Teaching Change

Part two of Chris Castro’s interview tackles the bottom line of social entrepreneurship. Chris has mastered two of the big Ps, people, and planet, but what about the third one: profit? Chris delves into the business side of his enterprises to explain how doing good and doing well coincide with generating revenue. First up is Fleeting Farming, Chris’ nonprofit organization that transforms neighborhood lawns into produce-yielding farms. Revenue mechanisms attached to its services include: charging for garden installation, selling produce at farmer’s markets, and hosting corporate team building experiences. As Fleet Farming expands into other cities, the streams of revenue will continue to expand.  Another example Chris discusses is his for-profit clean energy consulting firm, Citizen Energy, which is based in Washington D.C. Founded in 2012, Citizen Energy improves the energy and water efficiency of buildings through the use of technology. This is done by training students to assess and benchmark the status of the buildings. Then Citizen Energy helps finance improvements in efficiency by providing upgrades such as LED lighting and building controls. This is done with no upfront costs to the building owner. Over time, Citizen Energy recoups its investment by sharing in the building’s energy savings now that expenses have been reduced. The conversation then turns to Chris’ day job with the City of Orlando. In his current position as Director of Sustainability, Chris helps the city develop policy and programs. He is proud of the work he has done to ensure the energy efficiency of Orlando’s government buildings and, as a result, save the city money. Chris helped implement the Property Assessed Clean Energy Program (PACE) that provides home and business owners with financing that can be used to improve water and energy efficiency for their properties. Instead of repaying the city through a traditional loan payment, the home and business owners pay off the financing through an added fee on their property taxes. Another signature initiative for Chris has been Orlando’s Benchmarking and Transparency policy. This policy requires Orlando’s largest buildings to benchmark energy use and to report this data to the City. Orlando is one of just twenty-four cities in the country that has passed this policy. Ultimately, the adage of all work and no play does not apply to Chris. For him, it’s all play. His family and friends often join Chris in his endeavors. Sustainability is his passion and he has fun championing it. 

The surf’s up for this episode of Teaching Change! In this two-parter, the hosts talk chasing waves and sustainability with Chris Castro, the Director of Sustainability for the City of Orlando. Chris’ love of nature started at an early age in Miami, FL where he worked on his stepfather’s palm tree farm. His extracurricular activities included snorkeling, scuba diving, and surfing–which was a major reason why he chose to attend the University of Central Florida (UCF) as an undergraduate. Orlando’s location gave Chris easy access to Florida’s exciting beaches and waterways.

Chris may have come for the surfing but he quickly found himself at home among Orlando’s emerging innovation and technology scene. Within these budding platforms, Chris saw the potential for initiatives involving sustainability. Chris’ path to his current advocacy and life’s work is a testament to the power of higher education and the personal development it affords. When asked about his interest in sustainability, Chris recalls the course in Environmental Sociology he took as a student at UCF. He credits this class by opening his eyes on how humans impact the world and each other with actions such as energy consumption and waste. These revelations sparked his interest in sustainability activism and in solutions to issues that plague the environment. That’s when Chris went mobile.

He rallied his peers together and formed IDEAS for Us, which began in 2008 as a UCF interdisciplinary organization of students working on policy and solutions to make college campuses more sustainable. Now IDEAS for Us has chapters all over the world, including one at Valencia College. The focus of IDEAS for Us revolves around energy, water, food, waste, and ecology. Two initiatives spearheaded by IDEAS for Us include Kill-A-Watt and Green Your Game. For Kill-A-Watt, students living in dorms compete to conserve energy and save money to win scholarships. Green Your Game promotes recycling, reducing, and reusing efforts at UCF’s tailgating events.

The conversation then turns to Chris’ work as an urban farmer and the importance of creating a sustainable agricultural system. Chris shares that food currently travels an average of 1500-1800 miles before it reaches a person’s plate. To address this issue, Chris co-created the Fleet Farming program that converts lawns and underused land into farms. Fleet Farming is made possible through Swarm Rides which consist of volunteers on bikes collecting the city-grown produce. The produce is then sold at farmers markets and to local vendors.

Chris wears many hats in addition to his day job. This episode just scratches the surface. Be sure to check back next week to hear the conclusion of Chris Castro’s interview.

Chris Castro’s Biography

(Per LinkedIn)

An award-winning sustainability professional, eco-entrepreneur, urban farmer, and community organizer working to accelerate the transition to a smart, resilient, and sustainable future.

Chris is currently the Director of Sustainability, Senior Advisor to Mayor Dyer, and Co-chair of Smart Cities for the City of Orlando, developing partnerships, policies, and programs to support the sustainability, clean energy, & climate-related goals of Mayor Buddy Dyer’s Green Works Orlando initiative.

