Explore every episode of the podcast Inspiring Social Entrepreneurs Podcast

In this episode of Inspiring Social Entrepreneurs, Fergal Byrne speaks once again with Nedjip Tozun, co-founder of d.light, about the strategic, operational, and financial challenges of scaling social enterprises. Since its inception, d.light has reached nearly 180 million people in emerging markets with off-grid solar solutions.

Nedjip shares key decisions that enabled d.light’s growth, the challenges of distribution and financing, and the trade-offs required to balance efficiency with mission alignment. This conversation offers valuable insights for social entrepreneurs aiming to scale sustainably.

As co-founder of d.light, Nedjip has led the company’s expansion into a global provider of affordable solar home systems, lanterns, and appliances. d.light’s vertically integrated model combines product innovation, consumer financing, and last-mile distribution, making renewable energy accessible and improving livelihoods.

A recognized thought leader in the  social enterprise space, Nedjip continues to champion technology-driven solutions, mission-aligned growth, and financial sustainability in expanding global energy access. In November 2024, Nedjip Tozun, co-founder and CEO of d.light, was honored on the TIME100 Climate list, recognizing his transformative impact on clean energy access.

What does it take for an organization focused on impact to drive meaningful, large-scale change? In this compelling episode, Kevin Starr, CEO of the Mulago Foundation, shares his deep expertise in scaling solutions to address some of the world’s most pressing problems.

Kevin introduces Mulago’s distinctive approach to scaling, including their “Doer and Payer at Scale” framework, and discusses the rigorous standards they use to identify ideas with the potential for transformative impact. He emphasizes the vital role of a clear, focused mission in avoiding the common risk of “mission drift.”

Through real-world examples—such as the evolution of community health workers in Mali—Kevin illustrates how deliberate partnerships, data-driven strategies, and an unwavering focus on outcomes can help organizations turn ambitious visions into lasting impact. He also challenges funders to play a stronger role, advocating for greater accountability and alignment with measurable goals. This episode is essential for anyone passionate about driving social change, offering practical insights into how to scale promising ideas into global solutions.

Since 1993, Kevin has been at the helm of the Mulago Foundation, supporting early-stage social entrepreneurs committed to achieving maximum impact in the world’s poorest communities. In 2003, he launched the Rainer Arnhold Fellows Program to apply Mulago’s principles and tools, helping social entrepreneurs transform great ideas into sustainable solutions at scale. In 2016, he expanded this vision with the Henry Arnhold Fellows Program, focusing on environmental challenges.

In this fascinating episode, Fergal Byrne sits down with Odin Mühlenbein, co-leader of Ashoka’s AI Lab, for a deep dive into the transformative role and potential of AI for social entrepreneurs. With a background spanning philosophy, social venture development, and an early passion for programming, Odin brings a unique perspective to the possibilities AI offers for social impact, deepened by his experience at Ashoka’s AI lab. Here he discusses the journey from experimenting with machine learning to building meaningful AI applications tailored for nonprofits and social enterprises.

Odin explores the huge potential of AI to revolutionize social initiatives—ranging from detecting illegal deforestation through satellite imagery to creating chatbots that provide legal and social service information to underserved communities. He provides valuable insights on how Ashoka’s “conscious tinkering” approach helps organizations start small and scale responsibly. By addressing common AI integration pitfalls and sharing Ashoka’s strategic “five pillars of AI readiness,” Odin offers practical steps for nonprofits looking to embrace AI effectively, even on limited budgets.

Tune in to hear about Ashoka’s innovative prototypes and Odin’s call to action for funders to invest in the AI infrastructure nonprofits need to multiply their impact. This is a very practical episode and a must-listen for anyone interested in the intersection of technology, ethics, and social change.

Odin Mühlenbein is a social innovation enthusiast with a passion for AI. He co-leads the AI Lab at Ashoka, the world's largest network of social entrepreneurs. Odin create applications that make Ashoka more efficient and unlock new capabilities for its global network and also works as an independent advisor and AI tinkerer. 

A fascinating, wide-ranging, and spirited discussion about the state of social entrepreneurship and innovation today, touching on key questions including how to effectively measure impact, the true availability of impact investment, how to manage hybrid social businesses –as well as the challenges social entrepreneurs face keeping focussed on the mission while generating cash flow and profit. Professor Malhotra also discusses some of the  research and insights from his recent book Frontiers in Social Innovation-and reflects on some of the key trends that will impact future social innovation. 

Neil Malhotra is the Edith M. Cornell Professor of Political Economy at Stanford Graduate School of Business and the Louise and Claude N. Rosenberg, Jr. Director of the Center for Social Innovation, where he has developed a curriculum focused on social issues, impact measurement, and mission-driven business, amongst other topics.  Neil recently edited Frontiers in Social Innovation: The Essential Handbook for Creating, Deploying, and Sustaining Creative Solutions to Systemic Problems

Deep dive on the role of technology in helping to solve the world’s greatest environmental questions-and a passionate argument for the impact of social entrepreneurship. Tom gives an overview of At One Ventures investments and key technologies that the fund has supported, with a particular focus on tree planting technologies. As well as discussing specific technologies and market applications, Tom shares his views on the dangers of increasing penetration of technologies in our lives and reflects on techno utopian approach to the environment associated with Silicon Valley. Tom also shares his concerns how we as a society have prioritized economy over society and environment: A fascinating, spirited discussion.

Tom Chi is founder At One Ventures a climate-focused VC fund investing in companies creating environmentally positive technology.  At One Ventures, a climate-focused VC fund investing in companies creating environmentally positive technology.  Before founding At One Ventures, Tom was Head of Experience and founding member of Google X who helped scale the company from six people to 600. His engineering and business background coupled with a passion for environmental sustainability inspired him to start a VC fund dedicated to improving planetary health.

In this episode, we welcome back Kevin Starr back to the podcast to update us on the work of the Mulago Foundation. Kevin explains how Mulago’s focus has inevitably extended over time to take into account climate and the environment--the focus of Mulago's Henry Arnhold Fellows Program. Kevin’s main focus at Mulago is lasting change at scale and he explains how he thinks about scaling-- and the importance of structuring investments to make sure that profit and impact are aligned.  In this wide ranging and stimulating interview, Kevin shares his perspective on the state of social entrepreneurship today, the reality of impact investment, and his evolving thoughts on measuring impact. 

