Singapore International Foundation launches first-of-its-kind programme for young social entrepreneurs

From the Singapore International Foundation’s website:

Singapore, 3 March 2010… The Singapore International Foundation (SIF), in partnership with Volans Asia, launches today the Young Social Entrepreneurs (YSE) 2010, a unique programme that will allow aspiring youths to pick up the basics of starting up a social enterprise.

From 3 to 7 March, six groups of three to four participants each will take part in an in-residence programme at YWCA Fort Canning Lodge in Singapore. Selected based on business proposals they had submitted, the groups will be coached by established social entrepreneurs and mentors on how to develop business plans, assess their social impact, market their businesses through social media and raise funds.

Ranging from the ages of 18 to 25, the participants are studying or living in Singapore but come from a variety of Asian countries such as China, Vietnam, Indonesia and Singapore. This lends the programme its unique cross-cultural element.

“The Young Social Entrepreneurs programme provides these students with the opportunity, not only to interact with and learn from their peers and industry practitioners, but also to understand differing cultural perspectives and thus broaden their world views,” explains Ms Serena Wong, Director of International Networking, SIF.

This programme is another example of how the SIF facilitates the exchange of ideas.  Through such people-to-people exchanges, the foundation promotes understanding between Singaporeans and world communities. Other similar SIF programmes include the Young Business Ambassadors, Singapore Internationale and the Distinguished Visitors Programme.

“Through the Young Social Entrepreneurs programme, we also hope to build and foster a regional network of Asian youth interested in the field of social entrepreneurship. This will then help in the development for more of such enterprises in future that benefit more communities in Asia,” adds Ms Wong.

Speaking at the camp is Ms Elim Chew, founder and president of 77th Street. Ms Chew was recently appointed to the SIF Board of Governors. A successful businesswoman herself, youth entrepreneurship is a subject close to Ms Chew’s heart. In addition to chairing or co-chairing several committees targeted at youths, she is also a founding member and director of the Social Innovation Park (SIP). The SIP is a social enterprise incubator that helps create a platform to support the business solutions of social entrepreneurs.

“Youths in Singapore have great ideas and passion for social enterprises but they might not have the knowledge or resources to get their businesses up and running. This programme brings together successful social entrepreneurs to act as mentors to the young participants. The skills that the participants will pick up will help them build sustainable social enterprises. The development of more such businesses in Singapore will lend towards a more vibrant social entrepreneurship climate in Asia,” says Ms Chew.

A key component of the YSE programme requires each business proposal to demonstrate a social impact. Examples of the proposals include an enterprise that provides marketing skills training to basket-weavers in Cambodia, a mushroom cultivation business that uses coffee ground waste and an enterprise that donates a pair of shoes for every pair purchased.

Mr Kevin Teo, founding partner and director of Volans Asia, a London-based company dedicated to the business of social and environmental innovation, has previously managed the East and Southeast Asia portfolio of the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship.

“Social entrepreneurship as a subject matter has captured the hearts and minds of the youth all over Asia. The best ideas and learning come through cross-pollination,” says Mr Teo.

“By assembling a group of budding young social entrepreneurs from around Asia, the Young Social Entrepreneurs programme will provide these future leaders with the tools and network to deliver on pattern-changing models that will impact the whole region,” he adds.

Industry practitioners that will be coaching the groups include Mr Bjorn Lee, Chief Executive Officer, JABFISH; Mr Douglas Abrams, Managing Partner, Extream Ventures; Mr Lee Junior, Managing Director, Silver Capital Investment Pte Ltd; Ms Jessica Tan, Partner, McKinsey & Company Singapore; Mr Martin Tan, Executive Director, Halogen Foundation; Ms Nancy Frohman, General Manager, SingHealth Foundation; and Ms Sarah Mavrinac, President, aidha.

Through hands-on workshops, the participants will learn how to assess the feasibility of their business plans, measure social impact and ultimately, raise funds for their enterprises. They will also get lessons on pitching their ideas to potential funders and partners, and being effective leaders and team builders.

In addition, the participants will have a roundtable discussion with Mr Kenny Low, Chief Executive Officer and Principal of O School, a performing arts centre that is also a social enterprise.

At the end of the camp, the six teams will get to pitch their business proposals to a judging panel. The winning team will walk away with a prize of S$3,000.

The address for this blog entry is: http://www.volans.com/2010/03/singapore-international-foundation-launches-first-of-its-kind-programme-for-young-social-entrepreneurs/.

