[1] Creating Magical Social Impact with Give Back Hack
This week’s podcast was with Suzy and Louisa, founders of Give Back Hack – the launchpad for social entrepreneurship. They talk about how they flipped the conventional hack-a-thon on its head to create a weekend structure that has a high success rate of launching new social enterprises. We launched our own social enterprise, Wild Tiger Tees, at Give Back Hack in 2017, so I can attest to the magic. Suzy and Louisa have such awesome energy, I’m excited to share their story!
[2] The Oakland women who took over a vacant lot to house the homeless
I came across this story in the Guardian, about the local community in Oakland, California, who came together to build a camp for the homeless. It’s an interesting example of putting some thought into an encampment to have proper facilities… but also a striking example of how big the crisis in California has become.
[3] Diving deeper into California’s homelessness crisis
The Enterprise-Record posted an in-depth piece on homelessness in California. It’s quite an interesting and comprehensive read, covering detailed statistics and causes – but I like that it not only provides detailed coverage of the situation but also possible solutions, including eviction counselling & defense, emergency rental assistance, diversion and rapid re-housing.
[4] Using Blockchain to Feed The Hungry
Jasmine Crowe founded Goodr built a platform to feed more by wasting less – allowing you to efficiently donate your surplus food to non-profits that will use it. They consider themselves a waste management company – instead of paying to throw food away, you’re paying less to have it delivered to those that will use it – saving people money, landfills from wasted food, and still others from going hungry.
[5] Homemade Goods to Address Homelessness
Project HOME (which stands for Housing, Opportunities for Employment, Medical Care and Education) is Philadelphia non-profit working to change chronic homelessness. They run a series of social enterprises, that are small businesses to employ residents, giving them skills and the support they need to turn their life in a new direction.
[6] 37 Social Entrepreneurs To Watch For In 2020
To round out this week, Grant at Cause artist released a great read on 37 Social Entrepreneurs To Watch For In 2020. It’s a fantastic collection of entrepreneurs, including Beam, which is using crowdfunding to help homeless get job skills in a unique way, and Vera, a platform that lets you offset your plastic footprint for $3/month… by working with the Plastic Bank – which has recycled more than 6.25 Million KG of ocean-bound plastics since it started in 2013!