Goodness500 idea lab + blog

Saul is the founder and executive director of Student Movement for Real Change, an international non-profit that supports youth-led global development in Kenya and South Africa. He also founded The Hopkins Donkey, a college newspaper, and served as the managing editor of the SAIS Review of International Affairs of Johns Hopkins University Press and as acting desk officer for Angola at the Department of State. He serves on the Next America Project of the Center for Strategic and International Studies Advisory Board and the College Democrats of America Alumni Association national board. Saul received his BA with Honors from Johns Hopkins University and his MA from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.
Hi Saul, what place do you call home? Washington, DC but my heart is in Denver, CO.
What place do you want to visit for the first time? Would love to visit DRC or Russia.
Your inspiration? The poorest in our global community who go to school and get an education against all the odds.
A constant challenge? Believing that I am effective in my work.
A moment of triumph? Visiting rural South Africa and hearing a speech from a principal who was shaking and tearing up because a group of students had helped his community by funding classrooms at his primary school.
Soundtrack to your day? Bach, DMB, Alicia Keys or Coltrane.
Superman or Batman? Superman
A good factoid? Parents are from South Africa but I was born in the US
What type of person would you like to collaborate with? Innovators who are able to follow through on commitments.
A blog you read everyday? Social Entrepreneurship at Change.org
How would you spend $10K to do a ton of good (just in case someone with spare cash is reading)? I would build out my organization, Student Movement for Real Change’s, Fellowship program to ensure the successful implementation of a community center, bakery project and scholarship fund in rural South Africa.
Want to ask for an “internet favor” ? Join the Fellowship Funding Circle at www.studentmovementusa.org/fellow
Would you like to plug someone else’s project? Yes, lots of them. I love the work going on at Univ. of the Pacific’s Global Center for Social Entrepreneurship, and CHOSA and FUNDaFIELD in California.
What is the last book you read? The Bottom Billion by Paul Collier
You can connect with Saul and Student Movement for Real Change by email and onTwitter and Youtube.

Britt Bravo... blogger, podcaster, career coach, nonprofit consultant.

Hi Britt, who are ya? I’m a blogger, podcaster, career coach, and nonprofit social web consultant who teaches individuals and organizations how to realize their big vision and be a powerful force for good. I write for two blogs: Have Fun Do Good and BlogHer, and produce two podcasts: the Big Vision Podcast and the Arts and Healing Podcast. I also host Echoing Green’s Be Bold Podcast. My local paper, The East Bay Express, named me the Best Podcaster/Blogger Most Dedicated to Social Change in 2007. I live in Oakland, CA with my husband, Adriano Bravo, and our cat, Dora, who thinks she is a dog.
What place do you call home? The San Francisco Bay Area has been my home for 18 years. I grew up in Mystic, CT.
What place do you want to visit for the first time? British Columbia
Your inspiration? My parents. They have always put being of service to others first.
A constant challenge? Too many ideas, too little time.
A moment of triumph? Writing for The Huffington Post.
Soundtrack to your day? Pandora Radio. My Leo Kottke and Brad Mehldau channels are particularly good for getting things done.
Superman or Batman? Harriet the Spy
A good factoid? According to a 2008 BlogHer/Compass Partners study, “36.2 million women actively participate in the blogsophere every week (15.1 publishing, 21.1 reading and commenting).”
What type of person would you like to collaborate with? I’m always looking for good web designers and developers to help my clients incorporate social web tools into their sites.
A blog you read everyday? Green LA Girl
How would you spend $10K to do a ton of good (just in case someone with spare cash is reading)? I actually just wrote a post about this, 13 Causes I’d Give to If Friday the 13th Was My Lucky Day.
Want to ask for an “internet favor”?Please check out the Big Vision Podcast where I interview people who I think have a big vision for a better world. You’ll find links to audio and transcripts in this blog post: Interviews with 38 Social Changemakers: 3rd Anniversary of the Big Vision Podcast
Would you like to plug someone else’s project? Women for Women International. I just started my second year as a sponsor to a woman in Sudan.
You can connect with Britt on brittbravo.com, Twitter or Facebook.

Meet Britt Bravo from David Collin on Vimeo.

