A Bicycle-Based Beekeeping Business, with Kristy Lynn Allen, The Beez Kneez
The Beez Kneez is a Minneapolis-based honey production, education and advocacy organization. When Kristy Lynn Allen was in high school, her family moved to a new school district during the school year. As a result, her grades suffered. She needed a boost to be ready for college. So, she enrolled in a college connection program. […]
Investing in, Connecting and Celebrating Social Entrepreneurs, with Sally Osberg, Skoll Foundation
The Skoll Foundation drives large-scale change for the world’s most pressing problems. They invest in, connect and celebrate social entrepreneurs. Sally Osberg’s reading early in life shaped her outlook. “I was reading biographies of people like Eleanor Roosevelt, and Jane Adams, and people who convinced me that you could make a pretty powerful difference in […]
From Used Goods to the Greater Good, with Julie Kearns, Junket: Tossed & Found
Junket: Tossed & Found creates easy access to high-quality used goods. Julie Kearns was the mother of a 3-month-old when her husband left. Julie describes the impact, “Between pregnancy weight, not eating, divorce diet, all of that stuff, I lost about 50 pounds in six months.” As the weight fell off, she needed clothing that […]
Improving the Effectiveness and Efficiency of Humanitarian Missions, with Lori Most, BinaryBridge
BinaryBridge creates software that helps humanitarians do their work effectively and efficiently. Lori Most grew up seeing television commercials of humanitarian crises, especially in Africa. Lori recounted, “I always wanted to go to Africa and help…I thought ‘I’m going to grow up and go over there.” In college, she started as a pre-med student. Partway […]
The Intersection of Food and Social Justice, with Michelle Horovitz, Appetite for Change
Appetite for Change uses food as a tool for building health, wealth, and social change in North Minneapolis. Michelle Horovitz grew up in the well-manicured suburbs of Minneapolis. If you ask her about the beginning of her journey to social change, she points to her Jewish upbringing. She says that her family made her aware […]
Clarity Comes While You Are Working, with Junita Flowers, Favorable Treats
Favorable Treats is a cookie company and social impact venture. Favorable Treats has a mission to let families across the country enjoy warm cookies in safe homes. They produce and sell pre-portioned cookie dough. A percentage of their profits goes towards dating and domestic violence awareness and prevention. The founder of Favorable Treats, Junita Flowers […]
Hacking the Diversity Gap, with Kristen Womack, Hack the Gap
Hack the Gap is a weekend event where women come together to build a project as a team. Kristen Womack is a bona fide techy. She worked as a product manager for some well-known tech companies. She runs Night Sky Web Co. And she has been involved in the local tech scene from Geekettes to […]
The World’s Largest Network of Late-Stage Social Entrepreneurs, with Katherine Milligan, Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship
The Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship is the sister organization to the World Economic Forum. They manage the world’s largest network of late-stage social entrepreneurs. Katherine Milligan says, “I have always been deeply touched by the inequities of the world.” She spent time in the Peace Corp where she lived in a village in Benin […]
A Catalyst for Caring and Building Community, with Rose McGee, Sweet Potato Comfort Pies
Rose McGee reminds me of that quote from tennis legend Arthur Ashe. “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” Rose calls sweet potato pie “the sacred desert of black culture.” She grew up with her grandmother and great-grandmother in Jackson, Tennessee. As an adult, Rose decided that she wanted to […]
How to Find Meaningful Work, Cheryl Dorsey, Echoing Green
Echoing Green identifies and invests in transformational leaders. How we spend our time is how we spend our lives. Unless you’re independently wealthy, there’s a good chance that right now you’re getting ready for work, on your way to work, you’re already at work, or you’re thinking about work. If we’re going to spend this […]