Travel has the power to connect minds and spark change anywhere in the world. These three initiatives were chosen by the Changemakers community as some of the best solutions to educate, uplift, and unite the world's citizens.
Celebrating Geotourism in Costa Rica
Since 1985, the Rios Tropicales ecolodge has been doing much more in Costa Rica than just accommodating guests.
Roughly 95 percent of its staff is hired from the community, and guides are encouraged to start their own businesses, partnering with Rios Tropicales to expand their sustainable tourism efforts.
With a growing reforestation initiative, an environmental education program for local schools, and a sustainable farming project, Rios Tropicales, winner of The Geotourism Challenge: Celebrating Places - Changing Lives, is raising the bar in geotourism destinations.
The Art of Change
Who knew a simple 6x8 postcard could touch the lives of 10,000 young people worldwide?
Peace Pals Global Exchange, winner of the Globetrotting for Good: The Condé Nast Traveler Challenge, is answering that question—one postcard and one student at a time. Through their art-for-peace program, Peace Pals is joining 5,000 San Francisco/Bay Area students with 5,000 students from Kampala, Uganda to exchange personalized messages of art, peace, empowerment and self-awareness.
By fostering this connection, the Peace Pals Global Exchange team of teachers and travelers hope to encourage self-worth and cultural awareness through travel and creative workshops, and by promoting global dialog through art.
The Power of Hip Hop
Hip hop culture has influenced millions of people worldwide, and through the Hip Hop Loves Foundation, even more individuals and communities will be transformed.
Winner of the Connecting to the World: The Condé Nast Traveler Challenge, this initiative seeks to connect Brazilian artists with NGOs and volunteers in the U.S., exchanging experiences, enthusiasm, and resources. The Foundation, which plans to expand to South Africa and Native American reservations, will serve as a bridge, linking artists with employment opportunities in the U.S., and Americans with unmatched experiences in Rio.
Created: 02/09/10 by Anonymous
Nobody was more surprised that Wikiloc’s website for crowdsourcing hiking and walking trails was a winner of the Changemakers / National Geographic 2009 Geotourism Challenge than its founder, Jordi Ramot.
The soft-spoken, pony-tailed software engineer was invited to travel from his home in the Pyrenees mountains in northeast Spain to the annual Geotourism Change Summit at National Geographic’s headquarters last week in Washington, D.C. where he was “amazed to be able to work with people from National Geographic.”
Created on 06/9/2009 by htcgroup
Join the Geotourism Challenge Changemakers group to share ideas and opinions about issues impacting destination stewardship and wisely managed tourism.
Hear about best practices, identify solutions to key challenges, and link to resources that may help you overcome obstacles and succeed as a changemaker in geotourism. Each week will focus on a specific issue; join the dialogue now and tell your story.
Competition Status:
Closed
Competition Milestones
Show:
Show
[...]
This project also has a Changeshop where you can read more about its latest progress.
Go to Changeshop: Benevolence Inn.
Created on 04/28/2013 by rv4life
A key component attracting guests to Benevolence Inn will be our giving to youth development programs. Imagine being able to benefit charity by staying at a hotel that is very comparable to already existing national brands.
Organization: Livingston County Youth Bureau
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United States, NY, Geneseo, Livingston County
Is your organization a
For‐profit
Do you work with any social organizations?
How did you hear about the competition?
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read more↓↑ hide↑ hideSelect the stage that best applies to your venture
Existing project (scaling)
This Entry is about (Issues)
Summary: What specific issue or problem does your Venture address?
Over the past several years, we have witnessed drastic budget reductions at the local and state level. Everything from environmental agencies to transportation departments have been dramatically cut. Youth Bureaus in New York State are county agencies that fund youth summer employment, youth development programs and services in their respective counties. The bureaus fund programs that many youth depend on to survive and thrive. In addition to a funding role, Youth Bureaus provide a one stop referral resource for youth and adults seeking services for teens and young adults.
Although Youth Bureaus are county operated, a high percentage of funding is provided by New York State. This reliance has created serious budget shortages over the past five years. From 2008 to 2009, Youth Development and Delinquency Prevention Program (YDDP) funding, which is distributed to Youth Bureaus statewide, fell from $29.5 million to $20.0 million.1 By 2011, that funding stream fell to $15.9 million. It is currently projected that Youth Bureau funding will decrease again by 33% for the upcoming budget year. This funding drop has and will continue to have dramatic consequences.
In my rural county of 65,000 people, the services provided by the youth bureau are the only support available. We must fight to support these programs and I plan on doing just that.
Misson Statement: What will your venture do?
Welcome to Benevolence Inn. This social enterprise, family oriented lodging chain will be so that after expenses are paid, 50% of the profit from the hotel will benefit non-profit youth development programs. When a person travels to and stays in a community, they are benefiting that communities’ youth. When a Benevolence Inn is located in that same individual's community, those communities’ youth programs will benefit from travelers and tourism. The hotels will be a win-win for travelers and communities alike. Several college and industry experts are currently researching the concept. Some have told me the concept will not work but that is just like what people originally said about my youth center idea. Sometimes miracles happen. Some experts have been very supportive of the idea and have said it can work with the right team and startup funding. My current plan calls for an initial 60 room hotel in the Western New York area. Over 75% of entry level jobs at the hotels will be fulfilled by youth. I plan for the organization to grow into a national brand in the future.
The Model: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference; include your primary activities
Suppose an individual donates one million dollars to a youth program. The program has a $100,000 budget annually. In ten years, this donated money will be gone. When programs are provided funding from Benevolence Inn, they be feel confident that funds will be available for decades to come. Instead of funds being exhausted, youth development programs can receive Benevolence Inn funding for the programs life period with the understanding that funding will fluctuate over time and is dependent on the hotels’ profitability. We will always recommend that youth programs continue to seek out traditional methods of funding and use Benevolence Inn funds as a reserve so that when other sources cease, programs will not be affected.
The Community: Define the community that you work on behalf of. What population is affected? Are there other organizations working in this space?
For the opportunity to help local youth, guests will feel special knowing they are making a difference while they sleep. According to a recent survey, respondents stated that when similar rates, services, and qualities are offered, respondents would prefer to stay at a hotel that benefits youth programs over a national brand.
The services for children, teens, and families that will be offered for free at our brand are not offered complimentary at other national brand. Although these are major advantages, challenges will persist when in comparison to our competitors. These corporations are nationally recognized and have national support teams. Our brand will be independently run and not yet hold the recognition of a large chain. We will also lack the financial credibility often held by large hotel chains. Although these are significant challenges, we are currently receiving feedback from national experts who say that these issues can be overcome and that Benevolence Inn will work!
Founding Story: What inspired your venture? Why?
Throughout my young life I have been very different. I have been diagnosed with Tourette's Syndrome, a condition that causes me to have unmanageable motor and physical “tics” since third grade. I also was diagnosed with Dysgraphia, a condition that causes very poor handwriting. There have been benefits to being “different.” I have never followed the crowd and have always done my own thing. Over the past several years, I just thought and thought about things. I developed ideas that were unique and innovative. One day I decided to share one of those dreams and I hope I can share it with you.
Being a youth who does not participate in sports and has unique interests, I found it extremely difficult to find interesting activities in my small school. In early 2009, I approached my school with the idea of expanding clubs and activities. Due to the economic meltdown, the school did not see it feasible to create new activities. I then looked at what could be done in the community. I thought of the idea of a youth center. There had been attempts to open such centers in the past but all efforts failed. I began to research what our community could use and benefit from. It became aware to me that the small size of our village could pose problems for the youth center and the number of youth who would attend. I thought of a countywide model. If an activity attracted ten youths from one community, think of how better it would be if ten kids came from seventeen different towns and communities throughout a county. You could have a very sustainable program. You see, this project really awakened me and gave me a purpose in life. I then decided I needed a plan and help with the project. When applying for a summer job, I learned about a group run through the county youth bureau called EDIFY, which stands for Educating and Directing Influential Forces with Youth. This is a group of teens from around the county who meet monthly to discuss issues revolving around youth. I approached this group with my youth center idea and we have worked together ever since. I then determined that I needed further education on how to run a nonprofit and manage a project. I joined a year long program called The Young Entrepreneurs Academy at SUNY Geneseo. This ten month program teaches students how to start and effectively operate a business or non-profit organization. This program was instrumental in helping to plan for the youth center’s success. After the ten month program ended in June 2010, the youth center project began to even further develop, having formed a committee, been awarded eight hundred dollars in investor funding, and most remarkably, having partnered with the not-for-profit ABVI-Goodwill. ABVI-Goodwill was opening a store and community center in Geneseo, the community I reside in. ABVI approached our group when they heard about the youth center and how it needed a home. Both groups then joined projects together. The youth center opened in November of 2010 at the ABVI-Goodwill Community Center and will serve the youth of Livingston County, hopefully for many years to come.
Define your Venture in 1-2 short sentences
A key component attracting guests to Benevolence Inn will be our giving to youth development programs. Imagine being able to benefit charity by staying at a hotel that is very comparable to already existing national brands.
In eight to ten years, three hotels will be operational. The two new hotels will be very similar to the first model and will be located in tourist and necessity travel concentrated areas that face a lack of youth development programs or services. Feasibility studies will be completed to determine whether a location and model would be practical for a new build. These hotels will be built from earned capital at the initial Benevolence Inn and from social investors. Investment can be difficult for a social enterprise but can be achieved by proving to investors that our brand is established and sustainable.
Youth Programs across the United States have such an impact on today’s youth. From recreation programs, mentoring, and business programs, youth have been positively impacted by these programs for generations. In many communities, these programs have suffered from a lack of funding. Funding becomes less available as each year passes. In many smaller communities, these programs do not even exist. Benevolence In will fill these gaps and ensure our youth have a bright future.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideWhat do you want to accomplish in your first year?
In our first year, we will actively seek a partner to launch the Benevolence Inn brand. While this is ongoing, we will continue to refine our business plan while also enhancing the hotel concept model.
Set your first goal or milestone for your Venture Team in the next 6 months that will bring you to your vision
Find a partner to launch the Benevolence Inn brand
Task 1
Reach hotel management companies with concept
Task 2
Attend conferences related to hotel management
Task 3
Create a more presentable business plan
Set a second goal or milestone for your Venture Team in the next 6 months that will bring you to your vision
Improve our business plan
Task 1
Consult with business plan experts
Task 2
Adapt the plan to better suited markets to launch the brand
Task 3
Obtain better budget projections
Set a third goal or milestone for your Venture Team in the next 6 months that will bring you to your vision
Enhance the hotel concept model
Task 1
Provide more marketable, unique features
Task 2
Create a hotel model that serves as a destination
Task 3
Create a character or motto that attracts children
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideHow will your Venture define success in the short term (1-12 months)?
We will define our success in the short term as having obtained a financial and developmental partner to launch the Benevolence Inn brand.
In the long-term (1-3 years)?
In the long-term, Benevolence Inn will be considered successful with the planning and creation of our first family oriented hotel that actively funds youth development programs.
How will you measure success?
Our success with be measured through the quality of the youth programs we fund and the satisfaction of our guests.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideHow will you recruit new members for your venture?
New members for our team will be actively sought. We are currently contacting hotel management and ownership companies to find a partner. Currently, several companies are interested in the brand.
How will you appoint new leaders and transfer leadership when the founding members want to leave the team?
Promotion from within will always be a consideration and we desire to lift our team members to new heights.
How will you continue your project in 6-months time or once you have spent all of its initial capital?
Once a financial partner has been obtained, we will have the seed capital necessary to launch the brand.
Sameboat is a web and mobile app for public transit that allows us to plan trips in real-time.
Created on 03/30/2013 by illidianji
Relay provides AT consulting and selling services, and promote a human-centered barrier-free tourism in China. We focus on people and aspire to offer better services to elder people and people with special needs.
Organization: Relay
more ↓↑ hide↑ hideOrganization's Country of Operation
Type of Organization
Please select
Year of launch of the organization
Years in Operation
Idea phase
Has the organization received awards or honors? Please tell us about them
We want to hear about your “Aha!” moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution’s potential to change the world.
The information you provide here will be used to fill in any parts of your profile that have been left blank, such as interests, organization information, and website. No contact information will be made public. Please uncheck here if you do not want this to happen..
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideName Your Entry
Improve Access to AT and Promote Barrier-free Tourism in China
Explain what the "innovation" is about, e.g., is it the idea and/or the model you use to accomplish the idea, or your understanding of the target population, etc.?
Disability and special needs is not viewed favorably in Chinese culture and in many cases is not visible as a real social issue to many in China. People with special needs have limited knowledge of and access to Assistive Technology (AT), and they even have few opportunities to travel out. Meanwhile, AT sales persons do not understand patients’ needs well and cannot provide patient-centered services. Without a viable community and network truly appreciating and supporting people with the needs to use AT, 24 million people’s needs are not met.
Due to low education and underdeveloped social welfare system, people often have limited knowledge of assistive technology and how it can change their life. Accordingly, lack of community support and social recognition makes it harder for people to obtain assistance. We provide case-based consulting, community purchasing, and online community support and outreach activities for Individuals, Organizations, Communities to stimulate the emerging market for AT in China.
Describe how your innovation model is distinct from any other organization in your field?
As an organization ‘by people with disabilities, for people with disabilities’, we train and hire people using assistive devices to work for us. Unlike commercial medical care companies or non-profit organization which only regard clients as receivers of philanthropy, RELAY operates from a hybrid for-profit and non-profit model that offers different tiers of services across its consulting, community purchasing and outreach arms. The online community enables them to book and exchange different services online (like exchange between disabled people in a same city to get AT devices at a lower price)
What type of operating environment and internal organizational factors make your innovation successful?
With improved social welfare (ie, new medical insurance reaching urban and rural), people are obtaining improved access to medical care. Combined with rising purchasing power, more individuals are able to afford better assistive products, such as power wheelchairs.
Relay’s internal organization purpose is to create a virtuous circle. We don’t invest in high cost imported products, we invest in people- we recruit people from diverse backgrounds: technicians, engineers, designers, artists, business specialists, therapists & doctors, as well as patients themselves to collaborate in our “open studio”. A closer network of patients helps us reach a broader market.
How do you make sure you constantly innovate in light of (potential) external challenges, or your growth plan?
Relay is a participative organization which is evolving according to its clients and the expression of their needs. We care about people! We offer patient-centered AT consulting and design, in combination with outreach activities inclusive of people with special needs. We explore community resources and regard it as our biggest asset. We establish an equal relationship with our customers – people with special needs, and include AT manufactures and other institutions interested in disability and elder studies to our programs, so as to reach different segments.
We also innovate the way AT are marketed and advertised, via social media, online and offline campaigns and promoting barrier-free tourism.
This Entry is about (Issues)
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideThe systemic challenge you are trying to overcome (select one)
Bring accessible healthcare to communities in emerging markets
Health area (target market) where the need is [select only one]
Disability
Categories along the health continuum you are covering [select all that apply]
Follow-up, Long-term care, Social integration.
Please describe in more detail: what problem are you trying to solve in the organization's specific context?
According to the official report China Disabled Persons’ Federation taken in 2006, there are approximately 80 million people with disabilities living in China, 38.56% of which have needs for assistive devices and services, but only 7.31% of them have received the services. Thus nearly 31% people’s needs are not satisfied, that is to say 24 million people have no access to assistive devices. This number will go higher due to the fact that many people with temporary disabilities are not registered as officially disabled. Furthermore, elder people represent another unsatisfied market for assistive devices. The number of people in China over 60 years of age is expected to increase 90% by 2020.
Stage that best applies to your solution [select only one]
Idea (poised to launch)
Core strategies of your business model [select all that apply]
Redesign of the public healthcare system for more efficiency (in terms of processes, structure etc.).
Most relevant tools you are using to implement the strategies outlined above [select only two]
Consultation, Community financing.
Please describe your solution in more detail
RELAY seeks to address visibility and availability of assistive technologies in China at the Individual, Organizational, and Community level. Through case-based consulting, community purchasing, and online community support and outreach activities we seek to stimulate the emerging market for AT in China. We connect with patient network as well as various professional groups and offer educational and training opportunities to patients and volunteers. We introduce the concept of barrier-free tourism to bring special needs to the mainstream and attract more attention from the public and corporate sectors. We create employment opportunities for people with special needs at the same time.
What are your vision and overall objectives?
To improve access and increase public understanding of Assistive Technologies in China, and to make Chinese societies more inclusive. In order to do this, we focus on people and aspire to offer better services to elder people and people with special needs by promoting a human-centered approach in education, workplace, and daily life.
What is your value proposition?
We want to liberate people with special needs and help them gain independence and freedom by improving access to assistive technology and barrier-free tourism. Further more, we want to gradually change the social mind, which conceives of people with special needs as different and poor, and to create employment opportunities to them, where they can transform their weakness to strength.
Who is your customer(s)?
1. Patients need to use AT
2. Hospitals/rehab centers, and other medical centers
3. Tourism related venues where AT would be needed- scenic spots, airports, hospitals, etc
- international tourists who need assistance
4. Volunteer organizations/schools/non-profit organizations that train people to assist people with special needs (such volunteer organizations are common in Chinese universities and senior high schools)
5. Communities
6. AT manufacturers
What approaches to you use to reach your customers?
First, we closely work with patient network, communities and hospitals. By collaborating with these groups, we can obtain sources of customers. We directly hire people with special needs, who can easier reach potential customers and understand their needs better.
We reach out to other segments by social media, sending out representatives to visit sites, organizing campaigns in tourist spots and inviting public to our creative design studio, which we will collaborate with AT manufacturers.
What are your primary activities?
We advertise/market AT in a more appealing and acceptable way, sell and deliver AT products, and provide professional consulting and designing services to individuals, communities and organizations.
We promote barrier-free tourism by providing accessibility information, and persuading tourist spots to place assistive devices on sites to the tourists.
We report tourism from a human-centered perspective, which can generate ad fees and consult domestic and international travellers.
We plan outreach activities and provide workshops to patients, training sessions to institutions and STEM education specifically on AT to schools.
Who are your peers and competitors? What problems could these players pose to your success or growth?
Some main AT manufacturers and certain medical care providers may compete with us, but we don’t operate solely on a medical model and actually we give more attention to people’s social needs, and thus we invest more in inclusive activities for people with special needs and take full advantage of communities.
There are numerous tourism agencies and websites, which target to mass market however, we focus on a niche market that attends tourists' special needs.
What other challenges - individual, organizational, or environmental – are you currently facing or might hinder future success of your business, and how do you plan to overcome those?
To improve access and increase public understanding of Assistive Technologies in China, and to make Chinese societies more inclusive will be difficult. As a participative organization which is evolving according to clients needs, we intend to adapt to such challenges in their many different forms.
Briefly describe your growth strategy going forward
We will expand our mobile offices to more regions in China and exploit patient network to grow.
We recognize the importance of social media and will make it as our growth accelerator.
Our website is a window opened to China and foreign countries, for both our clients and the companies we work with ( our suppliers producing Assistive technology products, hotels, universities)
What dimensions for growth are you currently targeting for your innovation [select all that apply]
New market(s)/country(ies).
What makes your business "ready" for growth?
The unsatisfied market for 24 million people, the improving medical insurance system, and the booming market for tourism, especially for international tourists.
What are your key growth objectives?
We will change China into a more inclusive and supportive society to face the challenge of accessibility.
What is your timeframe for growth, in the short and mid-term? What are the growth milestones and key activities going forward?
In the short term, we improve lives of individuals with disabilities and reduce the loss of productivity for society of if they were otherwise to remain in low-employment or unemployed. In the long-term, we hope to stimulate the emerging market for AT in China thus increasing availability and reducing costs through improving individual, organizations, and community understanding and utilization of technologies needed to improve accessibility at home, in transit, in schools, in workplace, and in recreation and travel.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideWhat has been the impact of your solution to date?
The programs designed by RELAY will change China into a more inclusive and supportive society to face the challenge of accessibility. In the short term, we improve lives of individuals with disabilities and reduce the loss of productivity for society of if they were otherwise to remain in low-employment or unemployed. In the long-term, we hope to stimulate the emerging market for AT in China thus increasing availability and reducing costs through improving individual, organizations, and community understanding and utilization of technologies needed to improve accessibility at home, in transit, in schools, in workplace, and in recreation and travel.
What methods for quantification of social impact are you applying (if at all)?
We plan to use IRIS (developed by Acumen, Rockefeller), as a framework for defining, reporting on performance. As well, we may use Pulse API and Salesforce App to improve tracking and reporting.
Could your solution work in other geographies or regions? If so, where?
In first 3 years, establish in 3 cities -- Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou . After 5-10 years, expand to second-tier cities . Eventually we can expand specific services outside China where appropriate.
What is your projected impact over the next 1-3 years?
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideElaborate on your current financing strategy
sponsorships, donations, grants, venture capital financing and bank loans
Share of revenue generation in total income of organization (in percent)
Direct sales to patients or other beneficiaries (in percent)
Of the possible sources of these sales listed below, check all that apply to your current strategy
Individuals, Caregivers, Private businesses.
Licensing fees, e.g., for technology/franchise model (in percent)
Of the possible sources of these licensing opportunities listed below, check all that apply to your current strategy
Service contract with organizations, e.g., government, NGOs (in percent)
Of the possible sources of the service contracts listed below, check all that apply to your current strategy
NGOs, Private businesses, Regional government, Others.
Explain your revenue generation strategy in more detail
What enables Relay to generate profits is the fluidity and the connection between clients and producers. Usually, wheelchairs produced in China are sold in the US with an American copyright, and are sold again in China with a very expensive price. In this case, chinese clients lose a lot of money. They pay twice the price of the product( a wheelchair costs about 250 US dollars, and 500 dollars if imported) Relay proposes to be the intermediary between chinese producers and Chinese clients, in a win/win partnership: clients book the product online and they see the price decreasing while more and more people want to buy it.
Share of philanthropy in total income of organization (in percent)
Philanthrophy strategies you are using
Diversified strategy.
Explain your philanthropic approach in more detail
In addition to sales commission, ad and consulting fees , we raise funds by We partner with corporate and schools to donate AT to students. We organize trips inclusive of people with/without special needs periodically. Corporate employees on the tours volunteer on local tours and also get their companies to donate.
Expand on your selections; explain how you will sustain funding over the next 1-3 years.
Relay is an organization that will be supported primarily through sales commission and fees from media sponsorships and consulting.
Additional fundraising will be divided in two parts:
-Sponsorship: We plan to work with NonProfit Incubator (NPI) to provide a platform to invite people with special needs to design asstistive tools with professionals.
-Donation: We wish to hire individuals with disabilities and with good knowledge of fund raising. In this purpose, our organization would like to establish a partnership with the “Lime Connect” school, a not for profit organization working with students with disabilities and connecting closely with corporate partners (including Bloomberg. Google…).
Favela Experience provides adventure and cultural tourism activities that develop local communities and benefit the environment. The core product is overnight homestays in a network of favela (urban slum) households in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, which provide sustainable income to hosts. For this product, target customers are 18-35 year-old adventure travelers. This segment significantly contributes to the $89B adventure travel market and the $15M Rio de Janeiro favela tourism market.