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Shokay seeks a CEO

Shokay (www.shokay.com), the world’s first lifestyle brand focused on the yak, features adult wear and adult accessories.  Shokay prides itself not only in its classic and modern designs, but also its social impact.  Shokay sources yak down, comparable in warmth and softness to cashmere, is hand combed by Tibetan herders. Part of our product line is hand knit by women in rural areas of China. We enable marginalized populations in rural China to earn a sustainable living. Shokay currently has 2 retail stores and distributes products to boutiques globally in over 10 countries, including Europe, Japan, Australia, and US.

Background

Shokay, founded in 2006, is a fast growing company that is known as one of the leading examples of social enterprise in the Greater China region. In three years time, the original co-founders, Marie So and Carol Chyau, have built the business from a mere idea to a 20 person company. The operations team is based in Shanghai. We also have staff in Xining, Qinghai, and a small hand knitting production base in Chongming. Shokay has won numerous recognitions, from business plan competitions to social enterprise fellowships.

Shokay is at that exciting and challenging juncture between start-up and growth, and we are looking for a CEO to join the team and lead the business to the next stage based on the foundations we have built.

Requirements

• Entrepreneurial, innovative, passionate
• 7-10 years experience in lifestyle brand, fashion or textiles industry
• Experience in start up ; growth phase companies
• Experience in brand management
• Committed to innovative social change

Location: Shanghai, Hong Kong

Compensation: Will further be discussed, with significant component being equity

Contact: If you are interested in this position, please feel free to contact Marie (marie@shokay.com) and Carol (carol@shokay.com)

The address for this blog entry is: http://www.volans.com/2009/12/shokay-seeks-a-ceo/.

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Hagar seeks a CEO for the Hagar Social Enterprise Group

The HSEG CEO oversees and develops Hagar’s social enterprise investments, including establishing performance targets (social and financial), engaging in strategic business planning, and pursuing new social enterprise growth opportunities.

The CEO plays a key role in the monitoring and evaluation of investments, and ensures that each enterprise serves Hagar’s social mission and integrates with country-level social programs. Furthermore, the CEO ensures that enterprises receive the support and resources necessary to meet financial and social objectives.

For full details on this position, click here.

Interested candidates should send a cover letter and resume to Myles Harrison, Co-CEO of Hagar International (myles.harrison [at] hagarinternational.org).

The address for this blog entry is: http://www.volans.com/2009/12/hagar-seeks-a-ceo-for-the-hagar-social-enterprise-group/.

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Charity begins at Work

Wall Street Journal article that describes a growing trend among professionals to pursue volunteer stints in the development sector.  Some companies provide support for their employees to do this, and our Volans Talent initiative connects this trend with what is strategically important to the company, through talent development or training programs.  An example being the partnership formed between PricewaterhouseCoopers and Hagar International.

For professionals  seeking to invest in a future career within the social impact realm, we have put together Volans Year - a one-year program that includes a secondment to an organization in the social impact realm, accompanied by executive education, transformational leadership coaching, and structured peer learning. 

Volans Year is particular well suited for individuals with at least 4 years of private sector experience, seeking to attain high-quality training, experience and networks in the social impact sector.  After Volans Year, these individuals could potentially pursue a further degree, launch their own social enterprise or take on senior positions within recognized social enterprises. 

The founding cohort for Volans Year will launch in the first week of February 2010.

The address for this blog entry is: http://www.volans.com/2009/11/charity-begins-at-work/.

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Philippines Social Entrepreneur of the Year 2009

The Social Entrepreneur of the Year for the Philippines was announced at Makati Shangrila during Ernst & Young’s national Entrepreneur of the Year celebration. Social Entrepreneur Gemma Boulos, Founder and Executive Director of A Single Drop for Safe Water (ASDSW), received her award in the presence of over 500 business, political, and media leaders. This is the third year of collaboration in the country
between Schwab Foundation and Ernst & Young in recognizing outstanding social entrepreneurs. The independent panel of judges this year include Cesar VIRATA, Zorayda Amelia ALONZO, Senen BACANI, Krishnendu DATTA, Zenaida MAGLAYA, Oscar REYES, and Vivian GEE.

Gemma Bulos, a Filipino-American, was a former musician and preschool teacher who was meant to be in the World Trade Center on the morning of 9/11. She responded to the tragedy by devoting her life to a cause she believed would promote peace and equality among people – access to safe water. The United Nations Division for Sustainable Development estimates that 1.2 billion people in the world lack access to fresh water, and between 3-5 million people per year die of water related diseases. Since its establishment in year 2006, ASDSW has been seeking to address this problem – first in Bulos’ home country, the Philippines. The organization offers services such as education and training as well as building fresh water access systems to empower poor communities. These projects provide safe water to Filipinos in dire need of it. Bulos envisions ASDSW to be the clearing house for safe water projects globally, and that the Philippines will be the testing ground for water technologies. Plans are currently underway to replicate the ASDSW model in Uganda next year.

