations.

    This edition of the Social Innovations Journal examines successful models for delivering integration services to immigrant and refugee communities, supporting immigrant leadership development, and promoting pro-immigrant policies, at the municipal level. Rather than take a sample of successful programs and policies from across the nation, we use a place-based approach that provides an in-depth examination of developments in one major U.S. city -- Philadelphia. The City of Brotherly and Sisterly Love has a longstanding tradition of serving as an immigrant gateway, and it has also experienced a recent upsurge in its immigrant population, which has inspired the creation of new nonprofit groups and collaborations to address the needs of newly immigrated communities. Philadelphia’s experiences with immigrant integration hold useful lessons for cities and smaller municipalities across the country. 

    We want to thank Natasha Kelemen for bringing this topic to the attention of the Social Innovations Journal and curating the articles for this edition.  We hope you will read the below edition overview written by Natasha Kelemen that will inspire you to read all the published articles.  This edition profiles successful, innovative, and promising examples of immigrant integration and immigrant rights work in Philadelphia across economic development, health, legal services, education, civic engagement, and social justice.

    We hope this edition will inform and inspire cities across the nation to share knowledge and resources as the potential of good ideas to inspire more good ideas cannot be underestimated. 

    Sincerely,

    Nicholas Torres, Tine Hansen-Turton, Co-Founders

  • Issue 37 | Innovaciones Sociales de Bogotá
    No. 37 (2017)

    Estimado Lector,

    Sólo pensar en publicar una edición del Ecosistema Internacional del Social Innovations Journal dedicado a Colombia era un verdadero desafío. Esta edición fue posible gracias a las conexiones y presentaciones de los Fellows Eisenhower y a Alejandra Navas-Martinez, Directora América Latina, colombiana quien invirtió cientos de horas construyendo la infraestructura y reuniéndose con líderes del sector social en Colombia. Nuestra pasión y objetivo de mostrar al mundo todo lo que Colombia tiene para ofrecer, contribuir y enseñar a otros, fueron las estrategias que harán de esta publicación un éxito.

    Creemos que el potencial de las buenas ideas para inspirar más buenas ideas no puede ser subestimado. Mientras nos enfocábamos en las innovaciones sociales de Bogotá aprendimos que cada obstáculo que encontramos perdió su poder al enfrentarse a esta incontenible fuerza de nuestro objetivo, dando como resultado que las buenas ideas encuentran su propio camino hacia la luz para cumplir su misión e inspirar más ideas. 

    Alejandra expresó de la mejor manera el impacto que esta edición le deja a nuestros lectores internacionales: “No existen palabras para describir cómo mi vida se enriqueció luego de conocer a todos los autores de esta edición. Vulnerabilidad y valentía son las palabras que utilizaría para describir lo expuesto en estos artículos: desde el especial cuidado para permitir a los niños el acceso a la educación, la inclusión de sus padres en el proceso, la calidad misma de la educación y la posibilidad de que las empresas incluyan en sus objetivos de responsabilidad social a los hijos de sus colaboradores; el uso de un juego para ayudar a los jóvenes a tomar las riendas de sus vidas y mantenerse alejados de la adicción a las drogas y el alcohol; niñas que tuvieron un pasado traumático y logran abrir los ojos a las posibilidades que les ofrece el mundo a través de sueños y el empoderamiento para crear un camino hacia un futuro mejor; el acceso a ahorros para la vejez e incentivos para promover la preparación de la jubilación; y, desde otro punto de vista, apoyar a nuestros mayores para compartir sus historias y recuerdos como una manera de mejorar sus capacidades cognitivas; permitir el acceso a salarios dignos basados en las capacidades; atreverse a incluir personas con discapacidades intelectuales en el mundo laboral, erradicar el miedo asociado a personas diferentes y crear un ambiente acogedor para permitir que estas personas accedan a un trabajo; la iniciativa de preocuparse por Bogotá y sus problemas y los líderes que trabajan con el sector académico para crear un compromiso consciente de servicio;  premiar buenas ideas, la audacia y la valentía para resolver problemas que nos afectan a todos; dando una mano a aquellos que luchan para sacar adelante sus proyectos sin poder acceder a las posibilidades tradicionales de financiamiento con los bancos; construyendo ciudades que tienen en cuenta a sus habitantes de manera integral  para permitirles vivir dignamente; el desarrollo de proyectos enfocados en las comunidades que han vivido en un ambiente de violencia y necesitan ayuda y apoyo constructivos; y, finalmente, el medio ambiente, la urgente necesidad de comprometerse con la preservación de nuestros recursos naturales y la creación de programas que consciente y sosteniblemente los gestionen. Nos sentimos honrados y humildes ante el gran trabajo que se está realizando en Bogotá y quisiéramos felicitar a todos los líderes del sector social que están liderando estas excelentes iniciativas. ”

    De cada uno de estos artículos podemos resaltar elementos comunes – liderazgo, compromiso con server y ayudar a otros, la osadía y la conciencia de que solo trabajando juntos y buscando soluciones integrales y sostenibles podemos lograr que lo imposible se convierta en posible. Esperamos que el poder inspirador de cada uno de estos artículos deje un impacto en cada uno de ustedes y los inspire a tener la osadía de liderar esfuerzos basados en nuevas ideas y cambio.