This project also has a Changeshop where you can read more about its latest progress.
Go to Changeshop: Benevolence Inn.
Created on 03/15/2013 by rv4life
The mission of Benevolence Inn is to provide exceptional, family-oriented lodging accommodations that supports operating funds for youth development programs while providing meaningful employment for youth.
A key component attracting guests to Benevolence Inn will be our giving to youth development programs. Imagine being able to benefit charity by staying at a hotel that is very comparable to already existing national brands.
Created on 03/10/2013 by Hoe Zong Huan
Hi I have started a company called Love Cruise in april last year 2012. we provide charter of yachts to people and company for dinner and dance, wedding, birthday, fishing and travel. But we want to make it better by introducing a fund raising component into it, so for every
Organization: Fun & Fund
Visit websitemore ↓↑ hide↑ hideCountry where this project is creating social impact
Is your organization a
Hybrid
The information you provide here will be used to fill in any parts of your profile that have been left blank, such as interests, organization information, and website. No contact information will be made public. Please uncheck here if you do not want this to happen..
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideSelect the stage that best applies to your solution
Established (past the previous stages and has demonstrated success)
What problem is your organization committed to solving? In particular, share what is innovative about your approach.
Hi I have started a company called Love Cruise in april last year 2012. we provide charter of yachts to people and company for dinner and dance, wedding, birthday, fishing and travel. But we want to make it better by introducing a fund raising component into it, so for every
What are your organization's top three priorities in the next year?
My organisation's first priority is to form a core team which could manage the cold calling and emailing to companies to introduce our services with the intention that they will use our yachts for gala dinner and dance and team bonding to generate more sales from yacht chartering.
My organisation's second priority is to generate greater revenue this time round. With greater revenue we would like to donate 10 to 20% of our annual revenue to any charity organisation in the world.
My organisation's third priority is to able to send at least one charity organisation on a yacht trip one a year to let them have a good enjoyable time in the sea for free.
Need #1
Message & Brand Strategy
Need #2
Performance Management
Based on your first choice of the eight technical categories you selected above, what is your specific project need? Please be specific!
Message & Brand Strategy:
To clearly articulate your mission, describe programs/services, and develop a differentiated positioning from the market
With the funding, I will be able to articulte my mission to the public and public will know that my company mission is not to generare sales but also know that we will be donating 10 to 20% of our annual profit to charity orgnisation and also we will send at least a charity group to free yacht trip once a year.
Will support from American Express be focused on your organization overall or a specific product/service? Please describe.
Focusing on my orgnisation overall
Have you focused on the above area previously? If so, please explain, including whether you have worked with outside consultants before.
I have not worked with any consultants due to financial constraint.
Are you able to commit 3-5 hours/wk over 10-12 weeks?
Yes
Are you able to meet virtually or at a convenient in-person location?
Yes
Are you able to meet in the city where your organization is based?
Yes
1.
More sales and more awarenss of our company
2.
More people will know our company has a mission to help the charity
3.
To help more people who are in need of our help
What has been the impact of your solution to date?
I have not implemented our solution/
What is your project future impact after receiving professional support from American Express?
A better website with datebase and more information and services will be shown in the website which will generate a higher volume of traffic which will generate more interest and awareness from the public and as such more people can aldo donate some funding to the charity benfificary in our website.
This Entry is about (Issues)
Created on 03/6/2013 by Marvin J Mathew
We are a platform for the future leaders of America, its youth, who are studying abroad to foster dialogue and build their globally competency. Understanding sports as a lowest common denominator between cultures, we employ sports as our means to connect.
Created on 01/11/2013 by Sonchy
A social network of sustaible/eco-tourism businesses sharing skills and experience to make the industry a stronger competitor on a global scale. With a small membership fee and access to my expertise and network we will give grassroots organizations the tools they need to stand out and succeed.
read more ↓↑ hide↑ hideTell us about yourself/your team.
Michael Soncina is an editor of Travel Culture Magazine and a sustainable tourism enthusiast from Toronto, Canada. He has lived in Singapore and spent time WWOOFing and working with youth groups as a volunteer throughout Japan. His love for adventure has taken him to Central Asia where he through a series of good and very bad experiences fell in love with the region. Michael has become a self-made ambassador for eco and sustainable travel, particularly in Kazakhstan and Tajikistan. When he is not traveling he is defining himself as the executive director of Sonchy's Adventures, a responsible tourism marketing and media company.
What makes you an intrapreneur? What are the skills, capabilities, and personality traits that make you an intrapreneur?
I started working with my grandfather when I was 6 years old helping him sell linens from the back of his car. Here I developed business skills at an early age learning how to sell an idea to a wide demographic, more specifically Italian Grandmothers ahha. I joke, but these experiences have followed me through out my life. I am an international person who has lived from Singapore to Kyrgyzstan and understands cultural dynamics and how to get people engaged. I succeed at everything even when I fail because the experience is what is valuable . I want to help others grow and how to adapt the work I was doing to these cultural contexts. My ability to be flexible and manage any conflict that arise is why I am an Intrapreneur.
Primary country where this project is creating social impact
Additional countries or regions
Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Morocco, Jordan, Japan and Honduras
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideSelect the stage that best applies to your solution
Start-Up (a pilot that has just begun operating)
The Need: What social or environmental problem are you trying to solve?
Tourism has become one of the largest industries in the world. UNWTO stated that in 2012 the world’s billionth tourist traveled across international borders. Businesses, NGOs and various communities are looking at tourism as the answer for many of the world’s economic woes. But with mass tourism comes social, environmental and economic shifts that could destroy the essence of the society being visited. To address these issues an increasing number of NGOs and social enterprises have begun engaging in the sustainable/eco-tourism industry.
Unfortunately, I feel that society is working against these organizations. There are increased “green washing” efforts by large corporations, little to no coherency over standards and cooperation in the eco-tourism community and a lack of education.
The Solution: What is your solution? Be specific!
An organization has to be created that is neither academic nor non-profit. It has to be able to understand the industry from a business, development and educational perspective to encourage buy-in from tourists while promoting sustainable/eco-tour businesses in a profitable manner. One way to do this is to creatively use the tools available to us in modern society to educate tourists from the global north on how to be better tourists - not only abroad but in their own back yard. The best way to do this is to create an index of NGOs and other social businesses conducting sustainable tourism and diversify the way we present these destinations to the public via social media, video and print formats. In this way the idea of “sustainability” can be expressed in multiple formats. Ideas like this have to be presented in ways that are not intrusive.
The Solution: Why is this solution innovative for your company and industry?
Many of the organizations engaging in the promotion of sustainable/eco-tourism are large academic or governmental groups charging expensive membership fees. We are a grassroots approach trying to get small organizations engaged and made known. We will use creative methods like social media and film to bring attention to small projects and the people who want to visit them.
The Model: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference; include your primary activities.
In order to ensure financial sustainability Sonchy’s Adventures will create a member-based system where admission charged will be based on a wide range of criteria including but not restricted to total income, geographical location and year the business was registered. Since most eco-tour organizations charge $100 to $1000 for yearly membership we will charge $30-$60 to remain competitive but allow for a larger sample of organizations to join. In order to become a member, organizations will have to sign on to a set of standards that outline the general tenets of sustainable tourism created by the UNWTO. This will become an open network of idea-sharing among members and industry experts. In exchange for such a low membership fee, we will ask our members to provide free room, board and access to activities when Sonchy’s Adventures company representatives visit the site. In addition, we will charge up to 10% of any income earned from any media that lead to a sale. Consultation is primarily for promotional purposes.
In addition a blogger network will be developed. As long as an individual has a blog and over 500 followers on their social media channels agreements will be worked out to allow for discounts at member destinations. This would allow for Sonchy’s Adventures to control its image though approved members and receive constant promotion from our blogger network.
The Marketplace: Who are your peers and competitors? Identify others also working to address the needs you are and what differentiates you from them. What challenges could these players pose to your success or growth?
At the moment there are a few organizations that are doing similar projects. Organizations like Adventure Travel Trade Association and The Global Sustainable Tourism Council all have similar member-based systems and standards they hope to set for the industry. However it seems that many small projects are hesitant to join these organizations because of the cost. By offering lower membership fees, opportunities to professionals who might have experience but difficulty competing in a recession and collaboration with larger organizations to adhere to the industry standards, we will be able to accommodate all sectors of the market without competing directly with already established organizations.
This Entry is about (Issues)
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideFounding Story: We want to hear about your "Aha!" moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution's potential to change the world.
I have lived in Singapore for a year where I saw the horrors of mass tourism in Southeast Asia. This allowed me to see the full damage tourism can have on the society and environment it is conducted in. But what really opened my eyes was the year I lived in Japan. I visited many rural communities that once relied on tourism as a means of income generation, but now had become ghost towns. With the world traveling more everyone should be able to benefit. The academics are too busy arguing over sustainability, something needs to be done to get those who want to do tourism properly engaged. There has to be a network in place for support that is not in existence now .
What has been the impact of your solution to date?
This is too early to tell, But from the articles I have written for Travel Culture Magazine I can see their is a definite interest.
What is your projected impact over the next 1 to 3 years?
Within the first year I would like to build a member network no smaller then 50. These organizations will span the globe and fall under the sustainable tourism model outlined by the UN. Through my website and other partnering media I hope to increase awareness of my partners and the amount of tourists they receive. Within 3 years I hope to be a recognizable resource for sustainable/eco-tourism destinations. In addition see a visible change on how society views travel based on the experiences had with our partners.
What barriers might hinder the success of your project? How do you plan to overcome them?
Green fatigue and price I think will be the biggest barriers. People do not want to be told to be green anymore. There are too many products and services claiming to be environmental and I think society just no longer cares. Making sustainable tourism relevant and important to tourists will be difficult. In addition since many sustainable models are more expensive then conventional tourism, price will be a challenge. Another major problem is that there are so many travel organizations claiming to be sustainable. Having members buy into my organization over the more established ones will be another major challenge to overcome.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideWhat is the benefit or value you're creating for your business?
My business will allow grassroots, NGO's and other social enterprises trying to use an sustainable/eco-tourism model for good to get the attention they need for their projects to survive. It will allow for resources, both financial and other , to be combined for the industry as a whole.
How are you leveraging internal resources (funds, time, knowledge, etc.) to support this initiative?
Right now time is the biggest issue because I am doing everything myself, but since we are still in the idea phase this is fine. In order to raise funds two fund raisers are currently being planned. The first being a Central Asia related film event in Toronto and second a kick-starter hosted media project. These fundraisers will hopefully raise the needed start up capital while giving much needed publicity to my project.
Expand on your answer, explaining the long-term funding and support plan.
As more awareness is raised for my business and more members sign on. The membership fees should be enough to cover any expenses that come with running the website and member support.
Tell us about your partnerships across your company and externally that are key to your project's success.
I will be working with online publications that are looking to promote ethical tourism and my future members. Organizations like Travel Culture Magazine have offered to consider publishing articles that fall within their companies mission and vision statements. Connections with media are integral to bring messages of sustainable/eco-tourism onto the light of mass media.
What internal support have you gotten for your project? What kind of push-back have you received?
I have recently been sponsored to visit a start up sustainable tourism project in Honduras. I will spend one month on site writing promotional material and doing some minor consulting. In essence my projects first client.
I want to make clear that what I am suggesting is essentially a sustainable/eco-tourism network. I want Sonchy’s Adventures to become a place where destinations and media can gather to develop the notion of traveling ethically. Sonchy’s Adventures fills a gap that exists between those engaged in eco tourism and those who want to use it. Eventually as the company and site grow I would like the site to work much like the Couch Surfing/ Trip Advisor rating system. The more people that visit a destination, the more references and vouches from those people will appear.
Created on 12/12/2012 by Beth Leonard
green energy livery service that save money and the planet
read more ↓↑ hide↑ hideTell us about yourself/your team.
my self and my boyfriend are in school to try and get degrees that will help us start our own taxi business that will help the environment, the poor and disabled by using e-85 fuel i will produce in order to save money to offer a discount to the needy we have both worked for taxis in the past and he is a automotive tech graduate who has also worked for quick service centers
What makes you an intrapreneur? What are the skills, capabilities, and personality traits that make you an intrapreneur?
Approximately 100 words left (850 characters).
Company Country
United States, MA, Worcester County
Primary country where this project is creating social impact
United States, MA, gardner, Worcester County
Additional countries or regions
The information you provide here will be used to fill in any parts of your profile that have been left blank, such as interests, organization information, and website. No contact information will be made public. Please uncheck here if you do not want this to happen..
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideSelect the stage that best applies to your solution
Idea (you're poised to launch)
The Need: What social or environmental problem are you trying to solve?
the cost of livery transportation is to high i want to lower cost raise drivers pay all while using renewable fuel that will help our environment
The Solution: What is your solution? Be specific!
use a microfueler made in CA to make e-85 fuel from donated byproducts to use in flex-fuel vehicles to lower cost to customers while raising pay for drivers
The Solution: Why is this solution innovative for your company and industry?
most taxis use regular gas
The Model: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference; include your primary activities.
i would bring back the senior discount for taxi customers in my area as well as add discounts for disabled or poor on my already lower prices for anyone
The Marketplace: Who are your peers and competitors? Identify others also working to address the needs you are and what differentiates you from them. What challenges could these players pose to your success or growth?
there is only one taxi in my town and they stopped senior discounts and charge extra for more then four grocery bags i will not do either
This Entry is about (Issues)
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideFounding Story: We want to hear about your "Aha!" moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution's potential to change the world.
i have owned a flexfuel vehicle since 2008 and can not get e-85 near so i researched making it found a company that can make it easily yourself with their equipment and i thought about how much money my employer was spending on fuel and thought if they made it how much good could come of that
What has been the impact of your solution to date?
What is your projected impact over the next 1 to 3 years?
i will finish school and hope to find venture capital anyway i can
What barriers might hinder the success of your project? How do you plan to overcome them?
i have talked to the city about codes and my property is not zoned right but i have a site in mind i want to by that will fit nicely and is owned by a family member who will be willing to sell to me
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideWhat is the benefit or value you're creating for your business?
Approximately 70 words left (570 characters). i have started school and am willing to use my current home as collateral
How are you leveraging internal resources (funds, time, knowledge, etc.) to support this initiative?
Approximately 100 words left (100 characters).
Expand on your answer, explaining the long-term funding and support plan.
Tell us about your partnerships across your company and externally that are key to your project's success.
i have talked to local brewer about by products and they do recycle but if they don't their are others plus i don't need donated byproducts i can still offer discount and save money just not as much by paying for products .
What internal support have you gotten for your project? What kind of push-back have you received?
Approximately 60 words left (425 characters) my professor believes in my idea.and we have former coworkers who have approached us about jobs in the future.
In summary, Abundance Journeys addresses both TAP's financial needs as well as those of our partner organizations. These organizations play an important role in civil society development, especially among youth who lead many of them, yet they constantly face financial obstacles. While this may be somewhat par for the course in this sector, we see that by acting as a bridge by which local groups can connect to Western supporters, we can help them supplement if not entirely overcome their budgetary shortfalls.
ArchaeoLink is uniquely positioned to offer services not only as a social entrepreneur but also as an enable of social entrepreneurship.
This will be achieved :
by building connections between archaeological teams and their host communities: fostering local involvement in archaeology, emphasising connections between indigenous peoples and their past;
by developing resources inherent in the archaeological site and its surrounds to provide the basis for ongoing benefits to the community through education and enterprise.
Created on 11/6/2012 by omuller07
A social mobile app with geo-location services that allows users to connect anywhere.
read more ↓↑ hide↑ hideTell us about yourself/your team.
Oliver - Management and Finances
Joe - Marketing
Adrian - Design
Vibhin, Aparna, Rekha - Development
What makes you an intrapreneur? What are the skills, capabilities, and personality traits that make you an intrapreneur?
- Multi-tasking
- Management
- Business Strategy
- Marketing
- Creativity
Primary country where this project is creating social impact
Additional countries or regions
USA, Europe, Asia, Middle East, Africa
The information you provide here will be used to fill in any parts of your profile that have been left blank, such as interests, organization information, and website. No contact information will be made public. Please uncheck here if you do not want this to happen..
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideSelect the stage that best applies to your solution
Start-Up (a pilot that has just begun operating)
The Need: What social or environmental problem are you trying to solve?
The social need is to connect individuals more "on-the-go" as opposed to "from home".
Facebook, twitter, and other social networks help you connect with users from a distance.
Ogle tries to connect users who are right next to you.
At the beach, gym, club, restaurant, work, Ogle aims to help users meet and connect; breaking the ice.
The Solution: What is your solution? Be specific!
Ogle is an app for iphone and Android. With in-built GPS technology, it maps out other users within a 1km radius and shows you their interesting profile details. You can send an "ogle" or can "favourite" them, both which add to their global score.
When you are not in the mood to "notice, or be noticed" by other users, you can simply switch off location services and use the app offline. There is a customized Ranking search that allows you to see who is most Ogled in a city, university, or just amongst your friends.
Ogle is a lighthearted way to break the ice.
The Solution: Why is this solution innovative for your company and industry?
There are many social, mobile apps out there. The difference with Ogle is it can break down your location to a few meters to show you who is right next to you at the restaurant. Also, we have a customized Ranking search that allows you to look up other users by city, education, or amongst friends. The user interface is simple and the design is great.
Most importantly, Ogle to caters to users who shy away other "sleazy" apps. Can only chat with users who have allowed you to.
The Model: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference; include your primary activities.
How often do you see someone interesting at the cafe or on campus? And then they're gone, never to be seen again.
With Ogle, log into the app and go to "Nearby".
There's a Map view and List view to show you interesting users nearby.
Map view: shows you a map with user face-cards within a 1km radius.
List view: shows you a list of the users around you with photos and their profile details (number of ogles, favourites, location, photo album, etc)
You have 4 options: Ogle / Favourite / Chat / Go to Facebook.
Ogle: sends the user an Ogle or "check-out", and it adds to their score.
Favourite: adds the user to your Favourites list. That way, you get notified every time they get Ogled.
Chat: this feature only opens up if you ogle someone and they ogle you back.
Go to Facebook: just like that, you now have that person as a friend on Facebook.
Ogle allows you to connect with people you otherwise would not be able to meet. It's an ice-breaker from a distance.
If you are a tourist just arriving in Barcelona and do not know anyone.. you get to the beach. If you put on Ogle app, you are likely to find several users just next to you who are willing to meet and show you around the city, go out that night, etc.
The Marketplace: Who are your peers and competitors? Identify others also working to address the needs you are and what differentiates you from them. What challenges could these players pose to your success or growth?
There are numerous competitors, but that is a good thing. More than 20 social, mobile location apps are worth over $10m. At least 5 are worth over $1bn. Badoo, Skout, eHarmony.
Obviously big demand. We've studied our competitors in depth to offer numerous superior features.
In creating Ogle, we've studied our peers in depth and created a model that separates us from the all.
We've put extra effort into tackling privacy. As soon as someone goes more than 1km away from you, you lose their details. They get erased from the map. Other apps tell you users locations anywhere around the world. You always know where someone is and that's a bit of a breach of privacy.
Ogle is a safe and lighthearted way to meet other users. It's more like a popularity contest than a dating app.
This Entry is about (Issues)
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideFounding Story: We want to hear about your "Aha!" moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution's potential to change the world.
I was at a cafe and saw the most beautiful girl sitting across from us. She was with a friend we recognized. Something about that scenario was very depressing. In a few minutes she would get up and leave and I'd never get the chance to meet her. It was all about the access. I wasn't going to get up and walk across to speak to her in front of everyone. There had to be another way to break the ice with someone right next to you.
After she had left, we actually spent the afternoon trying to figure out who she was. After going through lists of friends, we found her on Facebook.
If she were on Ogle, we'd be on facebook within minutes. We could also chat through the app.
The most successful competitor apps bring you user locations within 25km or a city. Our app goes as far as a few meters.
What has been the impact of your solution to date?
We are launching the app next week. There is already great hype about it and many people are waiting for it to launch.
Hopefully the impact will be big. Can update you as we go along.
What is your projected impact over the next 1 to 3 years?
Looking to bring in 50,000 users in the first year, raise a second decent round of funding, and develop the technology much further.
The goal is millions of users in 2-3 years.
What barriers might hinder the success of your project? How do you plan to overcome them?
- People not liking the app
- Users already using other apps and do not want to convert
Our app only offers additional features and would help increase user's social interactions so we do not see any harm in adding Ogle to their list.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideWhat is the benefit or value you're creating for your business?
Managing the team: developers, designers, marketers, financiers
Making sure everything is on track and ready for launch
How are you leveraging internal resources (funds, time, knowledge, etc.) to support this initiative?
I've raised every cent for this investment from connections in the industry. A private fund and few individual investors.
My time in banking has taught me all I've needed for this venture so far from raising capital to valuation and managing funds.
Expand on your answer, explaining the long-term funding and support plan.
We've raised a small seed Round to bring the venture to where it is (build prototype, light marketing, legal protection, etc)
We are looking to raise around $1m in a second round when we have a decent initial user base. This will be used for full-time hires, office space, a full-time development team, upgraded servers, deep legal protection globally (trademarks, patents), and a team to develop a complex algorithm for the Ogle score software that we plan to develop next year when the app gains traction.
Tell us about your partnerships across your company and externally that are key to your project's success.
Our investors worked in very high positions in Goldman Sachs, Standard Chartered, marketing firms and IT development firms.
We are in contact with several VC funds for round 2 and a few celebrities for marketing.
Overall, we have a very solid team in place and some very qualified names eager to take part.
Looking promising.
What internal support have you gotten for your project? What kind of push-back have you received?
Push-back is the fear it might take time away from work, or pose conflicts of interest, etc..
Internal support: everyone loves the idea, several individuals are eager to invest and take part.
I've been encouraged to pursue the project as it looks very promising.
Sumak Travel, "good, sustainable travel", is a tour operator that puts local communities and the environment at the centre of the model. We work with Sustainable Pangea, a multilingual web platform that features community-based eco-tourism destinations, as well as best practices of socents.
Almáa Sintra Hostel is a result of a dream:
A dream of having meaningful lives
A dream of making a difference
A dream of a better world…
Almáa Sintra Hostel is an Eco Hostel and Retreat Centre located in the heart of the Sintra Mountain Range classified by Unesco as a World Heritage Site. We offer private and shared accommodation located in 8.6 Acres (3.5 ha) of luxurious gardens and walking trails including an Olympic size irrigation tank where you can swim.
Created on 09/12/2012 by Venie
Experience a high-flying adventure and natural beauty of nature in our backyard!
read more ↓↑ hide↑ hideCountry where this solution is creating social impact
Region in BC where your solution creates social impact
Columbia Basin.
Is your organization a
Non‐profit/NGO/citizen sector organization
How long has your organization been operating?
