Disruptors for GOOD | Social Entrepreneurs and Social Enterprises

In episode 31 of the Disputers for Good podcast, I speak with Alex Stephany, the founder of Beam, on solving homelessness using crowdfunding and technology.Beam is a crowdfunding platform that enables new career opportunities for homeless men and women. Beam uses technology and global citizens to help fund skills training and education to homeless individuals. With the Beam platform, you can help someone start a new career and leave homelessness for good.The platform works like this. Each person on the platform is referred to Beam by an established homeless charity or their local council. They receive a dedicated support specialist - a Beam employee who supports them all the way into their new career! The support specialists conduct basic security checks to make sure the referred person is mentally and physically ready to enter full-time employment. After that they help each person develop a tailored career plan, building on their unique strengths and interests.Once approved to be on the Beam platform, we as global citizens, can choose to help fund one person’s training or fund everyone equally. You can choose support once or monthly. You’ll get an email introducing you to a new person you’re supporting every month and learn more about their individual storyThe founder of Beam, Alex Stephany, was inspired to build Beam after getting to know a homeless man at his local Tube station in London. The man had spent decades out of work. Alex would buy him cups of coffee and pairs of socks, but could see his condition going from very bad to even worse.When the man had a heart attack, Alex asked himself: “What could we do to make a real difference to that man’s life?” The answer lay in giving him the skills to support himself. Alex knew that’d cost much more than a coffee. But what if everyone chipped in?Before Beam, Alex ran the parking app, JustPark, which he grew from 2 to over 40 people and still support as a Board Advisor.  At JustPark, he had his first experience with crowdfunding when he led a record-breaking equity crowdfunding round - what was the largest crowdfunding round for a startup in history.He is also the author of a book on the sharing economy called The Business of Sharing, and also advised the city of Seoul as part of the Mayor's Sharing Economy Advisory Panel.Watch his TED Talk here.Listen to more Causeartist podcasts here.Check out:ImpactInvestor.io - Discover impact investors from around the world.Podcast Made with TransistorPodcast cover design Made with CanvaBuild amazing web platforms with Webflow ----------------------------------------Disruptors for GOOD is powered by Causeartist, a nonprofit media company dedicated to bridging the gap between capital and culture by spotlighting founders, investors, and organizations reimagining how business can serve people and the planet.Through storytelling, events, and open-access education, Causeartist helps create a shared language of impact, inspiring more founders to build with purpose and more funders to invest with intention.By amplifying ideas and innovations across industries, Causeartist transforms awareness into action and cultivates a community where paying it forward is part of the foundation for growth.

In Episode 30 of the Disruptors for Good podcast, I speak with Amy Smith, Chief Giving Officer at TOMS, on innovation of impact and giving and the future of TOMS philanthropy.Amy Smith joined TOMS in 2016 as Chief Giving Officer to oversee all aspects of TOMS Giving. This entails managing 70+ global giving partners, measuring giving program impact, experiential engagement with internal and external partners, and leading employee Giving Trips to the regions where TOMS gives.TOMS provides shoes, sight, and water as part of their Giving Partners overall health and education programs to help drive meaningful impact and engage the community. Amy also manages the impact grants program, in which TOMS contributes to non-profits that are working on today’s most pressing issues, including homelessness and ending gun violence.Amy was previously the Chief Strategy Officer and President of Action Networks for Points of Light, the world’s largest organization dedicated to volunteer service. Prior to joining Points of Light, Amy held several management positions at Apple helping to lead their retail initiative including international real estate development, store design, construction execution and store operations. Amy earned a bachelor’s degree in Materials and Logistics Management from Michigan State University.This episode was recorded at TOMS headquarters in Los Angeles, CA. I was fortunate enough to attend the Conscious Capitalism LA(CCLA) fireside chat with Amy Smith, Chief Giving Officer at TOMS. The night was hosted by Conscious Capitalism LA and B Local Los Angeles, the affiliation of Los Angeles B Corporations.This episode will have a couple of parts. The first part you will hear the full discussion between between CCLA Board Member, Steve Phillips, and Amy Smith, Chief Giving Officer of TOMS as they discuss:TOMS' courageous decision to extend their corporate impact by stepping into the political landscape with their End Gun Violence CampaignThe evolution of TOMS' business and philanthropy modelsWhy TOMS' certified as a B Corp after they were already established as a leader in the Corporate Social Innovation spaceThe second part of this episode I sit down with Amy one on one after the event for a brief interview. Check out:ImpactInvestor.io - Discover impact investors from around the world.Podcast Made with TransistorPodcast cover design Made with CanvaBuild amazing web platforms with Webflow ----------------------------------------Disruptors for GOOD is powered by Causeartist, a nonprofit media company dedicated to bridging the gap between capital and culture by spotlighting founders, investors, and organizations reimagining how business can serve people and the planet.Through storytelling, events, and open-access education, Causeartist helps create a shared language of impact, inspiring more founders to build with purpose and more funders to invest with intention.By amplifying ideas and innovations across industries, Causeartist transforms awareness into action and cultivates a community where paying it forward is part of the foundation for growth.

