Listen to David Dietz, founder of the sustainable fashion company Modavanti, share his story of harnessing fashion as a force for good.  David was a conflict journalist covering revolutions in the Middle East before he discovered the dirtiness of the textile industry and set out to start his own revolution.
The fashion industry is one of the highest producers of waste and pollution, and is a vital component in the effort to change the current trends of global warming and climate change. Modavanti is completely dedicated to changing the world through sustainable fashion by selling clothes made by designers using sustainable practices and dedicated to a cause.  The company also donates 2 percent of all profits to organizations making an impact by supporting artisans and providing clean water in developing countries.  David shares about the challenges of starting a new startup social enterprises as well as the great satisfaction that comes with seeing profits and progress go hand in hand.  He believes that sustainable fashion revolution can improve our world as consumers join the movement and start caring about how things are made and who made them.

Show Notes:

Shop and Learn more about Modavanti

·         Personal Hero: President Bill Clinton

·         Favorite tool use to help grow business: Google Drive, Google Calendar

 Best piece of advice you have ever received:   Find a need and fill it.

·         Favorite thing to do for fun:   Rent a sailboat and spend the day out on the water.

·         First thing everyone can do to start changing the world:   Know the story behind what you buy.

Join us for this week’s recap podcast as Josh chats about what social entrepreneurship really means, the lessons from our latest interviews on sustainable fashion, and other cause minded musings…

Key Takeaways

-Entrepreneur Magazine will be profiling a bunch of great social entrepreneurs here - I’d highly reccomend checking it out.

-We need ensembles, not soloists for social change.  Check here

WEBSITES OF SOCIAL BUSINESSES FROM THE WEEK:

Panda

Mission Belt

Jewelry for a Cause

Zac Holzapfel is the Co-founder of Mission Belt, a company whose mission is to help people around the world break out of the poverty cycle through their belt business.  Zac shares his inspiration and philosophy on Social Enterprises.  Zac believes in producing captial for change, and not merely asking for donations.  That is why Mission Belt is a for-profit company that produces and sells belts in order to have the means to change the lives of those living in poverty.  Mission Belt does this by funding Micro-Loans which are given to those in poverty to start a sustainable agricultural business.  Zac stresses that without sustainability, there is no mission.  As you listen to Zac, think about how you can produce your own change.  Young or old, we all have been given the opportunity to make money as entrepreneurs and business professionals.  Why wait to give back?

Show Notes:

• Best piece of Advice:

  • Be Authentic

• One Magazine we should all subscribe to:

  • Foreign Policy

• Fun Escape:

  • Chill out in the water

• Favorite Tool:

  • Google Docs

• First Thing everything can do right now to start changing the world:

  • Be  a producer. Pay your own way and help someone else pay their own way.

  • You can’t get anywhere waiting around for something to happen.  Whatever you are doing, get out there and make it grow.

• Contact:

  • missionbelt.com

Can fashion have a purpose?  Just ask Jessica of Jewelry for a Cause.  She’s running a revolutionary Jewelry company that devotes itself to pulling guns off the streets and turning them into beautiful jewelry that starts conversations about how we can all work to reduce gun violence and restore our communities.

This is a MUST LISTEN interview - I was nearly moved to tears at several points with the moving stories Jessica shared.

What’s more - Jessica sets an example for all of us about how to lead a movement in which we listen to the communities we serve and do what is best for them - all while running a highly sucessful business that raises awareness - or as Jessica might say - raises the caliber.  The caliber of our conversations, our service, and the caliber of our social impact.