Please select
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read more↓↑ hide↑ hideSelect the stage that best applies to your solution
Idea (you're poised to launch)
How long have you been in operation?
Still in idea phase, but looking to launch soon
Which of the following best describes the barrier(s) your solution addresses? Choose up to two
Access, Quality.
The Need: Describe the need for your solution and the size and characteristics of the community(ies) your solution is engaging
This project address the need for an "active living" option in our community. It directly impacts the physical and social health of the citizens of the Columbia Basin and others that travel through the area. Although the solution will positively impact people of most ages, it specifically addresses the need for youth-oriented activities in our local area. Furthermore, it is a viable economic venture in that it is at least a three-season draw for locals and tourists alike. Environmentally, its impact is minimal and will also provide some employment in the area.
The Solution: What is your solution? Be specific!
A rope suspension park is an obstacle-type climbing course located in and amongst tall trees. There are different levels of difficulty depending on the age and skill of the climber. Movement through the course is by way of cables that are used by climbers. Participants wear climbing gear to keep them safe along the various rope activities and zip lines that enable access along the course. This may include suspended logs, webbed climbers, suspended bridges, platforms built around trees, and any other ideas one can imagine. A smaller climbing area would be a great place for children under the age of 8 to participate in a similar, but more age-appropriate activity. Picnic tables, picnic areas and other play spaces would encourage large family groups to make it an all-day or half-day outing.
The Model: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference; include the primary activities involved in your solution.
As a climbing participant in the rope suspension park, I would first be given a quick lesson on how to use the climbing gear provided then spend the rest of the time manoeuvring through the course, be it climbing on various rope configurations low to the ground or suspended log bridges higher in the trees or crossing larger distances from tree to tree via zip lines. This is primarily, fun; secondarily, it is great exercise. It is physically and mentally challenging for the individual, yet creates excellent group dynamics for larger groups. This can be used by school groups, youth groups, adult social networks, as well as corporate team builders. The varied levels within the course will always provide new and challenging obstacles and thrills.
The Marketplace: Who are your peers and competitors? Identify others working to address the same needs as you and indicate what sets you apart from them.
There is nothing like this in our area. Except for a few youth-centred activities (ie. skate park) and recreational activities available to the citizens of the Basin largely due to our natural resources and geographic location (mountain biking or swimming for example), organized and developed attractions such as this are non-existant. Given the increasing popularity of climbing and the recognition of healthy lifestyles within healthy communities, this is another viable alternative that supports active living amongst a large majority of the Basin's population.
This Entry is about (Issues)
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideFounding Story: We want to hear about your "Aha!" moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution's potential to change the world.
Please describe the goal of your initiative; outline what you are trying to achieve
This project adds to the economic viability of the area while at the same time promoting active lifestyles for people of the immediate Basin area.
What has been the impact of your solution to date?
What is your projected impact over the next five years?
A direct impact over the next five years would be seen most immediately in increased tourism. More long-term, this project could help families in BC or Canada/the World when making decisions where to move to. When there is infrastructure that benefits all age groups in an area, that area is more likely to see increased population, increased employment and more services .
What barriers might hinder the success of your project? How do you plan to overcome them?
The scope of the project might seem overwhelming for the communities because nothing like this has ever been built. This would also prove costly to initially plan and develop. Community meetings and marketing of the project would be necessary if enough people were to support the venture. Because this can positively impact tourism of much of the Basin, funding could be secured in part with the support of all communities involved.
Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve and track growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact
Task 1
Propose idea to the Basin communities.
Task 2
Identify developers/designers who have built similar structures in the world; research existing suspension parks in the world.
Task 3
Secure initial funding for the project.
Now think bigger! Identify your 12-month impact milestone
Task 1
Hire design team and secure contract.
Task 2
Engage local builders/engineers in project development.
Task 3
Secure secondary funding for peripheral infrastructure (ie. picnic tables, playground climbers).
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideTell us about your partnerships
Are you currently targeting other specific populations, locations, or markets for your solution? If so, where and why?
What type of operating environment and internal organizational factors make your innovation successful?
Please elaborate on any needs or offers you have mentioned above and/or suggest categories of support that aren't specified within the list
This idea is concerned about the foreigners who visit india to explore its culture,diversity which is about 7000 years old.in this idea we will try to generate jobs and the workers will be those who don't have proper means of generating income for their daily living.there will be different kinds of jobs like guides,drivers,teachers etc.
Created on 09/11/2012 by Nakuspchamber
Seek adequate funding to allow us to participate in CIEL's presentation, workshop and 2-year guidance in improving the tourism sector in Nakusp and Arrow Lakes.
Organization: Nakusp and District Chamber of Commerce
Visit websitemore ↓↑ hide↑ hideOrganization Name
Nakusp and District Chamber of Commerce
Country where this solution is creating social impact
Region in BC where your solution creates social impact
Kootenay Rockies.
Is your organization a
Non‐profit/NGO/citizen sector organization
How long has your organization been operating?
More than 5 years
The information you provide here will be used to fill in any parts of your profile that have been left blank, such as interests, organization information, and website. No contact information will be made public. Please uncheck here if you do not want this to happen..
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideSelect the stage that best applies to your solution
Idea (you're poised to launch)
How long have you been in operation?
Still in idea phase, but looking to launch soon
Which of the following best describes the barrier(s) your solution addresses? Choose up to two
Cost.
The Need: Describe the need for your solution and the size and characteristics of the community(ies) your solution is engaging
Nakusp and Arrow Lakes consists of Nakusp ( population approximately 1500) Edgewood, Fauquier, Burton and Trout Lake, with a total area population of about 4000. Each town is located on the Arrow Lakes, a beautiful area which offers hot springs, summer and winter out-door activities, unique and attractive accommodations, retail shops, coffee shops and a variety of restaurants.
Loss of the local logging industry devastated our economy. The Nakusp Music Fest helped us focus on tourism, bringing many repeat visitors, however, this event has now been cancelled, and the tourism industry here needs guidance, support, funding and unity of purpose.
The Solution: What is your solution? Be specific!
PROFESSIONAL HELP: CIEL—The Centre for Innovative & Entrepreneurial Leadership, a Kootenay-based company in Nelson, BC, offers exactly the type of guidance we need: Motivational presentations for Nakusp and surrounding communities, detailed workshops for key tourism stakeholders, and CRITICAL ONGOING SUPPORT for planning, strategy development and implementation. This would be followed by a one day workshop for up to 30 people. The cost of the presentation and workshop is $5,000. CIEL also offers one year of follow-up and guidance in the participating community at a cost of $20,000. CIEL claims a 90% success rate in communities that participate in the 1 full year process.
The Chamber of Commerce and the Nakusp & Area Development Board formed a Tourism Marketing Committee, which would be the liaison and guiding organization in this relationship.
There is interest from surrounding communities to create a regional tourism experience with this help from CIEL.
The Model: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference; include the primary activities involved in your solution.
Tourism communities unknowingly make mistakes.
Public presentation by CIEL focuses on the “7 Deadly Tourism Sins that Communities Make."
Participants will recognize mistakes or shortfalls in their services. CIEL will present simple, immediate solutions to some of these issues.
The workshop will provide tools for improvements and different solutions will be explored. The following two years will see continued feedback and guidance from CIEL.
FOR EXAMPLE: Restaurant owner participates in workshop
TAKE HOME KEY SOLUTION: Educate wait-staff about local services and attractions
ACTION: Have most wait-staff participate in familiarization tour organized by Visitor Centre
FEEDBACK: CIEL sends “secret visitor” to restaurant, who asks staff questions about local opportunities to golf, swim and hike, etc. Gives restaurant owner feedback about service received, encouraging further improvements and recognizing current strengths.
RESULT: Happier restaurant patrons who spend more time in community, recommend it to friends and return themselves, resulting in more business for the community.
The Marketplace: Who are your peers and competitors? Identify others working to address the same needs as you and indicate what sets you apart from them.
We would like to include our peers and potential competitors (neighbouring Chambers of Commerce) in this process, fostering a cooperative approach to marketing.
Until now local individuals and businesses have been working separately, and our goal is to unite the community in a shared focus and common purpose to the benefit of all. This will increase results for the amount of money and energy invested, avoiding competition and duplication. Increased communication and cooperation will not only increase tourism, but will have other benefits as well. Joint effort fosters community participation in all areas because of common bonds created in working together.
This Entry is about (Issues)
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideFounding Story: We want to hear about your "Aha!" moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution's potential to change the world.
The Chamber of Commerce realized that past efforts to create a focused, successful tourism strategy failed to produce long term results due to lack of ongoing support and guidance.
CIEL was brought to the attention of the Chamber with their YouTube clip "7 Deadly Tourism Sins for Communities." We recognized our community in this list of "don'ts." This was not just a list of troubles, which we knew well, but the suggestion that the help we needed was available, and right on our door-step. CIEL offers us not just a list of things to do, but two years of ongoing involvement to keep us focused, learning, and on track with current trends in the tourism sector. We can benefit from CIEL’s work in other communities. CIEL is local and they know the specific challenges faced by our stakeholders.
Please describe the goal of your initiative; outline what you are trying to achieve
We want to support a network of thriving, connected communities in Nakusp and Arrow Lakes, with a population large enough to keep our schools and hospital open, and a business community vibrant enough to employ our youth. We want to share the beauty of our area with visitors while maintaining it for our residents.
Our Visitor Centre reports the demand for many services not currently offered locally. Increasing tourism would make starting those businesses possible and profitable.
What has been the impact of your solution to date?
We are very excited about this realistic chance to improve tourism in our area, with the intended result of a healthier and more vibrant economy and population.
We have had interest from neighbouring communities wanting to take part in this opportunity.
What is your projected impact over the next five years?
We believe that unity of purpose and effort will not just get the job done, but get us in the habit of working together.
A welcoming, knowledgeable community is a powerful asset. Educating front-line tourism staff and the general population will greatly enhance the visitors’ experience. When a visitor’s questions can be answered by anyone local, the visitor will be more likely to enjoy themselves, stay longer, spend more, tell their friends, and return. New businesses will be attracted to the positive atmosphere of cooperation and shared effort, further enhancing the spirit of our community.
What barriers might hinder the success of your project? How do you plan to overcome them?
Lack of funds is the greatest barrier. The Chamber of Commerce is always looking for potential funding, this BC Ideas competition being one example. We are considering asking workshop participants to pay for attendance, but feedback reminds us of the already desperate economic local situation.
Sustaining motivation is also a constant challenge.
Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve and track growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact
After six months recognizing first positive changes in the appearance of businesses. New and improved services.
Task 1
Establish the Tourism Marketing Committee (reps. from Chamber, NADB, Village, stakeholders), as the community/CIEL liaison.
Task 2
CIEL presentation and workshop completed with maximum community participation.
Task 3
Business community implements first changes/improvements learned through CIEL.
Now think bigger! Identify your 12-month impact milestone
Increased visitor numbers due to brand recognition and marketing successes (tracked through Visitor Centre statistics).
Task 1
The Tourism Marketing Committee establishes tourism marketing strategy and brand.
Task 2
Secure funding, implement and execute tourism marketing plan, be involved with CIEL's 1-year follow-up guidance.
Task 3
A sustainable, ongoing tourism marketing plan in place.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideTell us about your partnerships
The Chamber of Commerce is partnering with the Nakusp and Area Development Board, the Village of Nakusp, and local tourism stakeholders in the Nakusp and Area Tourism Marketing Initiative. Surrounding communities have expressed interest in making the project regional. The presentation and workshops may lead to additional partnerships.
Are you currently targeting other specific populations, locations, or markets for your solution? If so, where and why?
We are currently focused on the Nakusp and Arrow Lakes, but we would like to include the communities of New Denver, Silverton, the Slocan Valley and Kaslo. Each of the above communities is situated on a pristine lake, surrounded by mountains, but have their own distinct character, so a regional marketing plan could enhance the overall experience for the visitor.
What type of operating environment and internal organizational factors make your innovation successful?
The Nakusp and District Chamber of Commerce has a wide communication network which includes a majority of local businesses. The Nakusp & Area Development Board has experience at running community meetings, gathering information and distributing it back to the community. That process has brought us here.
Please elaborate on any needs or offers you have mentioned above and/or suggest categories of support that aren't specified within the list
We need all the help we can get! We have people willing to donate time and their talents to our initiative, but their talents do not cover the wide range of expertise we need (investment, marketing ,mentorship,innovation) thus the goal of bringing in professional help.
We are willing to share ideas, marketing and time with other solutions that may impact our area in a positive way.
Created on 09/10/2012 by ChrisNichol
The Timely Calendar creates rich event networks that serve event organizers and event seekers.
Organization: Timely
Visit websitemore ↓↑ hide↑ hideCountry where this solution is creating social impact
Region in BC where your solution creates social impact
Vancouver, Columbia Basin.
Is your organization a
For‐profit
How long has your organization been operating?
Less than a year
The information you provide here will be used to fill in any parts of your profile that have been left blank, such as interests, organization information, and website. No contact information will be made public. Please uncheck here if you do not want this to happen..
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideSelect the stage that best applies to your solution
Start-Up (a pilot that has just begun operating)
How long have you been in operation?
Operating for less than a year
Which of the following best describes the barrier(s) your solution addresses? Choose up to two
Access, Cost.
The Need: Describe the need for your solution and the size and characteristics of the community(ies) your solution is engaging
Small organizations need inexpensive solutions.
Event creators, such as community and non-profit groups, need to to promote their activities so clients can see what's available in a format that's clear and well laid out. They need to collaborate with other groups, avoid scheduling conflicts and build successful partnerships.
Timely's target market can range from individual instructors, to small community service groups, to medium size organizations like libraries, to larger ones like towns and cities; anyone who lists events on a website. Event listings can illustrate a web of interaction that connects the small scale to the large and shows the richness of community activity. Organizations need to communicate about events internally as well, for employees and registered participants.
The Solution: What is your solution? Be specific!
Our Calendar is free to download and install; free technical support is available from http://help.time.ly/. An Enterprise version is available to support the creation of larger networks.
It can be set up with automatic feeds from one calendar to another, and from Google or Facebook calendar apps; event and program creators only need to list an event once and it can be shared automatically with calendars in the network. Programs can be cross-promoted on related sites and scheduling conflicts can be avoided. Calendars can be automatically filled with interesting events from multiple sources, instead of having scanty listings.
Networked calendars will become focal points for event seekers instead of sitting isolated on separate websites waiting for users to find them.
The All-in-One Event Calendar has clean design and unique layouts including Posterboard view, a colourful noticeboard of events. Each listing can be enriched with images and media so events are more than just text.
The Model: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference; include the primary activities involved in your solution.
Individuals and organizations that have classes or events need to post the schedule in a calendar for viewers. First, they can download and install the free calendar plugin if they have a WordPress (WP) website. (If they are not in WP, this can be set up by Timely tech team for a fee). From the WP dashboard, they can begin listing events. The Calendar can list even complex recurring events, such as the first Monday of the month. Users can allow the Calendar to be viewed in all formats, or limit it to show the most effective view for the listings. They can add image, video, or poster files to make it attractive, set up automatic feeds to import and export listings from Google or Facebook calendars and from other website calendars. When viewers see the Calendar, they'll like it's layout, engage with the content through the added media and remember the events they find.
For a Community Recreation Program, this would mean listings could be enriched with video from past sessions, and related activities like Community Hall, civic events or local fitness studios could automatically feed listings. Event seekers could filter the listings by using the categories and tags that the organizer has attached to each event. A filtered view would show only the events they need, such as for children or on Tuesdays.
When Timely database of events reaches a critical mass, we'll release a mobile app. Then seekers will be able to use it to find events without first finding a website. They could find local recreation listings in a moment from a mobile device, increasing attendance.
The Marketplace: Who are your peers and competitors? Identify others working to address the same needs as you and indicate what sets you apart from them.
There are many web based calendars but they're limited because they can't connect and network the way the Timely Calendar can. No other company has developed functionality in a calendar app to this level. Google, Facebook and others have website or desktop based calendars; Eventful, Eventbrite and others also occupy the event space with promotion and ticketing. Each one is attempting to capture the market.
Timely is trying synthesize event listing and promotion. By connecting calendars and sharing listings, related groups can support each other. By creating a searchable database of events, seekers will be able to find events without looking on numerous individual sites.
A smart calendar serves sectors of social development listed in the changemakers list, anyone who creates events.
This Entry is about (Issues)
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideFounding Story: We want to hear about your "Aha!" moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution's potential to change the world.
Rik Logtenberg, founder of Timely had a night off work, it was his wife's birthday and he wanted to find something to do. Nelson is a great town with lots of creative activities but when he looked online, he couldn't find more than a smattering of events listed, and he had to look on many sites to find them.
Events are hard to index because they are ephemeral; webcrawlers like Google need more time and content to have them show up in a search. The problem of finding events is greater when someone is new to an area or travelling. Rik thought the solution would be to capture events the moment they are created, and to develop the capacity to share events among calendars. A common categorization system would make it easy for seekers to refine their search and see a calendar that suits their needs. Rik realized that as these connections develop, and more events are listed, community networks will become richer and more integrated.
Please describe the goal of your initiative; outline what you are trying to achieve
What has been the impact of your solution to date?
The organizations that use it are happy with its performance and happy with the free support that Timely provides. We contact some of the key groups for feedback and they report that the plugin is a feature of their web-based promotion. The automatic feeds make it easy for aggregating event Calendars (like the Brixton Buzz, link above) to have events come in from the connected venues without extra work on the part of the organizers. As the audience becomes aware of the Calendar, and how well-stocked it is with listings, they look to it more often to find out what is happening.
For a community centre like the Carrollwood Center (listed above), the volume of events is high and the Timely Calendar does a great job of displaying them and making additional information available to the users. For an ad-hoc network, like Yoga in the Koots (link above), the automatic feeds aggregate events from a loose collective, who are not under the same roof or ownership but share a love of yoga.
What is your projected impact over the next five years?
Timely aims to become the World's Event Calendar, with an extensive database of searchable listings. By aggregating events on a large scale, and when there is adequate density, users will be able to use a mobile app to find events in any location. They will refine their searches based on established categories and tags, meaning events will be easy to find (not dependent on lucking into a promoter's choice of descriptive words). At our current rate of development, we anticipate this functionality will be available by August 2013.
In the next five years, Timely envisions being the preferred Calendar app for medium to large-size organizations and the favourite for organizations that aggregate listings. When it's not the choice for a group, it will still act as a bridge, building networks.
What barriers might hinder the success of your project? How do you plan to overcome them?
A barrier might be that users don't use the full capacity of the Calendar to connect with others, hindering the networking capacity of the system. We will provide free support and quick turn around times on queries to ensure users are supported as they build their web of connections. Our social media promotion will also support users to understand what the Calendar is capable of and how it can maximize network development.
Another might be plugin conflicts as new versions are released. Our developer team will address these issues quickly as they arise and provide excellent support to clients in the form of short term work-around solutions as the permanent solution is figured out.
Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve and track growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact
Increase number of listings within defined markets to high density of events per person per month (est. 5,000/million pop.)
Task 1
Enlist 3 major Enterprise level clients (1 is already on board, 2 are in process)
Task 2
Ramp up sales team, using existing community contacts and developing new ones
Task 3
Make continuous UI & UX improvements and complete testing to create excellent software
Now think bigger! Identify your 12-month impact milestone
Release a mobile app to the general public.
Task 1
Enlist 8 Enterprise clients
Task 2
Exceed 700,000 active Calendar downloads
Task 3
Serve 1.5 million events/month globally
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideTell us about your partnerships
Timely is in partnership with the Seed Studio, who can help with web design, marketing and branding support for our Calendar clients. The Seed can also help clients who aren't on WordPress to skin the Calendar onto their website.
We are closely supported by the Kootenay Association of Science and Technology (KAST) who mentored Timely to secure NRC-IRAP funding. We provide temporary placements to students from Selkirk College so they can gain work experience.
Are you currently targeting other specific populations, locations, or markets for your solution? If so, where and why?
We are working on enlisting several media organizations because of connections with our mentors and because they are effective aggregating organizations for event listings. At the same time, we are pursuing community development in smaller centres because it is part of the ethics of our owners and staff who all have worked in the non-profit sector. Our team has a strong history in sports, arts and culture so we are working in those areas as well. We see that our solution would benefit these groups by supporting their network development.
What type of operating environment and internal organizational factors make your innovation successful?
We are successful because of the positive tone of our company and the open communication between the staff and the owners. We all aim to have fun and work hard.
The Calendar development is guided by our vision and creative ideas, as well as by recommendations from our users. The Help desk channels suggestions to the developer team which may then be incorporated into upcoming versions.
The business plan has needed to be responsive and adjust since the company was founded in May as some factors have changed; we feel confident in our direction and are generating revenue 6 months ahead of schedule.
Please elaborate on any needs or offers you have mentioned above and/or suggest categories of support that aren't specified within the list
Timely and its partner The Seed Studio can help other startups with their marketing and branding development.
This idea is concerned about the foreigners who visit india to explore its culture,diversity which is about 7000 years old.in this idea we will try to generate jobs and the workers will be those who don't have proper means of generating income for their daily living.there will be different kinds of jobs like guides,drivers,teachers etc.
Created on 09/7/2012 by Phil Parish
To extend the jurisdiction of the BC highway system to the ferry routes to foster social, health, and economic development opportunities in BC.
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Region in BC where your solution creates social impact
Vancouver, Coast and Mountains, Vancouver Island, Thompson Okanagan, Northern British Columbia, Cariboo Chilcotin Coast, Kootenay Rockies, Columbia Basin.
Is your organization a
Non‐profit/NGO/citizen sector organization
How long has your organization been operating?
Less than a year
The information you provide here will be used to fill in any parts of your profile that have been left blank, such as interests, organization information, and website. No contact information will be made public. Please uncheck here if you do not want this to happen..
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideSelect the stage that best applies to your solution
Idea (you're poised to launch)
How long have you been in operation?
Still in idea phase, but looking to launch soon
Which of the following best describes the barrier(s) your solution addresses? Choose up to two
Access, Cost, Transparency, Quality, Equity.
The Need: Describe the need for your solution and the size and characteristics of the community(ies) your solution is engaging
An equitable ferry system is needed so that people living on the coast have the same rights and access to services and opportunities as everyone else in the province does through the tax-supported highway system.
The Solution: What is your solution? Be specific!
To provide free or subsidized access on the ferry system to British Columbians as part of the public’s payment into BC’s transportation infrastructure.
The Model: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference; include the primary activities involved in your solution.
The model for this solution is based on fair access and equal rights. This can be done by charging a toll for travelling on a select amount of highway on mainland British Columbia and doing the same for an amount of travel of the ferry system.
The Marketplace: Who are your peers and competitors? Identify others working to address the same needs as you and indicate what sets you apart from them.
Our peer for this solution is the BC Government who should not be considered a competitor, but instead as an ally in facilitating accessible travel for all British Columbians.
This Entry is about (Issues)
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideFounding Story: We want to hear about your "Aha!" moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution's potential to change the world.
My “Aha!” moment came when hearing the history of when BC Ferries first came to the islands of Haida Gwaii in the 1980s. Jim Abbott, a local resident who questioned the Minister of Transportation on the ferry system’s cost, told this history. The Minister replied that the cost of the ferry system from Haida Gwaii to Prince Rupert was equivalent to the maintenance fees of the 150km road from Prince Rupert to Terrace.
Please describe the goal of your initiative; outline what you are trying to achieve
The goal of this initiative is to create equal access and opportunity for all British Columbians, regardless of geographical location.
What has been the impact of your solution to date?
What is your projected impact over the next five years?
The projected impact of this initiative will create opportunities for economic, social, health development and equality in British Columbia. For example, developing the ferry system as an extension of the highway will lead to increased tourism in British Columbia, increased access to commercial markets for small business owners, and increased ability for agriculture and livestock production to be lucrative in island and coastal communities. The opportunity costs to not supporting this initiative are highest in northern coastal BC communities, but also poses a problem for communities on Vancouver Island.
What barriers might hinder the success of your project? How do you plan to overcome them?
Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve and track growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact
To bring together ferry user groups
Now think bigger! Identify your 12-month impact milestone
Begin lobbying to pressure government reformation
Task 1
Forming own government for island communities in western British Columbia
Task 2
Fostering a media presence and buzz
Task 3
Develop a study illustrating the cost-benefit analysis of this initiative
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideTell us about your partnerships
Are you currently targeting other specific populations, locations, or markets for your solution? If so, where and why?
What type of operating environment and internal organizational factors make your innovation successful?
Please elaborate on any needs or offers you have mentioned above and/or suggest categories of support that aren't specified within the list
This art walk is promoting our trails system and encouraging people to explore them. Tourism, business, and arts/culture will all be involved and prosper.
Created on 09/6/2012 by pknoglinger
To support the dynamic, in vivo, preservation of authentic know-how (intangible heritage) as practiced by contemporary craftswomen and men.
Organization: Société de développement économique de la Colombie-Britannique
Visit websitemore ↓↑ hide↑ hideFacebook URL
https://www.facebook.com/pages/BC-Économusée-Artisans-at-Work-Pilot-Project/128251320523717
Organization Name
Société de développement économique de la Colombie-Britannique
Country where this solution is creating social impact
Region in BC where your solution creates social impact
Vancouver Island, Thompson Okanagan, Cariboo Chilcotin Coast.
Is your organization a
Non‐profit/NGO/citizen sector organization
How long has your organization been operating?
More than 5 years
The information you provide here will be used to fill in any parts of your profile that have been left blank, such as interests, organization information, and website. No contact information will be made public. Please uncheck here if you do not want this to happen..
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideSelect the stage that best applies to your solution
Growth (your pilot is up and running, and starting to expand)
How long have you been in operation?
Operating for 1‐5 years
Which of the following best describes the barrier(s) your solution addresses? Choose up to two
Access, Cost.
The Need: Describe the need for your solution and the size and characteristics of the community(ies) your solution is engaging
Our initiative requires smart business analysis to inform its growth and its social enteprise segments;
Our initiative requires better data and analysis concerning green and ethical consumers locally, nationally, and internationally, particularly, the youth segment of the market;
Our initiative would benefit from support and ideas to engage the public into the meaningfulness of ÉCONOMUSÉE BC Artisans at Work!
The size of our community is best represented by the size of the cultural tourists population, which accounted for 58 percent (3.2 million folks) of all Canadian tourism in British Columbia and 72 percent (5.04 million folks) of all american tourists to BC in 2006. Internationally, cultural tourism represents 40 percent of the total tourism activity in the world.
The Solution: What is your solution? Be specific!
To support the dynamic, in vivo, preservation of authentic know-how (intangible heritage) as practiced by contemporary craftswomen and men in the field of top quality craft artisan productions and agrifood artisan value productions.
We are able to do so by developing, alongside the artisans that we work with, compelling, personal, informative and rich stories regarding the artisans themselves but also, the heritage trade that they still practice today.
We do so by designing interactive, fun interpretive experiences on site of some of the most fabulous small artisan businesses in BC, and we believe, the world.
We do so by instigating a a greater sense of identity around place.
We are part of an International family, that includes today over 65 different ÉCONOMUSÉE sites, with the same 6 components, just like we do here now, on Vancouver Island. We want to grow our own BC family to 20 different ÉCONOMUSÉE sites in the next 5 years! Innovative we must and want to be!
The Model: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference; include the primary activities involved in your solution.
the artisan: we begin with gaining a great knowledge of the passion, infrastructure, authenticity, place, trade, and history surrounding the artisan. We establish whether the artisan meets our criteria, the artisan decides whether this process is for her/him.
the tranformation: we design a transformation plan to incorporate or insure stellar site flow working with the 6 ÉCONOMUSÉE components: A welcoming area where folks get to meet the artisan (through text panel, video, other media of choice), A section for the interpretation of the traditional aspects of the trade, A section for the interpretation of the contemporary aspects of the trade, A documentation area where the visitor can learn more about the trade, An accessible workshop where folks can see the Artisan at work in his own, real work environment (through observation window, or by walking through the workshop), the Boutique where folks can purchase the product that they've learned about.
We establish a working budget, and the artisan is responsible for the capital improvements and some direct contribution to the interpretation and marketing programs, and we contribute towards the design and implementation of the interpretation and marketing programs.
We implement the transformation plan. This includes graphic design, research, writing, translation - all of our sites provide a bilingual experience - production of our materials, production of video and media pieces relevant to the experience that we develop, the construction required, and the installation of all materials on site.
We launch the ÉCONOMUSÉE.
The Marketplace: Who are your peers and competitors? Identify others working to address the same needs as you and indicate what sets you apart from them.
Aboriginal Tourism British Columbia's Cultural Authenticity Program: This program is designed to set apart aboriginal products that are authentic from those that are not. It provides a certification to products according to their criteria. Our work focuses on certifying that the production process on our sites, and the resulting product, is crafted using recognized authentic know-how. We achieve this through the development of experiences that focus on valorization the know-how and techniques used by the artisans to craft their authentic product.
We believe that the Cultural authenticity program is very key in this province, and that our approach is complimentary, as we strive to preserve an increasing variety of traditional trades in the province.
This Entry is about (Issues)
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideFounding Story: We want to hear about your "Aha!" moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution's potential to change the world.
The ÉCONOMUSÉE model in practice relates to stories and compelling those interacting with the stories to learn, touch, see, smell, taste and play in a dynamic and beautiful environment. The combination of deep knowledge, quality product and passion, together form the basis of a successful small-scale artisanal economy. By supporting the creation of a partnership and learning opportunity between design, business development and museology professionals and artisans, the ÉCONOMUSÉE model allows for the creation of wealth and cultural significance around intangible heritage, and stronger local economies by focusing on the authenticity to market a business. Our resilience is defined by our ability to be creative and provide solutions to the issues that we face . The aha moment, for us, was when we understood that this model presents us with the opportunity to support more resilient communities by celebrating and embracing the cultural entrepreneurial local fabric that defines us!
Please describe the goal of your initiative; outline what you are trying to achieve
We wish to establish 20 ÉCONOMUSÉE sites in the province within the next 5 years.
Our 10 year goal is to have a Network of ÉCONOMUSÉE sites that is composed of 30 unique craftswomen and men members that are striving and recognized locally and internationally for the authenticity with which they practice their trade.
We wish to stimulate investments into artisan businesses, and contribute to the strengthening of local economies by providing expertise, certifications of quality and (although unique)
What has been the impact of your solution to date?
We have developed 2 pilot sites in the Cowichan Valley, including Merridale Ciderworks, the Cider ÉCONOMUSÉE, and Hazelwood Herb Farm, the Herbalism ÉCONOMUSÉE. We have stimulated private investment through our partnership exceeding 40,000 dollars, and public investment from various sources, totalling 144,000 dollars.
We have supported the development of academic research on traditional trades and intangible heritage in the province, while supporting the development of overall experiences for our local and not public, in terms of changes to the built environment and philosophy around merchandising, traffic flow, staff's increase knowledge and pride about where they work and learn. The global approach, autonomous in its parts - Atlantic Canada, Quebec, Northern Europe - is now part of us, and supports growth within a sustainable framework.
We have developed a very successful approach to leverage of public funds and have pursued the development of several successful partnerships (13).
What is your projected impact over the next five years?
Our quantitative impact over the next five years willl be:
Increased number of quality jobs in the artisanal economy;
growth (increase in sales) of sector and viability of sector
More visits by the public, including schools and youth
20 artisans join the ÉCONOMUSÉE Network in BC and open their doors to the public
100 percent of revenues for our expansion generated by member contributions and entrepreneurial activity that will generate employment and innovation in the field of e-commerce, creative expertise and education.
Our qualitative impact over the next five year will be:
Increased community resilience
Increased pride in our local know-how
More youth interested in prospect of traditional trades for employment and business
More knowledge available on traditional trades
What barriers might hinder the success of your project? How do you plan to overcome them?
The main barriers that may hinder our project are:
1. the creation of business strategies that will allow us to generate sufficient revenue to cover network expansion activities (i.e. more artisans benefiting from the model);
2. ensuring value package to artisans that allows us to maintain and grow our membership: marketing opportunities, learning opportunities, networking opportunities and business opportunities for members
How we plan to overcome them:
1. realistic and innovative business planning and strategizing and staffing choices, including business savvy leader with an eye into the future
2. maintaining an artisan driven business model to ensure that the benefits offered reflect the needs of members and sector
Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve and track growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact
Task 1
Business Analysis: business planning and strategies required for this model to be self-sustaining and growing
Task 2
Governance and staffing structure development and recruitment of board and partners
Task 3
Prepare implementation of 5 ÉCONOMUSÉE sites in the 3 regions aforementioned
Now think bigger! Identify your 12-month impact milestone
Task 1
Implementation of business model
Task 2
Implementation of 5 ÉCONOMUSÉE sites in the 3 targeted regions
Task 3
Get ready to grow the Network with an additional 4 artisanal businesses joining the project
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideTell us about your partnerships
We have pursued a series of valuable and successful partnerships including the following:
Heritage Tourism Alliance
UBC Okanagan
Vancouver Island University
Island Coastal Economic Trust
Ministry of Jobs Tourism and Innovation
Human Resources and Skills Development Canada
Quebec Government Canadian Intergovernmental Relations Secretariat
Quebec ÉCONOMUSÉE Network Society
Central Okanagan Economic Development Commission
Juan de Fuca Economic Development Commission
Cariboo Chilcotin Coast Tourism Association
André & Associates Interpretation and Design
BC Museums Association
Are you currently targeting other specific populations, locations, or markets for your solution? If so, where and why?
We are currently targeting rural areas, including growth in the Juan de Fuca, Cowichan Valley, Cariboo Chilcotin Coast, and Okanagan. We would like to evaluate the potential of the Kootenay Region as well. Those locations present strong cultural and economic potential due to the regional interest to develop further the artisan business sector in terms of developing stronger creative economies locally and strengthen the offer of the regions.
We are also seeking to understand better and target a younger market for our products, experiences and knowledge.
What type of operating environment and internal organizational factors make your innovation successful?
1. learning business organization
2. strong, competent staff
3. strong use of social media, e-commerce and video technologies for communications, sales, marketing and learning
4. artisan and authenticity focused business activities
5. good governance structure in place
6. good financial practices in place
7. strong team of creative experts - design & interpretation
8. strong team of research experts - know-how documentation and publications
9. transparency and close touch with public and partners
10. Best practices in partnership development and maintaining partnerships
11. Ability to seize opportunities in a timely manner, and revise strategies on an on-going basis
12. Entrepreneurial culture
Please elaborate on any needs or offers you have mentioned above and/or suggest categories of support that aren't specified within the list
We require to develop our analysis and planning in order to ready ourselves for growth. We have a good success story to share with the ÉCONOMUSÉE British Columbia Artisans at Work pilot project, and we can provide some key insight and ideas to contestants that are entering that stage. We, on the other end, require the support and resources to hit the next stage of development.
Created on 09/5/2012 by Diana Cicic
The innovative aspect lies in combining tourism with HR services, which come both as an employer support,as well as employee assistance,to highlight the need of giving quality time and tailored programs to recover and motivating staff.These programs can be used in order to improve employees work,and granting bonuses such as ,cash substitutes’ to employees.
Organization: Lugera Travel
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Gender of Innovator
Female
Is your organization a
For‐profit
How long has your organization been operating?
Less than a year
The information you provide here will be used to fill in any parts of your profile that have been left blank, such as interests, organization information, and website. No contact information will be made public. Please uncheck here if you do not want this to happen..
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,INCENTIVE FACTORY’ by LUGERA TRAVEL
Select the stage that best applies to your solution
Start-Up (a pilot that has just begun operating)
How long have you been in operation?
Operating for less than a year
The Need: What problem are you trying to solve?
Sharp economic downturn acted on corporations and employees in order to reduce time and quality required for rest periods of staff at all levels. Companies substantially reduced attention to the activities of support and motivation for employees.
Consequently, the pressure and stress increases for the employee and socio-economic circumstances tend to eliminate in many cases a genuine holiday, absolutely necessary for physical and psychological rehabilitation of employees.
The Solution: What is your solution? Be specific!
The solution proposed is to create and develop the concept of' INCENTIVE FACTORY ' by LUGERA TRAVEL by combining two types of services: HR services and travel services.
We launched a new product "incentive travel", which includes the following steps:
1.Assessment of employees by HR specialists to determine the main motivation tools they use in order to improve and increase employees involvement in performance.
2. Travel packs as motivational tools for employees.Travel variants that can be used as methods of incentive(individual and group trips)
3. Develop a promotional campaign among customers as alternative incentive programs to motivate employees
The Model: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference; include your primary activities
I.Evaluation of the type and number of service packages
This stage involves the application of questionnaires, processing, information and advice:
-Determine the main motivation tools in order to improve and increase employees involvement in getting new performance.
-Development of incentive programs for employees
The final evaluation:
-What extent incentive program has helped increase employee involvement in achieving company objectives?
-Has the level of satisfaction of employees regarding their work modified?
These asessments will be made by our project partner. The external evaluators allow objectively deal with the answers provided by the participants at tests and the employees will be more open to answer.
II.Use Travel packs as motivational tools for employees
1.Individual trips (fully or partially settled by the company; the destination is chosen by the tourist)
We develop an incentive program for employees,program called 'Travel Vouchers' that supports those who want to reward employees with TRAVEL products.Based on an internal scoring system employer is able to provide team management/employees,various categories of vouchers that enable them to purchase holidays through LUGERA TRAVEL agency:SILVER,GOLD& PLATINUM VOUCHER.Advantages of each type of voucher will be agreed with the employer.
2.Group trips/individual(destination and action budget are chosen by the employer).This option requires no initial costs for our company.
III.Develop a promotional campaign among customers as alternative incentive programs to motivate employees
The Marketplace: Who are your peers and competitors? Identify others also working to address the needs you are and what differentiates you from them. What challenges could these players pose to your success or growth?
Up to this point there is no player on the market to offer integrated services of tourism and HR. Therefore, we can say that, at least on the Romanian market, we compete for this service.
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What solution(s) does your initiative address to help emerging entrepreneurs and small businesses grow and thrive in underserved communities? (select all applicable)
Access to talent, Access to technology, Access to economic opportunity.
What has been the impact of your solution to date?
The project has not been implemented, to date. Implementation will begin in October in our partner company, to test the concept.
What is your projected impact over the next 1-3 years?
Over the next few years we want to develop this idea nation wide, so that as many companies involved in our new activity aims to increase final satisfaction at work of employees and employers.
We want to create a work environment where people feel valued for their achievements and work become a source of satisfaction, the desire of professional and personal success.
What barriers might hinder the success of your project? How do you plan to overcome them?
Because of the economic crisis, many employers have cut spending to stay in business, especially those of the employees costs. Thus, there is a possibility we face the lack of interest of employers. Under these circumstances we call first, to old clients, with whom we recorded many achievements, and promotion campaigns for employers to realize the importance of human resources in the development of any business. Moreover, according to the domain and the objectives pursued, and the analysis performed, through dialogue with company management we will propose differentiated incentive programs: for employees, customers, suppliers etc.
Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve and track growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact
It will be organized a campaign to promote INCENTIVE FACTORY by LUGERA TRAVEL
Task 1
Preparation of proposals on modalities to incentive the employees
Task 2
Facilitate the client’s understanding of specific methods of collaboration
Task 3
Formulas for finding the best company and employee questionnaires, so it is easy to complete and efficient data processing
Now think bigger! Identify your 12-month impact milestone
Luger Travel will gain notoriety as company, marketing travel agency and marketing mentor "Incentive Travel".
Task 1
Developing "Corporate Travel" business segment
Task 2
Increased LUGERA TRAVEL 'visibility' as corporate services provider
Task 3
Increasing number of corporate clients and thus the volume of sales
Founding Story: We want to hear about your "Aha!" moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution's potential to change the world.
I kept thinking: what would make my colleagues at work gladly come to work, besides the existence of a harmonious, suitable environment? What would make me to feel grateful to the company?
I spoke with a colleague who told me that he would feel the happiest man if he could get a Formula One race for three days 1: For three days there, I could work there all year without a day off.” Perhaps this is not possible, practically speaking, but the enthusiasm of his voice convinced me that we each have our own holiday dreams that unfortunately we can’t materialize for various reasons. But how wonderful is that recognition of our work and dedication to the company in which workers are rewarded and the few days offered by the company in which we spend our time as we dream?
This prompted us to initiate Incentive Factory project, which aims not only to develop incentive programs, but adapt and customize their real needs and desires of those who benefit from them.
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Joining tourism services with HR (evaluation activities) may be due to an existing partnership between Lugera Travel Agency and Lugera & Mackler Romania, and therefore offers will be promoted in the same style as other HR services.
This collaboration creates immediate access to popularization for our company, due to existing partners of the HR company , and, on the other hand, HR firm offers has the opportunity to develop new services for its customers, which come in both corporate needs (by taking over tasks of HR departments), as well as supporting and encouraging employees.
Please elaborate on any needs or offers you have mentioned above and/or suggest categories of support that aren't specified within the list
Awamaki works with rural Andean women's cooperatives to create internationally marketable garments and accessories that are born of traditional woven techniques and designs. The project offers rural women a significant income and the opportunity to improve their skills and access to market; it also revitalizes an endangered weaving tradition and way of life.
Wangsa Jelita is a social enterprise which empowers women farmers through training, co-production and marketing of locally produced natural beauty products. Creating value added beauty products through fair trade business practice, Wangsa Jelita helps underprivileged women rose farmers increased their skills and income, as well as improving self confidence and community social safety network (through collective scholarship funding scheme).
They are now trying to increase scale and scope of their impact. See more http://youtu.be/Q4v-2NK9R2U
Created on 09/4/2012 by kaw2k
Approximately 50 words left (400 characters).
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n/a
Is your organization a
Not registered
How long has your organization been operating?
Less than a year
The information you provide here will be used to fill in any parts of your profile that have been left blank, such as interests, organization information, and website. No contact information will be made public. Please uncheck here if you do not want this to happen..
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideSelect the stage that best applies to your solution
Idea (you're poised to launch)
How long have you been in operation?
Still in idea phase, but looking to launch soon
The Need: What problem are you trying to solve?
When traveling, planing a visit can be over whelming. A traveler wants to experience their destination in its fullest potential in the intimate way a local would. Researching and planing this tour is time consuming and often overlooks key local aspects of a town.
The Solution: What is your solution? Be specific!
Empower locals to create guides based on their expertise. Develop a market place where a locals can post what to do and where to go to suport and experience the local community.
The Model: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference; include your primary activities
Some one visiting Charlottesville VA enjoys hiking, biking, and wine. They would log into the market place we create where locals of Charlottesville post on their expertise. One such guide is a hiking enthusiast. The guide writer tells the tourist about a local shop "Ragged Mountain Running" to visit before specifying what the best trails are around town.
The tourist then browses wine tour guides for Charlottesville. They notice guides that tell them which vineyard to go on which day, and in what order.
Lastly, the tourist finds a guide for biking around town. They find out that there are local bike stores that rent bikes and have bike tours around the historic Down Town Mall.
The tourist purchases, rents, or views these guides, directly supporting the local who wrote them, as well as the local economy via the actions prescribed in the guides.
The Marketplace: Who are your peers and competitors? Identify others also working to address the needs you are and what differentiates you from them. What challenges could these players pose to your success or growth?
There are many sites such as Yelp, Lonely Planet, Trip Advisor, etc that already post professional guides for major cities. Each site lacks certain aspects that our marketplace fills. Yelp is a local review service, but it fails to take the burden of planing out of the tourists hands. Lonely Planet (etc) writes guides, but often from an in house perspective and does not have as intimate a view as a local may have.
Our marketplace covers as wide a range as there are people who care about their village, town, city, state. It will put the traveler in directly contact with the local citizens. It will be like visiting the town your best friend lives in, and having them recommend what you do every day as they know what you enjoy.
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What solution(s) does your initiative address to help emerging entrepreneurs and small businesses grow and thrive in underserved communities? (select all applicable)
Access to economic opportunity.
What has been the impact of your solution to date?
Our solution would help people in small towns anywhere around the world (Guatemala, Philippines, etc) post guides that take tourism off the beaten track. It will help stimulate local economies where getting recognition was difficult due to the cost of advertising.
What is your projected impact over the next 1-3 years?
Bringing the economic benefits of tourism to lesser known areas of popular and not so popular destinations.
What barriers might hinder the success of your project? How do you plan to overcome them?
Becoming first in the mind of the people is the largest barrier to entry. People generally want to help others, and are eager to demonstrate their knowledge. Geting our product to be the first place a local goes to demonstrate their knowledge is the largest problem.
Starting with a seed town and expanding it via word of mouth and advertisements is the best approach. Focusing our efforts to become first in mind for one area, and then expand it to many areas.
Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve and track growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact
In six months, we plan on having the over 80% of people in various niche local groups in one town publishing to the site.
Task 1
Identify and contact niche movements that represent the town (Charlottesville).
Task 2
Work with locals in these movements to populate the marketplace with high quality guides.
Task 3
Raise awareness, to locals first, to the marketplace and expand our customers to tourists.
Now think bigger! Identify your 12-month impact milestone
Task 1
Promote our local niche movement to grow our network to a handfull of other towns.
Task 2
Contact neighboring Colleges and demonstrate how providing guides to their towns will help grow student populations.
Task 3
Expand beyond niche and student populations in existing towns.
Founding Story: We want to hear about your "Aha!" moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution's potential to change the world.
I was visiting Princeton and wanted to experience the town as a local. I saw Starbucks, I saw Chipotle, I saw major bands coming to town, I didn't want any of it. I spent a significant amount of time searching for what locals with my interests do and ended up wasting my time. Frustrated, I wished there was a tour guide online that would just tell things to do, like I had a friend guiding me.