Kevin is the founder of the Mulago Foundation, which funds early stage social entrepreneurs devoted to maximum impact at scale in developing countries. Kevin set up the Reiner Arnhold Fellows Program in 2003 to apply Mulago’s principles and tools to help social entrepreneurs turn good ideas into lasting change at scale-- and in 2016, the Henry Arnhold Fellows Program to add a focus on environmental solutions.  Kevin was the primary instigator of Big Bang Philanthropy, a group of funders that work together to direct more money to those best at fighting poverty, Over the years, Kevin’s taught hundreds of social entrepreneurs 

The Foundation for Ecological Security (FES) works on the ecological restoration and conservation of land and water resources in ecologically fragile, degraded regions of India, primarily through the collective efforts of village communities.  FES is currently working with more than 20,000 village communities on more than 6 s million acres of common lands across 10 states of India. 

Jagdeesh has overseen the growth of FES over 20 years--his work has been widely recognized and he has received the Times of India Social Impact award, the Nobel Laureate Elinor Ostrom Award on Commons, UN’s Land for Life award, and the Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship. 

In this inspiring episode, Jagdeesh discusses FES' vital ecological restoration and conservation work in land and water resources in ecologically fragile, degraded regions of India, highlighting the distinctive way FES works with local communities, and its philosophy and approach to restoration. He also looks forward to his new role as Curator of the Promise of Commons Initiative in India.

Austin explains how Climate Neutral aims to inspire consumers to factor a brand’s climate impact into their buying decisions.  Climate Neutral software enables organizations to have a verifiable carbon footprint-and it also enables Climate Neutral-certified brands to buy carbon offsets that deliver carbon mitigation. He explains the operations of the carbon-offset market, the company’s approach to building a brand, and some of the challenges of building up the company.

Austin has worked in technology, climate and clean energy finance for two decades with many small and early stage organizations. He also earned an MBA from Yale. Before launching Climate Neutral he was Vice President at a customer intelligence software platform for utilities and energy service providers.

Today's interview features Dr. Kate Roll an Assistant Professor and Head of Teaching at UCL’s Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose (IIPP). Kate is a political scientist interested in how business, technology, and the state interact to improve the lives of the most vulnerable. Bringing her background in international development, Kate discusses inclusive business and the concept of bottom of the pyramid development and it's consequences for corporations and impoverished populations. Kate also shares her insights on what makes NGO and corporate partnerships succeed- and perhaps more interestingly, what makes them fail. 

Kate holds a BA in International Relations (honors, Phi Beta Kappa) from Brown University, and both an MPhil in International Development Studies (distinction) and DPhil in Politics from the University of Oxford. She has taught both undergraduate Empirical Politics and Management Studies at the University of Oxford, and she continues to teach both at the Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, and on IIPP's flagship MPA in Innovation at University College London.

Her multi-disciplinary work brings a focus politics and power to questions such as 'who gets what after war?' and 'how should corporations work with those in poverty?' Committed to grounded research, she has conducted fieldwork in Timor-Leste, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Kenya. She currently leads research at IIPP focusing on the sustainable development goals (SDGs), with a particular interest in issues of financing and conflict (SDG16).

In this interview, Dr. Aparna Hegde, an internationally renowned Urogynecologist and the founder of the NGO, ARMMAN (Advancing Reduction in Mortality and Morbidity of Mothers, Children and Neonates) shares her insights behind building scalable programs using technology and partnerships to innovatively impact maternal and child health. ARMMAN leverages technology to design & implement sustainable interventions to reduce maternal, neonatal, child mortality and morbidity in underserved communities. Working in 16 states in India, ARMMAN's five programs have reached more than 18 million women and their children.

Drawing from her hard earned experiences pioneering ARMMAN, Aparna discusses the impressive partnership ARMMAN has built with the Indian government. Aparna also details a key factor contributing to the growth of ARMMAN: deploying technology to meet women where they are. Driven by her passion to empower underserved Indian women through public health, Aparna's vision for ARMMAN is unshakeable.

Aparna is TED Fellow 2020 and was awarded USAID ‘Social Entrepreneur’ award (2018), ‘Woman ChangeMaker’ award (Womanity Foundation, Geneva, 2017), Woman Icon Award in Asia by Nanyung University, Singapore (2016), ‘People’s Choice Award’ at Saving Lives at Birth event (Washington DC, 2011), among other awards. She has been featured as one of the five global women leaders in the Voice of America documentary, ‘A Single Step: Journeys of Women Leaders’ (2015). ARMMAN was awarded the British Medical Journal South Asia Award for ‘Maternal & Child Health Team’ (2018), WHO Public Health Champion Award (2017) & is the only Indian NGO to have ever won the ‘GSK-Save the Children International’ grant.

In this episode, Celina De Sola talks about the growth and development of Glasswing International, a non-profit which aims to address the root causes and consequences of violence and poverty in communities in El Salvador, and other Latin American countries. Celina talks about the importance at the outset of understanding the roots of violence, rather than the symptoms. She highlights the critical importance of applying rigorous tests to measure social impact. She shares her experience on how to find funding, form strategic partnerships and highlights the importance of establishing honest partnerships between donors and communities. Celina also discusses the strategy behind creating a robust program that involves multi-sector partnerships between the private and public sectors. Finally, she touches on the challenges of maintaining sustainable growth as a multi-regional social enterprise.

Glasswing is a non-profit which aims to address the root causes and consequences of violence and poverty, by building partnerships across public, private, and civil society sectors to implement public education, health, and community development programs. Set up in El Salvador,  Glasswing has expanded Glasswing to eight other countries in Central and South America. In their thirteen years of operation Glasswing has impacted 1.1 million people and mobilized over 120,000 volunteers.

Celina de Sola has more than 20 years of experience in international development and social change. She’s worked as a consultant for organizations like the Population Council and family foundations. Celina was also a crisis interventionist for Latino immigrants in the US, and subsequently spent over five years as Director of Emergency Response for AmeriCares, leading responses to complex humanitarian crises. Celina is a Fellow of the Obama Foundation, Ashoka, LEGO ReImagine Learning, Penn Social Impact, is a Skoll Foundation Awardee and a Tallberg Global Leader. Celina holds a Masters degree in Public Health from Harvard University and Masters in Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Social Policy and Practice.