The address for this blog entry is: http://www.volans.com/2009/11/philippines-social-entrepreneur-of-the-year-2009/.

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First Finance PLC (Phnom Penh) seeks a CFO

Company Overview: First Finance Plc, a joint venture established between locally incorporated First Home Plc, Singapore‐based Phillip Capital, and Luxembourg‐based Insitor Fund SCA, is the first and only finance company in Cambodia specializing in home financing for low to low‐medium income individuals and households. Acknowledging the various benefits of home financing products for this underserved market, the mission of First Finance is to directly offer home acquisition and home improvement products that meet the needs of lower‐income households, using a micro‐finance perspective to traditional banking products.

Job Overview: Based in Phnom Penh, the CFO is an important part of the management team who reports to the CEO and will take on key responsibilities for this growing, early‐phase business. Beyond managing the financial team, the CFO’s key responsibilities broadly include: financial risk management of the organization, engagement of local/international lenders for fundraising activities, interactions with all investors and regulators, and treasury‐related functions of the business.

Tasks & Responsibilities:

• Risk management of lending practices
• Development of financial products and related pricing
• Engagement of local and international lenders for fundraising activities
• Reporting to investors, shareholders, and regulators on financial matters
• Creation of financial packets for board
• Development of policy and procedures for financial function
• Responsible for financial budget and annual audit
• Adherence to regulatory reporting and compliance requirements
• Responsible for all treasury‐related functions

Qualifications:

• Bachelors degree with Masters preferred in related disciplines: finance/accounting
• Strong analytical and communication skills
• Experience dealing with international funders and/or investors beneficial
• Knowledge of financial and management accounting
• Experience with regulatory, tax, compliance requirements and risk management
• Commitment to the social mission of First Finance
• Willingness to relocate to Phnom Penh w/ competitive, local salary
• Commitment of 18‐24 months
• Good command of English (both written and verbal)
• Previous work experience with investment banking or MFI preferred
• Experience with financial planning and risk management of financial institutions preferred

Interested candidates, please send a cover letter and resume to Micaela Ratini (micaela.ratini@oltredevelopment.com)

The address for this blog entry is: http://www.volans.com/2009/10/first-finance-plc-phnom-penh-seeks-a-cfo/.

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Global Social Venture Competition (Southeast Asia) launches

GSVC is a global graduate-student business plan competition began in 1999 at the Haas School of Business of the University of California at Berkeley, USA. GSVC was the first competition to promote entrepreneurial start-ups which not only offered financial returns, but also provided measurable social or environmental benefits.

UC Berkeley has partnered with Thammasat Business School in Bangkok, Thailand to host GSVC for the Southeast Asia and Oceania region.

The GSVC-SEA Competition 2009-2010 season is now ready for your application till 8 January 2010. Check out the calendar for the key dates.  More details on GSVC Southeast Asia can be found at http://www.gsvc-sea.org.

The address for this blog entry is: http://www.volans.com/2009/10/global-social-venture-competition-southeast-asia-launches/.

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Now Hiring: Chief Executive Officer for The Community Foundation of Singapore

Community Foundation of Singapore

The Community Foundation of Singapore is an independent, not-for-profit philanthropic organisation which builds up funds from donors of means to make programmatic grants to worthy causes. It will help high net worth individuals, institutions and groups achieve their strategic philanthropy objectives by proactively identifying projects to achieve donors’ intent and meet funding gaps in the community.

Chief Executive Officer

Reporting to its own Board of Directors, the Chief Executive Officer is responsible for leading the foundation in achieving its mission and goals. This is an excellent opportunity for a tested leader who thrives in startup situations, but who is now seeking to apply his/her skills in a non- business setting to drive social returns.

The Job:

* Advance and implement organisation’s vision, mission, strategic plan and performance measurements

* Work closely with the board, programme and grantmaking committees, and external stakeholders in the public, private and non-profit sectors

* Raise major gifts and/or legacies from high net worth individuals, institutions, and other sources to meet short and long-term targets

* Build up awareness of social landscape, and relationship and trust with donors and potential donors, with an emphasis on donor accountability

* Build up the organisation in all areas, including HR, finance and investment, corporate communications, fundraising, grantmaking and technology

* Hire, train and develop a small but multi-tasking team of staff

* Build reputation and trust with key stakeholders

* Identify worthy causes, make grant disbursements, and monitor effectiveness of grants

* Institute best practices in financial management, sustainability, governance and legal compliance areas

Requirements

Candidates should have at least 10 years of management experience, with some start-up experience. Those with at least 5 years of senior management experience in fundraising, grantmaking, marketing, wealth management and working in or with Institutions of a Public Character would have an advantage.

To apply, please send cover letter and resume to career@cf.org.sg

For further details on the Community Foundation of Singapore, click here.