In episode 29 of the Disruptors for GOOD podcast, I speak with Billy Shore, founder and and executive chair of Share Our Strength, on solving childhood hunger in America.Since founding Share Our Strength in 1984 with his sister Debbie, Billy has led the organization in raising more than $700 million to fight hunger and poverty and has won the support of national leaders in business, government, health, and education, sports and entertainment.Billy is also the chair of Community Wealth Partners, Share Our Strength’s for-profit consulting firm which provides strategic consulting to help leaders and communities solve social problems.Before founding Share Our Strength, Billy served on the senatorial and presidential campaign staffs for former U.S. Senator Gary Hart and as chief of staff to former U.S. Senator Robert Kerrey. In 2014, congressional leaders appointed him to the National Commission on Hunger, tasked with finding innovative ways to end hunger in America.In addition to his work with Share Our Strength, Billy is a leading voice in the national conversation on hunger and poverty. He is the author of four books focused on social change, including “Revolution of the Heart” (Riverhead Press, 1995), “The Cathedral Within” (Random House, 1999), “The Light of Conscience” (Random House, 2004) and most recently, “The Imaginations of Unreasonable Men” (Public Affairs, 2010). He also hosts Add Passion and Stir, a weekly podcast that brings together high-profile chefs and change-makers to talk about the central role food plays in social justice.A native of Pittsburgh, Pa., Billy earned a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Pennsylvania and his law degree from George Washington University in Washington, DC. He has been an adjunct professor at New York University’s Stern School of Business and an advisor at the John F. Kennedy School of Government. From 2001 to 2011, he served as a director of The Timberland Company.Billy was named one of America’s Best Leaders by US News & World Report.Check out:ImpactInvestor.io - Discover impact investors from around the world.Podcast Made with TransistorPodcast cover design Made with CanvaBuild amazing web platforms with Webflow ----------------------------------------Disruptors for GOOD is powered by Causeartist, a nonprofit media company dedicated to bridging the gap between capital and culture by spotlighting founders, investors, and organizations reimagining how business can serve people and the planet.Through storytelling, events, and open-access education, Causeartist helps create a shared language of impact, inspiring more founders to build with purpose and more funders to invest with intention.By amplifying ideas and innovations across industries, Causeartist transforms awareness into action and cultivates a community where paying it forward is part of the foundation for growth.

I am headed to L.A. for the Television Industry Advocacy Awards. Just wanted to make a quick mention of that here in the podcast feed. I will be in L.A. from Oct 22-25. If anybody wants to try and meet up please let me know. I will be staying at the Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood.I plan to do a Happy Hour on Thursday night from around 5pm-7pm at the Hotel. I will confirm with more details, but that is the plan for now. Hopefully we get to meet up and chat about some of the amazing things you are up to and maybe even record an episode or two. Hope all is well.Thanks-Grant, Founder of Causeartist.We are powered by:Charity Charge -  Charity Charity is the only credit card designed for nonprofit expenses. No Personal Guarantor required, easy accounting integrations, and a dedicated account manager.Vera - Vera is a simple way for businesses to offset their plastic footprint. By becoming Vera-Certified, you'll help create new jobs for people who collect ocean-bound plastic. You'll not only alleviate poverty, but also ensure that plastic never ends up in our oceans! The best part about Vera, is that everything is transacted through the blockchain, which creates a traceable, auditable supply chain that guarantees our promise. Join Vera's collective who already offset more than 40,000 plastic bottles every month!Buy Good Feel Good Expo - From fashion and beauty to lifestyle and travel, Buy Good. Feel Good. Expo celebrates the power of the conscious consumer. An uplifting weekend full of energizing entrepreneurs and brands with purpose, the Expo inspires the change maker within us all.Podcast Made with TransistorPodcast cover design Made with Canva ----------------------------------------Disruptors for GOOD is powered by Causeartist, a nonprofit media company dedicated to bridging the gap between capital and culture by spotlighting founders, investors, and organizations reimagining how business can serve people and the planet.Through storytelling, events, and open-access education, Causeartist helps create a shared language of impact, inspiring more founders to build with purpose and more funders to invest with intention.By amplifying ideas and innovations across industries, Causeartist transforms awareness into action and cultivates a community where paying it forward is part of the foundation for growth.