Kendis Paris is the founder of Truckers Against Trafficking, (TAT) founded in 2011. Beginning with the trucking industry, Kendis is building an anti-human trafficking movement model that could be applied across every mode of transportation in the US and beyond. Through TAT, Kendis is creating an entirely new role for truckers by targeting them in awareness-building campaigns about the issue; building a clear, safe pathway for them to act when they detect abuse; and using the trucking industry infrastructure as a strategic platform for the movement.

In this interview Kendis talks about the origins of TAT and the process of building the organization into a non-profit that has trained 845,000 people including truckers and law enforcement officers in how to spot and take action to aid a potentially trafficked victim. Kendis shares the motivations of the truckers she has encountered through TAT, sharing that truckers have expressed to her, “I have a daughter, I have granddaughters, how can I be a trucker against trafficking?”

Drawing from her systems change perspective, Kendis reveals the ways in which law enforcement and state agencies are involved in fighting human trafficking. Kendis explores the impact measurements that TAT tracks and her experience with creating policy change to further impact on state and federal levels. Finally, Kendis details the next steps to re-scale and recover from the effects of the pandemic.

EcoHimal Nepal is non-government organization (NGO) founded in 2009 with the goal of achieving sustainable development through community empowerment in Nepal’s mountain areas.  It has almost two decades of experience in livelihoods enhancement through sustainable development and community capacity-building, having worked in the region since 1992 as the Asian Regional Office of Eco Himal, an international non-government organization (INGO) based in Salzburg, Austria.  As a national NGO, EcoHimal Nepal will support the Nepal Government’s policy and work as a development partner in building the nation.  

EcoHimal’s mission is a prosperous, empowered and self-sustained Nepali society free of poverty, injustice and social discrimination. It works to achieve sustainable development through community empowerment in Nepal’s mountain areas by improving local livelihoods ensuring management and access to natural resources by local communities, and reducing vulnerabilities of mountain communities to environmental disasters. In this inspiring interview, Narayan discusses the growth and evolution of EcoHimal and the organization’s current scope and focus. He discusses the roots of the environmental problems in rural areas in Nepal and EcoHimal’s distinctive, community-led approach to dealing with these issues—with a specific focus on education—and its work to enhance livelihoods of mountain communities. Narayan also talks about EcoHimal’s recent approach to funding and partnerships –including the success they’ve had with The Glacier Trust (UK) in enabling farmers to produce, roast and sell coffee as a climate change adaptation strategy.

Sue is Founder of Bioregional, a UK social entreprise that, works with partners to create better, more sustainable places to live, work and do business. Bioregional developed BedZED eco-village the first of its kind in the UK and out of this the One Planet Living approach, ten interconnected and holistic principles to show people how to make sustainable living actionable and desirable. Sue was also instrumental in designing SDG12, focused on sustainable consumption and production – essential to One Planet Living. Sue is an Ashoka fellow.

In this inspiring interview, Nadina Galle, CEO & Co-Founder at Green City Watch, speaks to the growing trend of urbanization, and the key role that that urban forests play in greening cities. She explains how Green City Watch uses powerful AI and machine learning technologies to provide a cost-effective solution to oversee and manage urban green spaces and talks about the company’s first product focused on urban forests.

Nadina Galle is an ecologist whose practice spans the fields of sustainability, technology, and urbanism. She is CEO & Co-Founder at Green City Watch in Amsterdam, a global, award-winning geospatial AI company focused on renaturing cities and development of urban forests. Nadina holds degrees in ecology, evolutionary biology and earth sciences from the universities of Toronto, Singapore, and Amsterdam. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Ecological Engineering, at University College Dublin Spatial Dynamics Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Senseable City Lab, and Trinity College Dublin.

Dr Morgan Phillips joined The Glacier Trust in December 2016. He is responsible for the day-to-day running of the charity, with specific focus on project development, partnerships, strategy and fundraising. Morgan holds a BSc in Geography, an MSc in Environmental Science, Policy and Planning and a PhD in Environmental Education. He worked at Keep Britain Tidy for five years, spending two years as a Team Leader in Community Engagement and three years as Education Manager. Previously, Morgan ran a small intercultural understanding charity, Global Footsteps and lectured on the politics of climate change at Brunel University. Alongside his role as Co-Director for The Glacier Trust, Morgan also works freelance in sustainability education.

In this interview, Morgan discusses the important work that Glacier Trust is doing in Nepal, focusing in particular on the Trust’s agricultural and education projects. Morgan shares his first hand experience of the impact receding glaciers in the Himalayas-often called the third pole, the largest concentration of ice after the South and North Poles-and the desperate impacts on farming and local communities. Helping farmers adapt to climate change is at the heart of the work that the Glacier Trust undertakes, largely working with a number of local NGOs in Nepal. Morgan talks about the increasing awareness of the threat and impact of climate change within local farming communities—and some of the successes that local NGOs have had helping farmers their farming practices –and how these practices are shared across different communities. Morgan also talks about the neglected problem posed by glacier lakes in the Himalayas and the threat of flooding.

In this interview, social entrepreneur Jordan Kassalow, and rabbi and author, Jennifer Krausediscuss Dare to Matter, their inspiring new bookwhich brings together Jordan’s experience as a successful social entrepreneur and Jennifer’s deep insights into inherited Jewish traditions. They set the context clearly from the outset—an economic model that does not work for many, and intense and growing societal pressure on young people and people in the workplace. Against this background, a growing number of individuals are yearning to find a deep meaning in life beyond the material –Jordan cites recent research on the limited impact that material wealth has on happiness, beyond a certain level. Both Jordan and Jennifer are passionate about the potential for every individual to make a difference in the world—and they share their thoughts on how to integrate what you do to earn a paycheck with your desire to build a better world. While recognising that not everyone will live a life like Mother Theresa, Jennifer believes “there is something in the world that calls on, that needs each and every one of us” –and they highlight the central importance of “Discover the Need that Needs you Most.” This is hugely inspiring interview that will help those that want to make a difference in the world live a life with purpose by using their unique gifts.

