#impact | Social Impact, Social Entrepreneurship, Social Good

#impact | Social Impact, Social Entrepreneurship, Social Good

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#impact | Social Impact, Social Entrepreneurship, Social Good episodes

  • #27: Ideas worth spreading: The making of TEDxTinHauWomen

    Do you have a favourite TED video that made you laugh, cry, or just get fired up about an issue? Is there one that you’ve shared with all your friends? TED talks have become a staple of modern culture, sharing “ideas worth spreading” around the globe. Today you’ll hear from Jen Flowers and Stefanie Myers,...

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    30 min
  • #27: Ideas worth spreading: The making of TEDxTinHauWomen
    Do you have a favourite TED video that made you laugh, cry, or just get fired up about an issue? Is there one that you’ve shared with all your friends?
    TED talks have become a staple of modern culture, sharing “ideas worth spreading” around the globe. Today you’ll hear from Jen Flowers and Stefanie Myers, two of the makers of TEDxTinHauWomen, Hong Kong’s new TEDx event – the TED licensed, but independently run local conferences.
    TEDxTinHauWomen, named after Hong Kong’s beloved sea goddess, is the city’s first annual TEDx event dedicated to women.
    Jen and Stefanie, two dynamic, multi-tasking women, share what goes on behind the scenes and why they’re excited to be bringing an event like this to Hong Kong.
    Jen leads the operation team and represented the group at TED Fest, a global gathering of TEDx license holders. She traded stories with fellow organisers about what worked well and what went horribly wrong. As Jen says, with a live show something always goes wrong. Luckily, the audience often doesn’t notice as they are so focused on the speakers.
    Help speakers give their best talk.
    As head of curation, it’s Stefanie’s job to find local speakers and teach them the powerful story-telling skills that are the hallmark of TED talks. Coaching and preparation can only get speakers so far – they still need a great story.
    Jen observes that the women focus gives them a niche, a greater chance of finding hidden gems, stories that might not otherwise get told. They were tight-lipped on who the speakers will be, but they did say that they were impressed to find speakers that represent many different sides of Hong Kong.
    Jen and Stefanie were part of the founding group of TEDxShanghaiWomen, growing the event from 100 to 900 people in just six years.
    To get it started, they had to build up a community, one that brought together businesswomen, entrepreneurs, moms and students to share ideas, to inspire and to support one another.
    They are keen to create a similar community here in Hong Kong. This year’s theme is “Bridges – Two Become One”, so they sought speakers who shared stories of connection, of many becoming one. They look for more than just inspiration from a speaker.
    Will this talk lead to some action that will make a difference, particularly on women?
    Having been involved with producing TEDx events for seven years, Jen and Stefanie have experienced quite a few moments that impacted them strongly. Simply hearing thanks from audience members and volunteers for an event that made their lives a little bit better and speakers that were vulnerable, relatable and truly connected with the audience. That’s what keeps Jen and Stef motivated to keep putting in the effort, on top of their “real” jobs.
    They are confident of some more impactful moments at their first event in Hong Kong.


    “This is about community.”

    There are also still opportunities to partner, to volunteer, to support and just to generally get involved. You can get in touch with them at [email protected] or via Facebook.
    #impACT

    * Attend TEDxTinHauWomen if you’re here in Hong Kong, or seek out similar events near you. Connect with other open-minded, idea-sharing, inspirational individuals.
    * Empower the women around you – reach out to the women in your life and find out how you can help them reach their goals.
    * Teach the next generation about values, diversity, equality, and they will make the world a better place.

    Get in touch and follow TEDxTinHauWomen on their website, LinkedIn,
    30 min
  • #26: Promoting social innovation in universities and business. Alvin Yip, Circus.

    Circus is all about social innovation. The consultancy works with listed companies, SME’s, social enterprises and start ups to strengthen their impact and financial return. They don’t believe in the traditional Corporate Social Responsibility concept but prefer to promote Corporate Social Innovation. In this episode, you hear from Alvin Yip, board member of Circus and...

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    38 min
  • #26: Promoting social innovation in universities and business. Alvin Yip, Circus.
    Circus is all about social innovation.
    The consultancy works with listed companies, SME’s, social enterprises and start ups to strengthen their impact and financial return. They don’t believe in the traditional Corporate Social Responsibility concept but prefer to promote Corporate Social Innovation.
    In this episode, you hear from Alvin Yip, board member of Circus and Professor and Vice Dean of City Design and Innovation at the China Central Academy of Fine Arts.
    Find out how he tries to get developers to put the community first. Starting with the bar where we recorded this interview, Tai Lung Fung, a place with lots of character. A few years back, the building was meant to be demolished but instead – thanks to his intervention – it turned into a Non-Profit art project and restaurant/bar.
    Alvin shares why the tertiary education sector is behind when it comes to social innovation and what kind of revolution it would take to transform universities and make them live up to their full potential.