In Episode 28 of the Disruptors for Good podcast, I speak with Colleen and Maggie Clines, the Co-founder and Creative Director of Anchal. Anchal is an innovative nonprofit creating sustainable jobs for women through fashion and empowering them to a life beyond the sex trade.With backgrounds in design, sisters Colleen and Maggie Clines lead Anchal by placing design at the center of the brands everyday practice. It all started in a design studio. Colleen Clines was taking a graduate seminar at the Rhode Island School of Design that took her on a trip to India in 2009, a trip that changed the trajectory of her life forever. While in India, Colleen was introduced to the exploitive world of the commercial sex trade and the extreme lack of opportunity for women in the community. It was in this moment she was inspired to design more than beautiful landscapes, she was determined to create positive social and environmental change using design. While Colleen was scheming ways to collaborate with the amazing women she’d met in India, her sister Maggie was in college working on socially conscious architecture projects -- discovering creative ways to repurpose a retired uranium facility. Maggie and Colleen would trade stories on their design experiences and wonder how they could unite their passions.After returning home, Colleen and her classmates raised $400 by selling handmade notebooks and notecards. They used the funds to purchase a sewing machine, sewing instruction, materials and a stipend for the first collective of artisans.In 2010, Anchal officially became a 501(c)3 non-profit and we expanded the project by partnering with Vatsalya, an NGO in Ajmer, India. In 2012, Maggie joined her sister to co-lead Anchal and stitch by stitch, a global sisterhood started to grow.   Today, Anchal has trained and employed over 500 women and is an internationally recognized brand known for award-winning designs and handmade, one-of-a-kind pieces that empower exploited women living in India and Kentucky.Check out:ImpactInvestor.io - Discover impact investors from around the world.Podcast Made with TransistorPodcast cover design Made with CanvaBuild amazing web platforms with Webflow ----------------------------------------Disruptors for GOOD is powered by Causeartist, a nonprofit media company dedicated to bridging the gap between capital and culture by spotlighting founders, investors, and organizations reimagining how business can serve people and the planet.Through storytelling, events, and open-access education, Causeartist helps create a shared language of impact, inspiring more founders to build with purpose and more funders to invest with intention.By amplifying ideas and innovations across industries, Causeartist transforms awareness into action and cultivates a community where paying it forward is part of the foundation for growth.

In Episode 27 of the Disruptors for Good podcast I speak with Justin Polgar, the Co-Founder of YES Cacao on why botanical chocolate can revolutionize healthy living.Justin is an alchemical chocolate technologist, focusing his chocolate innovation toward education in the holistic health and wellness category. Justin really loves chocolate. Making chocolate with Willy Wonka style, he is an inspirational cheerleader for everyone to find their YES.I had the amazing opportunity to sit down face to face with Justin in Honolulu to talk all things chocolate wellness, fair trade, and his entrepreneurial journey. What is Botanical Chocolate?YES Cacao coined the term botanical chocolate, but Justin will be the first to tell you he was not the first to use chocolate as a delivery system for health and wellness. Over 500 years ago, before chocolates was introduced to Europe, cacao was used ritualistically in ceremony, and as a delivery system for herbs and medicine.Justin sees cacao as a plant medicine. Theobroma Cacao literally translates to “Food of the Gods”, and might be why humankind is so attracted to this substance. The legends and origin stories associated with Cacao transcend our known history, deep into tribal mythology and extra terrestrial arena that our culture considers taboo.Chocolate is a vasodilator, meaning its chemical compounds expand the blood vessels. Instead of using refined sugar, processed emulsifiers, and conventional preservatives (which all penetrate the body with less-than-healthy consequences), Justin believes it's a better idea to use chocolate as a delivery system for organic herbs, teas, flowers, and superfoods.Yes CaCao is here to help you easily adapt into a healthier lifestyle, feeding the mind, body, and spirit connection.  Botanical Chocolate is food to help you find your “YES”. Check out:ImpactInvestor.io - Discover impact investors from around the world.Podcast Made with TransistorPodcast cover design Made with CanvaBuild amazing web platforms with Webflow ----------------------------------------Disruptors for GOOD is powered by Causeartist, a nonprofit media company dedicated to bridging the gap between capital and culture by spotlighting founders, investors, and organizations reimagining how business can serve people and the planet.Through storytelling, events, and open-access education, Causeartist helps create a shared language of impact, inspiring more founders to build with purpose and more funders to invest with intention.By amplifying ideas and innovations across industries, Causeartist transforms awareness into action and cultivates a community where paying it forward is part of the foundation for growth.

