It’s not a laptop project. It’s an education project.

Happy Sunday Funday-

To my beloved Social Entrepreneurs: I came across the “One Laptop per Child” initiative awhile back, ironically while at work. About three weeks ago, I was Recruiting on Mesh Networking engineers for one of my undisclosed clients. To limit the technical jargon for the sanity of my readers- Mesh networking is part of wireless technology that allows a wireless network, per se, to function interconnectively (yes I made that word up). this means, when one site (say a laptop in this case) loses signal from a base station, it can retrive a signal using a laptop near by (rather than searching for the core site). Cool and advanced stuff! Anyways, I wanted to get more insight into how I can find these specialized skill sets- and the CTO suggested I check out the “One Laptop Per Child” Project:

to put things plain and simple: This kind of stuff excites me. To allow children in underdeveloped countries an adaptable resource that functions as well as some of the computers in the tech market- opens great opportunites. Not only does it give children ways to communicate their ideas to others, it allows our “closed off from the rest of the world,” American society to listen to ideas far from earshot distance. Education is empowerment and the more lives that get equal opportunity to it- the greater our global community will be.

Check it out http://www.laptopgiving.org/en/index.php at A simple donation of $200 will pay for and deliver one XO laptop to a child in a developing nation, $400 will pay for and deliver two XO laptops, and so on. Your entire contribution will be tax-deductible.

All my Best,

Taylor

Andy Mckee & The Power of Social Media

Introduction: Hello! sorry for the late contribution. I have been spending sometime figuring out how I want to structure my blog. Originally I wanted to incorporate separate pages where I can post under different topics. After I figured out that you can only post on the main page-it pretty much destroyed my vision. So for the time being I am going to put all my posts on the main page. I am still putting a primary focus on social entrepreneurship, but I am also going to write about other issues or topics affecting me.

I first discovered Andy Mckee through youtube. Wait, to be truthful my friend Danny told me about how awesome he was and so I decided to check him out on-line. My old way of finding new artists would be to skim through countless reviews of albums on Rolling Stone.com or Spin.com and develop a consensus of what fits my taste in music ( which has been described as eclectic or a tad unusual) .

Welp, I guess the power of social media has done it again! Andy Mckee is a phenomenal guitarist, shall I say virtuoso, that gained the highest downloaded youtube video last October ( gaining 20 million hits and made over 29,000 friends on Myspace~) I remember in the old days you had to send your tape into some big record label to try your chances at stardom-wow, there might still be a hope for me! I am glad that our society is understanding the importance of self-advertised/self-sustainable talent… or maybe they soon will be. Check out his “sick nasty-ness”

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Leading Social Entrepreneurs: Learn From the Best!

Salutations!

I came across a website while doing research for my Triangle Social Entrepreneurs Network. Social Edge-A Skoll Foundation Program is a a great way to connect Social Entrepreneurs all across the globe. After a quick sign up (15 seconds) you create a very basic profile letting others on the site know where your from, and what avenues of change you are creating. I just now signed up and I am still playing around with the web-site’s resources and options. One of the cool features on the website is that they host two online discussions a week, moderated by experts in the field. This seems to be a great platform especially for new entrepreneurs, such as myself, to learn more about the topic.

As I was scanning across the original website homepage, I found some great Youtube links containing 4 minute interviews with some individuals that are truly paving the way for social advocacy. Please check it out (click the logo below )- you might get some inspiration yourself!

Stay tuned for some awesome new posts.

Coming soon!!: Triangle Social Entrepreneurship update/member’s benefit proposal, EntreYouth; an organization I am starting, and “Picking out your Social Networking Outfit.”

Kind Regards,

Taylor

Triangle Social Entrepreneurs- Get Hip, and join today!

Hello all,

Alas! I am back. I was stuck for the past week and a half, riding the flu/cold sickness wave, but I am ready to get back into the swing of things. Since being sick I have created a group for social entrepreneurs in the Triangle area, to come together (via the web) and share their ideas on social change. Still don’t know what this whole social entrepreneur thing is? google it. wikipedia it. It is a great thing!

Below is the social network website (click on the link) I use to create the group. www.ning.com allows you to create your own social networks centered around the ideas or or things you enjoy. If you are completely new to the whole thing, or have been active in the social entrepreneurship community- please join. If you create a network on the website, let me know! I am interested in what everyone is into these days…

 www.socialadvocates.ning.com

Ciudad Saludable: Helping Others Turn Trash in to Cash!

**Short note from the author: I wanted to thank each and every one of you for checking out my blog.  After introducing it to the public three days ago, I have already received 110 new member hits! Please help me promote my cause for social entrepreneurship by passing the knowledge and information to others. My first goal is to hit 100 hits in one day. Can you help me out? I will dedicate a blog post to ALL the people who post links in blogs, email newsletters, etc.**

 Señoras y Caballeros,

 While reading through a few profiles on PBS’ “New Heroes” website, I have stumbled across a story of a woman from Lima, Peru who has truly inspired my personal efforts for social change. Albina Ruiz started to notice a true problem with Peru’s government and there lack of action towards the country’s accelerated waste management problem.  Basically, many cities in Peru produce more than 600 metric tons of garbage daily. The municipal government, on the other hand, can only process about half of its city’s waste a day (leaving the other half piling up in crowded streets, parks, lakes and reservoirs). To add to the potential environmental threat this is causing the citizens of Lima, a majority of these individuals are suffering from extreme poverty. Instead of waiting for the government to step in-one woman took a chance.