Jordan Kassalow is the founder of VisionSpring, a successful social entreprise that works to ensure affordable access to eyewear, everywhere, as well as co-founding EYElliance, a multi-stakeholder coalition driving global strategy to increase access to eyeglasses at scale. Jordan also launched the Global Health Policy Program at the Council on Foreign Relations. Previously, Jordan served as director of the River Blindness Division at Helen Keller International.  He is a fellow at Draper Richards Kaplan, Skoll, Ashoka, and the Aspen Institute. Jennifer Krause is a rabbi and author who weaves together an innovative mix of sacred text, contemporary experience, and popular culture in her work. She is the author of The Answer: Making Sense of Life, One Question at a Time and her writing and commentary have been featured in Newsweek, The New York Times, and, Time.com

Rebecca Masisak is CEO of TechSoup–she sets the strategic direction and provides executive oversight of all aspects of the organization and its global operations. Ms. Masisak joined TechSoup in 2001 to launch its e-commerce donation platform, moving the organization from a local San Francisco Bay Area focus to a national reach. In 2006, she founded the TechSoup Global Network to scale the program’s impact globally. Ms. Masisak became CEO of the organization in 2012, after having served the prior six years as co-CEO. She previously worked as a strategy consultant with Coopers & Lybrand and in leadership roles at several Internet businesses.

Ms. Masisak holds an M.B.A. from the Columbia University Business School. In 2017, she was honored as one of the nonprofit sector’s “top 50 most influential leaders” by the Nonprofit Times and named one of the “most influential women of the Bay Area” by the San Francisco Business Times. She co-leads the Bay Area Social Enterprise Leadership Forum.

In this insightful interview, Rebecca talks about the tech challenges that NGOs and social benefit organisations face, the importance of technology within the sector and TechSoup’s growth and evolution. She highlights the key role of tech donors supporting the sector and the way that TechSoup works with a growing number of corporate donors to deliver services around the world. Rebecca also identifies some of the distinct problems that NGOs face trying to fund technology development in the current business climate. She also discusses how the organisation has dealt with scaling, collectively growing the tech resources devoted to expanding the capacity of the global social sector and how the organisation has achieved its hugely impressive impact.

TechSoup has recently launched a $11.5 million growth capital campaign, an ambitious initiative to nearly double the number of nonprofit organizations it serves. The campaign includes opportunities to invest in TechSoup’s growth through a Direct Public Offering (DPO). With investment minimums as low as $50, the DPO is uniquely structured to engage with TechSoup’s community, including the nonprofits they serve and the technology companies they partner with. The DPO is gathering grassroots support and attracting the interest of major impact investors, including Microsoft Philanthropies, which recently made a $1 million impact investment into the DPO. The investment will enable TechSoup to develop new offerings to help nonprofits utilize technology to amplify their mission and impact. The investment it will also encourage investors of all stripes to support TechSoup’s growth initiative and catalyze the impact to the sector.

In this inspiring and thought-provoking interview, Jed describes his decades long work in the field of impact investment and the motivation behind his most recent book The Purpose of Capital: Elements of Impact, Financial Flows, and Natural Being. Jed explores the historic roots of our understanding of capital—and goes on to suggest that the idea that there is this gap between philanthropic capital and market rate capital is not correct-that all investments should be considered impactful. Rather than seeing progress as linear, Jed argues we should consider it as a spiral, where we can search for both a deeper and higher understanding. He also asks us to stop seeing ourselves and our successes as separate, but rather to see how we are all connected—and he challenges each of us to pause and reflect on what our fundamental intent is – to be successful, or to have a positive impact—and inspires us to transform financial and investment models to optimize the legacy we leave on society and the environment. This is a fascinating discussion questions the idea that financial returns re the main driver for creating impact in the world and offers the prospect of healing the long standing separation between economic/financial value and social/environmental value.

Jed Emerson is strategic advisor to family offices and wealth management firms executing diverse approaches to investing for financial returns with social and environmental impact. Co-author of the first book on impact investing, as well as six other books on impact investing and social entrepreneurship, he has been active in both fields for nearly thirty years. He has served as founding director and board member of diverse social enterprises and impact investment groups. Emerson is a Senior Research Fellow at University of Heidelberg’s Center on Social Investing and has held faculty appointments at Harvard, Stanford and Oxford business schools. He has taught social entrepreneurship at Kellogg Business School and NYU-Abu Dhabi in the U.A.E. In the late 90s, Emerson coined the concept of Blended Value to describe the reality that the value we create in our lives and through our investing is a blend of social, environmental and economic elements. While the value we create is whole, we are asked to choose between doing well or doing good, making money or engaging in philanthropy and working in nonprofit or for-profit organizations.

As the former Chief Innovation Officer at USAID, Ann Mei served as the first Executive Director of the US Global Development Lab.  In this role, Ann Mei was responsible for identifying breakthrough innovations and transforming the way development was done in order to accelerate our pace of progress.  Her firsthand knowledge in both tech and nonprofit startups have provided her with keen insight into the many challenges inhibiting the growth of new ideas.  Ann Mei describes in this interview the difference between the traditional Lean Startup Model and the Lean Impact model she proposes in her new book, Lean Impact: How to Innovate for Radically Greater Social Good.  She explores with us some unique ways to consider scalability from the beginning, workarounds for handling limitations and/or restrictions to funding and donor relationships, and dares us to think BIGGER by focusing on the needs of the world rather than the constraints that can hinder our creativity.  Ann Mei encourages all businesses to adopt a Lean Model as a standard best practice as so understanding and adaptation can be applied as quickly as possible for optimal performance solutions.

With a natural philanthropic spirit, Randy Paynter founded the online advocacy website, Care2, in 1998 with the hope of making the world a kinder, more inclusive, and sustainable space. The business works by focusing on two aspects in which to generate support for social and environmental causes around the world. First, they empower individuals to take collective action through the petition of their own campaigns. Second, they work directly with non-profits to craft campaigns in an effort to generate/ recruit more donor prospects. Their scale and expertise allows them to effectively navigate shifts in the online market to maximize connections between activists and individuals, organizations, and responsible businesses trying to make positive impacts. Since it’s creation, Care2 has recruited over 90 million donor prospects for non-profits making them a leader in online advocacy.

