By Kayla O’Neill
There are today more than 250,000 unique podcasts in the iTunes store, covering any subject imaginable. The topic of social enterprise has been no exception to the podcast boom, attracting social entrepreneurs and educators from every corner of the industry. Podcasts are profiling the leaders of B Corps, nonprofits, and social enterprises that are tackling issues large and small. Check out these top five podcast picks featuring interviews and insights from social entrepreneurs.
1. The Shin Fujiyama Podcast: Bill Morse of Landmine Relief Fund in Cambodia
On this episode, Shin Fujiyama, co-founder of Students Helping Honduras, interviews Bill Morse. Morse runs the Cambodian Landmine Museum which generates funds for his nonprofit, Landmine Relief Fund. Each semester he hires a Northeastern University co-op to join him near Siem Reap, Cambodia. Morse says on the podcast that he couldn’t do it without co-op students, “We have partnered with Northeastern University, and since the [co-op] program started, the amount of money we’ve been getting has been going up.” Listen to the podcast or read more about the co-op.
Cambridge-based marketing company HubSpot covers a variety of business and marketing topics on their show, but in this episode they host Rick Ridgeway, the highly insightful VP of Environmental Affairs of Patagonia, who shares why the people and work at Patagonia mean so much to him. “I’ve been through some really rough experiences… and the company has really circled around me. I’m back because I’m doing such good work that really does make a difference and is fulfilling.” Listen to the podcast.
3. Social Entrepreneur: Sam Goldman of d.light on Affordable and Clean Energy for the Developing World
Tony Loyd, a former Fortune 500 executive who now devotes his life to social enterprise, interviews Sam Goldman, Founder & Chief Product Officer of d.light. Goldman says, “I knew I wanted to link social impact with the environment and have a double bottom line wins. To do that, I needed to understand, for the poorest people in the world, what’s the life really like and what solutions do they really need?” Listen to the podcast.
4. Positive Impact Podcast: Eco Tours & Conservation – Frances Kinney of Ocean Connectors
Alexandra Black-Paulick interviews Frances Kinney, Director of Ocean Connectors. Kinney explains why she started a program for children in her city of San Diego to enjoy their beautiful coast, “Everything shows that exposure to nature needs to happen when we’re young… Not all kids are getting the opportunity to explore the outdoors.” Listen to the podcast.
Neetal Parekh, Founder and CEO of Innov8social talks with two leaders of Amani Institute, which offers a Social Innovation Management Program. Roshan Paul, its founder, explains what inspired him to start the Amani Institute, “Most entrepreneurs were saying that their big constraint to growth was not funding… but talent. At the same time, more and more people at universities really wanted to get jobs that would add meaning to their life.” Listen to the podcast.
Hope that you enjoy listening to these recommendations and learning about some innovative social business models!