 Albina established “micro-businesses” to provide a solution to the detrimental city problem. Spearheading a campaign to clean up the city, she divided the tasks and motivated the unemployed to step forth as bonafide entrepreneurs, as you will, to capitalize on the daunting project. Wait, I know what your thinking…Why did he use the word capitalize when all these people will be doing is picking up trash? Answer: Recycling= $$$ (well maybe not three dollar signs, but enough to provide for people who are considerably below the poverty line- surviving on less than $1 dollar a day.) Please click on the picture below. The short video will provide you with way more insight:

                                                                                               

One thing that I took from Albina’s story was the proof that you don’t have to be rich to make a revenue generating, yet socially responsible business plan. If more people can understand that it is not all about pure gain but more about how you use the resources you have to make sound judgment, than this would achieve a less “consumption-able” world.

 I write about these stories to change perception of thinking.  I want people to be inspired to look outside and see what is going on around us. I plan to create a foundation that will provide support for others to participate in actions of social change. Please contact me or comment on my blog if you are interested!

 Until next time,

Taylor 

Make a loan. Change a Life!

Good Evening!

Ahhh… a brilliant idea that bridges the gap between two passions of mine: Entrepreneurship and Humanitarianism. This time of year, most people are so invested in politics (watching  ”False Fronts” running for our nation’s presidency), that they care little about their own social responsibility. Instead of throwing money to an individual’s campaign that is probably going to go towards a commercial trash talking an opponent, why don’t you invest it in something worthwhile! 

Lets face it- we are all not millionaires. We would like to say, “ If we had a million dollars, we would like to help others just as much as we try to help ourselves.” Well folks, lets get real and talk about the options that don’t pop up on lottery tickets.

What I am talking about is Micro financing, or Micro lending. According to Wikipedia (yes I am quoting Wikipedia—face it, you would have done the same), Micro financing envisions, “a world in which as many poor and near-poor households as possible have permanent access to an appropriate range of high quality financial services, including not just credit but also savings, insurance, and fund transfers.” Instead of donating, which to an entrepreneur is a” return-less” investment, micro financing creates common good for both parties. In plain text: You give someone money to start something they are passionate about, and in turn, you get your money back and the warm fuzzy feeling that you made a difference. Everyone knows there are risks. For one, you are taking the chance to lend to people who don’t have the promise to pay you back. In any investment there is risk- and to be compelled to contribute to a noble cause, makes the risk that more attractive. I have found a website that truly embraces this idea.  Read below for the amazing-ness known as Kiva!

Description of Kiva from their website:

“Kiva lets you connect with and loan money to unique entrepreneurs in the developing world. By choosing a loan on Kiva, you can “sponsor a business” and help the world’s working poor make great strides towards economic independence. Throughout the course of the loan (usually 6-12 months), you can receive email journal updates from the entrepreneur you’ve sponsored. As loans are repaid, you get your loan money back.”

Please view the video below from the founders of Kiva. They share their inspiring story about how Kiva started and how they strive to make the world one big global village. Rather than viewing other countries as underdeveloped and taking tremendous pity on them, why don’t we empower them with the same tools that many of us our granted with?

 

There are links below for the Kiva site . . . it is one of the best investments I have made all year.

 

Kind Regards,

 

Taylor                                                                                                                                                                       

Swan Dive Into the Blogging World!

Hello Friends:  

I never really understood the whole attraction to blogging until I moved to Raleigh, NC . Before this moment, I assumed that the blogging world joined the ranks or was similar to Livejournal that came out a few years back. Now I recognize that they are entirely different. When alot of my friends started utlizing LiveJournal (way back in those wonderful years of high school), they were merely using it as a way to communicate their thoughts and feelings without actually going over the loudspeaker and saying it. Call it what you will, but most of the profiles were made up of  ”This is what I did today” kind of blogs. Hmmm, I think there is a more productive way to utilize our budding technology.

  Honestly, the way that I found that blogging was more widely used in the business world today, was through the professional social networking tool, Linkedin. While surfing through a few successful business leaders and entrepenuers, I noticed a majority of them blog! Take for instance Ryan Allis. I met this bright, young individual (he is my age!) a few months back at his company’s (icontact) celebratory BBQ party. His blog is a platform to broadcast both his business accomplishments and dreams, but also ways to channel certain worldwide issues that are important to him. Throughout the past 4 years, he has had tremendous success reaching out and making a genuine effort to help others. Below are a few links to his company site, as well a promotional site for the book he wrote when he was 18. I received an email today about how he is trying to push his book to be #1 on Amazon.com. If you read through his blog and other references on his site- you can tell that he is doing this for more than just personal gain ( Below is a quote from his email). Check it out!    

“I am going to dedicate the rest of my life to reduce poverty and hunger and increase access to education, healthcare, technology, and entrepreneurial opportunity here at home in North Carolina and the U.S. as well as in developing countries. This is not charity–this is humanity. We will never have a secure world when half of our brothers and sisters do not have access to basic human needs like shelter, food, primary education, and preventative medicine.”- Ryan Allis

 **Taking from his success, I plan for this blog to take a similar shape.  In an era where the internet is a great tool for individual mass media contribution- broadcasting the way your planning to make an impact, is monumental concept. If you, the “blog-less” individual, are reading this right now for the first time- go out and try it on your own (It’s free and you might be surprised at how fun it is.) Please stay tuned for more updates!!**

Kind Regards,

Taylor 

 ”If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” -John Quincy Adams