In 2008, Chris co-founded IDEAS For Us, a global 501c3 non-profit & UN-accredited NGO, working to incubate global environmental solutions and fund local action that advances the UN Sustainable Development Goals. In 2013, he helped co-create Fleet Farming, a renowned urban farming program that is refining local food by building distributed organic agricultural systems through neighborhoods and communities.

Chris has held sustainability & energy-related positions with University of Central Florida, Orange County Government, and the US Department of Energy. In 2012, Chris also co-founded a clean energy consulting firm, Citizen Energy, that provides custom energy efficiency & renewable energy solutions for commercial buildings in the Washington DC Metro area.

In addition, Chris is a public speaker and has been recognized for his effort as an emerging environmental leader; including the ‘Guru of Green’ by the Orlando Business Journal, the 2017 Grist 50 Award, Top 30 Under 30 sustainability professionals by GreenBiz, formal recognition from President Bill Clinton, and a ‘Champions of Change’ awardee from the U.S. White House & Obama Administration. Chris has spoken at more than 100 conferences and events, including the United Nations HQ & the UN Rio+20 Summit, NASA Kennedy Space Center Innovation Expo, TEDx Orlando, Better Buildings Summit, and more.

Teaching Change Shout-outs

Fleet Farming

Green Works Orlando

IDEAS for Us

For this episode, Jerrid and Courtney venture out of the studio to chat with Diana Palmar, the Queen of Clean. Diana is the owner of City Maid Green located in Orlando’s College Park neighborhood. City Maid Green doubles as a cleaning service and retailer of plant-based cleaning supplies.

Diana Palmar’s Biography

Teaching Change Shout-outs

 City Maid Green

Rachel Allen, college professor, and peace connoisseur drops by the studio to discuss the origins of Valencia’s Peace and Justice Institute (PJI). Once a tiny seed of an idea, the institute has grown into a powerful vehicle for addressing social issues not only at the college but in the community as well.

PJI’s work is rooted in the Principles of How We Treat Each Other, a list of guiding practices that foster respect and community building. In times of conflict or frustration, the principles can be used as tools of reconciliation. Rachel’s work with the principles evolved from retreats she attended where Parker Palmer’s touchstones were used to encourage conciliatory acts such as turning to wonder and speaking your truth. Rachel knew that the inner work conducted at the retreat would have to be fundamental to the mission of PJI. Through the years, Rachel has discovered that the beauty of the principles is that it values all the ways we are different.

The principles are now firmly woven into Valencia’s culture. Faculty and staff are exposed to them as new hires. Departments request presentations to strengthen communication. Students learn about them through events, workshops and the New Student Experience course. Posters of the principles are even posted in many of the classrooms.

The goodwill of PJI and the principles have expanded beyond Valencia and into the community. The institute has facilitated training to city employees including police officers and firefighters because Orlando’s government leaders recognize the importance of treating each other with respect. This has given birth to a community that more and more speaks with a common language on matters of peace. This was very much on display during the aftermath of the Pulse tragedy when Orlando united against hate and violence.

Rachel recently fulfilled one of her lifelong dreams to meet President Jimmy Carter. She visited the Carter Center and heard from people that lead the work of peace and health throughout the world. Rachel’s admiration for President Carter and his teachings stem from his expression of love for everyone and his lessons of hospitality. The Declaration of Human Rights, drafted in 1948, was also a topic of discussion during her visit. President Carter believes this document is more important than ever—and so does Rachel. The Declaration of Human Rights will be the focus of PJI’s Peace Week which will take place either in late January or early July.

Rachel Allen’s Biography

Rachel Allen is a life-long educator and practitioner who supports others to practice and educate for peace and justice in their work and personal lives. She brings thirty- three years of experience as a leader and educator at diverse institutions including Eagle’s Nest Foundation, Outward Bound, the University of Oregon and Valencia College. At Valencia College in Orlando, Florida, Rachel is a tenured Professor of Humanities and founding member and director of the Peace and Justice Institute.

Rachel holds an M. A. in theater from the University of Oregon and a B. S. in interdisciplinary studies from Northwestern University. In addition to her decades of teaching and facilitation experience, she has experience providing strategic planning and vision, program and curriculum design, fundraising and community-building practices. Rachel has studied with leading peacebuilders from Berkeley, Notre Dame, and Eastern Mennonite Universities is a certified Safe Zone advocate for the LGBTQ community and a National SEED Project Facilitator. Her community service includes work with the Coalition for the Homeless, Shepherd’s Hope, and Pine Hills Community Performing Arts Center. She serves on the board of ArtReach Orlando and is a member of the League of Women Voters. Rachel and her husband Willie Allen are the proud parents of two young children; they live in Maitland, Florida.