    Sinceramente,

    Nicholas Torres, Tine Hansen-Turton, Co-Fundadores

    Alejandra Navas-Martinez, Directora de América Latina

  • Issue 36 | Lead Young: A New Framework for Navigating a World of Change in partnership with ASHOKA
    No. 36 (2017)

    Dear Reader,

    We have moved from a world defined by rules, hierarchy and repetition to one defined by rapid change.  To thrive in such a world be a full contributor in society, new skills are needed and those skills need to be developed and practiced young.  As Ashoka founder, Bill Drayton says, "Once a young person has had a dream, built a team, and changed his or her world, he or she has the power to express love and respect in action -- the heart of what brings health, longevity, and happiness.  He or she will be a changemaker for life."  

    This issue of Social Innovations Journal provides a different lens for growing up today.  Drawn from Ashoka’s network of leading social entrepreneurs, business entrepreneurs, and youth changemakers, the stories featured in this edition highlight what it looks like when young people know they are powerful by creating and leading something for the good of all, and why we should make leading young the new norm for growing up.  They help us better understand the four competencies that are critical to navigating a constantly changing world that include mastering cognitive empathy; teamwork; multidimensional leadership; and changemaking which is creating one’s own solution to a problem for the good of all.  

    We are honored to present this edition in partnership with ASHOKA and hope that this edition will provide invaluable insight into understanding “how” to develop new models or adopt current models as we interact with the young people of today and prepare them to be the leaders of tomorrow.  In human centered design we are asked to put ourselves in our target consumer's shoes to better understand our proposed value proposition that, in turn, will inform our services and products. We hope this edition inspires our institutional leaders to ask the question on "how to" create system necessary changes that adapt to a changing world in lieu of defending outdated service models.

    Thank you for reading this edition.  We wish you all the best with your social innovations and when you achieve success we hope you never forget your humble beginnings and remember to help those coming after you.  We hope this edition inspires you to dream and challenges you to become a better version of yourself.

    Yours in Innovation,

    Nicholas Torres, Co-Founder
    Tine Hansen-Turton, Co-Founder 

  • Issue 35 | Social Innovations Toward Building a Culture of Health
    No. 35 (2017)

    Dear Reader,

    “Health and human serving system leaders are discarding the old ways of doing business in favor of new approaches that are innovative, efficient, effective, and responsive to the needs and demands of a dynamic and rapidly changing society. We are shifting from a reactive and crisis-oriented services delivery model to one that focuses “upstream” and better enables all of us to live to our full potential and to more effectively identify and address root causes when we do encounter roadblocks along the way.”1 Ultimately, regional health and human services agencies, collectively, are shaping a new ecosystem across sectors and systems that will align services, integrate data systems, leverage technologies, and create system transformation. This edition and symposium titled: SOCIAL INNOVATIONS TOWARD BUILDING A CULTURE OF HEALTH, in partnership with Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC) and the National Nurse-Led Care Consortium, hopes to raise awareness and serve as a call to action using health data to drive innovation.  

    We hope you enjoy reading this edition that presents Pennsylvania, Southeastern Pennsylvania, and Philadelphia’s County Health Rankings & Roadmaps and Household Health Data and Reports on Adults without Health Care; General Health Indicators, Cigarette Smoking, Female Breast Health and Adult Physical Activity. In addition to data, this edition provides recommended and potential solutions from Southeastern Pennsylvania’s Health Professionals and informs us on how we can collectively work together toward implementing these solutions. 

    As background, The County Health Rankings (CHR), a collaboration between the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute (UWPHI), compares counties within each state on more than 30 factors that impact health, including such social determinants such as education, jobs, housing, exercise, commuting times, and more. The rankings raise awareness about the many factors that influence health and how the quality of health varies from place to place. The CHDB’s Southeastern Pennsylvania (SEPA) Household Health Survey provides timely information on more than 13,000 residents -- children and adults -- living in Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties. The Household Health Survey is one of the longest running regional health surveys of its kind in the country, conducted in 1983, 1987, 1991, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2015, in addition it will be conducted again in 2018! The Household Health Survey has expanded beyond the SEPA region to collect information about the health and well-being of adults in Berks, Lancaster and Schuylkill Counties, Center County, Mercer County, NJ, and across the state of Delaware to provide information about the health and well-being of children. The survey targets key information about health status, personal health behaviors, and access to and utilization of area health services. These data are available at the regional and county levels, but also at much smaller geographies, including clusters of ZIP codes or clusters of census tracts that represent neighborhoods or service areas.

