Contest Details:

The videos that demonstrate the most unique, inspiring and impactful innovations will be honored in a number of ways — from interviews with video creators that are featured across McKinsey’s web & print publications, to features on the websites of our publishing partners, to a networking reception in New York City we host in their honor. The reception will bring together leading thinkers on social innovation from across the public, private and social sectors.

Vote for us by December 9th!!

About McKinsey:

McKinsey on Society is the online publishing site for McKinsey’s Social Sector Office. They draw together research efforts and insights from across the firm, which relate to some of the most pressing issues of our time – Global Health, Economic Development, Education, Social Innovation and Sustainability. Their goal is to create an online platform that houses all of our related reports, articles and multimedia content in a way that in informative and engaging.

They believe innovation is key, with the goal to create a hub where we can highlight the incredible work taking place around the world and where changemakers can share new ideas and best practices. They want to create a platform that draws attention to these innovators, so that we can celebrate their hard work and have them take their place alongside the world’s most recognized voices in social innovation.

In celebration of completing my first Movember! Huge thanks to Flula Borg for collaborating with us!!

You can support movember by making a donation here
or check out Movember.com

Get more from Flula at:
http://flula.de
http://www.twitter.com/flula
http://www.facebook.com/flulaborg

Lyrics:
I’ve got a good cause that I’m growing this hair for
Why!? Because it’s Movember
My stash grows slow unlike my chest
’cause growing chest hair is what my body does best

But I’m all about the cause yo I’m taking a stance-a
Helping to fight prostate and testicular cancer
Yeah I’m rockin’ this hair above my kisser
To support research for my balls and my pisser

It’s Movember with a ‘M’ like Monkey
Raising man-cancer awareness so funky
It’s Movember with a ‘M’ like Monkey
Raising man-cancer awareness so funky

Movember so funky yeah
Movemberrrrrooooooo….vember
DANCE!

This past Saturday, November 5, a group of 20 Elites + their Community Manager volunteered at Sacred Heart Community Service during their busiest day of the year. Sacred Heart’s mission is to help fight poverty in the San Jose area. Elites helped sign up over 2,000 families for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, directed traffic in the parking lot, handed out PB&J sammies to people waiting in line, bagged food for donations – just to name a few of the tasks!

After the volunteer shift was over, the group headed over to The Temple Bar and Lounge in downtown San Jose for an after-party. Huge props to Yelp for coordinating this event and encouraging volunteering!!

Read the full article here.

Most importantly we’ll be taking lots of silly moustache pictures and we hope you’ll help us spread the word by sharing them on Facebook & Twitter!

Donate to Support Men’s Health Like Movember on Facebook

There are a growing number of companies who measure their success in lives impacted and dollars earned. These companies have both a social mission and a profit mission and exist in virtually every industry. With corporate definitions including partnerships, L3Cs, social finance, B Corporations, and Flexible Purpose Corporations, the biggest problem is that it’s hard to identify these companies.

Hats off to Stacy McCoy and the Give to Get Jobs crew for building this resource and allowing free access. If you know of any socially responsible companies that are not listed drop them an email at: info@givetogetjobs.com.

But wait there’s more!! A Giveaway!

In honor of the Social Enterprise Database Launch, they are giving away 5 copies of the book Work On Purpose by Lara Galinsky and Kelly Nuxoll.  You can read Stacy’s review of the book for SEE Change Magazine.   If you’re looking for a job that gives back, this is a must read.

Here’s what you have to do to win:

1.  Like their Facebook Page

2.  Browse the Social Enterprise Database

3. Return to Facebook and leave a comment answering the question they posed on our wall“What’s your favorite social enterprise in our Social Enterprise Database?”

The giveaway ends tomorrow, Wednesday November 2nd, at 8:00pm EST/5:00pm PST.

Check out some of the awesome pictures from the night (including our costume contest winners – 1st Place: Beeker & Dr. Honey Dew, 2nd Place: Lion Tamer, 3rd Place: Puss N’ Boots)!!  Big thanks to Mori-Lu Media for donating their photography services. You can find all their photos here.

All guests were greeted with a free glass wine from San Vicente Cellars, Qream Liqueur was treating people like royalty passing out free drinks, Nothing Bundt Cakes had delicious deserts on hand, DJ DDS kept the dance floor packed and everyone left with a swag bag. Patty Wagon Food Truck was just outside the doors dishing out delicious 100% grass fed beef.

Huge thanks to Dish Network, Nigel’s Beauty Emporium, Steve & Monique Reidy, Aspen Creek Photo, John and Vicki Mongillo, Big Brand Tires, Coffee Bean, Pop Chips, TwylaK Boutique and Vapur for also sponsoring the event!!