Teaching Change Shout-outs

Peace and Justice Institute

PRINCIPLES FOR HOW WE TREAT EACH OTHER

1. Create a hospitable and accountable community. We all arrive in isolation and need the generosity of friendly welcomes. Bring all of yourself to the work in this community. Welcome others to this place and this work, and presume that you are welcomed as well. Hospitality is the essence of restoring community.

2. Listen deeply. Listen intently to what is said; listen to the feelings beneath the words. Strive to

3. Create an advice free zone. Replace advice with curiosity as we work together for peace and justice. Each of us is here to discover our own truths. We are not here to set someone else straight, to “fix” what we perceive as broken in another member of the group.

4. Practice asking honest and open questions. A great question is ambiguous, personal and provokes anxiety.

5. Give space for unpopular answers. Answer questions honestly even if the answer seems unpopular. Be present to listen not debate, correct or interpret.

6. Respect silence. Silence is a rare gift in our busy world. After someone has spoken, take time

7. Suspend judgment. Set aside your judgments. By creating a space between judgments and reactions, we can listen to the other, and to ourselves, more fully.

8. Identify assumptions. Our assumptions are usually invisible to us, yet they undergird our worldview. By identifying our assumptions, we can then set them aside and open our viewpoints to

9. Speak your truth. You are invited to say what is in your heart, trusting that your voice will be heard

10. When things get difficult, turn to wonder. If you find yourself disagreeing with another,

11. Practice slowing down. Simply the speed of modern life can cause violent damage to the soul. By intentionally practicing slowing down we strengthen our ability to extend non-violence to others—and to ourselves.

12. All voices have value. Hold these moments when a person speaks as precious because these are the moments when a person is willing to stand for something, trust the group and offer something he or

13. Maintain confidentiality. Create a safe space by respecting the confidential nature and content of

In this episode, Jerrid and Courtney ponder the cost of social value, one of the core tenets of social entrepreneurship—the other being wealth creation. As a springboard for the conversation, Jerrid refers to Certo and Miller’s “Social Entrepreneurship: Key issues and concepts” which defines social value as having little to do with profit. Instead, social value is the fulfillment of long-standing needs such as food, water, and medical attention.

The hosts acknowledge how often they take comforts such as the Internet and electricity for granted because they are so readily accessible. Jerrid recalls a time when this was not the case. During the infamous 2004 hurricane season, Orlando was hit with three consecutive hurricanes. In addition to dealing with damaged homes, many people had to cope without water and electricity for days. This experience gave Jerrid a small taste of the hardships people face daily around the globe and further motivated him to help people facing social inequality.

For Courtney, the library is a perfect extension of social value. The magnitude of its resources and outreach strive to place everyone on an even playing field. In fact, in the aftermath of the Orlando hurricanes, libraries operated as safe havens where citizens could access helpful community resources, power, and the Internet.

One critical component missing from Certo and Miller’s definition of social value is the environment. The environment is a hot button issue with today’s social entrepreneurs as they look toward sustainability and combat climate change. Having recently weathered droughts and wildfires in Florida, this issue resonates with the hosts.

Ultimately, there is no definitive formula to measure social value. Unlike wealth creation, there are no tangible sales figures or profits to show a return on investment. This presents an ongoing challenge to social entrepreneurs who must not only articulate how their organizations will benefit investors financially but also how their organizations will benefit society.  

Teaching Change Shout-outs

“Social Entrepreneurship: Key issues and concepts” by Trevis Certo and Toyah Miller

This episode is brought to you by the three Ps: People, Planet, and Profit. Valencia’s Director of Sustainability, Resham Shirsat, joins the hosts in-studio to chat about sustainability and how it intersects with social entrepreneurship. She is also a fellow member of Jerrid’s Guiding Coalition who helped bring social entrepreneurship education to Valencia.

Resham’s passion for sustainability is driven by her own academic journey. As an undergraduate, she enrolled in an elective environmental class that changed her life. Resham credits the class for exposing her to some of the harmful ways profit was being earned at the expense of people and the planet.  Ever since Resham has embraced the mission to grow the economy in a way that is socially equitable and environmentally viable.

Resham’s work with students includes holding presentations, facilitating workshops, advising a branch of the IDEAS student club, and working with Valencia’s Career Center. The outreach to the Career Center gives Resham the platform to educate students on the multitude of sustainable career paths. She believes sustainability is the fastest-growing job industry and employment in fields such as data management, information technology, and engineering will be essential to support the work.