In Episode 26 of the Disruptors for Good podcast I speak with Stephen Garten, Founder and CEO of Charity Charge on his journey to create a social impact credit card.Stephen has been a featured speaker for United Way, South by Southwest and Dreamforce.  In 2015, IBM selected him as one of the top 5 social entrepreneurs in the world and featured him in their web based reality show A New Way to Startup.Stephen created Charity Charge to provide people with an easy way to make a difference and support the nonprofits and causes dear to their heart simply through their everyday credit card purchases. He was inspired to start the company when he learned that 31% of consumers – over 60 million people – never redeem their credit card rewards. This totals $16 billion a year in unused reward points!Charity Charge is Public Benefit Corporation that offers the Charity Charge World MasterCard, a credit card that enables cardholders to earn 1% cash back to any nonprofit in the form of an automatic, tax-deductible donation.In July, Charity Charge also released the Nonprofit Business Card, the only business credit card designed for nonprofits, schools and associations.In 2008, Stephen earned an economics degree from Washington University in St. Louis. Following his graduation, he visited Austin in 2009 and loved the city so much that he returned for good several months later. Stephen worked for the Austin Technology Incubator at The University of Texas at Austin before venturing out to cultivate his own company.Check out:ImpactInvestor.io - Discover impact investors from around the world.Podcast Made with TransistorPodcast cover design Made with CanvaBuild amazing web platforms with Webflow ----------------------------------------Disruptors for GOOD is powered by Causeartist, a nonprofit media company dedicated to bridging the gap between capital and culture by spotlighting founders, investors, and organizations reimagining how business can serve people and the planet.Through storytelling, events, and open-access education, Causeartist helps create a shared language of impact, inspiring more founders to build with purpose and more funders to invest with intention.By amplifying ideas and innovations across industries, Causeartist transforms awareness into action and cultivates a community where paying it forward is part of the foundation for growth.

In Episode 25 of the Disruptors for Good podcast I speak with Branden Harvey, Founder of Good Good Good and the Good Newspaper on using his social media influence to inspire others and tell amazing stories from around the world.Branden is a traveller and storyteller focused on the good in the world. He's the host of the podcast Sounds Good, the creator of the Goodnewspaper, a printed newspaper full of good news, and built an online community over more than 250,000 world changers. He's helped brands like Disney, Square, Southwest Airlines, and (RED) tell meaningful stories with heart all over the world. He's been written about and featured by media including The Washington Post, Seventeen Magazine, Fortune Magazine, and Mashable.He also tells stories through Instagram, Snapchat. His captions and photos on Instagram have been featured in Fortune Magazine, Mashable, and Esquire and was nominated for a Shorty Award for Snapchatter of the Year. Twice. (he got beat by DJ Khaled, of course.)Check out:ImpactInvestor.io - Discover impact investors from around the world.Podcast Made with TransistorPodcast cover design Made with CanvaBuild amazing web platforms with Webflow ----------------------------------------Disruptors for GOOD is powered by Causeartist, a nonprofit media company dedicated to bridging the gap between capital and culture by spotlighting founders, investors, and organizations reimagining how business can serve people and the planet.Through storytelling, events, and open-access education, Causeartist helps create a shared language of impact, inspiring more founders to build with purpose and more funders to invest with intention.By amplifying ideas and innovations across industries, Causeartist transforms awareness into action and cultivates a community where paying it forward is part of the foundation for growth.