    We hope that this edition will provide invaluable insight into understanding “how” to use regional health data to inspire a cooperative response to addressing the most pressing needs at a local or region.

    Yours in Innovation,

    Nicholas Torres, Co-Founder
    Tine Hansen-Turton, Co-Founder 

    1 American Public Health and Human Services Association, November 2016.

  • Issue 34 | Phoenix's Social Innovations, Enterprises, and Public/Private Partnerships
    No. 34 (2017)

    Dear Reader,

    The Social Innovations Journal believes that the potential for good ideas to inspire more good ideas cannot be underestimated. The value that entrepreneurs and innovators bring to local communities, regions across the nation, and countries across the world is often, to our collective societal detriment, overlooked.  In response, The Social Innovations Journal chronicles social innovations locally, nationally, and globally.

    For this edition of the Journal, titled “Phoenix’s Social Innovations, Enterprises, and Public-Private Partnerships,” we hope to give you a glimpse into the rich and developing social innovations and impact space in Phoenix, Arizona.  We partnered with Social Venture Partners Arizona -- the organization responsible for incubating and curating through its Fast Pitch program, Phoenix’s top-mission, first cohort of social entrepreneurs.  This edition will bring you inside of Arizona’s solution-driven organizations reshaping Arizona’s social landscape through the following articles:

    • Parent Check-in/Check-Out’s publication seeks to bridge the gap between parents and schools to improve student performance by ensuring that every parent has an opportunity to be informed, seek support services, and be involved with their child’s education;
    • Labor’s Community Service Agency (LCSA) has founded a nonprofit, Securing Help In Funding Transportation (SHIFT) that is putting the keys of vehicles in the hands of the working poor;
    • Read Better Be Better (RBBB) is inspiring Arizona’s older youth to help solve the literacy crisis through one-on-one youth mentoring;
    • Pal Experiences helps venues achieve the next level of accessibility for guests with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD); and
    • Arizona Coalition for Military Families has created a public/private partnership, to create a sustainable ecosystem of support for those who serve and their families.

    Across the globe there has been a rapid rise in the number of social sector innovators and entrepreneurs who want to pioneer new ways to solve or “move the needle” on the challenges facing societies. They are increasingly deploying the methods of business and private capital to help them do so. These leaders include people who can now tap the markets for finance, in addition to seeking grants from donors and philanthropists who are willing to fund both innovative ideas and businesses driven to achieve measurable social impact. 

    We hope this edition will achieve our mission to: inspire new and existing leaders to dream and organizations to evolve; create the space for leaders to tap into their own creativity to innovate; endow leaders with the tools and knowledge to launch and grow their ideas; challengeleaders to become better versions of themselves; and transformleaders and their companies. 

    Yours in Innovation,

    Nicholas Torres, Co-Founder
    Tine Hansen-Turton, Co-Founder 

  • Issue 33 | Chicago's Social Innovations, Enterprise, and Public/Private Partnerships
    No. 33 (2017)

    Dear Reader,

    The Social Innovations Journal believes that the potential for good ideas to inspire more good ideas cannot be underestimated. The value that entrepreneurs and innovators bring to local communities and regions across the nation is often, to our collective societal detriment, overlooked.  

    The Social Innovations Journal believes one solution to this is to DEVELOP REGIONAL SOCIAL INNOVATION ECOSYSTEMS by sourcing/publishing regional social innovations and hosting regional social innovation symposiums.  For this reason The Social Innovations Journal has joined forces with the Chicago Public Library, Forefront, The Law Offices of Marc J. Lane, and BYN Mellon to publish a Special Edition highlighting CHICAGO’S SOCIAL INNOVATIONS, ENTERPRISE, AND PUBLIC/PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS.   This edition and symposium will showcase Chicago’s most innovative solutions to solve society’s toughest problems. 

    Across the globe and in Chicago, there has been a rapid rise globally in the number of social sector innovators and entrepreneurs who want to find innovative ways to solve or “move the needle” on society’s problems, and they are increasingly deploying the methods of business and private capital if that helps them to do so. They include people in the social sector who can now tap the markets for finance in addition to seeking grants from donors, and philanthropists who are willing to fund innovative ideas and businesses driven by social entrepreneurs and social sector organizations if they offer a greater likelihood of achieving the social impact they desire. The force capable of driving a social sector revolution is Chicago’s social innovation, enterprise, and partnerships that harness innovation, entrepreneurship, partnerships and capital to power social impact. 

    We hope this edition will achieve our mission to inspire leaders and organizations to dream; create the space for leaders to tap into their own creativity to innovate; endow leaders with the tools and knowledge to launch and grow their ideas; challenge leaders to become better versions of themselves; and transform leaders and their companies. 