The address for this blog entry is: http://www.volans.com/2009/10/now-hiring-chief-executive-officer-for-the-community-foundation-of-singapore/.

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OUR NUMBER’S UP—AND IT’S 350

OUR NUMBER’S UP—AND IT’S 350

Bill McKibben is the man behind 350.org, the global campaign on climate change that has declared October 24 to be International Day of Climate Action. John Elkington[1] talked to him about the campaign—and the underlying science.

For a comment from Dr Gary Kendall, SustainAbility’s Director of Energy Sector and Climate Change, see here.

John Elkington: Bill, it was great to meet you at last when we were both speakers at the Oslo Sustainability Conference—and to hear more about the 350 campaign. In headlines, what do you hope to achieve with the International Day of Climate Action?

Bill McKibben: To—for the first time—use a citizen’s movement to put a piece of scientific data at the center of the planet’s agenda. We want to take the most important number on Earth and make it the most well-known, on the theory (well-founded, we think) that that will push the politics nearer to the science.

John: When—and how—did you first switch on to climate change?

Bill: I wrote the first book for a general audience about global warming, way back in 1989. The End of Nature came out in The New Yorker, and in 24 languages, but it didn’t solve the problem.

John: So what’s the story behind the 350 campaign?

Bill: It grew out of a nationwide campaign I helped organize—the first big U.S. campaign for action on climate change. We called it StepItUp and we (me and 6 college students) managed somehow to organize 1,400 simultaneous demonstrations in all 50 states on April 14, 2007.

A few days later both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton changed their platforms to meet our demands—we were feeling pretty smug.  Then, few weeks later, in the summer of 2007, sea ice in the Arctic began to melt with a vengeance, and scientists began to panic—global warming was beginning to happen much faster than predicted.

The old targets—the ones we’d campaigned on–were out the window, and in a few months the leading researchers produced new, deeply rooted goals: 350 ppm CO₂ turned out to be the maximum safe level in the atmosphere if we wanted a planet “similar to the one on which civilization developed and to which life on earth is adapted.” Which we did, so we started trying to figure out how to organize globally. Which is ludicrously hard, but my crew of young organizers is ludicrously talented!

John: Why ‘350’?

Bill: In addition to the reasons already mentioned, for organizing purposes it’s turned out to be the perfect strategy. First, because we’re already at 390 ppm, it really wakes people up—it’s like going to the doctor and learning your cholesterol is too high. That’s the day you buy a pair of running shoes and Google ‘vegan.’ Second, because Arabic numerals translate across linguistic boundaries, one reason that October 24 will be the most geographically widespread day of political activity in the earth’s history.

John: Just to clear, what does the 350 figure represent—long-term stabilization of CO₂ or CO₂e[2]?

Bill: CO₂—but it works as a figure for CO₂e as well. (As Jim Hansen has explained in a couple of papers, CO₂ works as a good proxy). In any event, both CO₂ and CO₂e are elevated far above 350 already, so in effect the message is the same—time to stand on the brakes and throw this baby in reverse.

John: Our view—both at SustainAbility and Volans—is that it’s crucial to distinguish between CO₂ and CO₂e. But we absolutely agree about the underlying trajectory, which is for science to suggest ever lower safety thresholds. Putting that aside for a moment, however, what’s the best estimate in terms of the likely average global temperature rises associated with 350 ppm of CO₂, based on the latest science?

Bill: It’s very hard to say, but probably we’re talking something like 1.5 degrees or less, hopefully considerably less. We’re obviously not going to prevent global warming, and we’re obviously going to keep going past 350 for a while. If we get back down quickly enough, we may be able to prevent civilization-scale challenges (and, truthfully, we may not—the momentum of these changes is large and there are no guarantees).

John: What might the wide adoption of the 350 target mean in terms of impacts?

Bill: It means less sea level rise, less drought, less flood, less methane release, less everything. That’s about all you can say with any assurance.

John: Bill, what was your reaction to the G20 statement acknowledging the need to stay below 2 degrees C?

Bill: If 0.8 degrees melts the Arctic, setting 2 degrees as a goal seems ill-advised. We may hit it, but the emphasis should be on coming down just as fast as we can. The goal has to be 350 or below—or so science says. Of course, politicians deal in political reality, which to them seems more real than the laws of nature. Would that it were so—but chemistry and physics are pretty tough bargainers.

John: SustainAbility has committed to the ‘less than 2 degrees’ goal, recognising that the allowable CO₂ and CO2e to keep within such limits levels been falling almost continuously as new science comes in. Still, given that we’re now around 385 ppm CO₂—and 435 ppm CO₂e—what do you say to people who think that it’s too late for 350?