    “It’s all about connecting different knowledge areas,” Alvin shares. 

    He gives you an inside look into the hurdles that keep university departments from collaborating, not only when it comes to the social impact field. But it does not stop at better cooperation within schools. How to break down the walls around the universities to have more collaboration with outside partners, companies and the communities is something that keeps Alvin up at night.
    Alvin gives an honest account of his tactics and visions but also the failures and the push-back that he faced when he tried to break these walls down.

    “Some thought I’ve been too provocative…[but] I would spend 10% more of my time to lobby,” he shares. 

    It’s not just difficulty collaborating that is keeping universities from leading on social innovation. Alvin is concerned that universities are too focused on international ranking and stuck in an old mentality of teaching.
    #impACT
    It’s time to act. What could everyone do right now to make the world a better place? 
    “Most of us calculate too much. Give yourself and your team more room for imagination”, Alvin shares.
    Follow Alvin’s work here.

    You can get more creative this week on Friday, September 15th, with Creative Mornings here in Hong Kong. Alvin will be sharing his wisdom in person at Eaton House.

    The changing nature of education and the importance of teaching creativity will be a theme we revisit a few times in this season.

     
    38 min
  • #25: Bonus Episode: Redress X Cathay Pacific Uniform Reconstruction Challenge.

    At the Redress X Cathay Pacific Uniform Reconstruction Challenge… …emerging fashion designers set out to prove that waste is not waste until it’s wasted. If you think about fashion waste, I wonder if you have considered the massive amount of uniforms that are discarded every single day? Redress and Cathay Pacific took the 10 finalists of...

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    17 min
  • #25: Bonus Episode: Redress X Cathay Pacific Uniform Reconstruction Challenge.
    At the Redress X Cathay Pacific Uniform Reconstruction Challenge…
    …emerging fashion designers set out to prove that waste is not waste until it’s wasted.
    If you think about fashion waste, I wonder if you have considered the massive amount of uniforms that are discarded every single day? Redress and Cathay Pacific took the 10 finalists of the EcoChic Design Award on a journey to explore solutions to put corporate uniforms back into use.
    Working in groups of two, the finalists had three hours to develop an idea to reconstruct Cathay Pacific’s retired uniforms back into a new product. They were asked to come up with a prototype that was not only scalable but also marketable.
    The judges were impressed. 
    These emerging fashion designers lived up to the task and designed beautiful travel pouches.
    In this recording, you will – for the very first time – hear from the ten finalists of the EcoChic Design Award. 
    Hear why sustainable fashion is the future and the power of fashion as a force for good. Get advice on what you could do to make your wardrobes more sustainable.
    Find out what they are most excited and nervous about when they face the judges at the EcoChic Design Award on September 7th.
    They have some great thoughts on what you can do right now to make the world a better place as well. Like this one:
    Start spreading the word! 
    “Discuss the problems that are going on in our world. We could all make a big difference,” said Amanda, one of the finalists of the EcoChic Design Award 2017.
    Well said.
    Good luck to all the finalists. Go rock that runway!

    Follow us to the EcoChic Design Award 2017!
    TAKE ACTION! 

    * Find more information on the live stream here and subscribe today to get our behind the scenes episode straight to your inbox.
    * Listen to our interview with Redress Founder Christina Dean here.
    * Sustainable fashion is HOT. Read our blog post Redress brings sustainable fashion to the runway 
    * Get in touch with the amazing team at Redress, follow and support their cause to fight waste in the fashion industry.

    17 min
  • #24: A movement showing love to the forgotten communities of Hong Kong

    Jeff Rotmeyer loves his value driven work. He started two charities at the same time. People called him crazy. We call him brave.  Together with an army of dedicated volunteers, he shows love to the forgotten communities of Hong Kong. ImpactHK supports the homeless and emphasises job creation. Love 21 Foundation works with the down syndrome...

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    46 min
  • #24: A movement showing love to the forgotten communities of Hong Kong
    Jeff Rotmeyer loves his value driven work. He started two charities at the same time. People called him crazy.
    We call him brave. 
    Together with an army of dedicated volunteers, he shows love to the forgotten communities of Hong Kong. ImpactHK supports the homeless and emphasises job creation. Love 21 Foundation works with the down syndrome and autistic community focusing on sports programmes and healthy nutrition.
    Jeff looks like a regular guy next door, humble, friendly with very kind eyes.
    He is a teacher, husband and father, originally from Canada. When he moved to Hong Kong and had a bit of a mid life crisis, the superhero inside emerged and Jeff jumped into charity work and community building.
    We met just ahead of one of his “kindness walks” where his ImpactHK community shows love to homeless communities in Hong Kong, reaching out with supplies and conversation. That evening, we visited one camp with a group of five elderly people still trying to make some kind of living when, by Western standards, they should be retired by now.
    Jeff talked us through the early days of his two charities. He didn’t intend to have two at first but once his eyes were open, he saw ways he could help.
    Jeff liked the simplicity of helping people in need.