    Yours in Innovation,

    Nicholas Torres, Co-Founder
    Tine Hansen-Turton, Co-Founder

  • Issue 32 | Social Impact and Innovative Models to Support Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and Their Families Throughout the Lifespan
    No. 32 (2017)

    Dear Reader,

    There are 7,000,000 individuals…

    with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) in the United States, however only 25% receive services through publicly-funded programs. The other 75% of individuals are supported by their family through informal and private services paid for with their own resources. As the health and human services system moves to a model of home and community-based services, families who have been supporting their family members at home are turning to the public system for support. Additionally, as caregivers age, they need innovative supports to maintain care at home. Similarly, there are subgroups within the I/DD community with severe and complex medical and behavioral needs that are currently unmet, whose interests could be protected by person-centered, not monolith, regulations. Given these trends there has never been a more crucial time in history where innovative community programs, services and devises are needed to support the I/DD population and their families.

    While services and the quality of life for individuals with disabilities has improved as a result of advocacy by families and self-advocates; available innovative technologies and services have not yet reached the I/DD population. There is still much work to be done to fully support and include individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in our society and to support their caregiving families. As an entrepreneurial society, we have yet to embrace and support social innovations and technologies that can help to transform the lives of the I/DD community in healthcare, housing, education and the workforce. 

    To publish this edition, The Social Innovation Journal has joined forces with Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC)’s PersonLink, Woods Services, and Bancroft as well as businesses, government, nonprofit experts, academics and leading social innovation practitioners to discuss the most promising innovations in and for the I/DD community. 

    This edition will discuss how we continue to innovate services and products to better support the I/DD community and their families with partnerships among government, public and private sector, as well as highlight innovative practices that demonstrate integration, collaboration, and effective resource allocation.

    Social Innovations Journal thanks our sponsors Delta-T Group; General Health Care Resources, Woods Services, Bancroft, and Public Health Fund for their generous support to make this publication and launch conference possible.

     

    Yours in Innovation,

    Nicholas Torres, Co-Founder
    Tine Hansen-Turton, Co-Founder

  • Issue 31 | Greater Philadelphia Innovation Awards
    No. 31 (2017)

    Dear Reader, We are pleased to announce Greater Philadelphia Social Innovations Journal (SIJ) Top 2017 Social Innovators. This edition honors the region’s most passionate social innovators and entrepreneurs whose work and social impact is often missed as they quietly work to make Greater Philadelphia a more inclusive, equitable and thriving region of innovation and opportunity for all of its residents. We received 300 nominations and over 3,500 Philadelphia residents participated in the voting process. The Social Innovator’s named in this edition are Greater Philadelphia’s Resident Picks.     The Social Innovations Journal believes that the potential for good ideas to inspire more good ideas cannot be underestimated. The value that entrepreneurs and innovators bring to local communities and regions across the nation is often, to our collective societal detriment, overlooked. Tonight we honor and celebrate our regions social innovators.    The theme of these awards are "Make New Friends, But Keep The Old" symbolizing the shift in generational leadership as the millennial generation is pushing all of us to redefine the social sector AND a shift as both non-profits and for-profits move toward social enterprise and impact. This theme symbolizes that the success of the social sector depends upon us embracing BOTH traditional with new innovative practices. This edition could not have been possible without the support of our Award Presenters who represent Greater Philadelphia’s Social Sector Anchors. YOU SERVE AS AN INSPIRATION TO ALL OF US TO CONTINUE INNOVATING.

    Bob Beitcher, CEO of The Motion Picture and Television Fund
    Steve Harmelin, Dilworth Paxson
    Sharmain Matlock-Turner, Urban Affairs Coalition
    John Moore, ImpactPHL
    Denise Crossan, Swarthmore College
    Don Kramer, Montgomery McCracken Walker & Rhoads
    Sandra Ryan, Walmart Retail Clinics
    Bill Green, School Reform Commission and Dilworth Paxson
    Jennifer Zapf, UPENN Graduate School of Education
    Rick Sauer, Phila. Association of Community Development Corporations
    Kimberly Allen, Wells Fargo
    Paul Ferdas, Lantium
    Bernard Brown, National and Community Service
    Rahim Islam, Universal Companies
    Yael Lehmann, The Food Trust
    Rich Negrin, District Attorney Candidate
    David DiStefano, Exude
    Rue Randau, Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations
    Thaddeus Squire, Culture Works
    Dr. Arthur Evans, Commissioner of Philadelphia's Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Service
    Dermot Murphy, Halloran Philanthropies
    Patrick Morgan, Knight Foundation
    Barbary Bungy, Philadelphia FIGHT Community Health Centers
    Tine Hansen-Turton, Social Innovations Journal

    A big THANK YOU to the sponsors of this edition!  Your support of Greater Philadelphia’s Social Innovators work does not go unnoticed.  Thank You!