Bill: In our lifetime it probably is. Even if we do everything right, the youngest people on the planet will likely be elderly before we get back there. But we have to start now, and very dramatically, before any more feedback loops kick in, or we’ll never get there.

John: What strategies for lowering greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere do you find most persuasive?

Bill: The rapid conversion of our fossil-fuel economy to renewable energy. We have the technology, but so far not the will.

John: What sort of time-scales might be involved?

Bill: That’s the trouble—we have to do it faster than our political and economic systems will find convenient or easy. The best data seems to show we need to be out of the business of burning coal by 2030, and sooner in the western world. That means wartime footing for change—and it means a lot of sunk costs for folks who’ve been building power plants. Tough problems, but not as tough as the alternative.

John: What needs to be done next to have any chance of meeting the 350 target?

Bill: Set a stiff global cap on carbon based on the science, and transfer the necessary money and technology north to south so that developing countries can participate in this transition.

John: What sort of response have you had from the business and financial communities?

Bill: They’re beyond the denial phase, and there are plenty of companies smelling some serious money to be made. But very few want to move as quickly as we need to go. In normal circumstances gradual evolution makes utter sense. These aren’t normal circumstances.

John: Is there any individual or organization whose efforts in this area sum up for you what we all need to do next?

Bill: I’m most impressed by the fact that October 24 is being organized by ordinary people all over the world-especially in the developing world. I mean, today we passed the 130-country mark. it’s exuberant, it’s homemade, it’s powerful. Leaders aren’t leading so citizens and scientists are taking up the slack.

John: Many thanks, Bill. And how do we all get involved?

Bill: Almost anyplace anyone is reading this (except North Korea), there’s an October 24 action happening nearby. Go to 350.org to figure out how to throw your weight behind one!

[2] CO2 equivalent. As a start, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/carbon_dioxide_equivalent

The address for this blog entry is: http://www.volans.com/2009/10/our-numbers-upand-its-350/.

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Volans Year – enrollment opens

Starting last Friday, we’ve been sending out emails to friends and networks to announce the opening of enrollment into the Volans Year program.  Please feel free to use this email template below to spread the word!  For a list of Volans Year positions available within our outstanding list of hiring organizations, click here.

Dear [friend’s name],

You care deeply about the complex problems facing our world. Passionate about finding solutions, you drive results through business innovation. You are a strategic thinker who makes an impact. Volans Year is a new program that leverages the drive and talent of passionate, highly-skilled professionals like you to transform social impact organizations. Volans envisions a global community of leaders where business innovation and social and environmental responsibility are an integral part of who they are and woven into the fabric of their careers. These leaders will pioneer and drive the new economy.

THE PROGRAM: VOLANS YEAR
Volans Year trains business professionals through one-year placements in high-calibre social impact organizations while enhancing their skills and directly increasing the organizations’ impact. The program has two integrated components:

· SOCIAL IMPACT PLACEMENTS: Participants are matched with a social impact organization in either Cambodia or Singapore in a full time position.

· EXECUTIVE EDUCATION: For a week every quarter, participants strengthen their skills in executive education and transformational leadership coaching. The curriculum has been designed to include practical and high-impact business and social impact topics. It is taught by leaders in the field.

Volans Year launches in Southeast Asian cities: Singapore and Cambodia. As the commercial epicenter for the region, Singapore is well-positioned to take a lead in social innovation. After nearly three decades of civil war, Cambodia is gradually rebuilding itself as a country, albeit with support from close to a thousand international and local non-government organizations. Several of these organizations are employing innovative approaches to addressing a broad range of social needs, providing significant learning opportunity for anyone in the social impact field.

Hiring organizations in the Volans Year portfolio have been screened by Volans and in several instances, recognized by social entrepreneurship intermediaries like the Skoll Foundation, the World Bank or the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship.

JOIN THE TRANSFORMATION
Volans Year is seeking its founding class of participants. The ideal candidate envisions a world where doing good and doing well is more the norm than the ideal, and aspires to be a leader and influencer in this space. If this sounds like you, please visit www.volansyear.com for further details. If you know anyone like this, kindly share this email with them!

Applications deadline: October 31, 2009.
Program launch: January 31, 2010.

~ One Year. Lifelong Impact. Lifelong Change. ~

For more information and application details: Visit www.volansyear.com.

The address for this blog entry is: http://www.volans.com/2009/10/volans-year-enrollment-opens/.

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LGT Venture Philanthropy launches iCats program

LGT Venture Philanthropy is launching their iCats Program today: The iCats Program is an answer to the need for professional know-how and resources in many philanthropic organizations and social enterprises. LGT Venture Philanthropy created a web-based platform to match experienced professionals with specific positions in selected philanthropic organizations.