In this episode, I turn the podcast stream over to my amazing colleague Jazzmine Raine. She launched her Causeartist podcast, Impact India a couple of months ago, and thought it would be interesting to introduce you to the amazing interviews she is doing. I will be back next week with a brand new episode. Hope everyone is doing well. Thanks :)In this episode Jazzmine connects with Leila Veerasamy, Founder and Creative Director of PA.NI Swimwear, a sustainable brand that seeks to normalize swimwear in India by offering timeless clean designs, universally flattering to South Asian women's diverse body types. Their swimsuits are made with ECONYL®, a regenerated nylon yarn developed from discarded fishing nets and other plastic waste found in the ocean.Leila is true global citizen, raised in Toulouse, France and Mauritius. She came to India in June 2015 after graduating from Brown University with a double major in Development Studies and Economics. In this episode, Leila dives into the production process and her love of ECONYL®, finding the right words to respectfully talk about diverse body types in fashion, and our thoughts on the stigma around body image in South Asia, Mauritius, and the western world.Tune in to learn:What is ECONYL® and how it is madeWhy you need to continually innovate your process as a brand and a consumerThe challenges of diverse representation in fashion in IndiaConnect with Leila and PA.NI Swimwear at pa-ni.in and on Instagram.Check out:ImpactInvestor.io - Discover impact investors from around the world.Podcast Made with TransistorPodcast cover design Made with CanvaBuild amazing web platforms with Webflow ----------------------------------------Disruptors for GOOD is powered by Causeartist, a nonprofit media company dedicated to bridging the gap between capital and culture by spotlighting founders, investors, and organizations reimagining how business can serve people and the planet.Through storytelling, events, and open-access education, Causeartist helps create a shared language of impact, inspiring more founders to build with purpose and more funders to invest with intention.By amplifying ideas and innovations across industries, Causeartist transforms awareness into action and cultivates a community where paying it forward is part of the foundation for growth.

In Episode 23 of the Disruptors for Good podcast I speak with Frank Shankwitz, the creator and co-founder of the Make-A- Wish Foundation on how tragedy can turn into inspiration and impact lives around the world. Frank's story is so incredible it has been made into a movie called "Wish Man", which is now streaming on all platforms. My conversation with Frank is very powerful and emotional at the same time. The creation of the Make-A-Wish Foundation is inspiring to say the least. From humble beginnings, the Make-A- Wish Foundation is now a global organization that grants a child's wish somewhere in the world on an average of every 28 minutes. Frank has spent the majority of his life in service. He is a U.S. Air Force veteran and had a long and distinguished career in law enforcement. He began as an Arizona Highway Patrol Motorcycle Officer, and retired as a Homicide Detective with the Arizona Department of Public Safety, with 42 years of service.Frank has been featured in numerous publications and television programs, and has received several awards, including the White House Call To Service Award from two U.S. Presidents, and the "Making A Difference In the World" award from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. In 2015 Frank joined six U.S. Presidents as well as Nobel Prize winners and industry leaders as a recipient of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor. In December 2015, following his commencement address, Frank was presented with an Honorary Doctorate Degree, Doctor of Public Service, from The Ohio State University.In 2016, Frank was identified as a "Forbes Top Ten Keynote Speaker". In April 2017, Frank was presented the Unite4:Humanity Celebrity ICON Social Impact Award, joining past recipients Matthew McConaughey and Morgan Freeman. In June 2019, Frank joined 89 celebrities, when he received his "STAR" on the Las Vegas Walk of Fame. Frank is a board member on several non-profits, including U.S. Vets, The Wounded Blue, and Broadway Hearts. Frank also wrote a book called "Wish Man" and is available on Amazon.Check out:ImpactInvestor.io - Discover impact investors from around the world.Podcast Made with TransistorPodcast cover design Made with CanvaBuild amazing web platforms with Webflow ----------------------------------------Disruptors for GOOD is powered by Causeartist, a nonprofit media company dedicated to bridging the gap between capital and culture by spotlighting founders, investors, and organizations reimagining how business can serve people and the planet.Through storytelling, events, and open-access education, Causeartist helps create a shared language of impact, inspiring more founders to build with purpose and more funders to invest with intention.By amplifying ideas and innovations across industries, Causeartist transforms awareness into action and cultivates a community where paying it forward is part of the foundation for growth.