    “Everybody needs a bit of kindness,” Jeff says.

    Through a regular blog, he reached out to readers and started to organise one walk each month, visiting a homeless community. Soon it became more popular and more and more people joined. So they added another walk.
    Today they are doing 20 kindness walks each month and they are serving in different communities all over Hong Kong. 
    In this episode, you hear why it is only now kicking off for real. He lets you in on his secret how to build an engaged community, including an early lesson from his Mom.

    “If we are not gonna do it who is gonna do it?” Jeff asks.

    There is another thing that makes Jeff so special. He goes where other charities won’t go. He supports communities in Hong Kong that have very limited – if any – chance to be reintegrated into society. With ImpactHK he creates job opportunities for the homeless and wants others to learn from people that share how they overcame their struggles on the street.
    Love 21 Foundation is thriving just as much. Their sports programme for kids with down syndrome and autism started out with football at first, but today his community can choose Yoga, Hiking, Dance, Fitness, Tennis and Surfing classes.

    “We can do anything. The sky is the limit.”  Jeff shares.

    Did we mention that Jeff runs both of these amazing charities on top of his full-time teaching job? What we love most about Jeff is his optimism, and with the challenges that he faces on the streets, he needs to be. As hard as Jeff is working, there are setbacks when Jeff feels like he let people down. People that he could not help in time.
    How do you keep going? I asked Jeff.
    “I guess I can give myself a bit credit in taking that step. Stepping up and doing something like this was a bit ballsy.” Jeff says. We’d say very ballsy.

    Support Jeff’s work by donating to his start giving campaign here. 
    Follow and share their impactful work at ImpactHK and Love 21 Foundation. Head over and check out Jeff’s blog at The Guestroom. 
    Watch Jeff’s TEDxHongKong talk here.

    Hong Kongs #impact community is thriving. Join us
    46 min
  • #23: Bonus Episode: Regina recalls her most memorable moments from Season 1.

    As #impact Podcast prepares an amazing lineup of local and international change makers for Season 2, we wanted to share some clips that have had a lasting impact on us.  We have started to process the feedback provided by our wonderful listeners – if you haven’t contributed yet, please access the survey here – and a...

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    24 min
  • #23: Bonus Episode: Regina recalls her most memorable moments from Season 1.
    As #impact Podcast prepares an amazing lineup of local and international change makers for Season 2, we wanted to share some clips that have had a lasting impact on us. 
    We have started to process the feedback provided by our wonderful listeners – if you haven’t contributed yet, please access the survey here – and a few of the findings have influenced the clips chosen for this episode.

    *
    First, a few of you asked for more variety in podcast length…


    …so this bonus episode is a breezy 24 minutes long. Short enough even for a Hong Kong commute.

    *
    Second, some you expressed that you listen to the podcasts because you find them inspiring…


    …and might even be thinking about a way to be more impactful yourselves. We focused on advice for you in this bonus episode.

    *
    The first two clips are about making meaningful career choices…


    …or simply learning to be more impactful and true to your passions regardless of what you do to pay the bills. Regina highlights stories from Matt Friedman and Cherry Ng, and shares how she was affected by them.

    *
    Regina talked about her highs and lows in starting up the podcast in the final episode of Season 2, and she returns to the theme of starting out…


    …with clips from David Begbie and Shawn Seipler.
    David focuses on the importance of understanding your strengths and then figuring out how best to apply them. Shawn explains how to test an idea with some hands-on prototyping, and the support of an understanding family.
    Both men also highlight the need for big, bold goals to keep you motivated over the long term.
    Regina discusses another bold goal with Matt Friedman, who is working toward a future world where business tackles social innovation, asking NGOs for occasional assistance.

    *
    The final clip has some simple advice from Christina Dean, founder of Redress…


    …who starred alongside Regina in the first podcast recorded in front of a live audience. Christina thinks everyone can be a change maker. It’s okay to start small, you just need to do it. 
    Have you found a way to make small changes or contributions to causes that you are passionate about? Have you joined a beach cleanup or invited your neighbour for tea? Please share your impacts with us on Facebook or Instagram @hashtagimpact.
    Make sure you’re subscribed to our newsletter for information about the launch of Season 2!
    Coming soon!
    Find the full episodes mentioned in this Best of Season 1 here:

    * Matt Friedman, Mekong Club www.hashtagimpact.com/podcast19
    * Cherry Ng, Room to Read https://www.hashtagimpact.com/podcast5/
    * David Begbie, Crossroads Foundation https://www.hashtagimpact.com/podcast9/
    * Shawn Seipler, Clean the World https://www.hashtagimpact.com/podcast10/
    * Christina Dean, Redress 
    24 min

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#impact invites you in to eavesdrop on intimate, raw and honest conversations on creating positive change in the world. Brought to you, with love, by Regina Larko, the voice that encourages you to get…