The fellow positions for 2010 are now online on www.icatsprogram.com ! Application deadline is 26^th October 2009.
A fellow works 11 months on-site with a portfolio organization from February to December 2010 and receives regular mentoring from the LGT Venture Philanthropy team. In addition, a 4-day induction workshop brings all fellows together in the Swiss mountains. Go to www.icatsprogram.com to find out more and to apply.

The address for this blog entry is: http://www.volans.com/2009/10/lgt-venture-philanthropy-launches-fellowship-program/.

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PricewaterhouseCoopers address professional needs at Hagar during two week project in Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Over the first two weeks of September 2009, five partners from PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) worked with Hagar International on a variety of workstreams that meet professional needs of Hagar’s social businesses.

These include tax advice and operations review of Hagar’s Catering business, business planning for a new Hydrologic – an enterprise that sells water filters – and advisory input on leasing agreements of Hagar’s factory in Phnom Penh.  The PwC team, with assistance from the local PwC Cambodia office, worked with more than ten senior managers across Hagar’s operating entities to accomplish this broad set of objectives within the two week timeframe.

This engagement is part of the “Developing Responsible Leaders” (DRL) program at PwC which targets senior executives within the firm and focuses on leadership and professional development through engaging with social enterprises in a developing world context.  Volans partnered with Pivotal Leadership – an organizational development consultancy – to put together this project.  For several months prior to the trip, Pivotal and Volans had regular communication with the program leaders at PwC to design the DRL program, focussing on the talent development objectives for PwC, while being mindful of delivering tangible long-term value to Hagar.

At the start of the trip, the DRL participants were introduced to Cambodia’s grim history through a tour of the Toul Sleng museum, which was a primary school converted into a prison and torture chamber.  We also visited the slum areas where Cambodia Living Arts worked to pass on endangered traditional Khmer performing arts to the next generation, by offering scholarships as well as stipends to children from these communities to attend school.  Despite the bustling downtown scene in Phnom Penh, most of which is fuelled by international aid and NGO dollars, the typical Cambodian still lives by the fringes of this economy under dire circumstances.  With this context around Cambodia, the team embarked on engaging the various Hagar departments on the list of objectives they had agreed to address.

Aside from meeting the professional needs of Hagar, DRL team also organized a day trip for close to 200 children from Hagar’s Children Learning Centre.  We had arranged for this outing to take place at Kirirom resort, a two hour bus ride outside of Phnom Penh.  When our convoy of five coaches arrived at the resort, it quickly dawned on us that the resort was well past its hey day and that the photos we had seen on the promotional material were severely outdated.  Various logistical challenges cropped up as the resort staff scrambled to meet the needs of 200 screaming children; one example being that we had been promised four ponies at the pony ride station whereas the staff we previously liaised with had failed to mention that the resort only had one saddle.  Nonetheless, the day was saved when we declared open season on the resort’s swimming pool and almost immediately, close to a hundred children screamed and jumped into what must have been smaller than a 25-meter pool.

All in all, much was accomplished by the PwC team during the two week stay and as the participants indicated, they had learned a lot about themselves and from one another.  There was acknowledgement that engaging with social enterprises provided a new dimension to closer collaboration with communities in need, and there is continued interest to deepen this relationship with Hagar as well as possibly other social enterprises in Cambodia.

The address for this blog entry is: http://www.volans.com/2009/10/pricewaterhousecoopers-team-address-professional-needs-at-hagar-during-two-week-project/.

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Fixing, Helping and Serving

An insightful poem shared by Leng Lim at a recent Volans Talent engagement between PricewaterhouseCoopers and Hagar.

Fixing, Helping and Serving

A Fixer has the illusion of being casual.
A server knows he or she is being used
in the service of something greater, essentially unknown.

We fix something specific.
We serve always the something:
wholeness and the mystery of lie.

Fixing and helping are the work of the ego.
Serving is the work of the soul.

When you help, you see life as weak.
When you fix you see life as broken.
When you serve you see life as whole.

Fixing and helping may cure,
Service heals.

When I help, I feel satisfaction.
When I serve, I feel gratitude.

Fixing is a form of judgment.
Serving is a form of connection.

The address for this blog entry is: http://www.volans.com/2009/09/fixing-helping-and-serving/.

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INSEAD Social Entrepreneurship Program – Singapore

Following a successful inaugural launch of the INSEAD Social Entrepreneurship Program (ISEP) in the Singapore campus last year, INSEAD will be holding the ISEP program again this year between 30 November – 4 December 2009.  More details on the program can be found here: http://executive.education.insead.edu/social-entrepreneurship/.

The address for this blog entry is: http://www.volans.com/2009/09/insead-social-entrepreneurship-program-singapore/.

