The Ashoka Systems Change Podcast

Episode 4: Michael Sani discusses the evolving roles of a social entrepreneur

Jun 27, 2020

Michael Sani, Founder of Bite the Ballot, shares his journey in mobilizing young voters in the UK. He discusses transitioning roles as a social entrepreneur, strategic voter registration campaigns, measuring impact, and the evolution of organizational development towards systems change. Topics include increased student registration rates, organizational challenges, and personal growth in creating lasting impact.

58:18

Creator website

Episode guests

Michael Sani

AI Summary

Highlights

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Transitioning roles as a social entrepreneur requires adapting from teacher to advocate, emphasizing personal development for impact.

Expanding outreach nationally addresses resistance, fostering policy changes and navigating organizational challenges for sustainable impact.

Collaborating with a network enhances advocacy work, influencing policy changes collectively, leading to lasting impact beyond direct involvement.

Deep dives

Transition from Teacher to Social Entrepreneur

Moving from a teacher to a social entrepreneur was motivated by a desire to address the lack of youth participation in politics. The emotional catalyst for this shift was a realization of the barrier to youth engagement in politics. This shift resonates with many Ashoka fellows who are moved to address societal issues by personal experiences.

Increasing Student Voter Registration Using a Face-to-Face v.s. Policy Change Approach

02:20

Introduction

2min

Evolution of Social Entrepreneurship Roles

7min

Strategic Voter Registration Campaign and Impact Measurement

2min

Evolution and Shifts in Organizational Development Towards Systems Change

5min

Strategic Approach to Increasing Student Registration Rates

12min

Navigating Organizational Challenges and Achievements

20min

Embracing Intuition and Personal Growth

10min

Michael Sani founded Bite the Ballot (BTB), an organization in the UK that mobilizes young people to vote. BTB started as an idea in one classroom and grew into a national movement. At a national election in 2014, over 400,000 people registered to vote via BTB's platform. For the BREXIT referendum, that number was 1.9 million. The organization also promoted a number of policy changes that made voter registration easier for young people. Each step of the journey required Michael to assume a different role, including teacher, organizational developer, campaigner, advocate, network builder, and others. In the interview, Michael walks us through his thought process of why he decided to transition from one role to another, as well as the difficulties and conflicts that these decisions entailed. He also highlights the importance of personal development and letting go of "ego" in order to have more impact on a systems level. Key questions explored in this episode include : How do you decide which role you should play as a social entrepreneur? What is the relationship between systems change, personal development, and well-being?

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts

Save insights instantly, chat with episodes, and build lasting knowledge - all powered by AI.

The Ashoka Systems Change Podcast

Episode 4: Michael Sani discusses the evolving roles of a social entrepreneur

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Deep dives

Transition from Teacher to Social Entrepreneur

Expansion from Local to National Outreach

Shift towards Policy Work

Importance of Building Networks and Alliances

Transition to Advocacy Advisor Role

Increasing Student Voter Registration Using a Face-to-Face v.s. Policy Change Approach

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts