A conversation with my friend Ehon on the weekend prompted this post. I shared with him a story of a girl I recently met in San Francisco who by way of introducing herself, asked me a question: "So what are you doing to save the world?" This kind of question usually grates on me, and…
The rush for change
This world seems to operate on some kind of speed, with the pace quickening and quickening at such a rate that it gains a momentum all of its own. This 'speed' is more than metaphorical, our world is actually operating on stimulant overdrive. Over the past ten years we have seen the rise of coffee…
A time for talk, a time for action
I have attended many events in the social innovation and changemaking space, and a phrase I have heard a lot is "WE NEED LESS TALK AND MORE ACTION!" I have heard this said with a lot of gusto and a great dose of frustration, and perhaps for various reasons. For some they have attended so…
To solve or not to solve? Is that the question?
Sometimes in exploring the ethical dimensions of changemaking, I get to the point of wondering whether not solving the problem is actually ethically better than solving it. But then I wonder whether that is the right question to ask at all. Perhaps there is a third option to whether to solve or not solve a…
How to rescue a racehorse
About a month ago a guy pitched me his idea in an elevator (yes, it actually happens). His idea was to 'rescue a racehorse'. Actually, he wanted to not just rescue one racehorse, he wanted to rescue thousands of them. He explained to me what he saw as a problem of racehorses being slaughtered for…
There’s a hole in my bucket: a theory of change
I have long been fascinated by the theories and principles upon which changemakers or social entrepreneurs build their businesses or programs. Having a ‘theory of change’ has become an expected feature of any social organisation be it part of their marketing or a more fundamental driver of their work. The common theory of change in…
How To Do Good 