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Singapore International Foundation seeks Dynamic Young Social Entrepreneurs

The Singapore International Foundation (SIF) will select up to 6 groups of young social entrepreneurs to participate in a week-long in-residence session from 7 to 11 December 2009. The programme is designed to help participants learn the fundamentals of starting a social enterprise.

Participants have to be within the age range of 18-25, and the teams need to have mixed ASEAN representation of 1-2 Singaporeans and 2-3 nationals of any of the other 10 ASEAN countries, studying or staying in Singapore.

More information can be found on the SIF website.

The address for this blog entry is: http://www.volans.com/2009/09/singapore-international-foundation-seeks-dynamic-young-social-entrepreneurs/.

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Schwab Foundation honors Asia Social Entrepreneurs

The Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship will acknowledge the work of 5 Social Entrepreneurs at the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting of the New Champions in Dalian.  These Social Entrepreneurs include:

• Disnadda Diskul – Doi Tung, Thailand
• Timothy Ma – Senior Citizen Home Safety Association, China
• Sebastien Marot – Friends International, Cambodia
• Sarah Mavrinac - aidha, Singapore
• Ambrosius Ruwindrijarto, Silverius Unggul – Telepak, Indonesia

More details can be found at: http://email.weforum.org/HM?a=A9X7CqEnH1qs8XyBta3SFu3jbw.

The address for this blog entry is: http://www.volans.com/2009/09/schwab-foundation-honors-asia-social-entrepreneurs/.

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Corporate Roundtable on Social Entrepreneurship at Duke University

The Center for Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship (CASE) at Duke’s Fuqua School of Business will be holding the Corporate Roundtable on Social Entrepreneurship (CRT) on October 13 & 14, 2009.

The CRT is a network of select senior business executives committed to social entrepreneurship. CRT members meet twice annually to dialogue about best practices and challenges in achieving social impact
within a corporate structure.  This event will include facilitated dialogue amongst the CRT members, presentations from Duke Faculty on cutting-edge research and interaction with Fuqua students.

For more details on the Oct 13 Corporate Roundtable event, click here.

And for membership details on the Corporate Roundtable, click here.

The address for this blog entry is: http://www.volans.com/2009/09/corporate-roundtable-on-social-entrepreneurship-at-duke-university/.

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Rotary Youth Social Entrepreneurship Challenge Opens for your ideas

The Rotary Youth Social Entrepreneurship Challenge 2009 (RYSEC 2009) opens for submissions from Singapore-based teams TODAY. RYSEC is organised by the Rotary Club of Singapore, SYINC and Volans.

Teams of 2-5 budding young social entrepreneurs (between the age of 19-30) are invited to apply, with cash prizes being awarded as well as an all-expenses paid week-long social entrepreneurship study trip to Cambodia. For more details on the competition, please go to http://www.rysec.sg.

The address for this blog entry is: http://www.volans.com/2009/06/rotary-youth-social-entrepreneurship-challenges-opens-for-your-ideas/.

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Schwab Foundation announces the winners of the 2009 Africa Regional Social Entrepreneurs

The Schwab Foundation has recognized three new social entrepreneurs with significant impact in the region as winners of the Africa Regional Social Entrepreneurs Award for 2009. David Kuria, Chief Executive Officer, Ecotact, Kenya; Patrick Schofield, Chief Executive Officer, Streetwires Artists Collective, South Africa; Mitchell J. Besser and Gene Falk, Co-Founders of mothers2mothers, active in Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Rwanda, South Africa, Swaziland and Zambia, will join other leading social entrepreneurs at the World Economic Forum on Africa, on 10-12 June 2009. Click here for profiles of the winners

This group of social entrepreneurs from across the African continent as well as others from Europe and Latin America will be active participants in the discussions at the forthcoming meeting. Their primary focus is not maximizing profit, but maximizing benefits for society and the environment. They develop innovative business models in energy efficiencies, education, waste management, health, education, youth and rural development, with a vision of large-scale impact.

The address for this blog entry is: http://www.volans.com/2009/06/schwab-foundation-announces-the-winners-of-the-2009-africa-regional-social-entrepreneurs/.

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The future of African leadership

I’m currently in Johannesburg for a World Economic Forum retreat organized for my cohort of Global Leadership Fellows (GLF). The GLF program is 3 years long, with the retreat representing the final gathering for the fellows. We are only into our second day of the week-long retreat, and we’ve already visited areas of poverty, engaged with civil society leaders and had dialogues with CEOs of local businesses.

