What’s Good this Week

SEA’s weekly round-up of good news in our community, our industry and our world.

There is no shortage of disheartening news in our world, so we decided to take time each week to take a break and focus on “What’s Good.”

Each week, we’ll share five empowering stories on social entrepreneurs, breaking news in the social enterprise sector and exciting opportunities for social impact. Join us as we celebrate the changemakers in our world!

1. The Ripple Effect of Social Enterprise — Pablo Gaxiola, Re-Entry Programs Manager, Goodwill Silicon Valley

Pablo Gaxiola, who walked out of prison in 2014, embodies the ripple effect of social enterprise. Despite his strong communication skills and work experience, being a past offender made building a life difficult:

“Having felonies caused me to not get jobs. I’d get a job offer, pending the background check, and my heart would drop,” Pablo shares.

That’s when Pablo discovered the New Opportunity Work Program (NOW) at Goodwill Silicon Valley, one of the Social Enterprises REDF (SEA member) has invested in since 2014.

Thanks to that investment Pablo has a great job, and that one ripple has become a wave that has changed his family, his community, his career, and potentially the hundreds of people he is now in a position to help. Today, Pablo has advanced to manage the day-to-day operations of the NOW program that helps Goodwill participants transition from incarceration to gainful employment. Watch the video above to see his story.

2. Scotland becomes the first country to offer free sanitary products to all students

This week, Scotland became the first nation in the world to guarantee free sanitary products to all students at schools, colleges, and universities. It’s part of a £5.2 million ($6.7 million) government plan to fight “period poverty” — the problems faced by women who struggle to cover their basic needs while menstruating.

That Scotland has taken the initiative to do so, particularly in light of a recent survey that showed one in five Scottish women has trouble affording sanitary menstruation products. Scottland is now the 1st government to take action in fighting period poverty.

3. This Company Is Making Footwear Out of Wool, Sugar and Trees

Allbirds shoe company is bringing sustainability to footwear. Founded in New Zealand and currently operating out of San Francisco, Allbirds offers three different styles of footwear: sneakers, loungers and flip-flops (as in the photo above). What makes them so special is that each shoe is derived from ethically- and sustainably-sourced merino wool, tree fiber or sugar — a major development in an industry that is looking to reduce its high carbon footprint as a result of the manufacturing process.

The origin story of the company goes that Brown, a native of New Zealand, where humans are outnumbered by sheep 6-to-1, was puzzled as to why a sustainable resource like wool was not being utilized in the footwear industry. Brown’s curiosity led to the creation of the trendy Wool Runners. A line of sneakers and loungers made from sustainably-grown tree fibers was added to the product line earlier this year

4. Boosting Local Economies by Supporting Diverse Suppliers

Dell has long believed in the importance of partnering with diverse suppliers.Since 2009, they have been a member of the Billion Dollar Roundtable, an elite organization of nearly 30 companies committed to spending at least $1 billion annually with minority- and woman-owned suppliers. Having a diverse supplier base gives our diverse customer base a wider range of innovative products and services. And supporting diverse suppliers enables them to grow their businesses and contribute to their local economies.

When World Wide Technology (WWT) first started reselling Dell computers in 1990, the minority-owned company had just seven employees in St. Louis. Over the past three decades, WWT has earned more and more of Dell’s business, becoming one of our biggest strategic partners in both supply chain management and channel sales. Today WWT is a global technology solution provider with $10.4 billion in annual revenue and more than 4,600 employees. And the company received the 2017 Dell EMC North America Partner of the Year Award.

Dell has spent more than $3 billion annually for the past six years with minority-owned and woman-owned businesses globally. This has a ripple effect throughout our supply chain and throughout the communities our suppliers serve.

5. Chipotle Seeking Startups That Can Help ‘Cultivate a Better World’

Chipotle Mexican Grill announced this week that the Chipotle Cultivate Foundation will sponsor the first Chipotle Aluminaries Project, a seven-month-long accelerator program designed to help growth-stage ventures with a shared vision to cultivate a better world take their businesses to the next level.

The Chipotle Aluminaries Project is seeking both for- and non-profit applicants in the areas of alternative farming and growing systems, farming and agriculture technology, food waste and recovery, and plant and alternative products. After reviewing submissions and talking with candidates, Uncharted — the non-profit partner selected by the Chipotle Cultivate Foundation to host and run the accelerator — will select up to eight ventures to join the first cohort.

Social Enterprise Alliance

Written by

Social Enterprise Alliance is the champion and key catalyst for the development of the social enterprise sector in the United States. http://socialenterprise.us

Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade