How to get started with Twitter to get your message out

Posted on June 3, 2010 by Raj Melville

With the all the buzz about Facebook, Twitter and other social media tools, organizations feel pressured into incorporating these tools into their marketing arsenal. Non-profits specially are interested in leveraging social networks as cost effective sources of volunteers and supporters and are seeking ways to convert followers to funders and donors. All of them are looking for guidance in getting started. Based on my experience, I have compiled a quick list of do’s and don’ts that I hope will help get you started. Complete article at
http://blog.ambientengines.com

Filed under: Information Technology, Social Business, Social Ecosystem, non-profit | Tagged: , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Assured Labor – creating a mobile marketplace for jobs in emerging markets

Posted on April 10, 2010 by Raj Melville

In the fall of 2007, a group of young potential entrepreneurs struggled with a problem facing over half the developing world. As developing economies grew and provided new jobs, the infrastructure to communicate and broadcast the potential opportunities for employment was unable to keep up. The influx of migrant workers into urbanized centers provided a rich pool of available talent but the mechanisms for disseminating job needs were still rooted in the 19th century. The team seized on this opportunity to leverage the almost ubiquitous presence of cell phones in the developing world to provide a communications and matchmaking platform for employment. By providing an easy to use mobile platform connecting jobseekers with job opportunities, Assured Labor is providing a frictionless job placement approach that benefits employers and employees alike. Assured Labor is a prime example of the new wave of social entrepreneur bringing a for-profit business model to address some of the challenges facing the poor in developing countries. Read the complete post at
http://blog.ambientengines.com

Filed under: Information Technology, Latin America, Social Business, Social Ecosystem, Social Entrepreneur, bottom of the pyramid, mobile technology, social Innovation | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Social Media for Social Entrepreneurs

Posted on October 21, 2009 by Raj Melville

With Twitter and Facebook revolutionizing the business of marketing, can social activists lag behind? How does one turn followers into funders? Motivate movements with your messages? And leverage social networks to create social change? The experts on this panel have shown others how to maximize their impact with the latest online tools and techniques and they will help you figure out the right approach to integrating social media within your strategies. Find out more about the panel at
http://blog.ambientengines.com

Filed under: Conference, Information Technology, Social Ecosystem, Social Entrepreneur, non-profit | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Using cell phones to change the world

Posted on October 16, 2009 by Raj Melville

Jhonatan Rotberg, was sent to MIT by Telmex, one of Latin America’s largest telcos, and teaches NextLab where he tries to bring cellular technology to the other 90 percent of the world. One of the labs startups, CelEdu, offers cellphone-based games and quizzes to teach basic literacy skills in India. Ranjani Saigal from the TIE Social Entrepreneurs Group helped connect CelEdu students to Tara Aakshar. Read the entire article at http://blog.ambientengines.com

Filed under: BOP, Information Technology, Poverty, Rural Development, Social Business, Social Ecosystem, Social Entrepreneur, bottom of the pyramid, international development, mobile technology, social Innovation | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

TIECON Social Enterprise Track Provides New Perspective

Posted on June 16, 2009 by Raj Melville

For the first time TIECON EAST – TiE Boston’s annual conference on entrepreneurship and innovation – had a dedicated track on Social Enterprise. The three panels for the track were all well attended. Here are some excerpts from an article I wrote for Lokvani about the sessions.

Filed under: Agricultural Development, Conference, Food, Health, India, Information Technology, Investment, Micro-enterprises, Rural Development, Social Business, Social Ecosystem, Social Entrepreneur, environment, international development, micro-finance, microfinance, mobile technology, social Innovation, sustainability | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

The Blue Sweater a book by Acumen Fund founder Jacqueline Novogratz

Posted on May 11, 2009 by Raj Melville

I had gotten a copy of Acumen Fund founder, Jacqueline Novogratz’s, book “The Blue Sweater” a couple of months ago and had kept promising myself that I would read it. Once I started reading I was hooked. Before I knew it I had plowed through the entire volume. This is an extraordinary and powerful book.

Filed under: BOP, Health, Information Technology, Investment, Philanthropy, Social Business, Social Ecosystem, Social Entrepreneur, bottom of the pyramid, international development, micro-finance, social Innovation, sustainable development, venture philanthropy | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

The 140-Character Mission: Social Media & Social Entrepreneurship

Posted on April 15, 2009 by Raj Melville

My notes from a great interactive panel discussion on using Social Media for non profits. The panelists represented a spectrum of cutting edge users in the social media space

Filed under: Information Technology, Social Business, Social Ecosystem, Social Entrepreneur, non-profit, social Innovation | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Mobile Solutions for the Masses

Posted on September 16, 2008 by Raj Melville

The internet and personal computers have had a significant impact on the developing world. The advent of cell phones provided a cheap technology platform that has penetrated the farthest reaches of the world. No place better exemplifies this than India, with over 8.5 million additional subscribers in 2007, making it the country with the second largest wireless subscriber base. The cheap and pervasive technology platform has spawned a number of innovative solutions to address the social challenges at bottom of the pyramid, such as access to finance, illiteracy, and health care. This track will highlight some of these innovative solutions that have a significant potential for impact in the developing world.

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Scaling up healthcare solutions

Posted on September 6, 2008 by Raj Melville

Last Week’s Time magazine had an article written by Jeffery Sachs titled “Safety in Numbers” that highlights programs that are recruiting community workers to provide basic health services in rural communities. By investing in basic health care training of community workers, these programs provide a safety net for thousands of poor people who would otherwise be unattended.

Filed under: BOP, Health, India, Poverty, Rural Development, Rural Health, Social Ecosystem | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

India’s Poor Get Health Care in a Card

Posted on August 28, 2008 by Raj Melville

A recent article in the Wall Street Journal, “India’s Poor Get Health Care in a Card”, outlines a program being launched in India to provide affordable healthcare to the masses. The key component of the program, which is targeted at those earning less than $100 per year, is the use of a secure smart card to store the beneficiary’s personal data and fingerprints.

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