Stanford Social Innovation Review Podcast

Research shows that when talented social innovators lack “invisible capital”—the so-called right pedigree, right passport, right skin color, right gender—they may fail to get the attention and investment they need to succeed. How can leaders in philanthropy improve access to capital? What tools can help nonprofit leaders overcome these barriers and get the support they need? Social entrepreneur, author, and Stanford University lecturer Kathleen Kelly Janus leads a discussion about these questions with Echoing Green President Cheryl Dorsey, Whitman Institute Co-executive Director Pia Infante, and California Endowment CEO Robert Ross. “Philanthropy is reinforcing many of the very forms of inequality that we are all working so hard to solve,” Janus says. Dorsey identifies three main systemic barriers—a lack of access to capital and opportunities, psychological stress from social exclusion, and the unequal control of resources and political power in society—as some of the challenges to achieving more equitable in

Black women face racial and gender stereotypes and biases that often keep success in the hands of the few—and their experiences working in the social sector are no exception. To understand the unique set of racial and gender barriers—coined “double jeopardy”— that stymie black women, listen to this discussion from Makiyah Moody, senior consultant at La Piana Consulting; Tyra Mariani, executive vice president of New America; Crystal German, principal of Prosperity Labs; and Ify Walker, founder and CEO of Offor. They provide insight into everything from survival strategies to creating more inclusive work environments. “In my daily life, being black and being female comes into play on a constant basis, and that takes a toll,” German says. “It gives me a different level of appreciation. It gives me a different level of empathy.” The conversation was based on Moody’s interview series, “Black & Bold: Perspectives on Leadership,” which she expanded upon in her 2018 SSIR piece about black women’s use of kinship t

Due to her father’s work as an engineer, Paula John moved around a lot in her youth. She often felt seen but not heard in the relationship with her dad. With her own family, she tried hard to listen, and she expected the same consideration from her local Houston health agency, she told former NPR host Bill Littlefield. When she reached out to the agency for help with an illness, and it sent her home empty-handed after a four-hour wait, she gave it harsh feedback. “She was right,” said Cathy Moore, executive director of Epiphany Community Health Outreach Services (ECHOS). “Some of the things she said were some of the things we focused on most.” Through a Listen for Good grant, ECHOS began regularly surveying clients like John and responding to their feedback to transform the way ECHOS works. https://ssir.org/podcasts/entry/how_client_feedback_helped_transform_a_houston_health_agency

What practices make the arts more or less inclusive? At Stanford Social Innovation Review’s 2018 Nonprofit Management Institute conference, leaders from three San Francisco Bay Area arts organizations discuss how they are shaping both their organizations and their performances to make them more diverse and welcoming to all. “That's the next big shift if we are to survive—to go into the community, knock down those norms, and be something that is accessible,” said panelist Tim Seelig, artistic director of the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus. Nayantara Sen, manager of cultural strategies with Race Forward moderates the conversation with Seelig, Judith Smith, founder and director of AXIS Dance Company, and Sherri Young, executive director and founder of the African-American Shakespeare Company. They discuss the meaning of equity within their respective communities, learning from failures, and building sustainable partnerships. https://ssir.org/podcasts/entry/increasing_equity_and_inclusion_in_the_arts

When Shannon Revels came home to Oakland after nearly 15 years in prison, he found his criminal record made it difficult to get a job. But through the Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO), he found a role first as a janitor then resident services counselor in transitional housing for the formerly homeless. In this interview with former NPR host Bill Littlefield, Revels discusses the importance of his being heard by a teacher he met in prison, giving feedback to CEO and seeing it acted upon, and how he created ways to listen to his residents and dignify their suggestions with action. https://ssir.org/podcasts/entry/former_prisoner_pays_forward_the_gift_of_being_heard