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We have tremendous potential for advertising local businesses and services.
Please elaborate on any needs or offers you have mentioned above and/or suggest categories of support that aren't specified within the list
Once we have a marketplace, we can offer advertisements for local businesses that need help.
Created on 09/4/2012 by Paulina Stańczuk
Approximately 50 words left (400 characters).
Organization: Pobikry redevelopment organisation
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Pobikry redevelopment organisation
Country where this project is creating social impact
Gender of Innovator
Female
Is your organization a
Non‐profit/NGO/citizen sector organization
How long has your organization been operating?
1‐5 years
The information you provide here will be used to fill in any parts of your profile that have been left blank, such as interests, organization information, and website. No contact information will be made public. Please uncheck here if you do not want this to happen..
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future is in agroturistic
Select the stage that best applies to your solution
Start-Up (a pilot that has just begun operating)
How long have you been in operation?
Operating for less than a year
The Need: What problem are you trying to solve?
The surrounding area of Pobikry is underdeveloped, citizens has to rely on their farms or emigrate. I want to turn Pobikry into tourist attraction. Because we lack natural beauty such as sea or mountains, we are trying to utilise what we have which is forests, unpolluted environment, regional cuisine. To make our village more attractive to the tourist we are going to have classes where farmers can learn how to make traditional cheese and bread or learn other crafts.
The Solution: What is your solution? Be specific!
We are trying to encourage village citizens to start agroturistic business. The idea is to convince citizens (mostly farmers) that despite lack of obvious tourist attraction they also have something to offer. to make out village more attractive we organise courses where people can learn crafts.
The Model: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference; include your primary activities
So far we organised cheese making course and sawing course. We had pretty good response form villagers, we are hoping to create agroturistic base and be able to accommodate firs tourists soon.
The Marketplace: Who are your peers and competitors? Identify others also working to address the needs you are and what differentiates you from them. What challenges could these players pose to your success or growth?
We don't have other competition in our village, some villages in the area have they own organisations but I did not hear about them trying to pull the community together. We are working closely with nearest town council.
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What solution(s) does your initiative address to help emerging entrepreneurs and small businesses grow and thrive in underserved communities? (select all applicable)
Access to financing, Access to talent, Access to economic opportunity.
What has been the impact of your solution to date?
What is your projected impact over the next 1-3 years?
More people will be visiting our village, villagers will be more involved in their community. Young people will not migrate.
What barriers might hinder the success of your project? How do you plan to overcome them?
Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve and track growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact
Task 2
Involve other communities to enrich our offer
Now think bigger! Identify your 12-month impact milestone
Task 1
Have first tourist next summer.
Task 2
Create 20 places for tourists to stay
Founding Story: We want to hear about your "Aha!" moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution's potential to change the world.
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Please elaborate on any needs or offers you have mentioned above and/or suggest categories of support that aren't specified within the list
Created on 09/4/2012 by ltdn
a mobile service that gets you from .a to .b using public transport.
Organization: 2LMN R+D
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South Africa, GT, Johannesburg
Country where this project is creating social impact
South Africa, GT, Johannesburg
Is your organization a
For‐profit
How long has your organization been operating?
More than 5 years
The information you provide here will be used to fill in any parts of your profile that have been left blank, such as interests, organization information, and website. No contact information will be made public. Please uncheck here if you do not want this to happen..
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideSelect the stage that best applies to your solution
Start-Up (a pilot that has just begun operating)
How long have you been in operation?
Operating for less than a year
The Need: What problem are you trying to solve?
Access to and using public transport in Africa.
The Solution: What is your solution? Be specific!
A Way To Be ( http://awayto.be ) is a mobile service that shows you how to get from a to b using public transport.
It not restricted to a single mode of transport but a successful and complete routing —including multiple modes of public transport: train, bus and/or mini-bus taxis— from anywhere to everywhere. Including total time travelled, cost and distance.
The Model: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference; include your primary activities
For any individual, especially a small enterprise owner, business opportunities are limited by the geography we are in and our ability to navigate a city to access new markets (and clients).
The idea of A Way To Be, is provide public transport information of how that individual can get to any location that a market (and clients) are from wherever anywhere.
And thus, A Way To Be, allows an SMME's & Individuals to cast their business net wider and improve their access to potential business and services. A Way To Be is a mobile service, the information will be within reach, accessible, real-time an accurate. A Way To Be is also not locked to any specific public transport provider and thus will provide the commuter with complete and accurate information of how to get anywhere within Africa.
Inasmuch as this A Way To Be, will make it easier for SMME's to engage in business, it will also improve the sense of safety for commuters. In that, A Way To Be's routing informs the commuter of when a bus or train is expected to arrive and so, it will minimise exposure to typical dangerous areas.
The Marketplace: Who are your peers and competitors? Identify others also working to address the needs you are and what differentiates you from them. What challenges could these players pose to your success or growth?
There is a few competitors within South Africa are mostly focused on one mode of public transport. They do not provide routing from anywhere to everywhere but from one known bus stop (or train station) to another. A Way To Be provides routing with includes a combination of different public transport from any location (with South Africa for now) to any other destination.
Other competitors involved American/European companies with an interest in public transport information systems. But, because the public transport in those areas is all formalised, they lack interest in African modes of public transport. Which is where A Way To Be is at advantage.
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What solution(s) does your initiative address to help emerging entrepreneurs and small businesses grow and thrive in underserved communities? (select all applicable)
Access to supply chains, Access to economic opportunity.
What has been the impact of your solution to date?
We have only been live for 2 months. We are yet to measure our impact as we have not grown to a state where it is measurable.
What is your projected impact over the next 1-3 years?
We expect to firstly improve the public transport update in Johannesburg, Pretoria and Cape Town (all in South Africa). These three cities have a vested interest in increasing public transport uptake. We believe A Way To Be will the key technology for them to achieve this.
SMME's will benefit from this service as they will be able move about a city with easy and expand their potential business. We expect to have an impact in local tourism as most tourists are generally uninformed of public transport that is available, A Way To Be, will allow them to know what is available and how to get to any point-of-interest.
After which, as more and more people use public transport, there will be an environmental impact because less private vehicles will be used for commute.
What barriers might hinder the success of your project? How do you plan to overcome them?
Our greatest challenge is expanding the service to include public transport from different areas from all of South Africa and growing it into most of Southern Africa. To achieve this we need more skills to hire and employ. This can only be achieved through funding at this stage.
We are, albeit at a slow pace, growing the service regardless of the funding. Using funds generated from doing client work to maintain the service and the time required to collect, digitise, correct and add new routes.
Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve and track growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact
Provide public transport routing for all major cities in South Africa.
Task 1
Integrate all public transport in Johannesburg
Task 2
Integrate all public transport in Pretoria
Task 3
Integrate all public transport in Cape Town
Now think bigger! Identify your 12-month impact milestone
Expand outside of South Africa
Task 1
Integrate all public transport in South Africa
Task 2
Grow the user base to 40% of all public transport commuters
Task 3
Translate the service to other languages including all the 11 official langauges in South Africa
Founding Story: We want to hear about your "Aha!" moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution's potential to change the world.
Sometime in 2004 my uncle had a car accident, which meant I had to lend my car to my aunt. During that time I had to learn how to use buses. My biggest problem wasn't that I didn't know where the stops where but when will a bus arrive; how long will my trip be; and which buses (and stops) were heading where I wanted to be.
Then, "A Way To Be" was conceptualised.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideTell us about your partnerships
We haven't created any so far, we are in the process of formalising these partnerships.
Please elaborate on any needs or offers you have mentioned above and/or suggest categories of support that aren't specified within the list
Created on 09/4/2012 by pmedina122
Beyond Chacay Foundation is a nonprofit whose mission is to enable community leaders and their families to create and implement dynamic entrepreneurial ventures in collaboration with the international tourists that visit them. Based on the creation of shared value and the cuadruple helix (building an esosystem), Beyond Chacay mobilizes all posible stakeholders to promote sustainable development.
Organization: Beyond Chacay foundation
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Is your organization a
Non‐profit/NGO/citizen sector organization
How long has your organization been operating?
1‐5 years
The information you provide here will be used to fill in any parts of your profile that have been left blank, such as interests, organization information, and website. No contact information will be made public. Please uncheck here if you do not want this to happen..
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Emprendimiento Dinámico, Turismo Comunitario y Sostenibilidad
Select the stage that best applies to your solution
Growth (your pilot is up and running, and starting to expand)
How long have you been in operation?
Operating for 1‐5 years
The Need: What problem are you trying to solve?
El sector turístico esta creciendo sin tener una vinculación directa con los emprendimientos que se dan en las localidades donde se desarrolla intensivamente esta actividad. Esto se comprueba al analizar el nivel de empobrecimiento de las comunidades aledañas a los centros de desarrollo turístico que no lograron incluirse en la cadena de valor de la industria.
Adicionalmente, clusters de producción locales (café, cacao, paja toquilla, guayusa), ubicados en sectores altamente turísticos no están ligados con la actividad turística del sector. Se los ve como actividades distintas e independientes.
La comunidad no cuenta con la capacidad gerencial minima (atención al cliente, gestión financiera básica, gestión estratégica, e-business y TICs) para acoger iniciativas de emprendimiento.
The Solution: What is your solution? Be specific!
Estamos convencidos acerca del ecoturismo comunitario como un potente generador de oportunidades para miembros de comunidades marginadas para maximizar su potencial productivo.
Identificando el principio de la cadena de valor del nexo entre turismo responsable, conservacion ambiental y cultural y actividades productivas locales (café, tagua) invertimos en el talento humano local para fomentar un crecimiento económico sostenible a nivel individual y comunitario.
Clave es la colaboración activa del turista internacional como agente de cambio, actuando como investigador, socio estratégico o/e inversionista. Nuestro target son: Alumnos, profesores y graduados (baby boomers) de colegios y universidades reconocidos en USA, Canada y Europa, .
Movilizamos TICs y tecnología para dinamizar los procesos de colaboración e intercambio de talento, conocimiento e inversión de recursos entre comunidades locales, turistas internacionales, autoridades locales y organizaciones internacionales.
The Model: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference; include your primary activities
El proyecto emblemático es con la Fundación Runa (www.runa.org) cuya misión es comercializar guayusa en mercados internacionales: en 2012 el brazo comercial pretende llegar al millón de dólares en ventas de guayusa en los Estados Unidos.
Llevamos turistas a comunidades productoras de guayusa en la Amazonía capacitando las para que realicen emprendimientos basados en la ideología de conservación del medio ambiente y de su conocimiento ancestral. (hotelería, artesanías, gastronomía típica, museos naturales, excursiones turísticas).
Integrándose en la cotidianidad de los Kitchwa, el cliente internacional puede experimentar no solo el entorno natural donde se origina el producto sino también el componente social y cultural de las comunidades que lo producen.
Aprovechando del modelo de Kiva (www.kiva.org), identificamos emprendimientos locales promisorios, poniéndolos a consideración del turista internacional como alternativas de inversión de sus recursos. De esta manera proveemos de una fuente de sostenibilidad a los proyectos locales identificados.
Por otro lado invertimos en capital humano a través de la oferta de becas para jóvenes de la comunidad, en universidades aliadas (nacionales e internacionales) para fortalecer sus capacidades gerenciales.
Mediante internet, redes sociales y telefonía móvil se pueden ofrecer cursos virtuales de capacitación tanto a los miembros de la comunidad como a los turistas internacionales.
The Marketplace: Who are your peers and competitors? Identify others also working to address the needs you are and what differentiates you from them. What challenges could these players pose to your success or growth?
Nuestros pares son 1) Entes gubernamentales a nacional y local Ministerio de Turismo 2) Agencias de Desarrollo (CEDET (www.cedet.ec), 3) FEPTCE, (www.feptce.org)4)ONG locales (Esquel, Grupo FARO)
Existen operadoras de turismo local asi como ONGs e instituciones gubernamentales que han intentado generar procesos de crecimiento socio-economico integral a traves del turismo.
Nuestra ventaja conceptual y competitiva es la inclusion del turista internacional y del migrante ecuatoriano como agentes de cambio actuando no solo como turistas sino como posible inversionistas.
Estos actores no representan un desafio. Al contrario pueden ser incluidos en nuestro modelo propuesto.
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What solution(s) does your initiative address to help emerging entrepreneurs and small businesses grow and thrive in underserved communities? (select all applicable)
Access to financing, Access to talent, Access to supply chains, Access to technology, Access to economic opportunity.
What has been the impact of your solution to date?
Chacay, como Encuentros, ha ofrecido programas de intercambio para jovenes norteamericanos y Ecuatorianos que incluyen, en las comunidades que hemos visitado, mas de 20 horas de trabajo comunitario por medio de fundaciones, durante el trascurso de un mes. Tambien, por medio de la Universidad San Francisco (Centro de Emprendimiento) y Banco Pichincha, hemos capacitado a jovenes de mas de 30 colegios en Quito, fiscales y privados, enfocando en emprendimiento dinámico. Finalmente, estamos trabajando en San Cristobal, Galapagos, y en Tena, Provincia Napo, la Amazonia, para capacitar jóvenes y miembros de las comunidades marginadas, ofreciéndoles las herramientas para que desarrolle proyectos innovadores y dinámicos. Sin embargo, reconocemos que ha faltado la parte sostenible en los proyectos, donde por medio de los turistas, los miembros de las comunidades target tengan la oportunidad de realizar sus sueños, a corto y largo plazo, por medio de becas y microcreditos.
What is your projected impact over the next 1-3 years?
Estamos proponiendo a Banco Pichincha un proyecto en dos fases, expandiendo de los Colegios de Quito a toda la provincia Pichincha, con pilotos en Lago Agrio (Amazonia), Ibarra (Sierra), Santo Domingo (Costa) y Santa Cruz (Galapagos), donde por medio de una plataforma virtual, capacitamos primero a profesores de colegios y gerentes del Banco, y en seguida, a los mismos alumnos. El proposito es fomentar no solo la capacitacion, pero tambien el ecosistema que promocionaria emprendimientos dinamicos en diferentes comunidades, con el proposito de expandir, en al año academico 2013-14, a nivel pais. A la vez, estamos creando paquetes turisticos un varias comunidades marginadas en todo el pais, con enfoque la cadena de produccion (cafe, cacao, etc.), para que los turistas invierten.
What barriers might hinder the success of your project? How do you plan to overcome them?
El obstaculo mas formidable que hemos encontrado durante dos años de operacion a nivel informal es la envidia, que no permite que se desarrolle el ecosistema (cuadruple helice: sectores privado, public, civico y la academia) parea llegar a un ganar-ganar. A veces, el mismo exito de una iniciativa ha resultado en diferencias de opinion sobre quien merece el conocimiento. Consequentemente, parte de nuestro reto es cultivar entre los miembros de la helice un compromiso, desde un inicio, hacia la colaboracion y el ganar-ganar, ofreciendo el beneficio maximo a los lideres comunitarios en sus comunidades emergentes, involucrando a la vez los recursos de los intermediarios en la cadena de produccion para que los al inicio puedan realizar su protencial por medio de emprendimientos dinamicos.
Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve and track growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact
Task 1
Crear una pagina web dinámica que pretende informar, educar y capacitar turistas y lideres comunitarios
Task 2
Establecer alianzas claves a nivel nacional e internacional, miembros del ecosistema de emprendimiento y del cuadruple helice
Task 3
Invertir en la infraestructura de Beyond Chacay por medio de la implementacion de Balance Scorecard
Now think bigger! Identify your 12-month impact milestone
Task 1
Crear los objetivos estrategicos, politicas y procedimientos para multiplicar nuestro modelo de negocio a nivel mundial
Task 2
Crear fuentes de ingreso, con proposito la sostenibilidad, con enfoque la inversión de turistas en las comunidades marginadas
Task 3
Fortalecer los vinculos con todos los miembros del ecosistema, incluyendo empresas, lideres locales, y turistas del extranjero.
Founding Story: We want to hear about your "Aha!" moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution's potential to change the world.
Fue una serie de momentos.Uno de ellos salio de la iniciativa www.kiva.org, donde pretendemos vincular el inversionista (en nuestro caso, el turista) con el emprendedor en su comunidad, al principio de la cadena productiva (sea cafe, guayusa, etc.).Otros momentos claves incluyen capacitaciones, a nivel de emprendedores colegiales como con lideres comunitarios en Archidona, tecnicos de la produccion de guayusa y Kichwa de origen: la inversion en el capital human de estos dos grupos produjo resultados espectaculares, no solo en la motivacion de estas personas, sino tambien en el compromiso de su parte a crear emprendimientos dinamicos. Finalmente, la colaboracion con varios ministerios (MCPEC, de Coordinacion de Produccion, Empleo y Competitividad), ONGS (UNESCO, Grupo Faro, etc.) y el sector privado, como Director del Centro de Emprendimiento de la USFQ (Universidad lider en emprendimiento en el pais) desperto el compromiso con la Creacion de Valor Compartido (Porter) y la colaboracion
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Gobierno Central: Ministerio de Turismo
Gobiernos Locales: Municipio de Ibarra, Orellana y Tena (Amazonia), San Cristobal (Galapagos)
Entes locales de Desarrollo: cedet, (www.cedet.ec, federacion de turismo comunitario del Ecuador (www.feptce.org)
Universidades: San Francisco de Quito (USFQ), Stanford
Multinacionales: Telefonica, Coca Cola, Gruenenthal
Fundaciones: CREDIFE (Banco del Pichincha)
Please elaborate on any needs or offers you have mentioned above and/or suggest categories of support that aren't specified within the list
Buscamos encaminarnos de manera eficiente y eficaz hacia el alcance de nuestros objetivos estrategicos (implementacion de balance scorecard, virtualizacion de nuestros servicios y el equipamiento correspondiente). Esta provision nos permite compartir nuestros recursos con nuestros aliados y pares. Tambien, buscamos crear vinculos estrategicos con las empresas claves en la cadena de valor.
Created on 08/30/2012 by Darcyel
This art walk is promoting our trails system and encouraging people to explore them. Tourism, business, and arts/culture will all be involved and prosper.
Organization: Tumbler Ridge Artist Club
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Tumbler Ridge Artist Club
Country where this solution is creating social impact
Region in BC where your solution creates social impact
Northern British Columbia.
Is your organization a
Not registered
How long has your organization been operating?
1‐5 years
The information you provide here will be used to fill in any parts of your profile that have been left blank, such as interests, organization information, and website. No contact information will be made public. Please uncheck here if you do not want this to happen..
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideSelect the stage that best applies to your solution
Idea (you're poised to launch)
How long have you been in operation?
Still in idea phase, but looking to launch soon
Which of the following best describes the barrier(s) your solution addresses? Choose up to two
Access, Quality.
The Need: Describe the need for your solution and the size and characteristics of the community(ies) your solution is engaging
Tumbler Ridge is a remote yet beautiful Northern BC community on the verge of an economic boom with the presence of a number of coal mines and windmill projects. While the future of Tumbler Ridge looks promising, the town is still fragile since it has seen a downturn in resource industry once before which threatened the existence of the town. Because of this we need to focus on our small town identity which boasts the theme of ‘Waterfalls and Dinosaurs”. There is a need to better showcase our natural beauty, encourage outdoor recreation, promote healthy living, boost tourism and create greater opportunity for local community members and as a result, pull the whole community together.
The Solution: What is your solution? Be specific!
An art initiative with the intention of producing high quality original paintings that highlight the abundant natural resources and recreational trails that have been carved out by our local hiking club. An Art Walk (Tumbler Ridge Art Installation Landscape Stroll) would be created by placing artwork around town to educate and bring awareness to locals and tourists of our extensive trail system. This would also encourage higher traffic in to local businesses. The goal is to strengthen a sense of community while focusing on the awe-inspiring beauty surrounding the town and to encourage personal exploration of our trail systems.
The Model: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference; include the primary activities involved in your solution.
There are currently 11-17 local participating businesses offering to display the art installation landscapes. Over five local artists are on board with the opportunity to be able to display their artwork and gain exposure for their talent. Additionally, the local hiking group is also excited by this initiative, as they have worked hard to carve out many trails and would love the opportunity to better highlight the trails.
As part of the artwork installation, each piece will have signage with information such as their locations, degree of hiking difficulty, bear aware tips, drinking water reminders and special points of interest. Also, an artist statement will express the inspiration of the painting, adding an incentive to view the location on site. The paintings in the Art Stroll will be installed with the idea of yearly rotation, bringing in new artwork and artists to keep locals and returning tourists interested and engaged. By bringing many community members together in a collaborative and harmonious way, we are making a difference in how locals and tourists view our town and outdoor areas. We are trying to help strengthen our community identity as a beautiful, natural, active and welcoming community.
The Marketplace: Who are your peers and competitors? Identify others working to address the same needs as you and indicate what sets you apart from them.
This art initiative is collaborative among local artists, local businesses, clubs and community members, all with the common goal of bringing the community together and celebrating its natural beauty. Some key peers and partners include the Tumbler Ridge Museum Foundation, Wolverine Nordic and Mountain Society, TR Artists Club, Town Hall, and many community groups and businesses. Surrounding towns have successfully incorporated “Art Walks’ in to their communities and rather than viewing this as competition, we can learn from their success, follow in their footsteps and potentially partner with them in the future.
This Entry is about (Issues)
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideFounding Story: We want to hear about your "Aha!" moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution's potential to change the world.
I was asked to paint a 50ft mural at the swimming pool in our community center highlighting our one-of-a-kind and expansive landscape. Wanting to continue painting the community’s beauty (and since the project was fun, relatively easy and successful), I spoke with the local hiking club with the idea to showcase the hiking trials. Immediate support and enthusiasm followed from town businesses, community members and Town Council. From there, I shared the idea with other local artists who were also enthusiastic to be included and with this the idea for ‘Tumbler Ridge Art Installation Landscape Stroll’ was born! This initiative brings to light the beauty of Northern BC. It will also help strengthen our town identity with the hope of putting us on the world map as place worth visiting by highlighting what we have; breathtaking scenery and hiking trails, inspired artists and a strong community bond.
Please describe the goal of your initiative; outline what you are trying to achieve
Simply put, we are trying to strengthen our community and its identity with a visual representation of our town theme of "Waterfalls and Dinosaurs" and highlight trail destinations that have just that - spectacular waterfalls and fascinating dinosaur evidence. We are trying to bring arts and culture alive in a long term project of co-operative participation. We want it to encourage active participation through spin-off activities such as: guided hikes, photo contests, painting workshops and art auctions! Additionally, this art initiative will help in the beautification of our downtown core, encourage outdoor recreation, and potentially contribute to our community’s destiny as a world class tourism destination.
What has been the impact of your solution to date?
This idea has been passed before our Town Council and was received enthusiastically by members of council. Over 20 letters of support have been given from local business owners and prominent community members. We are enthusiastic and confident that this is a highly respected and anticipated venture for our town.
What is your projected impact over the next five years?