SHOW NOTES

• Most Influential Book: Half the Sky
• Advice: Listen - listen to the people you are serving.
• Unique advantage of social entrepreneurs: You have a personal connection and story, so this is a special advantage for getting people involved in your cause.
• How to change the world?: Do what you say you’re going to do - just be nicer to each other, smile at somebody - if you just start there, and help restore the breakdown in the way we treat each other, this can go a long way.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Love Heals.  That is Shana Goodwin’s overwhelming message as she tells her story and experience working with a non-profit and social enterprise.  Shana Goodwin is a Sales Representative for Thistle Farms which sells handmade and all natural bath and body products.  Thistle Farms is the Social Enterprise of Magdalene House, which provides housing, rehabilitation services, and opportunity to learn responsibility and valuable job skills to women living on the streets of Nashville, Tennessee.  All of the revenue from Thistle Farms goes towards funding the operations of Magdalene House.  Shana Goodwin speaks openly about her life being born into drug addiction and trafficking that left her living on the streets or in jail.  She was court appointed to live at the Magdalene House in 2010 and experienced a community of women that healed her with love and changed her life.  Shana is now dedicating to healing other women in the same way that she was healed through Magdalene House and Thistle farms.

Show Notes:

• National Conference October 12th,13th, and 14th

• Buy Product

• Store Locator

• Shared Trade Alliance:

  • Shared Trade is a coalition of social enterprises united by a common goal - to move marginalized women permanently out of poverty by using our collective vision and experience and growing a movement for women’s economic freedom. For more information, contact sharedtrade@thistlefarms.org.

• Favorite Book:

  • Snake Oil by Thistle Farms founder Becca Stevens

• Best Peice of Advice:

  • Sit still and be patient in times of uncertainty

• Favorite Tool:

  • Love without Judgement.  Love women where they are at so they can love themselves.

• Social Venture outside of Thistle Farms:

  • Magdalen House and Shared Trade

• What is the First Thing everyhting can do right now to start changing the world:

  • BUY PRODUCT

  • Sales is what keeps these women coming in to Magdalene House and off the streets.

Social entrepreneur Vincent Ko shares about creating a clear vision for social change as the founder of Panda.  Vincent shares his inspiring story of starting a life changing fashion company despite not having any design background.  Panda sells high-end sunglasses handmade from sustainable bamboo and partners with Optometry Giving Sight to donate eye examinations to those in need.  Vincent shares how he used his passion for a cuase to grow his fashion company into a movement for social change.

Vincent Ko and Panda design sustainable sunglasses to give sight to those in need. How will you be visionary?

SHOWNOTES: 

 wearpanda.com

• Connect with Panda - zookeeper@wearpanda.com
• Personal Hero:
  • Tony Shea-Founder of Zappos.com
• Personal Tool or Aid:
  • Producerati.com
    • Be more productive by using the Pomodoro technique and joining a virtual co-work sync up.
  • MOT-Most Important Task
    • Tackle the most daunting, challenging, and critical task before doing anything else.
• Favorite Thing To Do For Fun:
  • Traveling
• First thing EVERYONE can do to start changing the world?
  • Start asking yourself, “is there a better way?” when doing everyday tasks to develop the right mindset to create a change for the better.

Josh - the founder of Social Change Nation talks about his personal philosophy, the promises of Social Change Nation, and the format of the Voices of Social Change podcast.

Can fashion have a purpose? Just ask Jessica Mindich, founder of Jewelry for a Cause. She’s running a revolutionary jewelry company that devotes itself to pulling guns off the streets and turning them into beautiful jewelry that starts conversations about how we can all work to reduce gun violence and restore our communities.

This is a MUST LISTEN interview - I was nearly moved to tears at several points with the moving stories Jessica shared.

What’s more - Jessica sets an example for all of us about how to lead a movement in which we listen to the communities we serve and do what is best for them - all while running a highly successful business that raises awareness - or as Jessica might say - raises the caliber. The caliber of our conversations, our service, and the caliber of our social impact.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Welcome back - today’s show features Idahosa (pronounced ee - DOW- ssah) Ness who has pioneered The Mimic Method of learning languages. His philosophy is that a world that is connected through music and language is one that is better for us all. To this end, Idahosa devotes himself full time to teaching others to speak multiple languages (he speaks four himself!). His revolutionary strategy involves music as a connecting force for language learning!

Don’t miss this exciting innovator unpack his story!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download