We even partnered with YELP to give eight of their Elite Yelpers a FREE Chef’s Menu Tasting from Bellini, along with some VIP spots on the guest list for the evening!

As the party got started pitchers of red and white sangria were everywhere as were some fantastic margaritas. A guacamole bar kept the action front and center and had everyone’s favorite green dip coming out like there was no tomorrow.

Habitat offers a “hand up” … not a hand out. At Habitat for Humanity, they believe everyone deserves a decent place to live. They empower families who are willing to work hard to achieve their dream of homeownership. Each Habitat homeowner invests hundreds of hours to help build their home, and then purchases it with an affordable, zero interest mortgage.

Our heartfelt thanks go out to all of the volunteers, donors, sponsors, and partners who made this possible! These beautiful homes were built by Habitat for Humanity of Ventura County in partnership with Habitat partner-families, St. Maximilian Kolbe Catholic Church’s “Habitat to the Max” Ministry, Houweling Nurseries Oxnard, Inc, and the County of Ventura.

Habitat’s History in Piru

Piru, CA is a true story of partnership, generosity, and success. Over the last 15 years, 24 Habitat homes were built in Piru and all of the original homeowners still reside in their homes. Through a donation of funds from the County, Habitat was able to acquire another parcel of land at 550 Temescal. The property was at one time home to the Old Piru Hotel. Unfortunately, over the past 10 years residents in this community watched helplessly as this building deteriorate into a haven for transients and safety hazard.

Habitat for Humanity of Ventura County and the County of Ventura joined together to help this struggling agricultural community with this neighborhood blight. At the time the property was acquired by Habitat, it was abandoned, structurally unsafe, and filled waist high with garbage and other debris. To support Ventura County’s Fire Department training program, Habitat offered the use of this building. However, before it could be used for training, the entire hotel had to be cleaned out. Habitat chose National Service Day as a way to get the local community involved News Release with the mission of Habitat and serve as a kick-off for the two new homes in their neighborhood.

Over 60 volunteers from the community showed up! Led by members of the Piru Community Council, volunteers ranged from high school students to local residents who simply walking by and asked if they could help out. At the end of the day, four high school girls, filthy dirty, but with huge, satisfied smiles on their faces, asked when they could come back to help. They couldn’t wait for the hotel to be gone and the new homes to be built. They were anxious to help two new families move in to their neighborhood.

For more information about Habitat for Humanity of Ventura County, please visit www.habitatventura.org.

Habitat to the Max Ministry

Habitat to the Max is one of the outreach ministries at St. Maximilian Kolbe Catholic Church in Westlake Village. The ministry’s mission is to sponsor affordable housing, working in partnership with Habitat for Humanity of Ventura County, and to provide safe and decent housing for low-income families living in substandard housing. The first Habitat to the Max house was completed by volunteers in 2007, followed by a duplex dedicated in 2009. Both are in Oxnard. The ministry has just completed their fourth home in Piru and is currently raising funds for their sixth house, located on Stroube Street in Oxnard.

Sponsors and Donors

(House Sponsors; donated and/or discounted goods and/or labor)

St. Maximilian Habitat to the Max Ministry, Houweling Nurseries Oxnard, Inc., County of Ventura (Major Sponsors); Alladin Air Conditioning, Geske’s Hauling Service, Gold Coast Erectors, L K Services, Inc.(In- Kind Sponsors)

Bamboo Bikes:

“Designer Paulus Maringka is a pro at sustainable bike designs! The Greencycle bamboo bike aims to minimize labor and production costs while still improving human power functionality. The design focuses on the affordability, desirability, and overall need of the Third World target users. The laminated bamboo frame design is not only sustainable and economical, but utilizes the skills of the local craftsmen.” – yankodesign

Though there is some criticism of this not being the best structural design, I love the simplicity. If you think about the amount of time people in developing nations spend walking or running the time saving alone could allow for a better quality of life and the ability for children to attend school more often. Education is the key to ending the cycle of poverty and anything that helps make education more attainable to young people in developing countries gets my vote! Read the full article here.

Amputee Bike Pedals

“Each year, the James Dyson Foundation runs a competition for the most innovative new designs. This year, Seth Astle took home the award with his design for Cadence, a prosthetic limb and bike pedal that makes bicycling easier for amputees. ”Currently, cyclists with other prosthetics have a limited range of motion and cannot pivot their feet. Astle recognized the limitations of other prosthetics and worked to provide a solution, notes the press release”

I personally can’t imagine the challenges associated with being an amputee and I’m always inspired by people’s perseverance to conquer limitations and move past sometimes what they were previously capable of.  It’s incredible to see new designs and technology being created to help facilitate those goals. Read the full article here.

Next I want to see Levi’s with a limited release of the self drying jacket and Pizza Hut actually putting together some delicious dehydrated pizza for charity.