    Public Health Fund and PHMC
    Dilworth Paxson
    Exude
    Philadelphia FIGHT
    Lantium
    UPENN Graduate School of Philadelphia
    Charisse Lillie

    Finally, in the spirit of maintaining the Social Innovations Culture movement we are happy to announce the launch of a VIRTUAL Social Innovations Institute & Lab™ (www.socialinnovationsinstitute.com) that serves as a tool and resource for Social Innovators and Entrepreneurs across the globe. The Social Innovations Institute & Lab™ takes participants through a process of innovation that transforms both emerging and established leaders and their companies into sharper, smarter, better versions of themselves. The Social Innovations Institute & Lab™ is an intensive sustainable innovation process that includes idea exploration, testing and plan execution to hone entrepreneurship and innovative thinking skills while developing, and eventually executing, new or improved business models. 

     

    In conclusion, Steve Jobs once said that Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower. We congratulate Greater Philadelphia’s Top Social Innovators!  You are collectively leading the charge to solve society’s toughest problems by harnessing entrepreneurship, innovation and capital to power social improvement. It is only through our collective energies that we will achieve these goals.

     

    Yours in Innovation,

    Nicholas Torres, Co-Founder
    Tine Hansen-Turton, Co-Founder 

  • Issue 30 | Winter 2017
    No. 30 (2017)

    Dear Reader, Few industry professionals outside of the healthcare space, experience fast, dynamic and ever-changing innovation. This is an even greater truth for the retail healthcare clinic industry, which, despite humble beginnings in the early 2000s, now has more than 2,300 clinics that spread across 43 states.  The industry employs thousands of nurse practitioners and physician assistants, and has served millions of people to ensure that healthcare is accessible and affordable to everyone.   The Social Innovations Journal is excited to have joined forces with the Convenient Care Association (CCA) as it celebrates its 10-year anniversary to launch our 30th edition of the Journal, titled Innovations through Retail and Consumer-Driven Healthcare: A look at the Success of the Retail Clinic Movement from the Beginning, Where the Industry is Today, and Where it is Innovating in its Mission to bring Accessible, Affordable, Quality Care to Everyone. We have partnered with the CCA and the retail clinic industry because it is both an example of how a social innovation transformed an industry, and because it continues to challenge itself and healthcare providers across the nation with a simple mission to ensure access and convenient, quality healthcare services for all people. This edition provides an in-depth look at the retail-based convenient care clinic phenomenon and what Harvard Professor Clayton Christensen famously coined as one of the most “disruptive innovations” in healthcare. For more than a decade, retail clinic operators have dedicated themselves to ensuring that all Americans have accessible, affordable, high-quality healthcare. According to a MarketWatch1  report, some 65 million Americans live in what’s essentially a primary care desert. The retail clinic healthcare industry is leading the nation in ensuring that these 65 million Americans plus Americans who need healthcare in non-traditional hours can get the care they need, when they need it. The retail healthcare industry exists because they know the consequences to our children, families and elders when healthcare is not accessible.   The Social Innovations Journal is excited to document one of our nation’s most “disruptive innovations” and discuss how innovation in the social sector can improve many lives as well as change an entire industry to become an even better version of itself. This edition documents the inception and history of the retail clinic movement with a specific reflection that innovation is continual, and the retail clinic movement continues to evolve and revolutionize, ensuring more Americans can access healthcare in a timely and affordable fashion while also providing models for how the entire healthcare system can continually innovate and further improve on itself as an industry.

    Very truly yours,

    Nicholas Torres, Co-Founder
    Tine Hansen-Turton, Co-Founder

    1http://www.fiercehealthcare.com/practices/primary-care-deserts-leave-patients-without-physicians

  • Issue 29 | Fall 2016
    No. 29 (2016)

    Dear Reader, The public and social sector is changing. To innovate and try new programs and approaches to social sector issues, the public, as well as leaders in government, social impact and mission-aligned investors are demanding new data-driven and evidence-informed social models that are cost-effective, financially self-sustainable, adaptive to feedback and metrics, with clear outcome accountability measures, and the potential for large-scale impact and systems/policy influence.  As the government changes its approach to innovation, what does that mean to you whether individually or within your organization?   For this 29th Edition and Launch event on public sector innovations, the SIJ and edition sponsor Scattergood Foundation has joined forces with the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, City of Philadelphia, Department of Human Services, Department of Community Behavioral Health, and the University of Pennsylvania Fels Institute of Government, to look at how the public sector innovates through the use of data. At the edition launch event, businesses, government, nonprofit experts, academics and leading social innovation practitioners will come together to share innovations in local and regional government. When reading this edition and attending the launch, participants will learn “the secret sauce” of how public data is and can be used to innovate within the public sector and what it takes to innovate and partner in and with government.    