The nonprofit Color of Change was formed after Hurricane Katrina to use online resources in the fight for the rights of Black communities in America. Since then, Color of Change has grown into the nation’s largest online racial justice organization, with more than 1.4 million members. Rashad Robinson, president of Color of Change, spoke at our 2018 Nonprofit Management Institute conference about the nature of political and cultural power and the importance of continually assessing the nonprofit sector's efforts to bring about change. Robinson says, “We have to continue to challenge and ask ourselves, ‘What are we winning?’” Additional Resources View a PDF of Robinson's Nonprofit Management Institute presentation. @rashadrobinson on Twitter @colorofchange on Twitter https://ssir.org/podcasts/entry/rewriting_our_cultural_narrative_for_a_more_just_society

Technology can magnify the power of grassroots organizing and social innovation, but it can sometimes bring about societal harm, whether intentionally or not. At SSIR’s 2018 Frontiers of Social Innovation conference, Rob Reich, a Marc and Laura Andreessen faculty co-director of Stanford PACS, explores the implications for the social sector and free speech in conversation with Kelly Born, a program manager at the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation’s Madison Initiative, and Arisha Hatch, a managing director of campaigns at Color of Change, the largest online racial justice organization in the United States. They touch on topics including election integrity in the United States, online organizing around discriminatory policing, and the spread of hate speech and false information on social media platforms. “Our democracy, our informational ecosystem, has been outsourced to a very few, very powerful platforms,” says Reich. “We don’t really know how the algorithms that power them are working to facilitate the ve

Artificial intelligence (AI), once a niche discipline within computer science, has blossomed over the past decade—including in the social sector. In this recording from our 2018 Frontiers of Social Innovation conference, Johanna Mair, academic editor at SSIR and a professor at the Hertie School of Governance in Berlin, speaks with AI expert Lab Fei-Fei Li about the growing importance of AI to the social sector and the imperative to improve representation within the community of AI technologists. Li is an advocate of “human-centered AI”—an approach emphasizing human psychology, augmentation rather than replacement, and social and human impact—and in 2017, she co-founded AI4ALL, a nonprofit organization working to increase diversity and inclusion in AI. Li argues that including people of diverse backgrounds is important to putting fears about the technology at bay. “We know AI will change the world,” Li says. “The real question is who is going to change AI?” https://ssir.org/podcasts/entry/fostering_a_human

Emerging technologies like biotech and artificial intelligence have the potential to transform so many of the systems that make up the world around us.           At our 2018 Frontiers of Social Innovation conference, Katherine Milligan, who directs the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship spoke with a few savvy social entrepreneurs who are harnessing these tools for social impact right now. Milligan speaks with Keller Rinaudo, CEO and cofounder of Zipline, which is using drones to deliver blood and medicines to remote parts of the world; Kristin Richmond of Revolution Foods, which is using data and technology to increase access to fresh, healthy food to underserved communities and schools; and David Risher, CEO and co-founder of Worldreader, a global nonprofit that provides people in the developing world with free access to culturally relevant, digital books via e-readers and mobile phones.   https://ssir.org/podcasts/entry/embracing_emerging_technology_for_social_change

In the mid-1990s, NGO activists began shining a spotlight on the concentrated use of slave child labor in Pakistan to produce soccer balls for the global market. The attention prompted the industry to make deep changes in its supply chain to eliminate the problem. Today, the campaign is viewed as a model for improving labor standards, with the gains a result of government, NGO, and donor involvement.                         And yet human trafficking, modern slavery, and child labor remain pressing concerns in many industries’ global supply chains. At SSIR’s recent Frontiers of Social Innovation conference, Siddharth Kara, who directs the program on human trafficking and modern slavery at the Harvard Kennedy School, spoke with Nina Smith of Goodweave International, Leslie Johnston of C&A Foundation, which works to transform the fashion industry, and Bama Athreya of USAID, about how their organizations and sectors are addressing these issues.   https://ssir.org/podcasts/entry/ending_slavery_and_child_lab

