and "social investment." Gabi calls it her passion. She leads HP's global social innovations team, which combines its most innovative tech know-how with the brightest minds from nonprofit and government sectors to find real solutions to the world's most complex problems. Gabi's team is figuring out ways to bridge the so-called "digital divide" and intersect shareholder and social value. In concrete terms, Gabi's team has been working with small business entrepreneurs from Abujaq, Nigeria, to Tikamgarh, India, and recently figured out a way to instantly diagnose HIV in infants in Kenya. We're betting on Gabi to be this year's driving ... posted on Mar 28 2012 (17,112 reads)

at schools has become a huge issue. In looking for innovative solutions, Canadian educators turned to a unique classroom program called Roots of Empathy. At the heart of the program, now being implemented in 1,400 schools, lies this insight: When you put an infant and its parent in the center of the classroom, children start to sensitize themselves to the baby's intentions and emotions. The results that ripple out are unambiguous: a measurable reduction in levels of aggression among schoolchildren. The program is successful because it fosters the development of empathy, supporting children in tapping into an unconscious part of themselves. The baby becomes ... posted on Apr 8 2012 (17,107 reads)

you are willing to do, and what you are not. Art suffers the moment other people start paying for it. The more you need the money, the more people will tell you what to do. The less control you will have. The more bullshit you will have to swallow. The less joy it will bring. Know this and plan accordingly.” Later, MacLeod echoes Graham’s point about prestige above: 28. The best way to get approval is not to need it. This is equally true in art and business. And love. And sex. And just about everything else worth having.” LEWIS HYDE ON WORK VS. LABOR After last year’s omnibus of 5 timeless books on fear and the creativ... posted on Apr 22 2012 (56,190 reads)

to worry about my wealth; As for my health, well, it could be a little better; But take care of yourself, love your bro, I’ll storm through this weather.”     The song closes with the elder brother telling the younger one: “No, I would never let you go through what I’ve gone through.”   Oddly enough, Blood Brothers foreshadowed Nimo’s own journey.  Springboarding off Karmacy’s rapid rise, and leveraging his Wharton business degree, Nimo raised 7-digit funding to start a media production house.  The road to glittering success entangled him in a world of oversized egos, superficial connections and banal conte... posted on May 4 2012 (60,170 reads)

I awoke early with a good bit of unfinished business on my mind. My first scheduled appointment for the morning was at 9AM, and there I was awake and alert considerably earlier than I needed to be. I decided to take advantage of this early morning awakening and energy surge. I got up stimulated by the possibility of arriving at the office early and getting the jump on the day by tying up those loose ends that needed attention before the formally scheduled work day began. As part of the preparation for this flurry of activity, I prepared my preferred morning eye-opener drink. This high powered beverage is a blend of a vital green powder, which began as algae and seaweed, augme... posted on May 6 2012 (9,416 reads)

trust for her very capable people, delegating with the confidence that they will accomplish their tasks? And how much better of a father, husband, writer, and leader would I be if I could speak and write the truth as I see it without worrying about how it would make me look? It might be awkward at first. But I think it's our best shot at having a meaningful experience in a situation that often leaves us feeling shallow. That's clearly good for us. And it might just be good for business too.... posted on May 7 2012 (25,841 reads)

"We were producing travel guides and we had a couple of hundred people working in an office that would help travelers see foreign countries in a new way and travel safely," he recalls. "None of the editors had any contact with any of the actual readers." Grant suspected that the staffers would find more satisfaction in their work -- and probably work even harder -- if they could regularly interact with the readers whose globetrotting they enabled. At the travel guide business, he never got a chance to put that hunch into practice. But as he moved towards his doctoral research at the University of Michigan, he returned to the subject, using call centers, sports fac... posted on May 15 2012 (33,247 reads)

least were most readily equipped to honor the priceless.  In urban cities, the people we encountered began with an unspoken wariness: “Why are you doing this?  What do you want from me?”   In the countryside, on the other hand, villagers almost always met us with an open-hearted curiosity launching straight in with: “Hey buddy, you don’t look local.  What’s your story?”   In the villages, your worth wasn’t assessed by your business card, professional network or your salary. That innate simplicity allowed them to love life and cherish all its connections.   Extremely poor villagers, who couldn’t even afford... posted on May 14 2012 (394,884 reads)

remedies, according to the New York Times. And yet, the article concluded, there's very little evidence that any of those medicines do anything to cure, or even shorten the duration of, a cold. And some remedies, like taking antibiotics, bring along side effects that risk making some people worse. In other words, the best strategy for coping with the common cold is to do nothing. Does this strategy apply outside medicine? There's a lot of talk these days about creating new businesses through incentives. Does the money and effort put into incentives help? According to astudy released by the Kauffman Foundation, the answer is no. Data from the U.S. Census Bureau indic... posted on May 27 2012 (26,632 reads)

and requirements and obligatory hoops to jump through. I was ready to be set free so I could finally do what I wanted: make art.   I often likened concentrating in sculpture to majoring in possibilities. As I learned more and more about contemporary art practice and theory, my definition of what art was and what it could be expanded until there were no limits. A sculpture could be anything from an idea to an action, a crafted situation, a social experiment, a conspiracy, a business venture, an anecdote told at a party. I spent my last semester trying to walk on the edge of what art could be. I planned field trips, elaborate parties, chance meetings, experiential devices... posted on Jun 22 2012 (13,105 reads)