    Very truly yours,

    Nicholas Torres, Co-Founder
    Tine Hansen-Turton, Co-Founder

  • Issue 28 | Fall 2016
    No. 28 (2016)

    Dear Reader, The world is on the brink of a revolution regarding how we solve society’s toughest problems. The force capable of driving this revolution is ‘social impact investing,’ which harnesses entrepreneurship, innovation and capital to power social improvement. Similarly, doing good and doing well are no longer seen as incompatible. There is a growing desire to reconnect work with meaning and purpose, to make a difference. This is leading to a multiplying supply of people looking for employers with an explicit commitment to improve the world. Additionally, there has been a rapid rise globally in the number of impact entrepreneurs who want to find innovative ways to solve society’s problems, and they are increasingly deploying the methods of business and private capital if that helps them to do so. They include people in the social sector who can now tap the markets for finance in addition to seeking grants from donors, and philanthropists who are willing to fund businesses rather than social sector organizations if that offers a greater likelihood of achieving the social impact they desire. They are leading a shift in philanthropy and partnership from a focus on the act of giving to the impact it achieves. The Social Innovations in Social Impact Investing and Public/Private Partnerships edition examines the innovations occurring in the Social Impact Industry and through Public/Private Partnerships across the private, government and not-for-profit sectors.      Social impact investing runs from philanthropy to responsible and sustainable investment, which includes all those seeking to achieve positive impact. Impact investment is growing quickly. The amount invested by the 125 leading impact investors is forecast to grow by nearly 20 percent this year, according to the latest study by the Global Impact Investment Network (GIIN) and JP Morgan. Given that $45 trillion in mainstream investment funds have been publicly committed to incorporate environmental, social and governance factors into their investment decisions, it would only need a small fraction of this money to start moving into impact investment for it to expand rapidly along the growth path to the mainstream previously taken by venture capital and private equity. The financial crash of 2008 highlighted the need for a renewed effort to ensure that finance helps build a healthy society. This requires a paradigm shift in capital market thinking, from two dimensions to three. By bringing a third dimension, impact, to the 20th century capital market dimensions of risk and return, impact investing has the potential to transform our ability to build a better society for all.   A generational shift is underway in how people, especially younger people, see their role in solving society’s problems. This new approach is built on a number of shared beliefs: that, in some cases, investment can be more effective than donations in helping the poor; that social motivations harnessed to financial ones can sometimes do good more effectively; and that in many situations there is no inevitable trade-off between financial and social return. It is also becoming ever clearer that there is an increasing need for innovative and effective solutions to society’s problems. Impact investment is a response to the growing awareness in both the public and private sectors that the challenges facing society in the 21st century are too large and too complex to be solved by government and the social sector alone. Impact investing can also greatly strengthen social sector organizations. Until now these have had to make their essential, and often considerable, contribution to society without access to the full range of financing options available to regular businesses. Although there are outstanding examples of big, impactful social service organizations, too many struggle to make the large-scale impact that the success of their methods deserves. Impact investment, with its emphasis on scaling up activities that achieve measurable social outcomes, can transform how social sector organizations are financed, and in doing so make it likelier that they will succeed in achieving their mission at significant scale.   Impact investment, like any market, is a combination of demand (for capital to finance impact-driven organizations), supply (of impact capital) and intermediaries (helping to connect supply and demand). The principal components of the impact investment ecosystem are:  
    • Impact-seeking purchasers – These provide the sources of revenue that underpin investment in impact-driven organizations. Such purchasers can include governments, consumers, corporations or foundations.
    • Impact-driven organizations – Inclusive of all types of organizations that have a long-term social mission, set outcome objectives and measure their achievement, whether they be social sector organizations or impact-driven businesses.
    • Forms of finance – Needed to address a range of different investment requirements.
    • Channels of impact capital – Connecting investors to impact-driven organizations in situations where the sources of impact capital do not invest directly in impact-driven organizations.
    • Sources of impact capital – Providing the investment flows needed.
      We can conclude that the social sector is changing whether you work in private, not-for-profit, or government organizations. The public, as well as leaders in government, social impact and mission-aligned investors are demanding new social models that are cost-effective, financially self-sustainable, adaptive to feedback and metrics, with clear outcome accountability measures, and have the potential for large-scale impact and systems/policy influence. Social sector-oriented leaders from the nonprofit, government and private sectors are increasingly drawn to social models that have a lasting impact on communities, create systems change, are financially self-sustainable, and have the potential to be taken to scale. At the same time, social innovators and entrepreneurs working in community-based nonprofit settings often find that their new ideas are stymied by organizational culture or funding limitations. A recent survey of nonprofit leaders conducted by Johns Hopkins University found that more than two-thirds of organizations developed at least one innovation in the past two years that they were unable to adopt, due to funding or other considerations.   We can all agree that the social impact and public/private partnerships are dynamic and will continue to evolve into the future. Our hope with this edition is that our readers can be part of the strategy to shape the future and to assure that the direction the future takes us will support social innovation at all levels of the public, nonprofit and private sectors.    Finally, we thank our newly constituted supporters and advisors (as listed on our website) as this will be the first publication for the now national Social Innovations Journal: Anne Callan, PHMC and Public Health Fund;  David Castro, I-LEAD; Christopher Creswell, New Enterprise Ventures; Peter Hotz, 5 CAP Ventures and Vynamic; Heather Falck, Independence Blue Cross Foundation; Kevin Leigh, BNY Mellon Wealth Management; Laura McKenna, Patricia Kind Foundation; Gavin Kerr, Inglis Foundation; Mike Pearson, Union Packaging; Joseph Pyle, Thomas J. Scattergood Behavioral Health Foundation; James (Jim) Rowley, Lincoln Benefits Group; Sandy Festa Ryan, Walmart Care Clinics, and Frank Schaeffer,  The Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools.    