Today, we had the privilege of visiting the African Leadership Academy (ALA). Co-founder, Fred Swaniker, spent the opening session explaining the mission of the Academy, which essentially seeks to bring together the most entrepreneurial and passionate young minds from all around Africa and put them through a high school program steeped in leadership, ethics and entrepreneurship courses. ALA has assembled students like William Kamkwamba, a school drop-out in Malawi who taught himself how to build a windmill by flipping through the pages of local library books. William subsequently went on to electrify his whole village and dug wells to provide clean water supply to everyone there. I was also pleasantly surprised to learn that some approaches at ALA were adopted from my high school alma mater, Raffles Junior College.

That evening, we dined with the students at ALA, where each table discussed a different topic of education, sports, the environment, energy, etc. The students leveraged the experience of the fellows to come up with projects that they would tackle over the coming school year; my table discussed issues around education and how to make it engaging and fun, while seeking to create support mechanisms for the teachers and students. This resulted in the creation of “MAD Radio” (MAD - “Make A Difference”), a radio station run by the students, for the youth, focused on educational content and issues. Other tables had equally exciting ideas which were presented to everyone. With such a group of bright, articulate and passionate students going through an institution like ALA, I cannot help but feel hopeful for the future of Africa.

The address for this blog entry is: http://www.volans.com/2009/02/2916/.

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Lien Centre announces i3 Challenge

The Lien Centre for Social Innovation is offering S$1 million for innovative ideas that can be implemented to create positive social impact. This is a three-stage competition process which begins with the submission of a 2-page idea proposal by 31 March 2009.

Full details are available at the Lien Centre website.

The address for this blog entry is: http://www.volans.com/2009/01/lien-centre-announces-i3-challenge/.

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Learning from the experts — and they’re not who you think!

Pamela blogs on Harvard University’s Center for Public Leadership about how social entrepreneurs invest and partner with local communities for the long-term to address social needs; this runs counter to how international development gets “delivered” to these communities by international aid agencies and NGOs.

Full details of blog can be found here.

The address for this blog entry is: http://www.volans.com/2008/11/learning-from-the-experts-%e2%80%94-and-they%e2%80%99re-not-who-you-think/.

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Volans Connects - Cambodia - Hagar International

I’ve just completed a two-day planning trip for a Volans Connects engagement in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.  This engagement will involve a major multi-national professional services firm (name withheld for confidentiality reasons) and Hagar International, a social enterprise that serves the needs of women and children who have backgrounds of violence, abuse and trafficking.

This professional services firm has over the past 3 years operated a senior management training program that includes components of personal development and service learning.  This firm has previously engaged with governments and charities on the service learning front.  The participants of this program, being senior members of the firm, wanted to identify service projects that could more comprehensively utilize their skill level.  Volans was brought in to help create a program that will allow this firm to partner with a social organization that could meet this goal.  It was also important that the social organization had the ability to “grow with the program”, and the professional services firm was looking for a 3-5 year partnership.  This was when we connected Hagar International with the firm.

Hagar started operations in Cambodia in 1994, and has since created an ecosystem of social businesses in the Catering, Nutrition and Garment manufacturing sectors that serve to provide skills training and employment for the women and children in Hagar’s social programs, as well as to channel profits back to sustain those programs.  With its track record in Cambodia, Hagar is currently embarking on a bold initiative to expand operations to Vietnam, Laos, Afghanistan and Mumbai.  A for-profit enterprise which undergoes a similar international expansion program would typically bring on professional and advisory services to address the various financial, legal, IT and accounting needs of its operations.  Being a social enterprise, Hagar does not have the luxury of acquiring the full range of these costly but critical services.  We felt that Hagar and the professional services firm had highly complementary objectives, and started working to bring both parties together.

Over the past 2 days, representatives from the professional services firm, Hagar and Volans met to discuss what a joint partnership program could look like.  There will be a team of senior staff from the firm arriving in Phnom Penh towards the end of the year and they will be working closely with various Hagar social businesses to provide advisory input into Hagar’s current operations as well as the regional expansion.

Of particular interest is the newly formed Hagar Social Enterprise Group, which will be based in Singapore.  With Hagar engaging in a range of social businesses around Asia, there is a need to consolidate administrative and oversight functions into a single holding entity.  This holding entity will also serve to consolidate all financial activity, where the collective surpluses from all social businesses can be aggregated and then channeled to Hagar Singapore, a charity entity based in Singapore.  These funds will then be distributed to the various Hagar social programs around Asia.  The professional services team will thus be working with Hagar’s senior management to put together an effective structure to manage the governance, financial and legal aspects for the Hagar Social Enterprise Group.

Volans is privileged to be part of shaping the future direction for Hagar, and to create robust models for addressing the thorny issues of gender equality and dignity.  More updates to follow when we move into the implementation phase of this Volans Connects project.

The address for this blog entry is: http://www.volans.com/2008/10/volans-connects-cambodia-hagar-international/.

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