Week 1: What is Social Innovation?

Week 1:

I'm intrigued by the topic of social innovation.  I love the thought that each of us can help to change the world and make it a better place.  It is through each of us that we can be the change that we want to see in the world.

I just finished reading the book, "Let My People Go Surfing: The Education of a Reluctant Businessman" by Yvon Chouinard the founder and owner of Patagonia.  In the book, Mr. Chouinard tells the story of how he came to start his company by just creating better climbing tools that he was using and making them more affordable.  Now, he is proud of the company that he has built and especially that he has been able to focus on social issues that he is passionate about.  In particular, in tells a story of how when they began to look into how their supplies were sourced, they offered organic cotton items, but stopped there.  It was years before they looked further to find how and why the supplies were listed that way.  They had to look at the field that the cotton was grown in and look at the chemicals that were or were not used.  They looked at the beginnings of the dye that they used in the fabrics and how it came to be.  They looked at each and every element that is a part of their clothing to make sure it was a product that they could stand behind.  They wanted their products to mean something more than just clothing.

Social innovation is more prevalent today because we are becoming a society of people who are more closely related to their causes.  We have evolved from the "Me generation" of the 1970's and gone through several transformations in the process.  There will always be individuals who believe that it's all about them, but I also think that the generation that is coming up to take over the world is much more in touch with that world around them.  I just hope that they have the work ethic to make it happen instead of just the desire.