We hope to develop world class tourism potential where the interaction of community demonstrates a high degree of excellence in arts and culture, outstanding record of performance in physical fitness and noticeable healthy living with obvious respect for nature.These factors in combination will help to display our town as a community with a passionate and inspirational spirit.
What barriers might hinder the success of your project? How do you plan to overcome them?
Initially, securing funding is the biggest barrier to overcome. Once we achieve that, our only foreseeable barrier may be naysayers or those who do not fully support or understand our vision and overall goals. We have, however had only positive feedback from the community thus far, and hope that it continues as we proceed forward.
Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve and track growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact
Preparation for Art Stroll
Task 1
Complete 8 large and 6 medium paintings with descriptive information cards
Task 2
Confirm and finalize locations of intstallations
Task 3
Finalize format and information of brochures & develop "passports" that will help track use of trails.
Now think bigger! Identify your 12-month impact milestone
Task 1
Complete all canvases (an additional 4 large and 4 medium canvases)
Task 2
Print and distribute brochures, advertise through different mediums, and finalize and produce ``passports`` to track success
Task 3
Installations placed in designated location; ready for Grand Opening, Canada Day 2013!
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideTell us about your partnerships
Local businesses, local artists, clubs and other community members are all eager and willing to contribute to this idea. This is a collaborative initiative that requires partnership with as many members in the community as possible in order to succeed. We are always open and accepting of new interest in partnership. Those that are interested in this initiative are all passionate about this community and want to see this town succeed and prosper.
Are you currently targeting other specific populations, locations, or markets for your solution? If so, where and why?
Since this is a local initiative, we would focus our attention to our community. There is a possibility of extending into other Northern community networks in the future – Specifically the seven already involved in the Peace Liard Annual Juried Art Show.
What type of operating environment and internal organizational factors make your innovation successful?
We have a local artist club that meets to paint together and develop ideas for this initiative. We have been doing some pleine aire painting trips to view the landscape in person.
Please elaborate on any needs or offers you have mentioned above and/or suggest categories of support that aren't specified within the list
We are open to collaborating and networking with other similar projects and encourage sharing both ideas and talent among different artist groups.
Created on 08/30/2012 by karina.miaprajna
House of Heritage: Exploring The Hidden Charms of Indonesia Under One Roof. We preserve and promote Indonesian culture by giving cultural hands-on experience to tourist. In order to make this happen, we will develop this company as a community-based business. We hope we can contribute to the development of tourism industry as well as the revenue distribution equality development in Indonesia.
Organization: House of Heritage
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Indonesia, YO, Yogyakarta
Gender of Innovator
Female
Is your organization a
For‐profit
How long has your organization been operating?
Less than a year
The information you provide here will be used to fill in any parts of your profile that have been left blank, such as interests, organization information, and website. No contact information will be made public. Please uncheck here if you do not want this to happen..
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideSelect the stage that best applies to your solution
Start-Up (a pilot that has just begun operating)
How long have you been in operation?
Operating for less than a year
The Need: What problem are you trying to solve?
In the globalization era, the authenticity of a culture is often forgotten by the people owns the culture itself. As culture represents the uniqueness of a community, it is therefore deeply important to remind and promote tradition and culture to the people. Another problem faced by Indonesia is that there is the inequality of revenue distribution among the cities in Indonesia. Besides the inequality of welfare, there is also an increasing rate of unemployment in small cities. People tend to apply jobs in big cities, such as Jakarta, but many of them does not qualify for the quality that is searched by firms in Jakarta. It makes them unemployed because the big cities' firms need higher skilled workers, on the other hand, there are not enough firms in their city or region to apply for.
The Solution: What is your solution? Be specific!
To solve those two problems, we need to market and sell the culture of a region in a way that benefits the local government, the local people, as well as the nation as a whole. This is why we want to make a service company that "sell" culture as a tourism product. Furthermore, this firm should be placed in that region it self, where the culture come from, to be able to remind local people as well as promote to others. The challenge comes from how to sell it in a fun and unique way. The trend of Creative Tourism has made us inspired and therefore we implement this theory to our business. We would like to give hands-on experience for (local and foreign)tourist about hidden charms of Indonesia, the multicultural authenticity. Thus, tourist can make and hence experience the model of that culture.
The Model: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference; include your primary activities
Each House of Heritage, established in different region in Indonesia, will offer different culture based on the culture of that region. The cultural experience that we would like to deliver is traditional Food&Beverage, Dance, Handicraft, Transportation, and Costumes. All of this cultural components are offered under one roof to give easier accessibility for the tourist. To give easier accessibility we will also locate near tourist destinations and accommodations. Our primary activities in traditional Food&Beverage division is cooking lessons and a rooftop restaurant. To make the atmosphere more beautiful, we will have live dance performance every Tuesday night. We will outsource the restaurant with a profit sharing to empower SME in that region. The traditional Dance division will provide authentic dance lessons for tourist. In this division we will cooperate with local dance schools as a source of human resource. In this way, students graduating from that school can work for us and continue to become professional dancer so that traditional dances in Indonesia will be preserved and inherited to future generations. Handicraft division will be giving handicraft making lessons, such as batik lessons in which tourist will paint batik. In traditional Transportation division, tourist will be able to enjoy authentic transportation of that region as a driver as well as a passenger. Costumes division will give tourist the experience of wearing traditional costumes and perpetuate this moment in a picture.
The Marketplace: Who are your peers and competitors? Identify others also working to address the needs you are and what differentiates you from them. What challenges could these players pose to your success or growth?
Currently, there is only indirect competitors in the tourism industry, such as travel agent and tour guides that provides cultural, environmental, and adventurer tours. They may give other tourist destination options to tourist but not many of them could provide a complete package in one place. Besides our peers in tourism industry, photo studios can also become our potential competitior.Other players that will work together with us, which is the outsourced SME in F&B division, dance school, and traditional transportation drivers,could give the services that we give by their own. Our competitive advantage will be the complete cultural experience that we give and the high service quality that we will maintain. It is important that we maintain a clean, hygienic, and friendly environment.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideThis Entry is about (Issues)
What solution(s) does your initiative address to help emerging entrepreneurs and small businesses grow and thrive in underserved communities? (select all applicable)
Access to economic opportunity, Policy change/advocacy.
What has been the impact of your solution to date?
The impact will be preserving and promoting Indonesian culture, contributing to the development of community and regional economic conditions, developing the tourism industry, contributing to the equalization of revenue distribution, and most importantly empowering and inspiring local Small Medium Enterprises.
What is your projected impact over the next 1-3 years?
-Social welfare in that region will be increased by 10%.
-More local Small Medium Enterprises will be established in that region.
-Local Unemployment will be decreased by 3%
-The region in which we build the House of Heritage will be more well known as a tourism destination and the amount of tourist visiting this region will be increased 10%
What barriers might hinder the success of your project? How do you plan to overcome them?
-Its hard to build a company near tourism destinations because most of the time there are no empty land surrounding this site. We solve it by buying someone houses and land nearby and give higher land rate. If it is not possible, we can also locate near hotels, malls or other accommodations.
-the SME, dance school, and traditional transportation drivers could become a potential competitor in the future. We overcome this by always establishing House of Heritage in strategic locations, near tourism destinations or hotels.
Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve and track growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact
In six month we have to be able to establish and operate this business officially and get well-known regionally
Task 1
Establishment of the Business officially
Task 2
Establish cooperation with operational stakeholders as well as marketing partners
Task 3
Promote intensively through online (world wide) and offline media (nation wide)
Now think bigger! Identify your 12-month impact milestone
Become the next tourism destination nationally and get ready to open another branch in another city
Task 2
Get enough capital to open another branch
Task 3
Find strategic location in another city
Founding Story: We want to hear about your "Aha!" moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution's potential to change the world.
Honestly, myself also has been longing of learning how to paint batik for a long time, but I didn't know where I could learn this. Then, last year I went to Thailand and experience how Tuk Tuk has cheated me by giving low price but it does not take me to my desired destinations. I heard that the traditional transportation in Indonesia often do this as well. A month after that, I went to China and felt that the distances of tourism places are so far that makes me feel uncomfortable to travel. Since I was in Junior high I'm passionate in contributing to the development of tourism in Indonesia. So I got the idea of making a house in which tourist can experience Indonesian culture especially handicraft (e.g. Batik), and traditional transportation. Another goal of my idea is to preserve the Indonesian culture, because honestly myself also don't know that much about my own culture, but I really want to learn and experience my culture. I'm sure that many youth nowadays feel the same as I do.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideTell us about your partnerships
We will establish partnerships with:
-investors : to help us raising capital for this business.
-local government: to choose which cultural items we should deliver.
-local SMEs : to provide the F&B division's services.
-Traditional transportation drivers: to provide the traditional transportation division's services.
-dance schools : to recruit talented and professional dancers for traditional dance division.
Please elaborate on any needs or offers you have mentioned above and/or suggest categories of support that aren't specified within the list
To grow and sustain my initiatives, I will need investment for building the company, marketing for promoting and setting service standard, Pro-bono help for establishing this business legally/officially, Innovation and mentorship to improve my initiative. On the other hand, I can help other initiatives to market and promote their activities, collaborate with corresponding initiative,and give ideas
Created on 08/28/2012 by vpietroboni
El proyecto de desarrollo sustentable en la Biósfera de las Yungas promueve el desarrollo socio económico de esta región a través de la generación de capacidades para la obtención de fuentes de ingresos sustentables y la creación de tejido social, contando con el valor agregado de una marca de calidad social y ambiental, la marca PRODUCTOYUNGAS.
Organization: Fundación PlaNet Finance Argentina
Visit websitemore ↓↑ hide↑ hideOrganization Name
Fundación PlaNet Finance Argentina
Organization Country
Argentina, C, Buenos Aires
Country where this project is creating social impact
Argentina, XX, Provincias de Salta y Jujuy
Gender of Innovator
Female
Is your organization a
Non‐profit/NGO/citizen sector organization
How long has your organization been operating?
1‐5 years
The information you provide here will be used to fill in any parts of your profile that have been left blank, such as interests, organization information, and website. No contact information will be made public. Please uncheck here if you do not want this to happen..
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Desarrollo Local Sustentable en la Biósfera de las Yungas
Select the stage that best applies to your solution
Growth (your pilot is up and running, and starting to expand)
How long have you been in operation?
Operating for 1‐5 years
The Need: What problem are you trying to solve?
El problema al cual apunta esta innovación es la falta de desarrollo socio económico y la situación de pobreza endémica en la región de la Biósfera de la Yungas –en los últimos año ha oscilado entre el 45 y 15% de la población–, más particularmente en los pueblos de San Francisco y de los Toldos, debido a las siguientes barreras identificadas: 1) Falta de acceso a canales de comercialización, por el aislamiento y las dificultades para organizar emprendimientos comunitarios, 2) Escasa cultura emprendedora y falta de conocimientos de gestión y venta (15% de analfabetos), que evita que logren un beneficio económico de sus conocimientos artesanales y productivos y 3) Falta de acceso al capital, que se acentuará cuando fortalezcan los puntos anteriores y puedan crecer en producción y venta.
The Solution: What is your solution? Be specific!
La solución consiste en brindar herramientas a los habitantes de la región de la Biosfera de Yungas, en especial a quienes viven en San Francisco (Jujuy) y Los Toldos (pueblo de Salta al que sólo se accede atravesando territorio boliviano) para que puedan superar las tres barreras mencionadas anteriormente y así generar fuentes de ingresos sustentables que les permitan mejorar su calidad de vida. Esta generación de herramientas se alcanzará por medio de las siguientes vías de trabajo: 1) la formación en gestión del emprendimiento y la asistencia técnica para mejorar la calidad de sus productos y servicios, 2) la creación y fortalecimiento de fondos rotativos autogestionados por la comunidad y 3) el apoyo en el desarrollo de canales de comercialización y la difusión para aumenta la visibilidad de la innovadora marca PRODUCTOYUNGAS (PY), que posee el valor agregado de garantizar una producción orgánica, sustentable y de calidad y una comercialización bajo los patrones de Comercio Justo.
The Model: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference; include your primary activities
El programa se articula en torno a 4 principales acciones que contribuyen a fortalecer todo el ecosistema emprendedor y de negocio:
1. Asistencia técnica a emprendedores: provisión de asistencia técnica por rubro de producción para mejorar la calidad de los productos y servicios y para aplicar protocolos de producción que garanticen su sustentabilidad.
2. Formaciones en gestión, asociativismo y comercialización: talleres de espíritu emprendedor y asociativo, comercialización, atención al cliente, registro de ventas, costos y ganancia, fijación de precio e identidad marca PY
3. Apoyo a la comercialización de productos y servicios de la marca PRODUCTOYUNGAS
La marca PRODUCTOYUNGAS es una marca de calidad social y ambiental que fue desarrollada por la Fundación ProYungas en un conjunto con las comunidades y empresas de la región. Garantiza una elaboración artesanal y sustentable de los productos, usando materia prima y procesos naturales que cuidan el ambiente de la Reserva de Biósfera y valorizan el saber-hacer de las comunidades locales.
4. Implementación de un fondo de compra de mercadería, que más adelante servirá como fondo de microcrédito autogestionado. En una primera instancia, el fondo se implementará como fondo de compra de mercadería, la cual será adquirida por ProYungas para comercializarse con el apoyo de PlaNet Finance en provincias del norte del país y en Buenos Aires. El fondo se re orientará hacía el microcrédito productivo (compra insumos etc.) cuando los canales de comercialización estén fortalecidos y los niveles de venta sean más significativos.
The Marketplace: Who are your peers and competitors? Identify others also working to address the needs you are and what differentiates you from them. What challenges could these players pose to your success or growth?
Pueden ser consideradas como competidores otras fundaciones como Fundapaz o Silataj quienes trabajan en el Norte argentino con productores y comercializan sus productos en tiendas de comercio justo. Ellos no resultan competidores directos dado que no trabajan en la biosfera de la Yungas, pero pueden resultar competencia en la comercialización de productos similares. Sin embargo la marca PRODUCTOYUNGAS es única por los valores que transmite y los productores que la componen.
El principal par de esta iniciativa y que se constituye en el socio local del proyecto es fundación ProYungas que posee más de una década de experiencia en gestionar e implementar actividades de desarrollo sustentable y conservación de la biodiversidad en la Argentina, particularmente en las Yungas.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideThis Entry is about (Issues)
What solution(s) does your initiative address to help emerging entrepreneurs and small businesses grow and thrive in underserved communities? (select all applicable)
Access to financing, Access to talent, Access to supply chains, Access to economic opportunity.
What has been the impact of your solution to date?
El proyecto piloto empezó implementarse en el año 2011 y al momento ha alcanzado a más de 200 emprendedores de los siguientes rubros: apicultores, productores de dulces, madres tejedoras y promotores de turismo rural comunitario. No solo se trabajo al nivel de los individuos pero sobre todo al nivel asociativo: 12 clubes y dos cooperativas de madres tejedoras (150 beneficiarias), asociaciones de Turismo Rural Comunitario (La Apacheta, Atucoque), grupos de apicultores del Huaico, grupo de producción de dulces de frutas de las Yungas. Todos estos han sido fortalecidos en sus capacidades técnicas (aspectos bromatológicos, terminaciones, bordados y técnicas de coloración), de gestión y varios de ellos gestionan sus propios fondos rotatorios.
What is your projected impact over the next 1-3 years?
El impacto proyectado es que se logra fortalecer la comercialización de los productos y servicios de las Yungas. Por un lado, los productores y artesanos logran vender todo lo producido de manera regular a través del desarrollo de nuevos canales comerciales, dado que se ha identificado un cuello de botella en el que a pesar de tener mucho stock no logran venderlo. Por otro lado, se espera que quienes proveen servicios turísticos crecen en visibilidad y que aumentan su demanda generando mayor afluencia de turistas en las Yungas.
Como consecuencia del crecimiento socio-económico que esto genere se alcanzará alrededor de 2000 beneficiarios indirectos que verán mejorada su situación.
What barriers might hinder the success of your project? How do you plan to overcome them?
Una de las barreras que pueden dificultar el éxito de nuestro proyecto es la insuficiencia de fondos. Tenemos socios económicos al momento (Carrefour y Allianz) pero debemos hallar nuevas fuentes de financiamiento (constantemente en búsqueda) para poder profundizar las acciones comenzadas. Otra barrera puede ser la competencia en la comercialización de productos de carácter orgánico y artesanal, por eso, se debe insistir en el carácter único de la marca PRODUCTOYUNGAS. Por ultimo, una barrera a sortear serán los potenciales costos de traslado de la mercadería de las Yungas para ser comercializada en centros urbanos.
Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve and track growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact
A 6 meses, nuestra meta es identificar y desarrollar nuevos canales de comercialización para los emprendedores de las Yungas.
Task 1
Establecer contacto con red o tiendas de comercio justo en Buenos Aires y otros centros urbanos para empezar la comercialización
Task 2
Selección y empoderamiento de Embajadores de las Yungas que son restaurantes y hoteles que se comprometen a difundir la marca.
Task 3
Promoción de la ecoregion y de un turismo sustentable en la zona para atraer más turistas y aumentar la visibilidad de la región
Now think bigger! Identify your 12-month impact milestone
Los canales de comercialización desarrollados funcionan eficientemente y garantizan la venta regular y continua de lo producido.
Task 1
Articular al emprendedor con los nuevos canales comerciales establecidos.
Task 2
Generar un mecanismo de gestión para el control de la entrega de la mercadería y la venta de la misma y la ganancia generada.
Task 3
Seguimiento del mecanismo de comercialización a través de estos puntos y realización de ajustes necesarios.
Founding Story: We want to hear about your "Aha!" moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution's potential to change the world.
PlaNet Finance fue creado en Francia en 1998 por el economista Jacques Attali con el objetivo de luchar contra la pobreza utilizando las herramientas de las microfinanzas. Según la visión de PlaNet, la inclusión financiera puede ser una de las soluciones para sacar las personas vulnerables de su situación de pobreza y para fomentar el desarrollo socio-económico. La Fundación ProYungas trabaja en la Reserva de Biósfera de las Yungas desde hace más de diez años, creyendo en la premisa de que es posible producir rentablemente preservando el medio ambiente. En el 2009 el equipo de PlaNet Finance realizó un viaje de reconocimiento a la zona de proyecto para poder identificar junto a ProYungas las prioridades de desarrollo local de las comunidades y a partir de este diagnóstico se definieron las actividades a implementar. Este diagnóstico y definición de acciones prioritarias es lo que dio origen al proyecto “Desarrollo local sustentable en la Biósfera de las Yungas”.
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La alianza establecida desde 2009 es con la fundación ProYungas, que tiene una fuerte presencia territorial. Se buscaran alianzas con actores del comercio justo para que vendan PRODUCTOYUNGAS. También se esperan alianzas futuras con los actores de la zona, por ejemplo los embajadores de las Yungas.
Please elaborate on any needs or offers you have mentioned above and/or suggest categories of support that aren't specified within the list
Nuestras principales necesidades consisten en un apoyo financiero para soportar los gastos de implementación y un apoyo en la difusión y visibilidad del proyecto ya que esto resultara clave para el desarrollo de canales de comercialización fuertes, actividad central del proyecto. Asimismo, el establecimiento de redes resulta crucial para la generacion de alianzas estrategicas.
Created on 08/22/2012 by tilzmatictech
Delhi Metro Navigator (Launched on 28th June’2011) is the leading Android application in the relative market with more than 1 lack downloads in last year with user ratings of 4.6/5. It provides an easy-to-use, step-by-step interface full of guidance, help, and glossaries, with a powerful navigation model. Your one stop solution for any problem you have while travelling in Delhi Metro.
Organization: TilzmaticTech
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India, DL, Delhi, Mumbai , Bangalore and Kolkata
Is your organization a
For‐profit
How long has your organization been operating?
1‐5 years
The information you provide here will be used to fill in any parts of your profile that have been left blank, such as interests, organization information, and website. No contact information will be made public. Please uncheck here if you do not want this to happen..
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideSelect the stage that best applies to your solution
Start-Up (a pilot that has just begun operating)
How long have you been in operation?
Operating for 1‐5 years
The Need: What problem are you trying to solve?
Transportation issues which are very common in metropolitans like Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Kolkata using simple mobile technologies.
The Solution: What is your solution? Be specific!
To solve problems of commons using innovative solutions and basic mobile technologies. Android apps is what we have started with but planning to expand to even cheaper technologies.
The Model: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference; include your primary activities
The Delhi Metro app by Tilzmatic Tech is a free android phone app working on the location based mobile application model. The creators did intensive research before launching the app. It serves an average routine metro commuter with possible all his needs and more. From routes between stations, where to interchange between lines, the fare involved and above all whether a parking space is available at a particular metro station or not along with the ever increasing charges for parking, this is one app which doesn’t leave any question unanswered.
The Marketplace: Who are your peers and competitors? Identify others also working to address the needs you are and what differentiates you from them. What challenges could these players pose to your success or growth?
Tilzmatic Tech is participating in Google android market of net worth of more than $3 billion which have been growing at more than 300% rate for the last three years. Tilzmatic Tech will be targeting five customer segments: Android Phone User, Android Tablets User, I-Pod touch user, I-phone User and I-Pad User. More than 50,000 android phones are selling per day and apple devices too have huge promises for future. Right now in Delhi, we are the market leader with 1,00,000+ download and almost every second android phone user who uses Delhi metro is our customer.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideThis Entry is about (Issues)
What solution(s) does your initiative address to help emerging entrepreneurs and small businesses grow and thrive in underserved communities? (select all applicable)
Access to technology.
What has been the impact of your solution to date?
Every common person who uses Delhi Metro navigator and Everyone directly or indirectly using these technologies- Android Phone, Android Tablets, I-Pod touch, I-phoneand I-Pad.
What is your projected impact over the next 1-3 years?
Connecting all the major Cities of India using Metro, Bus, Train Application and bring every domain on a single platform.
What barriers might hinder the success of your project? How do you plan to overcome them?
1. Present Competition
Solution- Affordability and Simple designs. Our applications are absolutely free of cost and our designs our simplest to use.
2. Financial sustainability
Solution - By offering partnership and investment from private and govt. parties.
3. Change in technology
Solution - We are working on multiple platforms like android,IOS and windows to counter any issues which may happen due to obsolescent of one technology.
Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve and track growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact
After one year of Delhi Metro Navigator, We stand on 1,00,000 downloads. We expect same number of downloads for Mumbai app.
Task 1
Enhanced the basic version of Mumbai app to more information rich app
Task 2
Counter the existing competition by getting partners windows/Intel platforms.
Task 3
Use our existing channel partners (Spice/HCL) to push our products to gain market share.
Now think bigger! Identify your 12-month impact milestone
Launch 10 more applications for other cities/capitals and work on different domains like Buses and trains.
Task 1
Get investors on board to inject cash to speed up the back-end operations.
Task 2
Research and analysis to identify right cities and domain to target.
Task 3
Effective management for design-development-distribute phases.
Founding Story: We want to hear about your "Aha!" moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution's potential to change the world.