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, more than 65 million people around the world have been forced from home—the highest levels of displacement on record. In her recent SSIR article, “Let Refugees Be Their Own Solution,” Emily Arnold-Fernandez, executive director of the nonprofit Asylum Access, and Brian Rawson, the organization’s associate director of advocacy and communication, make the case that better policies in host countries can enable refugees to rebuild their own lives and contribute to host economies. Priss Benbow, a fellow at Stanford’s Distinguished Careers Institute, interviews Arnold-Fernandez about what enabling environments look like in practice and how nonprofits and other social sector players can help create them. Additional resources:@EDAsylumAccess   https://ssir.org/podcasts/entry/creating_enabling_environments_for_refugees

As director of the Anti-Defamation League’s (ADL) Silicon Valley-based Center for Technology and Society, Brittan Heller oversees efforts to track cyber-hate, and works in partnership with technology companies and law enforcement agencies to reduce bigotry and promote justice and fair treatment in online environments. At a time when tech companies are struggling to respond to the rise of online hate speech and cyber harassment, the ADL is attempting to take a proactive approach. At SSIR’s 2018 Data on Purpose conference, Kim Meredith, executive director of the Stanford Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society, spoke with Heller about the ADL’s data-driven tactics as well as Heller’s background in international criminal and human rights law, and her role in one of the first high-profile, cyber-harassment cases in the United States. Additional resources:@brittanheller Leading Through Turbulent Times   https://ssir.org/podcasts/entry/tackling_cyber-hate_in_silicon_valley

To solve “wicked problems” like deforestation and persistent poverty, we not only need better data but also better indicators to identify problems and patterns in real time. Planet Inc., a geospatial organization that has deployed the largest constellation of Earth-observing satellites in history, is leading the way—using data insights to help solve these complex global problems. At our 2018 Data on Purpose conference, Andrew Zolli, Planet’s vice president of global impact initiatives, discusses what he sees as the coming age of “big indicators.” Breakthroughs in artificial intelligence, computer vision, crowdsourcing, and other related analytical approaches are converging, allowing us to detect patterns in data that would elude even the most sophisticated human analysis—collectively, these tools are known as big indicators. We have the tools to help us monitor the health of our planet instantaneously, and we are on the cutting edge of being able to predict crises like flood or famine thanks to big indicators

Good ideas and intentions are not enough to solve the world’s most pressing problems. Many early-stage organizations fail because they lack the tools they need to grow—especially when it comes to collecting data and measuring impact. Data is essential for nonprofit scaling because it not only attracts funders but also allows organizations to prove and improve on their mission. In this recording from our 2018 Data on Purpose conference, Kathleen Kelly Janus, a social entrepreneur, Stanford lecturer, and author of Social Startup Success: How the Best Nonprofits Launch, Scale Up, and Make a Difference, shares insights on the strategies organizations need to succeed. As Janus writes, 75 percent of organizations report that they collect data, yet only 6 percent feel they use it effectively. Data is only as good as an organization’s ability to use it. Janus argues that the nonprofit sector as a whole has a responsibility to help organizations improve in this regard. To do this, funders must end the “nonprofit star

Social sector organizations are increasingly under pressure to better protect the privacy and security of their data. How should they examine their data governance practices to align with the demands of governments, their constituents, and their mission? At our 2018 Data on Purpose conference, Lucy Bernholz, a senior research scholar at Stanford’s Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society and the director of the Digital Civil Society Lab explored this topic with Alix Dunn, executive director and co-founder of the Engine Room, a nonprofit that helps activists and other organizations make the most of data and technology to increase their impact, and Amy O’Donnell, the information communications technology program lead at Oxfam.             The speakers argue that civil society organizations have an opportunity to positively model responsible data use and offer some tips for getting started. For most nonprofits, a rights-based approach to data governance requires a culture shift and involving staff from all par