In this interview, Randy outlines the initial challenges he faced while raising money to start Care2, and his sincere belief in creating an “engine for good” business model where good actions generate revenues that will help fuel more good actions. He discusses the concept that positive feedback through donation helps drive personal motivations to do more, and offers some examples of the types of hyper local or hyper specific campaigns that work well. Randy describes how big changes with the internet, primarily through the growth of Facebook and Google, has shifted the way we engage with various causes and non-profits by generating “interruptions” on social media. This may play an important role in the general increase seen in activism. As the spotlight grows on the transparency and accountability of businesses and governments, Randy mentions how these organizations will need to embrace more socially and environmentally sustainable practices.

Harish Hande is an Indian social entrepreneur who co-founded SELCO India in 1995 to eradicate poverty by promoting sustainable technologies in rural India. SELCO India is a social enterprise that provides sustainable energy services to the poor in India, sustainable energy solutions and services to under-served households and businesses. SELCO empowers its customer by providing a complete package of product, service and consumer financing through grameena banks, cooperative societies, commercial banks and micro-finance institutions.  Harish has won numerous award including the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award, for “his pragmatic efforts to put solar power technology in the hands of the poor.” Hande was also named the Social Entrepreneur of the Year 2007 by the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship and the Nand & Jeet Khemka Foundation.

In this wide ranging and fascinating interview, Harish discusses the underlying myths that SELCO was set up to disprove: 1) Poor people cannot afford sustainable technologies;  2) Poor people cannot maintain sustainable technologies;  3) Social ventures cannot be run as commercial entities. Harish is outspoken about the possibilities for poor people to rise from poverty and shares his vision for helping alleviate poverty in India. He identifies the flaws at the heart of “Bottom of the pyramid” thinking—the poor as consumers-rather than also as possible innovators and entrepreneurs — and also criticises traditional thinking about “frugal innovation.” This is an hugely inspiring interview full of powerful ideas and insights based on Harish’ experience working with poorest people in India.

Odin Mühlenbein is Partner at Ashoka Germany and Lead of Advisory at Ashoka Globalizer–an accelerator program that helps advanced social entrepreneurs from around the world develop strategies for social system change. Odin takes the learnings from Ashoka Globalizer to spread the word about system change and systems thinking, both within Ashoka and the field of social entrepreneurship. Previously, Odin worked as a consultant at McKinsey & Company and co-founded two social ventures.

 In this interview, Odin talks the growth and importance of systems entrepreneurs — and the ways in which Ashoka Globalizer promotes insights and learnings about social system change, gleaned across the Ashoka network. Odin discusses the distinct role that system change entrepreneurs can play and how social entrepreneurs more generally can embrace the power of systems thinking-and discusses the importance of “tipping points’ in systems at a global level. Odin identifies the qualities a social entrepreneur needs to cultivate in order to become a successful systems entrepreneur. Finally, he discusses the perennial challenge of funding these ventures.

Dr. Charly Kleissner is a pioneer in the field of impact investment. He believes that the deeper meaning of wealth is to make a positive contribution to humanity and the planet. Dr. Kleissner co-founded KL Felicitas Foundation (www.klfelicitasfoundation.org), and Social-Impact International (www.social-impact.org), which help social entrepreneurs worldwide to accelerate and increase their impact.  Dr. Kleissner co-founded Toniic and the 100% Impact Network, global networks for impact investors. Dr. Kleissner serves as Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Global Hub Company (www.the-hub.net), and as Board Director and Chairman of the Investment Committee of ImpactAssets.

In this extended and wide-ranging interview, Charly paints an exciting picture of the state of impact investment today, talks about the importance of “deep impact investing”-and shares his abiding belief in the potential of changing the financial system to build a better world. Charly talks about his experience at TONIIC and the 100% impact network and highlights the results that have been achieved at the KL Felicitas Foundation (that impact investors can construct a 100% impact portfolio and achieve competitive financial returns in all asset classes while making a big impact). Charly highlights some of the important work the Foundation is doing supporting the impact investment ecosystem. Finally, he discusses how modern portfolio theory should be re-conceptualized to integrate positive impact. (This is an edited version of an interview posted on the Financing Social Entrepreneurs podcast.)

Jonah Sachs is an internationally recognized storyteller, author, and designer. He is the co-founder and chief storytelling officer of Free Range Studios, an advertising and marketing firm that specializes in nonprofits and socially responsible businesses. Jonah has helped hundreds of social brands and causes break through the media din with campaigns built on sound storytelling strategies. Jonah’s latest book, Unsafe Thinking, explores latest research into creativity and performance to present effective strategies to achieve higher performance and creativity and deliver successful innovation. In this interview, Jonah talks about the key ideas underlying his new book, and the importance of Unsafe Thinking for social entrepreneurs and innovators. He provides fresh and stimulating insights on creativity and the experience of “flow” –identifying when social innovators need to make sure that they are at their most creative –and when they need to focus on grit and determination to get things done. This is a fresh and stimulating look at latest thinking about creativity and effective performance which will be helpful to all social innovators.

Tim Freundlich is President of ImpactAssets, a boutique donor advised fund that specialises in socially responsible and impact investment options to mobilise human and financial capital towards a sustainable world. Tim is a long-term innovator in new financial instruments in the social enterprise sectors and was instrumental in establishing the precursor to ImpactAssets, the Calvert Giving Fund. Tim is also co-author of the ImpactAssets Handbook, an introductory text on how to become best positioned to engage in impact investing as an asset owner.

In this interview, Tim gives us an overview of ImpactAssets activities and the role of donor advised funds, philanthropic donations that are responsibly managed to maximise their long-term impact, allowing any individual donor in effect to be like the Gates Foundation. Tim discusses challenges and opportunities for financing small-scale social entrepreneurs and talks about different forms of impact investments, distinguishing between those that are “gap driven” and others that are “opportunity driven.” Tim is optimistic with regard to the millennial generation’s overwhelming support for purpose-driven business models. Given millennials are due to inherit the greatest generational wealth transfer in history this provides substantial opportunities for expanding such financial models. Finally, Tim stresses how impact investments’ rapid growth and proven track-record is changing finance and bringing impact led investing into the mainstream

(This is an edited version of the original podcast episode from the Financing Social Entrepreneurs podcast series.)