in West Tennessee, not far from Graceland, nine women -- or "The 9 Nanas," as they prefer to be called -- gather in the darkness of night. At 4am they begin their daily routine -- a ritual that no one, not even their husbands, knew about for 30 years. They have one mission and one mission only: to create happiness. And it all begins with baked goods. “One of us starts sifting the flour and another washing the eggs,” explained Nana Mary Ellen, the appointed spokesperson for their secret society. “And someone else makes sure the pans are all ready. We switch off, depending on what we feel like doing that day. “But you make sure to say Nana... posted on Jun 29 2012 (1,772,899 reads)

a thought, reap an action; sow an action, reap a habit; sow a habit, reap a character; sow a character, reap a destiny.” In 1989, Stephen R. Covey penned The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (public library), a book that went on to sell millions of copies worldwide and defined a new genre bridging self-improvement, business management, and personal productivity. This week, Covey passed away at the age of 79. Here’s a look back at his legacy with some of the keenest insights from his beloved bestseller: Habit is the intersection of knowledge (what to do), skill (how to do), and desire (want to do).   Sow a t... posted on Jul 23 2012 (18,176 reads)

like your neighbor, but being able to depend on one another instead of a government or corporation gives you genuine independence. Tanya chimed in with vigor, “Trade instead of buy whenever you can.” As we talked, you could see that they were of one mind in having true, good, change-making conversations about depending on community rather than corporations. “Serve your place, and allow your place to serve you.” We talked further about the dangers of religion, the business of war, and how words like “public education,” “environment,” and “free market” have been hollowed out. We talked about the death of small towns in America... posted on Aug 15 2012 (14,515 reads)

of science that focus on the unknown as an entry point — a more inclusive gateway than the known. In one of the most compelling passages of the book, he broadens this insistence on questions over answers to the scientific establishment itself: Perhaps the most important application of ignorance is in the sphere of education, particularly of scientists… We must ask ourselves how we should educate scientists in the age of Google and whatever will supersede it… The business model of our Universities, in place now for nearly a thousand years, will need to be revised. […] Instead of a system where the collection of facts is an end, where knowledge i... posted on Aug 21 2012 (18,293 reads)

age, advocating income redistribution as the solution to social ills. He studied economics and history at Duke University in the United States, which he attended on a soccer scholarship, and later moved to Paris to earn a doctoral degree in management and public administration. Paris was a marvelous education in the possibilities of urban living, and he returned home with aspirations of bringing European-style city comforts to the working class of Bogotá. Several years working as a business manager moderated his ideological views but not, he hastens to tell me, his quest for social justice. Credit: Pattancito Thinking about Equality in New Ways “We live in... posted on Aug 24 2012 (21,061 reads)

worst thing that is likely to happen, usually it’s not that bad. If you lost all your possessions today in a disaster, how bad would that be? How would you cope? What opportunities would there be? What new things could you invent from this blank slate? ** Develop a change toolset. Learn how to cope with changes, no matter what they are. Have a fall-back plan if things collapse. Have friends and family you can call on. Develop some skills where you can get a job or start a new business no matter what happens with your current job or the economy. Learn ways of making friends with strangers, finding your way around a strange city, surviving on little. With a toolset like this... posted on Oct 17 2012 (32,487 reads)

of supporters from the local and worldwide community and raised more than $50,000 dollars in just under two months.     Vivie's project went viral after Nicholas Kristof, a New York Times op-ed columnist, tweeted about @vivienneharr and #MAKEASTAND LEMONADE. She's also been featured on many media outlets including the BBC, Yahoo and is slated to appear on Jeff Probst's talk show, which debuts on Sept. 10. All the business acumen that Vivie had was selling lemonade. She took a stand and did something – selling lemonade was in her power to be a voice for the voiceless.  Rain or shine, Vivie plans... posted on Oct 21 2012 (18,571 reads)

wasted, especially when you believe you could do a better job. But that’s different than disliking them. Just think about how you respond differently to someone you like who can’t run a meeting (you want to help them) versus someone you don’t like (you want to stop working with them, or, if the meeting is really long, kill them). The typical advice you hear about working with people you don’t like is simply to depersonalize the relationship. Just transact whatever business you need to with them and move on. In other words: Grin and bear it. But I have found that almost impossible to do.The people we don’t like drive us crazy and we waste a tremendous ... posted on Oct 22 2012 (42,848 reads)

13th is World Kindness Day! In honor of this, we've compiled 10 diverse and heart-warming pieces honoring extraordinary acts of kindness, love and compassion by ordinary people. These stories include bus-drivers, bakers, basketball players, canine heroes and much more...reminding us of just how universal and essential the spirit of kindness is in our world. Read on and be inspired to do an act of kindness of your own today. 1. The Angel of Queens: Jorge Munoz is a school bus driver by day and an angel by night. Every night for more than 5 years, he has gone home and cooked food for hundreds of people on his old stove. He then goes to a street corner in Quee... posted on Nov 13 2014 (227,620 reads)

plugged in and constantly juggling tasks at work and at home, many of us feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day to do all the things we need to do. But wouldn’t it be awesome to feel like you had more time? In fact, a new study suggests that experiencing awe—which psychologists define as the feeling we get when we come across something so strikingly vast in number, scope, or complexity that it alters the way we understand the world—could help us do just that. What’s more, awe might make us more generous with how we spend our time and improve our overall well-being. In one part of the study, researchers induced feelings of awe in pa... posted on Dec 3 2012 (14,423 reads)