Given the largely unaccountable position of power held by philanthropists, what role should they play in democratic societies? In this recording from the 2017 Philanthropy Innovation Summit, hosted by Stanford’s Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society, Rob Reich, a Marc and Laura Andreessen faculty co-director of Stanford PACS, facilitates a conversation with Reed Hastings, cofounder and CEO of Netflix, and Darren Walker, president of the Ford Foundation. They discuss their differing approaches to charitable giving and grantmaking and how in their own ways they aim to inspire public confidence that they are learning from mistakes and improving their effectiveness.      Says Walker, “I’m less obsessed with ‘Are we holding these rich people accountable?’ than I am in saying, ‘Are we helping philanthropists have the right approach to their philanthropy,’ and ‘Are we pushing back?’ because there is a lot of arrogance.” Additional resources: Does Philanthropy Threaten Democracy? Democracy and Philanthropy @darr

Nonprofit leaders can’t continue to do the same things and expect different results in their work to help move the United States toward greater equity. In this podcast from our 2017 Nonprofit Management Institute, PolicyLink President Michael McAfee (@mikemcafee06) shares his perspective on being both angry and excited about the changes America needs to make—and using both of those emotions in a productive way. Before taking the helm of PolicyLink, McAfee was the inaugural director of the racial- and economic-justice research organization’s Promise Neighborhoods Institute. Before that, he was a senior community planning and development representative with the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. Here he offers advice on thinking big and having the courage to lead and advance systemic change. Additional resources: Bringing Soul to the Work of Collective Impact The Curb-Cut Effect The Role of Public Policy in Alleviating Poverty @mikemcafee06   https://ssir.org/podcasts/entry/reigniting_leaders_

Since its founding in 1913, the ADL has fought against the defamation of Jewish people, and to secure justice and fair treatment for all. That mission has kept Jonathan Greenblatt (@JGreenblattADL) very busy over the past two years. His tenure has coincided with the 2016 US election, a rise in hate crimes and hate groups, and an increase in cyber-hate. In this podcast from our 2017 Nonprofit Management Institute, SSIR Senior Editor David Johnson (@contrarianp) interviews Greenblatt about leading the organization through turbulent times and fostering a culture of innovation within an established organization. During the conversation, Greenblatt draws from his background in the private, public, and nonprofit sectors. During the Obama administration, he served as special assistant to the President and head of the Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation at the White House. He previously cofounded Ethos Water, a bottled water company that donates a portion of its profits to help clean water initiative

Youth, families, and residents are the leaders of their own destinies, and yet public institutions oftentimes don’t reflect the demographics of their communities and are not guided by strategies defined community members. In this podcast from our 2017 Nonprofit Management Institute, Paola Peacock Friedrich, a consultant with Achieve Mission, interviews Dorian Burton (@Dorian_Burton), assistant executive director and chief program officer at the William R. Kenan, Jr. Charitable Trust, and Brian Barnes (@BCBBarnes), a speaker on the topic of responsiveness to education and health in communities.       Barnes and Burton argue for the importance of shifting the philanthropic sector’s framework from one grounded in traditional notions of charity to one centered on justice and addressing economic, social, and political inequalities holistically, an idea they outlined in their SSIR article, “Shifting Philanthropy From Charity to Justice.” They are co-founders of TandemEd, which aims to put this justice-minded agen

Our Winter 2018 cover story, “The Investment Gap that Threatens the Planet,” takes a detailed look at investments in discovering and developing new solutions to address climate change. It finds that such investments are woefully low and have even been falling in recent years. The article concludes that philanthropists are particularly well-suited to bridging this investment gap in the market. On this related podcast, David Johnson (@contrarianp), senior editor of Stanford Social Innovation Review, interviews Sarah Kearney (@swoodkearney) and Scott Burger (@burgersb), who co-authored the article along with Fiona Murray and Liqian Ma. Kearney is the founder and executive director of PRIME Coalition, a public charity that empowers philanthropists to inject charitable capital into market-based solutions to climate change. Burger is a doctoral candidate in the Institute for Data, Systems, and Society at MIT and the technology investment advisor to the PRIME Coalition.                   They discuss why we need to