Harvey Koh is Managing Director at the global social change consulting firm FSG. Based in FSG’s Mumbai, India office, Harvey directs research and advocacy in the area of Inclusive Markets, advancing thinking about inclusive business and market-based solutions in development, with a global perspective. His primary focus is working with donors and companies to develop and scale inclusive business models that benefit the poor, across the housing, water and the healthcare sector.

In this interview, Harvey discusses FSG’s recent report Shaping Inclusive Markets: How Funders and Intermediaries can Help Markets Move Towards Greater Economic Inclusion. The report analyses historical cases where inclusive markets lead to expanded opportunities for a broadly shared prosperity and seeks to understand the ways in which they were achieved. Harvey stresses the importance of reimagining markets to produce inclusion. He underlines their importance in creating inclusive societies, as the poor are already participants in markets for basic services. He discusses some of the key findings from the report, particularly the importance of producer ownership in creating equitable livelihoods for poor and marginalised groups. He also addresses the importance of changing ownership structures in corporations, particularly the primacy of maximising shareholder return, in order to help businesses achieve long-term social goals. Finally, he briefly touches on the juncture between inclusive markets and sustainability issues.

Benetech Labs is the innovation engine of Benetech, a leading nonprofit that empowers communities through software for social good with a focus on education, human rights, poverty, and the environment. Benetech Labs works with communities and partners to identify needs and prototype software for social solutions and support solutions that deliver the greatest impact in the communities it serves. Benetech Labs uses a model very much like traditional venture capitalists use when evaluating projects with the key difference that Benetech Labs focuses on delivering maximum social good, not profit.

Anh is a seasoned nonprofit leader with expertise building scalable software for social good solutions through ecosystem engagement. At Benetech, Anh is responsible for leading Benetech Labs’ R&D work, engaging with communities, other technologists, and other non-profits around critical social issues to prototype new software solutions. Prior to Benetech, Anh led the development of a digital publishing platform for leading scientific and research publishers.

Joel Solomon is a highly experience social investor who has invested in over 100 early-growth stage companies in North America. Joel was instrumental in the development the Endswell Foundation, the largest, BC-based, charitable foundation in British Columbia funding environmental issues in the 1990s. Joel is currently Chair of Renewal Funds, Canada’s largest mission venture capital firm, with $98m assets under management. Joel is a Senior Advisor with RSF Social Finance, founding member of Social Venture Network, Business for Social Responsibility, the Tides Canada Foundation, and Board Chair of Hollyhock. He is co-author of the Clean Money Revolution, which will has now been published.

In this interview, Joel shares his perspective on the evolution of impact investing in the US, after years at the forefront front of social investment, and his experience building the Endswell Foundation. Joel discusses Renewal Funds investment strategy, what they are looking for in investee companies, and how they go about building a portfolio. He also provides advice for entrepreneurs that are looking to raise money for their business. Finally, Joel outlines some of the key ideas in his new book. Clean Money Revolution, and looks to the future of finance where profit & purpose are aligned.

Kevin Barenblat is a highly experienced software entrepreneur with a passion for applying technology for good. He is a big believer that talented people can leverage technology to create scalable solutions to some of the world’s toughest problems. Kevin is the founder of the Fast Forward accelerator that helps tech nonprofits by investing money, providing training and mentoring, and helping scale them to impact using what he calls a “well-established Silicon Valley playbook.” (An edited version of this podcast was posted on the Financing Social Entrepreneurs podcast).

Ned Breslin is the CEO at the Tennyson Center for Children, a 112 year non-profit based in Denver, Colorado, dedicated to helping children who have experienced severe abuse, neglect and/or trauma so they can bravely, and safely, change their life’s story. Ned previously worked in international water and sanitation for close to 30 years and is a 2011 winner of the Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship. 

In this inspiring interview, Ned talks about his ongoing journey as a social entrepreneur, the challenges and motivation of working in the child welfare sector, after 30 years working in water and sanitation. Ned talks about how Tennyson is re-envisioning provision of child welfare, how he has approached fundraising, and the real meaning of advocacy. Ned also touches on important trends within the social sectors including growing interest in hyper-local social innovation. This is a powerful interview where Ned shares the fruit of a long and committed career at the forefront of social innovation.

Jonathan Lewis has had a long and varied career and vocation as a social justice activist and social entrepreneur. He is Founder of MCE Social Capital, an innovative social venture that finances small business loans to deeply impoverished people in 33 countries around the world. He is also Founder and President of the Opportunity Collaboration, an annual global strategic business retreat for anti-poverty leaders, and also co-founder of Copia Global, an Amazon-like consumer catalog. Jonathan has taught social entrepreneurship and lectured at universities around the world and is the author of the newly published The Unfinished Social Entrepreneur, a candid and provocative account of the challenges and questions facing all social entrepreneurs.

Ron Cordes is a veteran of more than 30 years in the investment industry – he co-founded and then sold AssetMark Investment Services. In 2006, together with his wife Marty, Ron set up the Cordes Foundation — a family foundation focused on social entrepreneurship, impact investing and creating economic opportunities for women, later broadening its focus to include ethical fashion brands, sustainable manufacturing and engaging millennials in impact investing. The Cordes Foundation was one of the first foundations to commit itself to aligning 100% of assets to mission. Ron also chairs the Executive Committee for ImpactAssets, an initiative to catalyze capital for impact investments, formed in partnership with the Calvert Foundation.

 In this interview, Ron talks about how he got started in philanthropy and talks about the work of the Cordes Foundation, highlighting the Foundation’s long-standing focus on providing economic opportunities for women and girls, and its growing interest in ethical fashion. Ron discusses the recent growth in impact investing and shares his views on the importance of generating market related returns within the sector. He discusses the Foundation’s pioneering move toward aligning 100% of assets to mission and some of the big changes taking place in philanthropy today. Finally, he talks about Opportunity Collaboration, an annual global poverty business retreat he co-chairs, and the Cordes Fellowships provided to emerging global social entrepreneurs.

Isaac is a designer-researcher focused on global health equity and creating complex health systems that are beneficial to healthcare staff working with poor and marginalised patient populations. He is the cofounder of Medic Mobile, a non-profit technology company specializing in mHealth. Medic Mobile is guided by a mission to support community health workers and families using mobile and web tools to help register pregnancies, track disease outbreaks faster, and keep stock of essential medicines.