Two years into an IT firm,Vikash Kumar now a first year PGDM student and his partner Anupam Dutta, a software engineer and android programmer, had a thought: Rather than just helping their firm with innovative ideas and initiatives in telecom and mobile telephony, why not create one of such product under their own name? And so they took their first step in the much hyped Android Market. Other so-called hybrid agencies which already had many applications with screaming success gave these developers a new hope.
They picked up an area which was related to problems of commons and still un-tapped. The solution that they had thought was to address the Metro transportation problem. They launch Delhi Metro navigator on June 7th'11.
It was 3 months they launched their application they got offer from HCL to join them as partners...!!! Today they are with highest downloads for any metro navigation app for Delhi they are partner with Intel and Spice as well
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideTell us about your partnerships
Technology partners with Intel in their latest Ultrabook developer program.
Application partners with HCL technologies and Spice mobiles.
Please elaborate on any needs or offers you have mentioned above and/or suggest categories of support that aren't specified within the list
Legal help to protect information rights.
Created on 08/12/2012 by EDEPA
Our organization is a professional women group engaged for 20 years in social projects and technical assistance related to health, education, environment, and youth and women emporwement in local area
Organization: Equipo de Proyectos y Asesoría Social
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Equipo de Proyectos y Asesoría Social
Country where this project is creating social impact
Gender of Innovator
Female
Is your organization a
Non‐profit/NGO/citizen sector organization
How long has your organization been operating?
More than 5 years
Has the organization received awards or honors? Please tell us about them
The information you provide here will be used to fill in any parts of your profile that have been left blank, such as interests, organization information, and website. No contact information will be made public. Please uncheck here if you do not want this to happen..
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Portal Red Turismo Local diseñado y administrado por mujeres rurales de Camatagua, Venezuela
Select the stage that best applies to your solution
Start-Up (a pilot that has just begun operating)
How long have you been in operation?
Operating for less than a year
Which of the following best describes the barrier(s) your innovation addresses? Choose up to two
Access, Cost.
The Need: What problem are you trying to solve?
The Solution: What is your solution? Be specific!
The Model: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference; include your primary activities
The Marketplace: Who are your peers and competitors? Identify others also working to address the needs you are and what differentiates you from them. What challenges could these players pose to your success or growth?
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideThis Entry is about (Issues)
What solution(s) does your initiative address to better the lives of girls and women by leveraging technology? (select all applicable)
Access to technology, Access to education/training, Access to economic opportunity.
What has been the impact of your solution to date?
What is your projected impact over the next 1-3 years?
What barriers might hinder the success of your project? How do you plan to overcome them?
Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve and track growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact
Task 1
Recruitment of women to be involved in the training process, organization and execution
Task 2
Searching and registration of the potential small and medium enterprises
Task 3
Preparation, definition and design of the portal, as well as administrative operation
Now think bigger! Identify your 12-month impact milestone
Task 1
Development of comunication, publishing and customers plan to introduce the product
Task 2
Management of the Portal and marketing process
Task 3
Monitoring, evaluation and analisis of results to introduce changes and lessons learn
Founding Story: We want to hear about your "Aha!" moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution's potential to change the world.
The importance of this project is to allow rural women in an integrated local network to lead a techonological process of marketing to rural tourism within the country in a more wild market orientation, to be part of the small domestic market as well to spread the big market at the international level for new areas or rural sustainable tourism en the world
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideTell us about your partnerships
Please elaborate on any needs or offers you have mentioned above and/or suggest categories of support that aren't specified within the list
Created on 08/9/2012 by akanodu
Cross River State Tourism Bureau was established in 2003
to encourage sustainable tourism development for the social
& economic benefit of the State’s population.
CRSTB’s vision is to make Cross River the preferred destination in West Africa in terms of creating memorable experiences through superior service
delivery,quality accommodation, fun-filled activities, while providing value for money
Organization: Cross River State Tourism Bureau
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Cross River State Tourism Bureau
Country where this project is creating social impact
Is your organization a
Government
How long has your organization been operating?
More than 5 years
The information you provide here will be used to fill in any parts of your profile that have been left blank, such as interests, organization information, and website. No contact information will be made public. Please uncheck here if you do not want this to happen..
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CRS Tourism SMEs Development Plan
Select the stage that best applies to your solution
Start-Up (a pilot that has just begun operating)
How long have you been in operation?
Operating for less than a year
The Need: What problem are you trying to solve?
Tourism is a new word in Nigeria. It is perceived to be the responsibility of the Government. The tourism SMEs development plan will address the issue of dependence of communities on the Government for developing the sector and support for SMEs.
However, the Cross River State Tourism Bureau acting as destination manager of the state will help show tourism SME potentials to investor audiences through development of elaborate tourism SME business plans and an investment platform for CRS tourism SMEs.
Further to this, fora will be created to connect Tourism SMEs with investors (business Angels and venture capitalists) who will form partnerships with tourism SMEs in the state for development and expansion of the businesses.
The Solution: What is your solution? Be specific!
Support innovative product development for emerging SMEs that demonstrate strong market potential
Assist undeserved communities in Cross River investor ready platforms; investor relations, attraction and communication
Support creation and revitalization of tourism attractions, sites and experiences
Enhance the quality of tourism SMEs services and practices through training
The Model: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference; include your primary activities
CRS Tourism SMEs Development Fund is a private equity fund structure that encourages private investment in tourism SMEs based on the realization that the tourism industry's risk owners is the private sector not the government.
The fund is structured as a limited partnership of the investors and tourism SMEs.
The fund allows business angels and private equity companies to invest in tourism startups and expanding tourism SMEs.
Obudu Delight is one of Cross River State's Tourism SMEs.
Obudu Delight is a honey farm, supplying tourists visiting the Obudu Mountain Resort, Cross River State and southern Nigeria as its market reach.
The farm's production level have been increased through private investment by helping the locals with the necessary farm implements to keep bees rather than get into the wilds and forests to hunt bee hives with low productivity as the output.
The scalability of this tourism SME was achieved through private equity funding. However, the investors had a good return on investment for the 6 years Obudu Delight has been in operation and the community is running the farm with little supervision and advice on the management of the farm.
The following are a list of CRS tourism SMEs and markets to be developed:
1. CR Cocoa Processing Factory
2. Palm oil bottling company
3. Dry gun distillery
4. Yam and cassava flour processing company
5. Obudu delight - Obudu honey farm (currently in existence for 5 years)
6. Palm-wine bottling company
7. Art and craft markets for each senatorial district
8. Reconstruction of beach market & beach restaurants
The Marketplace: Who are your peers and competitors? Identify others also working to address the needs you are and what differentiates you from them. What challenges could these players pose to your success or growth?
Akwa Ibom and Plateau states make up Cross River State's tourism competition.
The government of these states are the risk bearers of the tourism industry, constantly providing funding for the sector with little private sector participation and political regimes come with mind set shifts to divers areas of interests.
The CRS Tourism Bureau only serves as a fulcrum to support the industry through marketing to investor audiences to access critical funds for the industry. This private sector mindset has helped the industry grow faster with little government presence.
The challenge this competition poses is that they take a slice of Cross River State's tourist visit pie, but not investible funds from the private sector.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideThis Entry is about (Issues)
What solution(s) does your initiative address to help emerging entrepreneurs and small businesses grow and thrive in underserved communities? (select all applicable)
Access to financing, Access to talent, Access to technology, Access to economic opportunity.
What has been the impact of your solution to date?
The solution has enlightened communities on self sufficiency and tourism idea generation and development. The first face of CRS tourism development plan is the community based tourism: this initiative helped communities to understand the business of tourism, preserving their culture and how to make their tourism product offering Ppealing and available to tourist and destination visitors.
What is your projected impact over the next 1-3 years?
It projected impact is to have CRS tourism shift from a current 60/40 government/private sector participation to a 30/70 government/private sector participation in the tourism industry.
To achieve this, we should be able to create a system that connects investors to tourism SMEs, train tourism SMEs in areas of marketing and service quality.
What barriers might hinder the success of your project? How do you plan to overcome them?
Formation of Public/Private Partnerships (PPP)
CRSTB's method of overcoming barrier of creation and sustenance of PPP is through the behavioural change and sensitization campaigns which are done at community level to sensitize communities on risk bearing in tourism industry, and leveraging tourism SMEs through strategic alliances and partnerships. This is ongoing: Cross River State is made of South, Central and Northern senatorial districts, currently we have covered the southern senatorial district.
Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve and track growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact
To create a working investment vehicle to CRS tourism SMEs
Task 1
Development of business plans for CRS tourism SMEs
Task 2
Investor lead generation for investment in the SME
Task 3
Creation of investment platform
Now think bigger! Identify your 12-month impact milestone
Provide tourism SMEs with 'A' round of funding (Seed capital) through private partnerships
Task 1
connect private investors and SME and create concrete Public Private Partnerships (PPP)
Task 2
Have first round of funding (seed capital)
Task 3
Begin to produce/provide tourism SME product and services
Founding Story: We want to hear about your "Aha!" moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution's potential to change the world.
I began conducting small scale researches on the retail economy of Cross River State Tourism, keeping in mind that tourism SMEs were the key to driving the states economy.
However, the Cross River State Tourism Bureau is not set our to generate profits, it is to ensure that the communities and locals benefit from the tourism market.
This stirred up the CRS tourism private equity fund initiative.
In addition, we do not only look forward to having this initiative work for Cross River State tourism, we look forward to its scalability and application in other tourism states in Nigeria and for them to consult Cross River as the foremost destination managers of Nigeria.
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The Cross River State government as per the Tourism Bureau has partnerships with:
Guinness Nigeria to promote the Calabar Festival, which commences on the 30th of November to 31st of December, driving in 2,000,000 tourist (local and International)annually.
MTN Nigeria is the annual sponsor of our traditional festivals (Leboku).
First Bank Nigeria is sponsor on tourism SME and the proposed fund manager of the tourism SMEs Development funds.
Please elaborate on any needs or offers you have mentioned above and/or suggest categories of support that aren't specified within the list
NEEDS
Provision of funding to build a system of investor/tourism SMEs partnerships.
Help promote a sustainable CRS tourism through marketing the state's tourism effort to global travel trade.
Assist the Cross River State Tourism Bureau with partnerships a& collaborations that will aid product development of CRS SMEs.
OFFERS
Assist other destination managers with similar product offering
Created on 08/4/2012 by mailalokranjan@yahoo.com
our service is amazing platform for those who looking for booking through internet without switch the websites....
Organization: 3imperial
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Region in BC where your solution creates social impact
Is your organization a
Not registered
How long has your organization been operating?
Less than a year
The information you provide here will be used to fill in any parts of your profile that have been left blank, such as interests, organization information, and website. No contact information will be made public. Please uncheck here if you do not want this to happen..
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideSelect the stage that best applies to your solution
Idea (you're poised to launch)
How long have you been in operation?
Still in idea phase, but looking to launch soon
Which of the following best describes the barrier(s) your solution addresses? Choose up to two
Access, Quality.
The Need: Describe the need for your solution and the size and characteristics of the community(ies) your solution is engaging
as we all know that how internet user increase day by day all around the world and those who are using the internet are always look to buy,sell,book anything at one place on the go, in my view all users wanted all the thing at one place without switch to the other sites. i think booking portal yet have unable to provide all the booking stuff at one place and user have to go to different sites for their different booking needs.......
The Solution: What is your solution? Be specific!
and we are working on to solve same as providing all these stuff at one place on the move.our plan to target mass number of internet user who likes this kind of services through providing them movie ticket,sports event,event,real estate,food,air ticket,rail,bus ticket,car rental,hotels in the the booking mode that they can access whole world at one go...
The Model: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference; include the primary activities involved in your solution.
like i mentioned earlier there are many websites and they are providing all these service but they are unable to provide all these services at same platform our plan to provide all these things at same platform and i think it is definitely going to hit the market.. and i think our portal will definitely going to solve the market and it's definitely going to change the booking experience
The Marketplace: Who are your peers and competitors? Identify others working to address the same needs as you and indicate what sets you apart from them.
i think i don't see anybody as my competitors as i mentioned earlier there are few number of this kind of website available in market and they also are not providing all these stuffs at one place.we only have plan start our venture and run in the proper as well intensive and aggressive manner and rest they have to do........
This Entry is about (Issues)
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideFounding Story: We want to hear about your "Aha!" moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution's potential to change the world.
after my graduation i think to start my own venture because real thing behind it is i want to do something for family my papa and mom and once i decided to start my own venture ecommerce is my first choice and after 2-3month of research i planned to provide this kind of service as my business chances....
Please describe the goal of your initiative; outline what you are trying to achieve
we have a plan which is definitely going to target indian majority of internet user because the plan we are working is in the field of booking platform and our target is to provide all the services related to booking at one place on the go.....
in India there are many such kind of portal but they are unable to provide all these stuffs at one place like hub and we planned to provide all this thing via online internet portal. Our target to increase traffic of our portal and make revenue as big as possible by providing all these things at one place……..
What has been the impact of your solution to date?
like i mentioned earlier there are many websites and they are all these service but they are unable to provide all these services at same platform our plan to provide all these things at same platform and i think it is definitely going to hit the market.. and i think our portal will definitely going to solve the market and it's definitely going to change the booking experience on the internet and it will also impact the market because this is something we see very rare in the recent past a and if we able to provide all this thing with quality then market will definitely tough in near future......
What is your projected impact over the next five years?
...... like i mentioned it will completely change the experience of booking on internet and big players will also try the same with additional feature and different think tank to sustain in the market and our project will make some inspiration for new entrepreneur and inspire them to convert their ideas into their business that will be also good for market at the i want to say one more thing in past three years market will tougher and tougher with the changing times and technology and innovation.....
What barriers might hinder the success of your project? How do you plan to overcome them?
i don't think there is nothing which can hind in the success of our portal expect service and reach and if so we will work for make our service unmatchable than others....
Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve and track growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact
make a team and will need to work regularly well for reach the milestone...
Task 1
expanding our reach to the customers
Task 2
need to analyse all our our strength and weekness
Task 3
need to tie ups with all the services which are not available at our portal
Now think bigger! Identify your 12-month impact milestone
we will have think to expanding our reach to the consumers and make this number bigger and bigger...
Task 1
target the people who use the internet but know about our services
Task 2
will need to international as well as big banners tie ups in the process of expanding the impact
Task 3
advertise at big level.....
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideTell us about your partnerships
we are three partners in this roject. but they are investing very less amount but they are involved but all other i will have to manage from some . wew are planing to raise funds from angel investor as well bank loan and family.....
Are you currently targeting other specific populations, locations, or markets for your solution? If so, where and why?
actually now we are only targeting indian internet users.
What type of operating environment and internal organizational factors make your innovation successful?
at one word it's need lots lots of tie up and hardworking ability yo make this site bigger....
Please elaborate on any needs or offers you have mentioned above and/or suggest categories of support that aren't specified within the list
all the service specified in the list above./.
Created on 08/4/2012 by mailalokranjan@yahoo.com
our company is very dedicated to provide all the booking need through one platform on the move.our product is different from others and caters a better quality and services...
Organization: 3imperial
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Is your organization a
For‐profit
How long has your organization been operating?
Less than a year
The information you provide here will be used to fill in any parts of your profile that have been left blank, such as interests, organization information, and website. No contact information will be made public. Please uncheck here if you do not want this to happen..
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideSelect the stage that best applies to your solution
Idea (you're poised to launch)
How long have you been in operation?
Still in idea phase, but looking to launch soon
The Need: What problem are you trying to solve?
as we all know that how internet user increase day by day all around the world and those who are using the internet are always look to buy,sell,book anything at one place on the go, in my view all users wanted all the thing at one place without switch to the other sites. i think booking portal yet have unable to provide all the booking stuff at one place and user have to go to different sites for their different booking needs.......
The Solution: What is your solution? Be specific!
and we are working on to solve same as providing all these stuff at one place on the move.our plan to target mass number of internet user who likes this kind of services through providing them movie ticket,sports event,event,real estate,food,air ticket,rail,bus ticket,car rental,hotels in the the booking mode that they can access whole world at one go...and at one portal
The Model: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference; include your primary activities
like i mentioned earlier there are many websites and they are all these service but they are unable to provide all these services at same platform our plan to provide all these things at same platform and i think it is definitely going to hit the market.. and i think our portal will definitely going to solve themarket needs.....
The Marketplace: Who are your peers and competitors? Identify others also working to address the needs you are and what differentiates you from them. What challenges could these players pose to your success or growth?
i think i don't see anybody as my competitors as i mentioned earlier there are few number of this kind of website available in market and they also are not providing all these stuffs at one place.we only have plan start our venture and run in the proper as well intensive and aggressive manner and rest they have to do........
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideThis Entry is about (Issues)
What solution(s) does your initiative address to help emerging entrepreneurs and small businesses grow and thrive in underserved communities? (select all applicable)
Access to economic opportunity.
What has been the impact of your solution to date?
it's definitely going to change the booking experience on the internet and it will also impact the market because this is something we see very rare in the recent past a and if we able to provide all this thing with quality then market will definitely tough in near future......
What is your projected impact over the next 1-3 years?
like i mentioned it will completely change the experience of booking on internet and big players will also try the same with additional feature and different think tank to sustain in the market and our project will make some inspiration for new entrepreneur and inspire them to convert their ideas into their business that will be also good for market at the i want to say one more thing in past three years market will tougher and tougher with the changing times and technology and innovation.....
What barriers might hinder the success of your project? How do you plan to overcome them?
i don't think any thing can hind in the way of success of our portal expect quality and we will work for provide better quality.
Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve and track growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact
make a team and will need to work regularly well for reach the milestone...
Task 1
make a very pottention team to promote product
Task 2
need to link more and more componies to provide those remaining services on our portal
Task 3
always have to work on our weekness and provide quility services to consumer and target them with provding unmatch quility from
Now think bigger! Identify your 12-month impact milestone
we will have think to expanding our reach to the consumers and make this number bigger and bigger...
Task 1
need to analyze all the report of our componies and need work to less our weekness and strong our strength
Task 2
adverstise our portal in the people who don't know about our service and try to make bidgger impact
Task 3
international tie up as well as big banner national tie up in process of expanding our portal throughout of world
Founding Story: We want to hear about your "Aha!" moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution's potential to change the world.
after my graduation i think to start my own venture because real thing behind it is i want to do something for family my papa and mom and once i decided to start my own venture ecommerce is my first choice and after 2-3month of research i planned to provide this kind of service as my business chances....
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideTell us about your partnerships
currently there are three partners including me in this project but they are are investing very less amount of money so as i will have to mange all the rest amount.
Please elaborate on any needs or offers you have mentioned above and/or suggest categories of support that aren't specified within the list
all i have specified in the list....
Created on 08/1/2012 by markhoroszowski
A Global Experteering Network: Inspiring and enabling professionals to donate their expertise to social enterprises around the world.
Organization: MovingWorlds
Visit websitemore ↓↑ hide↑ hideOrganization Country
United States, WA, Issaquah, King County
Country where this project is creating social impact
n/a
Is your organization a
Hybrid
How long has your organization been operating?
Less than a year
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A Global Experteering Network
Select the stage that best applies to your solution
Start-Up (a pilot that has just begun operating)
How long have you been in operation?
Operating for less than a year
The Need: What problem are you trying to solve?
According to the World Economic Forum, Social Enterprises are performing under their potential due to lack of access to quality talent, coaching, networks, and information.
Meanwhile, professionals around the world are seeking more fulfilling and meaningful experiences. And employers and universities are struggling to economically provide enough experiential learning and skills-based volunteer opportunities.
The Solution: What is your solution? Be specific!
Connecting Professionals directly with Social Enterprises from around the world in order to effectively scale international, skill-based travel volunteering: Experteering
Our online platform matches and educates Pros and SEs much like a dating site. In addition, the platform:
+ Uses a payment mechanism to verify members
+ Provides expert-contributed resources, training, and discounts
+ Uses a proprietary hosted discussion tool to scale creation of ‘statements of work’
+ Can be white-labeled by partners, and/or provide custom impact reports
The Model: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference; include your primary activities
1. Social enterprises (SEs) post their business need to the MovingWorlds online platform.
2. It matches them to professionals (Pros) eager to donate expertise in exchange for a short live/travel-abroad experience.
3. The SEs and Pros connect online - much like a dating site - and discuss project specifics and room & board arrangements.
4. The Pro travels to the SE and completes the project, and then both submit a report on impact.
5. When the Pro returns home, he/she can continue to support the SE virtually.
6. Reports are aggregated to share with impact and development partners
The Marketplace: Who are your peers and competitors? Identify others also working to address the needs you are and what differentiates you from them. What challenges could these players pose to your success or growth?
Other volunteer placement and work-abroad entities exist (i.e. Idealist, Global Volunteer Network, Catchafire), yet none focus on scaling international, skill-based volunteering:
1. Scalability: Using technology and crowd-sourcing, not staff, to 2. aggregate/verify quality Pros and SEs from around the world
2. Impact Reporting: Measuring and sharing impact of every engagement
3. Security, Safety and Liability: Using proprietary ‘Mutual Engagement Details’ hosted conversation to ensure all details for a successful engagement are recorded online.
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What solution(s) does your initiative address to help emerging entrepreneurs and small businesses grow and thrive in underserved communities? (select all applicable)
Access to financing, Access to talent.
What has been the impact of your solution to date?
While the platform has not yet been live, we have complete a "concierge MVP" to connect Pros to SEs.
Impact for each audience includes:
Pros - return home more globally conscious and volunteer more locally.
SEs - receive effective guidance to improve business direction
What is your projected impact over the next 1-3 years?
Our goal is to facilitate over 3,500 matches, resulting in over 280,000 hours.
Stories, anecdotes, and impact reports will be used to collect specific results, including job creation, reduction of carbon footprints, and knowledge transfer.
What barriers might hinder the success of your project? How do you plan to overcome them?
Our biggest challenge is filling the marketplace with quality, safe Pros and SEs. We are working with partners (like impact investors and employers) to make sure we have access to both sides.
Also, in order to ensure quality matches, we have developed and are testing a "engagement details" tools to help SEs and Pros plan their trip together.
Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve and track growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact
Confirm 10 partnerships with impact investors to support funded/growing companies, and help unfunded companies get support
Task 1
Work with current impact investor partners to finalize and test value proposition.
Task 2
"Package" the offering, and talk to at least 2 reps from as many of the 500+ impact investors globally
Task 3
Complete Tasks 1 and 2 by month 4 to close partnerships by month 6.
Now think bigger! Identify your 12-month impact milestone
Develop partnerships with 25 corporate partners to ensure quality flow of professionals
Task 1
Work with current employer contacts to better understand needs, and our ability to support corporations CSR and HR programs
Task 2
"Package" MovingWorlds and test offering to HR, Training and Development, and CSR reps at over 100 companies
Task 3
Complete Task 1 and 2 by month 6 to leave 6 months to close partnerships with 25+ partners
Founding Story: We want to hear about your "Aha!" moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution's potential to change the world.
