A few months ago, I blogged here about crowdfunding platforms. In doing that research, I was struck by how Jessical Jackley described the Kickstarter value proposition. “People,” she said, “are buying an experience.” That really stuck with me, and had me wondering. What are experiences? How do we design and create them? And what opportunities
Despite being an early player in the crowdfunding space, it was only last year when I realized that crowdfunding means better fit funding. A variety of platforms are making it easy for makers and investors to find one another and build purposeful networks. The types of platforms vary: On the giving side, GlobalGiving and DonorsChoose emerged more than a
I spent the formative years of my career working with entrepreneurs in developing countries. Part of my job was to study and understand the creative vehicles through which they resourced and scaled their work. Time and time again, I was reminded of that old adage: “Necessity is the mother of all invention.” These entrepreneurs were
‘And the walls became the world all around.’ - Maurice Sendak I presume, that like me, most children go through an archeology phase. They comb though the backyards for arrow heads, pour through National Geographic, and beg their parents to take them to the King Tut exhibit when it tours. I had the added advantage
My go-to definition of collaborative innovation comes from John Hagel: “People and institutions getting better faster by working together in flexible and enduring relationships, where collective performance rapidly increases and new knowledge accumulates over time.” It works on paper, and with us innovation junkies. But for your traditional corporate types, it can be a bit
I was honored when #globalgiving asked me to write a blog post – commemorating its 10 year anniversary by reflecting on what I had learned during my tenure as its first Director of Operations and Chief Program Officer. GlobalGiving is one of my great many loves, and I was very proud to be part of
This month, @theBif launched a new CODE Green Energy Lab, with the foundational project In Good Company: Behavioral Methods for Energy Efficiency. I’ve been leading this project, and therefore unusually immersed in the energy world, with a particular focus on practices within the commercial sector. From the start, there has been a clear distinction in
The Guardian aired a brilliant advertisement on February 29 – “The True Story of the Three Little Pigs,” which, in 90 seconds, explains how the Guardian’s business model is changing, and the value of open journalism to the consumer. Deconstructing the advert, a few business model insights stand out: New patterns in business models are
I have several pounds of lobstahs riding on the #Patriots winning Sunday’s Super Bowl. With in-laws in New Jersey and New York, this rematch is a pretty big deal in my house. That said, I’ve also just finished Roger Martin’s Fixing The Game, which finds me more in love with the NFL than ever. Why?
Susan Cain, author of the forthcoming book “Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking,” had a great editorial in the New York Times yesterday. In it, she makes the case that creativity and innovation requires independent work time and solitude, despite the current trends towards collaboration, collective work processes, and