Medic Mobile started small, but found ways to expand access to medical care by equipping over 18,000 healthcare workers providing healthcare for over 8 million people in rural communities. The company realised that smartphones were not always easily available, but that basic mobile phones and could be used to deliver health information. Thanks to Medic Mobile, healthcare workers in over 20 countries are now more easily able to contact each other, remind patients of appointments, collect information from patients in hard to access locations, do basic diagnosing of potentially fatal illnesses, and more.

In this interview, Isaac Holeman talks about Medic Mobile’s pioneering work and identifies some of the biggest decisions he has made on his journey as a social entrepreneur. He highlights the crucial importance of human centered design at the centre of Medic Mobile’s technology solution, and the time the team spent at the outset to understand the community healthcare worker ecosystem. Isaac talks about different approaches to scaling technology solutions and how identifying your likely scaling strategy will help to determine the best approach you take. This is an insightful interview with a leading mHealth company.

Kevin Starr has been supporting social entrepreneurs since before we used the term. He built the current incarnation of Mulago Foundation, a private foundation that funds early-stage social entrepreneurs devoted to maximum impact at scale in the lives of the poorest people in developing countries. In 2003, Kevin set up Rainer Arnhold Fellows Programme to apply Mulago’s principles and tools to help social entrepreneurs turn good ideas into lasting change at scale. The Mulago Foundation is currently funding fifty or so social ventures including Last Mile Health, One Acre Fund, Blue Ventures, Komaza, and The Boma Project. 

In this revealing interview, Kevin talks about the Mulago Foundation’s investment philosophy and the different ways it supports social entrepreneurs. He presents a simple model of sources of finance for social entrepreneurs-and advises as to the appropriateness of each– and he shares his thoughts on how social impact can best be scaled. Kevin gives a frank assessment of the state of impact investing today, warns of the dangers of investors prioritising business models over impact models, and cautions social entrepreneurs about over-reliance on for-profit business models when working on solutions for the very poor. (A version of this interview has previously been posted on the Financing Social Entrepreneurs site).

Simprints is a nonprofit tech company from the University of Cambridge that is building an affordable, secure, rugged, open-source fingerprint system that works in the world’s toughest settings. According to the World Bank, an estimated 1.1 billion people, the majority of them living in Asia and Africa, struggle to access basic services and rights due to an inability to prove their identity – Simprints is developing open source software and biometric hardware to break this identification bottleneck and empower mobile tools used by researchers, NGOs, and governments fighting poverty around the world.

In this interview, Toby sets the scene explaining about the identity challenges faced by poor people around the world and the disastrous impact on their lives, particularly when it comes to healthcare. He talks about the company’s journey from initial idea to set up and growth and the scale of the different challenges that they have faced at different stages of the journey. Toby explains the thinking behind setting up as a tech non-profit and identifies the different skills that they have needed to develop to succeed. He talks about the invaluable support that Simprints has received on this journey, and the different partnerships it has developed. This is a inspiring-interview, rich in insights, with lots of hard won advice for social entrepreneurs in all sectors.

KJ Erickson is Founder and CEO of Simbi, an innovative technology platform that allows people around the world to exchange or barter services. Users can do exchanges directly, or for credits that can be spent in the Simbi network. Prior to Simbi, KJ spent 9 years as the Founder and Executive Director of FORGE, a nonprofit that provides education, skills training, and entrepreneurial resources to more than 70,000 refugees in war-torn Africa.

KJ has won many awards include the Skoll Scholarship for Social Entrepreneurship, the Do Something Award for public service, and the Stanford Haas Public Service Fellowship.

In 2014, KJ was a Skoll Scholar at Oxford’s Saïd Business School where she completed her MBA. In this interview, KJ talks about the roots of the Simbi idea, how it works, and common misconceptions. She talks about her experience as a social innovator and some of the challenges they have faced building the business. KJ gives a candid explanation why she thinks professional investors like FundersClub, Y Combinator & Greylock Partners invested in Simbi –and talks about her future aspirations for the business.

Biplab Ketan Paul is founder of Naireeta Services, an Indian social enterprise that has developed an innovative water management solution, the Bhungroo system, a unique irrigation system based on rainwater harvesting for farmers facing both drought and flooding situations  Paul, together with his wife Trupti Jain, has spent some 17 years developing and improving the Bhungroo system which now benefits some 100,000 farmers in India. Paul has won multiple awards for his work including the  Millennium Alliance Award for Global impact and India Innovation Growth Award-he is also an Ashoka fellow.

Gregg is founder of Adventure Scientists, a US non profit that partners with various conservation groups around the world to collect data from the outdoors that are crucial to unlocking solutions to the world’s environmental challenges. Since its founding in 2011, it has sent thousands of volunteers on missions to collect data from remote, difficult-to-access locations for conservation groups.  This has led to the discovery of more than three dozen new species, provided key information to guide climate change decision-making, and helped protect threatened wildlife habitat around the world.

Eric Nee is managing editor of Stanford Social Innovation Review (SSIR), which has been serving global leaders of social change for almost 15 years- via its quarterly magazine, online articles, podcasts, videos, webinars, and conferences. Eric has some 30 years experience in the publishing industry; before joining Fortune, Eric launched Forbes’s Silicon Valley bureau, where he was bureau manager.

In this interview, Eric gives a fascinating overview of the state of social innovation today — and talks about some of the most exciting trends that he sees. From his unique vantage point at the intersection of the government, non-profit, and business sectors, Eric talks about evolving models of social innovation –and identifies some of the most interesting cross-sector initiatives in recent years. He also explores the rise of impact investing and talks about some trends in support for social innovation within Silicon Valley.

Ben is founder of Agora Parternships an organisation that provides early stage social entrepreneurs in Latin America with the resources they need to grow-primarily through the Agora Accelerator, a four month program designed to provide entrepreneurs access to the knowledge, networks, and capital they need to succeed. Since 2011, Agora has supported some 125 companies that have raised $52 million and created 5000 jobs, ninety per cent of which are still operating.