Paula is…Inspired by Wilderness
Hi Paula, who are ya? African wildlife conservation is my passion. I have studied monkeys, forests, elephants and hippos and got my PhD from Princeton in 2002, I worked for the Kenya Wildlife Service which was my dream job and worked on wildlife trade policy. I then moved to Mombasa to run Lafarge Ecosystems, the quarry rehabilitation arm of Bamburi Cement. Two years ago I considered emigrating to South Africa but couldn’t do it, I returned to Nairobi and now manage an online conservation organziation WildlifeDirect, which is a blogging platform that gives a voice to wildlife conservationists on http://wildlifedirect.org. Nearly one hundred projects blog regularly on this site and raise awareness and funds. I also contribute to www.afrigadget.com about African innovations.
What place do you call home? Kenya, the wilderness, anywhere under the stars
What place do you want to visit for the first time? Wild places in India, China, Australia, the Arctic…damn, there are too many to do this year
Your inspiration? Wide open wild places, animals and people
A constant challenge? minimizing my carbon footprint (why is Nakumatt so generous with the plastic bags and so anti cotton ones?)
A moment of triumph? Remembering my cotton shopping bags and leaving Nakumatt without a single plastic bag. Harvesting and eating something I actually grew!
Soundtrack to your day? lions roaring, bushbabies screeching, and rain falling
Superman or Batman? Batman ..much sexier
A good factoid? Sex Mzuri, maisha mzuri sana [editor’s hint: this is in Swahili]
What type of person would you like to collaborate with? a rich generous one who is willing to finance my travels to save remote wild places
A blog you read everyday? http://lionguardians.wildlifedirect.org
Want to ask for an “internet favor”? Support Wildlifedirect help us spread the word raise awareness and funds to save wildlife in Africa, Asia and South America – become a virtual volunteer for us.
Would you like to plug someone else’s project? Afrigadget is an inspiring blog about great innovations in Africa that usually get passed by
You can connect Paula and WildLifeDirect on Facebook and Twitter.

Peter Deitz is a… bridge-builder, online activist, micro-philanthropist

Social Actions from JD Lasica on Vimeo.

Priti Radhakrishnan, lover of all things untested.

Hi Priti, who are ya? Grew up in Boston and the Bay Area, and since then have lived in New York, LA, Sydney, Geneva, Delhi, Bangalore, Boston and am now back in New York. Have travelled to many other countries in that time mainly for work that my husband and I do with I-MAK (www.i-mak.org). The non-profit we founded helps increase access to medicines by making sure the patent system works. We have a list of countries we want to travel around (for fun), and our goal for 2009 is to make time for this! I spend my time outside of work doing dance, yoga, pilates, music, writing, knitting, experimenting with cooking, attempting to draw, reading a lot and watching heaps of films.
What place do you call home? New York and California.
What place do you want to visit for the first time? Damascus.
Your inspiration? Folks who struggle with dignity.
A constant challenge? Closing loops.
A moment of triumph? When we hit our target of registering 25,000 new minority bone marrow donors last summer.
Soundtrack to your day? Right now it is http://www.hellabasic.com/side-hustle/.
Superman or Batman? Superman, but that’s because there is nothing cuter than watching a bunch of kids do the Soulja Boy dance.
A good factoid? The use of “barney” to mean “trouble” (barney-rubble-trouble) in Ocean’s 11 is not an example of Cockney rhyming slang, despite popular perception. The term “barney” is a common term in London to mean argument or fight.
What type of person would you like to collaborate with? Someone who can turn legalese into powerful stories.
Currently reading? Persepolis (the graphic novel), Robert Fisk’s book on Lebanon, a book on Fela, Pedro Paramo, & a vegetarian cookbook.
How would you spend $10K to do a ton of good (just in case someone with spare cash is reading)? Challenge another unlawful patent on an HIV drug from a pharmaceutical company that is getting on my LAST nerves with their blatant gaming of the patent system. Your $10k could help save a developing country millions of dollars and more importantly, a lot of lives.
Want to ask for an “internet favor”? We love donated frequent flyer miles, if you’ve got some to spare.
Would you like to plug someone else’s project? ANDA in Puerto Rico run by Rafa – bringing environmental justice to Puerto Rico, its an incredible project.

Heather Helps Nonprofits Leverage Technology for Global Development.

Hi Heather, who are ya? Founder and Director of Catapult Design, a non-profit product design consultancy focused on disadvantaged communities. I’m a product of the Stanford Product Design program. And I spent nearly six years working in the Bay Area product development consulting world working before I finally found the courage to get out and do what I wanted to do. I’m proud of my recent ‘08 Pop!Tech Social Innovation Fellowship, a program aimed at high-potential leaders with new approaches for transformational impact. However, I spend too much time twittering, volunteering with Engineers Without Borders, and watching my obese cat make cute faces.
What place do you call home? the Southwest. But specifically, New Mexico.
What place do you want to visit for the first time? Hm… maybe Japan. Or the factory that makes Circus Peanuts.
Your inspiration? Other people
A constant challenge? Other people
A moment of triumph? Putting in my two-weeks notice at my last job with the intention of starting Catapult Design
Soundtrack to your day? The muzak they play while you’re waiting for other people to enter the conference call
Superman or Batman? Penny, from Inspector Gadget (She and Brain *always* foiled Dr. Claw)
A good factoid? Sleeping in and working at night increases your productivity, according to WIRED.com
What type of person would you like to collaborate with? Anyone who’s passionate about their creative work and is NOT an engineer (sorry engineers)
A blog you read everyday? yeah, i wish. Does twitter count?
How would you spend $10K to do a ton of good (just in case someone with spare cash is reading)? Definitely on more tools to build Catapult’s machine and prototype shop — our efficiency is a function of our ability to engineer and design stuff. It’s amazing how building things gets the juices flowing… until you realize you don’t have any hex keys.
Want to ask for an “internet favor”? The obvious one is donate. (www.catapultdesign.org/donate.html) Other than that, advocate and act. We need more people looking at solutions to the problems afflicting billions.
Would you like to plug someone else’s project? Oh wow. I’m a huge fan of the Humane Society and the ASPCA