    Very truly yours,

    Nicholas Torres, Co-Founder
    Tine Hansen-Turton, Co-Founder

  • Issue 27 | Spring 2016
    No. 27 (2016)

    Dear Reader, Over the years, it has become increasingly clear to those in the trenches of population health and healthcare delivery that there are substantial mitigating factors affecting long-term health outcomes beyond access to high-quality care. These social and economic determinants of health, which include issues relating to quality housing, job security, education, public safety and transportation, among others, account for an astounding 60% of health outcomes, underscoring the importance of reaching beyond clinic walls in order to ensure that everyone has an opportunity for a healthy and sustainable lifestyle.   Our 27th edition, Launching Impactful Social Innovations in Healthcare: Using Data to Drive Innovation and Decisions, highlights some of Philadelphia’s leading innovators who are working collaboratively to find lasting solutions to the social and economic challenges that impede the best health outcomes. This edition is sponsored by the Health Promotion Council and the Independence Blue Cross Foundation.   For 25 years, PHMC’s Community Health Data Base (CHDB) has collected and disseminated information on health status, health behaviors and access to care at the neighborhood level across Philadelphia and the five county region, and has identified the major unmet health issues across the region and within neighborhoods. In addition, PHMC has conducted Community Health Needs Assessments (CHNA) in partnership with 27 community-based hospitals throughout the region. The CHNAs revealed a critical, though not surprising, lesson: Every neighborhood in the Philadelphia region is at a different point along the health continuum and therefore needs different innovative strategies to make changes.     Combining national and local data tells us that to successfully make good decisions and design healthcare innovations, we need strategies that address the social determinants of health and population health, as well as ideas to meet the unique healthcare issues and trends at the local community and neighborhood level. Through partnership and collaboration, the social sector is poised to work together to ensure that not only do our communities have access to high-quality healthcare, but that they have the environmental and socioeconomic supports in place to ensure long term outcomes.   We thank the Health Promotion Council and the Independence Blue Cross Foundation, whose support enables us to continue to advance innovations in the social sector across the Philadelphia region. This edition is presented in partnership with the PHMC CHDB, Greater Philadelphia Business Coalition on Health, E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation, Inglis, Scattergood Foundation, Green Tree Community Health Foundation, Independence Foundation, Philanthropy Network Greater Philadelphia and the Public Health Fund. 

    Very truly yours,

    Nicholas Torres, Co-Founder
    Tine Hansen-Turton, Co-Founder

  • Issue 26 | Winter 2016
    No. 26 (2016)

    Dear Reader, Charles Leadbeater would call Community Development Corporations civic innovators as they are using their sense of dissatisfaction with the state of the city to galvanize change and breathe new life into the social contract of dynamic and fluid modern cities through an everyday style of democracy.   In order for a city such as Philadelphia to thrive on all levels, nothing is more important than investing in the neighborhoods and communities that make up the very fabric of the city itself. With this mind, we are pleased to partner with the Philadelphia Association of Community Development Corporations (PACDC) and Wells Fargo to present this special edition of the Philadelphia Social Innovations Journal (PSIJ), Launching Social Innovations & Creating Sustaining Community Impact in Neighborhoods.    Community Development Corporations (CDCs) are neighborhood-based nonprofits which revitalize communities and address residents’ needs. This edition examines the role that CDCs play in assuaging the challenges facing our neighborhoods and in stimulating social innovation at the neighborhood level and developing supportive policies, creating non-traditional partnerships and forging creative solutions to make our neighborhoods, city and region stronger.    During the past two decades, Philadelphia CDCs have exceedingly proven their value by generating more than $3.3 billion in economic and social impact for the City and more than $5.1 billion in economic impact for the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. While CDCs are well respected for their community development efforts over the past 40 years, the social innovation and impact that they create at the local community and neighborhood level is not as widely known. Since their founding in the 1960s, CDCs have constantly reinvented themselves as challenges and neighborhood markets have changed. CDCs, the civic leaders of our time, engage local stakeholders through intentional planning to create attractive places to live, work, shop and play.   CDCs also create social innovative partnerships. These partnerships build community “buy-in” that are the cornerstones to revitalizing neighborhood shopping districts, building and repairing affordable homes and providing a range of services including: 1) health institutions to improve resident wellness; 2) arts and culture to maintain community pride and culture; and 3) schools, child care and job training centers to expand opportunities for neighborhood residents to be involved in community assets. Philadelphia is changing rapidly, which creates new opportunities to benefit all residents and neighborhoods as the City’s population and new investment grows.   As always, we thank our sponsors whose support has and continues to allow us to advance innovation in our great city and beyond, including the Barra Foundation, Bank of America, Claneil Foundation, Green Tree Community Health Foundation, Independence Foundation, Inglis Foundation, Knight Foundation, The Patricia Kind Family Foundation, The Philadelphia Foundation, The Public Health Fund, Public Health Management Corporation, Sage Communications, Scattergood Foundation, St. Christopher’s Foundation for Children, NFP Lincoln Benefits Group, TD Bank, eXude, United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey, Wells Fargo and the University of Pennsylvania.