Oorja is a social enterprise that enables underserved rural communities in India to transform their crop waste crop waste into clean energy and biochar using hybrid solar and biomass-powered microgrids. Some 450 million people in rural India do not have access to reliable electricity — Oorja’s mission is to provide clean energy access to these people with a particular focus on local communities whilst promoting sustainable local economic development.

Chuck Slaughter is Founder and CEO of Living Goods, a social enterprise building a sustainable distribution platform for products designed to fight poverty and disease in the developing world. Living Goods operates networks of independent entrepreneurs (currently in Uganda, Kenya, and Myanmar) who make a living by selling medicines and products to poor people that can help improve their health, wealth, and productivity. It uses a successful direct selling model like Avon Products. A recent university study shows that Living Goods’ Community Health Agents are reducing child deaths by 25% for less than $2 a year per person. Living Goods aims to reach 50 million people in the next ten years with its innovative sustainable model.

Chuck has extensive experience as a businessman. He founded TravelSmith and grew it to over two million customers and $100 million in sales. After selling TravelSmith in 2004, Chuck devoted his entrepreneurial instincts to building vibrant enterprises in both the private and social sectors. Chuck currently serves on the boards of The Initiative for Global Development, the Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation, Three Day Blinds, and Living Goods, and is a former board member of Spiegel Brands. He is a recipient of the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award and is a Draper Richards Fellow.

Alex is the CEO and co-founder of Conservation X Labs, a startup for tech innovation for conservation and development.  Prior to founding Conservation X Labs Alex served as the Chief Scientist at USAID and founded the Global Development Lab.  Conservation X Labs aims to harness exponential technologies, open innovation, and entrepreneurship to dramatically improve the efficacy, scale and sustainability of conservation efforts to end human induced extinction.

Echoing Green is a leading global non-profit that provides seed funding and technical assistance to emerging social entrepreneurs with ideas for social change. The organisation is celebrating its 30 anniversary in 2017. Over that time it has forged a community of global pioneers, now over 700 strong, and played a pioneering role helping accelerate these leaders to impact the world.  Cheryl Dorsey has been at the helm since 2002 and has overseen Echoing Green’s development into a leading global non-profit.

In this interview, posted jointly with Financing Social Entrepreneurs (www.financingsocialentrepreneurs.com) Cheryl takes us back in time to the foundation of the organisation and highlights the central and on-going importance of its fellowship program, providing grant money for social entrepreneurs, and the strength of this community. She also highlights Echoing Green’s work supporting the evolving social entrepreneurship ecosystem and how it has been responding to the changes taking place in the field of social entrepreneurship. Cheryl gives her views on the key trends she sees in social entrepreneurship and impact investing today, and, looking to the future, shares her vision for the future of this unique organisation.

Jordan Kassalow is founder of VisionSpring, a US social enterprise whose mission is to expand affordable access to eyewear, everywhere. To date, VisionSpring has distributed over 3.5 million eyeglasses to their target customers, who typically earns below $4 per day. They estimate their total economic impact to be over $756 million.

The World Health Organization estimates that more than 600 million people could have their vision restored with access to eyeglasses. With the goal of increasing impact, Jordan recently set up EYElliance–a multi-stakeholder initiative to radically scale provision of eyeglasses to people with refractive error who do not have access to eyeglasses.

Christian is a scholar of social innovation –he is the Leo Tindemans Chair for Business Model Innovation at KU Leuven — a visiting scholar at the Stanford University Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society and an academic visitor at the Said Business School, University of Oxford. Christian, together with Johanna Mair are co-authors of the recently published Innovation and Scaling for Impact: How Effective Social Enterprises Do It.

Willy Oppenheim is an educator, a researcher, and the founder of Omprakash a social enterprise working to make international volunteering more ethical and impactful. Willy founded Omprakash (www.omprakash.org) in 2004 with the goal of creating a platform to connect volunteers with social impact opportunities around the world.  Omprakash is a free online platform that connects grassroots health, education, and environmental organizations in over 30 countries with a global audience of volunteers, donors, and classrooms that can learn from and support their work. 

Willy studied anthropology and religion as an undergraduate and went on to earn his doctorate in Education from Oxford University. He continues to lead Omprakash and its newest initiative, Omprakash EdGE, which is an online training and mentorship program intended to help university students enrich their international learning and impact. 

Marc is on faculty at the Saïd Business School, University of Oxford and a Fellow of Wolfson College.  His research and teaching focus on innovation, institutions and infrastructure, with particular empirical projects at the intersection of organizational strategy and economic sociology in nascent markets.  Current work explores early moments approaches in markets for UK impact investment, ecosystems services in Amazon Peru, climate change adaption, and Cascadia ‘conscious capitalism’. Marc has a distinctive, ‘organisation-rich’view on the role of social entrepreneurs as system builders, creating and strengthening nascent markets, where institutional rules and conventions have not yet settled ambiguity.

Marc is involved with initiatives at Oxford and elsewhere. He is Academic Lead for ‘Ideas to Impact’ (I2I) initiative, a collaboration with the Oxford Sciences and Engineering Division in support of innovation and enterprise.  He is founding convenor of the research seminar series ‘Strategies, Institutions and Practices at Saïd’.  Marc also acts as an advisor to several technology and social innovation start-ups founded by recent Oxford alumni including Pivotus Ventures and Global Thinkers Forum.  He serves in advisory roles for UK Participatory City and for the Banff Centre #AltNow entrepreneurial initiatives to address economic inequality in Canada.

In this interview, Marc shares his views on the role of social entrepreneurs as system builders, working to overcome various kinds of inertia and to mobilize and combine resources across broad social expanses. Marc highlights the importance of  social change in systems terms and the work of social innovators in the idiom of systems change.

Jeffrey Hollender is a social entrepreneur, author and activist. After a wide ranging entrepreneurial career, Jeffrey co-founded Seventh Generation and built it over 25 years into a leading natural product company recognised for its authenticity, transparency, and progressive business practices. Jeffrey recently co-founded Hollender Sustainable Brands, which sells Sustain Natural sexual wellness products; he is CEO and Chief Inspired Protagonist. Jeffrey is Co-Chair of the Board of Directors of Greenpeace USA and has also served on the board of Verite, a leading labor rights organization, as well as Health Care Without Harm, and Practically Green. He has written six books including The Responsibility Revolution: How the Next Generation of Businesses Will Win.