You can connect with Heather and Catapult Design on:

• Twitter,
• Facebook,
• heather[AT]catapultdesign.org,
• and by going to catapultdesign.org.

Una Kim Runs a Cruelty Free Shoe Company

Hi Una, who are ya? Born in Baltimore, I’m the daughter of Korean immigrants who work in academia. High school was spent playing in bands, going to shows and standing in the front row right when the doors opened, feeling awkward, and then feeling angry for feeling awkward. I went to Princeton for undergrad and hated it. I moved to New York and worked for Pumpkin Wentzel and Charlie Gansa from Guv’ner who later inspired me to run a small business. Then I got a fancy job working for the futurist Faith Popcorn. I got my MBA at Stanford. Then I went to LA and started Keep.
What place do you call home? I know that I haven’t lived in Baltimore since high school, but I grew up there, actually in a small town called Phoenix and I still consider it home. My parents have moved from my childhood house, but the place we lived from 1988 to 2003 is still home to me. On the day to day I live in Los Angeles, near Los Feliz.
What place do you want to visit for the first time? The place where you can touch whales in Baja.
Your inspiration? Simple things.
A constant challenge? Cash flow.
A moment of triumph? Getting control of my inbox.
Soundtrack to your day? New Order, Echo and the Bunnymen, ESG, No Age, Animal Collective, Castro, World War III, Precious, Dogg and Pony, American Analog Set, Wu Tang, TLC circa Baby Baby through Creep, Mary J all eras, and lots of others. Really depends on the day. Generally 80s dark pop, 90s R&B and hip hop, 2000s bands I grew up with.
Superman or Batman? Batman. Darker if you know what I mean.
A good factoid? The smell of coffee makes you better able to cope with the stresses associated with sleep deprivation. But you probably undo all the good when you drink it.
A blog you read everyday? I read the NY Times most days, check the Sartorialist most days, and our blog when I remember to put something up.
How would you spend $10K to do a ton of good (just in case someone with spare cash is reading)? I’d invest in Keep. But that would only be a pound of good.

You can show some love to Keep Company on MySpace and Facebook and of course by checking out some cruelty free kicks at keepcompany.com.

The Guerra: "Hit the streets and stop complaining about ankle support."

Sam Goldman is… a Social Entrepreneur Providing Light to Families without Power
Sam grew up in Mauritania, Pakistan, Peru, India, and Rwanda. After graduating with degrees in Biology and Environmental Studies from the University of Victoria, Canada, he spent four years in Benin with the Peace Corps founding and managing a for-profit NGO (GARPE-ONG) which runs a large rural agricultural training center. With GARPE, he built Benin’s first factory to process leaves from the nutritional plant, Moringa oleifera, to provide nutritional supplements to hospitals and health centers. Sam earned an MBA from Stanford and is now the CEO of d.light design, a social enterprise that is replacing kerosene as a lighting source with clean, safe, and affordable lighting. “My neighbor’s son in Benin was badly burned by a kerosene lamp. I decided to provide a source of light that is safe and cheap.” dgoodr.com was happy to make Sam the subject of our first post.

What place do you call home? New delhi, india
What place do you want to visit for the first time? Papua new guinea
Your inspiration? Oh soo much .. gaviotas, paul farmer, gandhi,
A constant challenge? Indian bureaucracy….
A moment of triumph? First village 100% lit by D.light lights and where we eradicated kerosene lanterns
Soundtrack to your day? Habib koite
Superman or Batman? batman
A good factoid? 10.35M mobile phones were sold in the month of November 2008 in india
What type of person would you like to collaborate with? Honest and transparent one who says whats on their mind and does what they say
A blog you read everyday? No time..
How would you spend $10K to do a ton of good (just in case someone with spare cash is reading)? Put it into a revolving loan fund for the poorest families to get access to D.light lights
Would you like to plug someone else’s project? I love Kiva!

You can read Sam’s weekly blog at Social Edge.

Difference in light quality between customers doing housework by kerosene lamp and a D.light product

dgoodr is a visual rolodex of positive people.

Image credit: Media Sky Studio