The Serendipitous Story:
After co-founding the BID Network in 2004, Derk (from Holland) moved to Latin America to expand the BiD Networks footprint there. In 2011, Mark (from Seattle, WA) left the successful digital strategy agency he had founded to donate his skills around the world. While supporting social enterprises in Buenos Aires, he met Derk at a startup event.
The two connected over their passion to support global development by addressing the “talent gap” facing SEs - an issue that the World Economic Forum classifies as the biggest barrier to growth following access to capital.
After 6 months of planning and many business trips to build initial partnerships (i.e. to New York, Washington DC, Colombia), they received endorsement by a variety of launch partners (Grassroots Business Fund, Acumen Fund, Net Impact, etc.,)and incorporated. They began recruiting Jonah immediately, a skilled programmer and fellow Experteer himself. Mark had previously worked with Jonah in 2009.
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Pre-launch, have access to over 45,000 SEs and Pros to help fill marketplace:
To find quality SE and Pro Partners: Acumen Fund, Grassroots Business Fund, Upaya Social Ventures, BiD Network, Kotter International, Global Brigades, Net Impact, NESsT, Eco Zoom, Inter-American Development Bank, Start Some Good, GreenEmpowerment.org;
To Accelerate Promotion partners: Aspen Network of Developmental Entrepreneurs, Network for Good, LinkedIn For Good, Mashable, Huffington Post, Global Impact Investors Network, US Chamber of Commerce Business Civic Leadership Center, SustainAbility, and growing…
Please elaborate on any needs or offers you have mentioned above and/or suggest categories of support that aren't specified within the list
Experienced with lean startup methodologies and strategic marketing. Would be honored to support fellow SEs in any way.
Business models for common carriers (taxicabs) establish drivers as independent contractors with no control over costs to participate. In other words, to conform with regulatory requirements as common carriers, private companies organize drivers to serve all consumers (cash payment paradigm). The result is unreliable service (no forced dispatching) and exploited drivers.
Created on 07/20/2012 by Tang Duyen Hong
Marine Gifts, found in 2011, is the first Vietnamese Social Enterprise focused on empowering women living in and around Marine Protected Areas of Vietnam by vocational and living skills training. We train local women to make handicrafts products and provide community – based eco/cultural services then purchase and sale to responsible travelers over the world via our online and offline stores.
Organization: Marine Gifts Social Enterprise
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Marine Gifts Social Enterprise
Country where this project is creating social impact
Vietnam, Marine Protected Areas
Gender of Innovator
Female
Is your organization a
Hybrid
How long has your organization been operating?
1‐5 years
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Marine Gifts supporting small business for poor women in coastal Vietnam
Select the stage that best applies to your solution
Start-Up (a pilot that has just begun operating)
How long have you been in operation?
Operating for 1‐5 years
The Need: What problem are you trying to solve?
Vietnam is a coastal country with 3.200 km of coastline and more than 1 million km2 territorial waters. Total inland waters are 3 times bigger than total main land and there are 83% of total resident are living in coastal areas, of them, more than 10 million people (65% are women and girls) are living totally depend on fishing and aquaculture. Vietnam’s coastal areas attract over 3 million international visitors and more than 10 million domestic tourists annually. Notably, the systems of MPA in Vietnam with about 16 MPA and 4 national parks with marine areas illustrated high priority of Vietnam government on conservation of marine resources. However, behind high-end resorts, gorgeous luxurious beaches and big development projects, women living around MPAs still face with difficult lives th
The Solution: What is your solution? Be specific!
MG addressed a number of immediate needs:
1. It provides job opportunities and income in areas where the economic sources of income had been limited in accordance with government’s conservation purposes.
2. It contributes to raise awareness on illegal fishing, marine resources conservation, protection of beaches and undersea areas that are major tourist attractions.
3. It provide living skills training for women in the context of fact that infrastructure conditions in islands are limited with lack of electricity, fresh water supply and means of communication (radio, television coverage, newspaper, etc.) which lead to little access to information. It also contributes to the fact of limited awareness and access to information for women, and then they continue to be hardly listened, independent and be abused in some ways.
The Model: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference; include your primary activities
At the moment, after 1 year operating, MG has it own legal status of a limited company and successfully set up 02 MG groups in Nha Trang Bay MPA and the first and only Trao Reef locally managed MPA in Vietnam (both in Khanh Hoa Province). We gain totally USD 60.000 in 2011, provide job and income for 32 women earning about USD 150/month. None of these 32 women was an artisan before they enter MG’s program. They even have no job, income and the chance to voice up at their family.
The Marketplace: Who are your peers and competitors? Identify others also working to address the needs you are and what differentiates you from them. What challenges could these players pose to your success or growth?
1.Responsible tourism service providers who have reputation in high-class tourism services why we have strong focus on marine conservation expedition, participatation of local peoples as well as as Accessibility to protected areas
2.Handicraft producers(Craftlink, XQ)who aready set up distribution channels around the world. We have utilization of by-products from marine
3. Development organizations MCD, WWF)who have multiple approaches and networking, avaiable funding for their work. We believes that we have strong commitment and a market orientation comparing with their projects based aproach.
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What solution(s) does your initiative address to help emerging entrepreneurs and small businesses grow and thrive in underserved communities? (select all applicable)
Access to economic opportunity.
What has been the impact of your solution to date?
At the moment, after 1 year operating, MG has it own legal status of a limited company and successfully set up 02 MG groups in Nha Trang Bay MPA and the first and only Trao Reef locally managed MPA in Vietnam (both in Khanh Hoa Province). We gain totally USD 60.000 in 2011, provide job and income for 32 women earning about USD 150/month. None of these 32 women was an artisan before they enter MG’s program. They even have no job, income and the chance to voice up at their family.
What is your projected impact over the next 1-3 years?
MG will expand to 16 MPAs and 4 National parks with high marine resources in Vietnam to 2018 and to 6 countries in Southeast Asia over the next ten years, bring job and income for at least 2.500 poor women who have no job and income now will earning $300 - $500.
What barriers might hinder the success of your project? How do you plan to overcome them?
To achieve the goal, an investment of USD 500 is required, which will primarily be used to (i) to carry out an overall survey to all MPAs in Vietnam and surrounding countries as well as a market survey to develop a set of MG Products that can highlight potential attraction of each MPA; (ii) to provide local women with vocational skill trainings to ensure they will provide good services (iii) to branding, invest to human resources, marketing and promotion and for working capital. The project will have an internal return on investment of 103%.
The founding team of MG is seeking like-minded outside investors to help reach the goals of this project. The ideal investor will be seeking the significant financial rewards offered by the project, along with the desire to make a positive impacts.
Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve and track growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact
Task 1
Completing branding, operation tool kit; Products and products description ready for sale
Task 2
Preparing to establish up Marine Conservation Centre to call for more support and fund for community development work
Task 3
Saving profit to hire new office and more staffs
Now think bigger! Identify your 12-month impact milestone
Scale up Marine Gifts models to 5 more new Marine Protected Areas
Task 1
Completing Mangrove for Future funded Project to open 5 more new models, benefit 100 more poor women
Task 2
Call for new grands, investorments to replicated MG models to 5 more models
Task 3
Strengthening the management team by trainings, networking, coaching, etc
Founding Story: We want to hear about your "Aha!" moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution's potential to change the world.
That was 2009 when I was at a training for local women in Bich dam island (1 of 4 islands that have people living in Nha Trang bay MPA) – just 2 nautical from Nha Trang city (a famous tourism destination in Vietnam). It was the first time I came to an island although I have been in many coastal villages in Vietnam.
I was the trainer and had given local people exercise that using a story of a famous elder’s movie star. I thought it will be very easy for local people to talk about an elder movie star such as I used to see my mother and her friends chatting every day.
No one can do the exercise because they have never had a chance to watch television, got to know that famous movie star. That was so said for me to know that they have no electricity, no high school and hospital in the island. Many children were died when they were trying to go to the main city for high school. And women don’t dare to speak out at the meeting…
I had tried to bring a better life for these lidies from then.
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We have strong partnership with our local women, authorities as well as gorvenment offices, tourism operators, NGO and social enterprise in Vietnam. That is results from our founder's more than 10 years experiences working in these field befor founding Marine Gifts.
Please elaborate on any needs or offers you have mentioned above and/or suggest categories of support that aren't specified within the list
We are seeking for funds, investment to help the organisation level up, strengthen its impacts and achieve its goals.
Created on 07/5/2012 by Pandurang Taware
Approximately 50 words left (400 characters).
Organization: Agri Tourism Development Corporation
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Agri Tourism Development Corporation
Country where this project is creating social impact
Is your organization a
For‐profit
How long has your organization been operating?
1‐5 years
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read more↓↑ hide↑ hideSelect the stage that best applies to your solution
Established (past the previous stages and has demonstrated success)
How long have you been in operation?
Operating for 1‐5 years
The Need: What problem are you trying to solve?
Farmers in village are engaged in farming activity through out the year. Their income from farm produce depends on good monsoon, good harvest and good marketing. It is experienced that the income from agriculture farming is only once or twice in the year, but the expenses are on weekly basis , it is very difficult for the farmer to sustain throughout the year, since the income is not sufficient.
The Solution: What is your solution? Be specific!
To make farming sustainable and feasible there was a urgent need of some experiment in additon to the traditional farming, after three years of consistent research and studies, Shri Pandurang Taware concluded that Tourism was one such experiment that will generate weekly income which can compensate weekly expenses of the farm
The Model: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference; include your primary activities
Pilot Project of Agri Tourism by ATDC was made under leadership of Mr. Pandurang Taware in 2005 in Malegaon near Baramati in Maharashtra, where the Agri Tourism was demonstrated on Agriculture Development Trust’s farm. once within 2 years the pilot project became a huge success. In 2007 , ATDC launched Maharashtra State Agri Tourism Vistar Yojana 2007 where in 52 farmers were selected to start Agri-tourism centers across the entire state of Maharashtra. Similarly in 2008 – another 25 farmers were selected, thus totally 72 Agri tourism centers are operational currently in the entire state.
In the state where 80 % farmers have marginal land holdings, it was danger that these farmers may left out of the Agri tourism benefits, thus Shri Pandurang Taware suggested the route of cluster Agri tourism development under co-operative basis, thus the farmers started several agri tourism development co-operatives
The Marketplace: Who are your peers and competitors? Identify others also working to address the needs you are and what differentiates you from them. What challenges could these players pose to your success or growth?
Urban population is increasing day by day. Today, urban children’s world is restricted in the close doors of a school, home and centre around television, video game, computer, fast food and internet. Living in urban area, they have not enjoyed the beauty of Mother Nature. ATDC Agri Tourism Development Corporation, did the research in 2004, and found that 43% of urban population did not have any relative left in the village. 97% of urban population wants to experience the rustic beauty of village life.
there is no organization addressing this need , and hence cannot comment on this .
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What solution(s) does your initiative address to help emerging entrepreneurs and small businesses grow and thrive in underserved communities? (select all applicable)
Access to financing, Access to talent, Access to economic opportunity.
What has been the impact of your solution to date?
The farmers from the state of Maharashtra who have started operating the agri tourism centers, have increased income by 33% by the way of agri tourism, and also , generated 3 full time employment in the house at the village level itself . thus it has helped to lessen the rural - urban migration , and raised the self esteem amongst the farmers
What is your projected impact over the next 1-3 years?
The agri tourism project impact is good, now there are almost 300 agri tourism operational in the state and more important 20 district collectors have recently taken the training for agri tourism and hence it will implemented in the state of Bihar as well.
What barriers might hinder the success of your project? How do you plan to overcome them?
we have established the training institute at our agri tourism center baramati , in dist of pune , there we need funds to sustain.
Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve and track growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact
Task 1
make our baramati agri & rural tourism training , research , and development center sustainable
Task 2
train at least 300 farmers more to start agri tourism center in maharashtra
Task 3
promote agri tourism concept as more green and responsible tourism options for urban citizens of India.
Now think bigger! Identify your 12-month impact milestone
Task 1
to make minimum of 25 agri tourism center operational
Task 2
train at least 1000 farmers more to start agri tourism center in maharashtra
Task 3
promote agri tourism concept as more green and responsible tourism options for urban citizens of India.
Founding Story: We want to hear about your "Aha!" moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution's potential to change the world.
ATDC : Founded in 2005 by Pandurang Taware ,entrepreneur and descendant of a farming community, Agri Tourism Development Corporation (ATDC) is a company that facilitates agricultural tourism in the Indian state of Maharashtra. With a stagnating Indian agricultural industry, farmers across Maharashtra are looking at agri-tourism as a means of diversifying business opportunities and securing a viable livelihood.
Following a phase of research and an initial pilot programme in the village of Baramati in 2005, ATDC now has 500 trained farmers and 130 agri-tourism locations across the state of Maharashtra. Since the inception of the programme, farmers across the state have experienced a 25% growth in their income.
ATDC offers farmers agri-tourism training programmes which equip them with the technical knowledge they need to diversify their products and establish small-holding tourism ventures. advocates a policy of employing local youth in its agri-tourism centres.
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JANATA SAHAKARI BANK ,
GOVERNMENT OF MAHARASHTRA
Please elaborate on any needs or offers you have mentioned above and/or suggest categories of support that aren't specified within the list
A-Where Tours is a social venture concept that would offer walking tours of Rio de Janeiro's favelas led by resident-guides.
The proposed differentiation from other favela tours is: (1) guides would showcase life in the favela through the lens of their unique, personal histories, which would offer tourists a more intimate, meaningful experience; (2) tour groups would not exceed four people, to enhance personal interaction with the guide and other residents; (3) only the most at-risk, male youth would be employed as guides, maximizing the the social impact of the venture.
We are a band of storytellers, armed with cameras, out to reveal the good in our world.
Created on 02/29/2012 by SYOU
Time for Change
The global sneaker industry is dominated by a handful of giant brands. Domination of retail margins, marketing strategy and production techniques is paramount. Money is spent on marketing, pouring value into sports-derived products. Production is done as cheaply as possible in Asia. At its core this model has existed for decades. It’s time for change in the sneaker industry.
‘Trade, not Aid’ in action
Organization: !SYOU // co-designed sneakers
Visit websitemore ↓↑ hide↑ hideThe competition is only open to people between 18-34 years-old and resident in UK, Ireland, Sweden, Denmark or the Netherlands. Does this apply to you
Yes.
Country of residence of entrepreneur
The Netherlands
Tell us about your personal background. Why are you passionate about this issue? Making an idea a reality takes innovation, dedication and strong leadership. Do you have the necessary entrepreneurial skills to realize your vision?
We represents a new generation of entrepreneurs, looking beyond just our own interests. Success can be shared. We are Merijn ten Thije & Jaap Spoorenberg. The initial idea was hatched whilst one was working for Nike EHQ: researching & defining opportunities for Nike in Africa. Merijn & Jaap are two like-minded entrepreneurs and friends since they met as student brand managers at Red Bull, bonding over a shared passion for marketing, creation and ethical brand-building.
Together, we want to launch !SYOU the way it deserves to be launched: on an international scale with a global reach. In order to achieve this, the team needs to be complemented with global influencers and skilled partners, who join us and change the way people think about sneakers.
We believe in an alternative to the rigid and conservative business models that have driven the fashion industry for many years. We believe fashion, commercial success and a positive, sustainable approach to production can work hand-in-hand. !SYOU is an abbreviation for I SEE YOU. We see, and collaborate with, talent all over the world. This co-design philosophy is the heart and soul of !SYOU. This is why we get up in the morning.
Organization Name
!SYOU // co-designed sneakers
Organization Country
Netherlands, NH, Amsterdam
Country where this project is creating social impact
Is your organization a
For‐profit
The information you provide here will be used to fill in any parts of your profile that have been left blank, such as interests, organization information, and website. No contact information will be made public. Please uncheck here if you do not want this to happen..
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideThe Need: What problem are you trying to solve?
The global sneaker industry is dominated by a handful of giant brands. Domination of retail margins, marketing strategy and production techniques is key. Money is spent on marketing, pouring value into sports-derived products, produced as cheaply as possible in Asia. At its core this model has existed for decades. It’s time for change in the sneaker industry.
In times of recession, funds for developing aid decrease. At all times big NGO’s suffer from an image problem - ‘Which part of my donation is spent on salary and overhead of the organization and which part is truly distributed to the aid in developing countries?’
In the developed world, DAC-listed nations are perceived as poor, helpless, conflicted, even war-torn.
The Solution: What is your solution? Be specific!
By producing a unique, sneaker in DAC-listed* countries and marketing to consumers in developed markets we meet two distinct needs: Firstly, our desire to help drive positive economic change in local communities through two-way trade, not aid. As such we also hope to contribute to the positive image of the country. Secondly, our consumers’ desire for more sustainable products that do not sacrifice fashion-forward design or quality.
Introducing !SYOU: unique sneakers produced in collaboration with DAC-listed nations. Co-designed with local creative talent and designers around the world, produced by local manufacturers with locally sourced materials, and sold at a fair price and at fair margins all across the world. And the best bit? Everyone involved receives a fair share of the proceeds from each sale. From local producers to local creative talent to local communities. This is ‘Trade, not Aid’ in action.
* Countries eligibeligible to receive official development assistance.
The Model: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference; include your primary activities
Co-Design is a simple ‘fair-trade’ philosophy, which builds creative and commercial partnerships in every nation we work with. Design talent and local material producers collaborate with the !SYOU team to produce each new sneaker. Co-Design is unique to !SYOU and it’s why we get up in the morning. It’s a totally fresh approach to sneaker design. A global viewpoint that sets us part from the every other two-footed brand on the racks. And it gives us the chance to do our thing in a good and honest way.
The !SYOU concept is truly unique in the market. From our co-design philosophy to our product design, our packaging to our service, we hope to become a revolution in the sneaker industry. Our global journey to develop new collections with new DAC-listed countries allows to continually innovate, thus retain and protect our concept.
The soul of the !SYOUbrand is positive collaboration. Inspired by and produced in collaboration with DAC-listed nations. !SYOU is co-designed with both local creative talent and top-designers from around the world and produced by local manufacturers with locally sourced materials. Everyone involved - from local producer – to local creative talent – to local communities - receives a fair share of the proceeds from each sale. This is ‘Trade,’ not ‘Aid,’ in action.
The Marketplace: Who are your peers and competitors? Identify others also working to address the needs you are and what differentiates you from them. What challenges could these players pose to your success or growth?
The current market is dominated by a handful of global brands , in whose sales strategies retailers play the leading role and retail margin is paramount. Marketing is focused on sports and budget spending prioritises endorsement deals and traditional television and print advertising. 95% of the production is still located in Asian countries and completed as cheaply as possible. These basic principles have formed the pervading business model for decades. It’s time for change in the sneaker industry.
Giant brands such as Nike, Adidas, Converse, Puma, VANS dominate the market place. Luckily more (sustainable) brands are also entering the market like Veja or TOMS.
Quality and price wise we will not outperform these players on the market. Story-, value and content-wise we hopefully will.
Select the stage that best applies to your business
Operating for 1-5 years
This Entry is about (Issues)
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideWhat is the social impact you have had to date and how you measure it?
In June 2010 the first !SYOU collection launched as a test-run in the Netherlands. A limited batch of 600 pairs was co- designed with talented artists and material producers from Burkina Faso.
Furthermore, !SYOU was invited to participate in several competitions and events where we could tell our story. We invited the creatives from Burkina Faso to Amsterdam to co-design with top-talents in the Netherlands for a week (with aid of the Mondriaan foundation). This action was an ultimate recognition of our philosophy of international collaboration, and a positive approach towards working with DAC-listed countries and talents.
In a nutshell: on a small scale we stimulated economic activities, and we hope we shared our story and philosophy and showed a positive side of Burkina Faso.
What barriers might hinder the success of your business? How do you plan to overcome them?
A highly competitive market. A small number of new brands have entered the market and survived. We hope that our story and combination of a commercial initiative and do-good, while still being an A-brand help us to enter this market.
The DAC-listed countries: The countries we work with are on the official list of developing countries (by the World Bank). Many of these nations are unstable both political and/or economically, and sadly, obstructive bureaucracy and corruption are both regularly observed. We invest time in selecting the right local partners/organizations and communities to collaborate with to minimize these risks.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideHow does your model address financial, social, and environmental sustainability?
At !SYOU we see talent and collaborative opportunity all over the world and we aim to help change the way the consumer sees our developing nation partners. It makes no difference if you are a photographer from Ouagadougou or Tokyo, if you are an artist in Medellin or NyC, a local manufacturer in Bulgaria or Argentina.
Our approach is trade...not aid. A structured solution that puts each developing nation as an equal trade-partner, utilising their resources to generate jobs and revenue. For example; When a consumer buys a Nike sneaker they (maybe unwittingly) support and contribute to cheap, possibly exploitative production in Asia, huge retail margins and athlete sponsorship deals. !SYOU offers a distinct alternative – equal on quality and fashion edge, but combined with the knowl- edge that their purchase directly (and with full transparency) supports economic and creative development in developing countries.
By producing a unique, premium sneaker in DAC-listed countries and marketing to consumers in developed markets we meet two distinct needs: Firstly, our desire to help drive positive economic change in local communities through two-way trade, not aid (and as such contribute to the positive image of the country); and secondly, our consumers’ desire for more sustainable products that do not sacrifice fashion-forward design or quality.
read more↓↑ hide↑ hideHow do you see social entrepreneurship contributing to the improvement of developing countries?
In the developed world, DAC-listed nations are perceived as poor, helpless, conflicted, even war-torn. In reality many of these countries nurture a wealth of new talent and valuable resources. Take Colombia as an example. Asked for an instant association, respondents most reactions are: “Drugs.” “Violence.” “Poverty.” “FARQ.” Those interviewed had little or no idea of the creative talent the country offers.
Fair-trade or NGO initiatives in the fashion industry tend to focus to heavily on worthy aid or conservative diffusion product lines. Interest is generated by charity, rather than creativity. There are a small number of interesting exceptions to this rule, but the opportunity for cool, edgy fair-trade fashion brands like ours remains strong.
Consumer apathy is a very real issue for cause-related products. Our belief is that fair trade can feel good and look great. Make the product desirable with sole reliance on the fair trade ethic.
What aspects of your stay in Uganda as part of the competition do you think you will find most challenging and rewarding?
Beside the country itself; meeting and talking with like-minded entrepreneurs. Visiting the projects, and being on the look-out for new opportunities. We always have had the vision that we don't know it all. We love to gather people around us who know better and learn from them and each other.
We created an idea of how !SYOU would be as a person: 'He or she would be humble pioneer on a never ending journey. And like all adventurers, aid and inspiration comes from amazing friends at every step. The people and the journey are as important as the destination.
The brand is humble, without ego, or desire for fame and fortune. The challenge and the reward are all in keeping the independent spirit alive and in sharing this with as many like-minded souls as possible. It’s always more than money, more than fashion, because !SYOU is more than just a sneaker.'