    Very truly yours,

    Nicholas Torres, Co-Founder
    Tine Hansen-Turton, Co-Founder

  • Issue 25 | Winter 2015
    No. 25 (2015)

    Dear Reader, We are pleased to launch the 25th edition of the Philadelphia Social Innovations Journal (PSIJ), Launching Social Innovations through Business and Social Enterprise Incubators, Labs & Foundation Competitions: Regional and National Models That Work. This edition, released in partnership with Goldman Sachs’ 10,000 Small Businesses, the Social Innovations Lab (SIL), Knight Foundation, Philadelphia University, the Philanthropy Network Greater Philadelphia, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, Inglis and the Public Health Fund, examines the concept of creating social enterprise businesses to help solve the most pressing societal and social challenges.    Complex health, social and environmental problems continue to impact human life both in the greater Philadelphia region and beyond. In response to these challenges, social enterprises and commercial innovation models are emerging to provide sustainable solutions capable of large-scale social impact. More and more, entrepreneurs are recognizing the value of creating social enterprises and their overall positive business impact. Policymakers, social investors, philanthropists and the public are looking for innovative solutions to complex problems that are cost effective, financially sustainable, adaptive and accountable to feedback and metrics, and have the potential for large-scale impact and systems change. The time to develop and launch social enterprises has never been more ripe than it is today.   In addition to exploring the endless possibilities for social enterprise to effect change, this edition examines the role of idea incubators, labs and foundations competitions and their potential to inspire innovation in Philadelphia and across the nation and globe. Despite the social sector employing some of the most passionate visionaries, traditionally, professionals working in the nonprofit and social sector do not come with the business, legal or policy backgrounds to bring social enterprise models to fruition. Since 2012, we have been pleased to offer the Philadelphia Social Innovations Lab (PSIL) as a proven model to provide social entrepreneurs with the business acumen necessary to hone their skills and build the confidence needed to launch social enterprises. This edition emphasizes how the PSIL and other incubator models fill the educational void, preparing the next generation of social entrepreneurs.    As always, we thank our sponsors whose support has and continues to allow us to advance innovation in our great city and beyond, including the Barra Foundation, Bank of America, Claneil Foundation, Green Tree Community Health Foundation, Independence Foundation, Inglis Foundation, Knight Foundation, The Patricia Kind Family Foundation, The Philadelphia Foundation, The Public Health Fund, Public Health Management Corporation, Sage Communications, Scattergood Foundation, St. Christopher’s Foundation for Children, NFP Lincoln Benefits Group, TD Bank, eXude, United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey and the University of Pennsylvania.  

    Very truly yours,

    Nicholas Torres, Co-Founder
    Tine Hansen-Turton, Co-Founder

  • Issue 24 | Summer 2015
    No. 24 (2015)

    Dear Reader, We are pleased to bring you the 24th Edition of the Philadelphia Social Innovations Journal (PSIJ) titled: Innovation through Collaboration and Partnerships: A Look at How Working Together through Collaboration and Partnerships Can Drive Innovation and Sustainability in the Nonprofit and Social Sector. With so many substantial and diverse organizations currently in existence, it seems only natural that by partnering and working together to promote shared values and interests, the nonprofit community can be an even louder and clearer voice for change in our city. Despite this and unlike the private sector, few nonprofits actually enter into strategic partnerships and far fewer merge or affiliate with nonprofits of like missions.    This edition focuses on the need for new partnerships and collaborations within the nonprofit sector, and it highlights existing and successful partnerships in the Philadelphia region. Articles written by regional and national experts offer experiential examples of successful partnerships and mergers and show how banding together has enabled them to further their cause and achieve new milestones together.    As always, we thank our sponsors whose support allows us to continue our work to advance innovation in our great city and beyond. We’d also like to thank our advisory board members, representing the Barra Foundation, Bank of America, Claneil Foundation, Green Tree Community Health Foundation, Independence Foundation, Inglis Foundation, Knight Foundation, The Patricia Kind Family Foundation, The Philadelphia Foundation, The Public Health Fund, Public Health Management Corporation, Sage Communications, Scattergood Foundation, St. Christopher’s Foundation for Children, TD Bank, eXude, United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey, and the University of Pennsylvania.    Very truly yours,

    Nicholas Torres, Co-Founder
    Tine Hansen-Turton, Co-Founder

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