Resham also shares news about Valencia’s upcoming Associates of Science degree program in Energy Management Controls Technology. A result of a $900,000 grant from the National Science Foundation, students will utilize campus and community resources outside of the classroom to align their coursework with real-world applications.

Outside of Valencia, Resham participates in Orlando initiatives such as the Smart City Summit and the Building Energy and Water Efficiency Strategy (BEWES) program. This participation allows her to support the city’s sustainability efforts by matching its needs with the college’s workforce development.

When reflecting on her role at the college, Resham defines her position as increasing revenue and protecting profits while doing good for people and the planet. She wants everyone to know that small changes in energy use and waste management can make a big difference. Every contribution towards sustainability counts. Rethink. Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.

Teaching Change Shout-outs

Valencia College’s Sustainability Department

Talking Trash with Resham Shirsat: Take the Pledge for a Mini Desktop Bin

Building Energy and Water Efficiency Strategy – City of Orlando

Energy Management Controls Technology Program

Welcome to Episode 3 of Teaching Change. Since the last episode, Courtney has presented at the Florida Library Association Conference. Her presentation focused on how the Valencia East Book Nerds, the student club she advises, has helped its members succeed in their personal and academic lives. Meanwhile, Jerrid took a group of students on a field trip to First Green Bank to learn about its sustainability program. Kyle Sanders, the manager of the Winter Park branch, was a great host as the group learned about several of the bank’s initiatives such as energy efficiency, LEED-certified building material, recycling, and solar roof panels.

The conversation turns to Chris Miller’s blog post “10 Things Social Entrepreneurship is Not.” Chris Miller is the founder and CEO of Mission Center L3C. Jerrid is quite fond of the list because it covers common misconceptions that he has encountered during the course of his work.

At the top of the list is social entrepreneurship is not Facebook. As social media continues to be a ubiquitous part of society, it may come as no surprise that some people confuse the two. However, social entrepreneurship has more to do with business practices and social value than it does with likes and posting. Sure, Facebook can be used as a tool to promote businesses that may include social entrepreneurs, but the purpose of each is quite different.

Jerrid and Courtney also cover the blog’s assertions that social entrepreneurship is not charity, not necessarily nonprofit, and that it is most definitely not anti-profit. TOMS Shoes, which has been quite profitable, is a great example of this criteria. At TOMS Shoes, every time someone purchases a pair of shoes another pair is donated.

In another part of the world, India’s Grameen Bank also exemplifies how social entrepreneurship is not a synonym for charity. Founded by Muhammed Yunus, Grameen gives microloans to people who need small loans but are not eligible for traditional loans because they do not have capital. Muhammed Yunus and his bank were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006.

The rest of Miller’s list is reviewed, including social entrepreneurship not being a fad and not being about corporate responsibility. All of the “not” talk ultimately leads to a clearer understanding of how social entrepreneurship operates and how it impacts the world.

Teaching Change Shout-outs

“10 Things Social Entrepreneurship is Not” by Chris Miller

First Green Bank

Grameen Bank

Dr. Leonard Bass joins Jerrid and Courtney for Episode 2. Leonard is the Dean of Learning Support at Valencia’s east campus. As dean, he oversees New Student Experience, the library, Supplement Learning, the Academic Success Center as well as a host of other projects and initiatives. Plus, Leonard is Jerrid and Courtney’s boss!

Leonard tells the story of how he became involved with Valencia’s social entrepreneurship work thanks to Jerrid. At the time, Jerrid was working on his doctorate and saw a potential for starting a program.  Leonard says, “It is important for those in leadership to be comfortable with new ideas.”

The New Student Experience course also provided fresh perspectives into the value of social entrepreneurship education. The first common read for the course was Blake Mycoskie’s Start something that matters which tells the story of social entrepreneurship powerhouse TOMS Shoes. The basic principle of the company’s business model is that for every pair of shoes that is purchased one pair is donated.

The themes in the book provided a toolbox of strategies for students to use in their academic and everyday lives. Themes discussed included collaboration, building networks, time management, and good reputations. The positive student response to the book was another impetus for starting a full-fledged social entrepreneurship program. To that end, Jerrid wrote a white paper and he teamed with Leonard to look for others who were interested in joining what Jerrid fondly calls the Guiding Coalition.

The social entrepreneurship program has been a success so far. Leonard credits this with recruiting faculty who have a deep desire for the work and who have a certain level of expertise. He also found it essential to devise a strategic plan to assist in articulating the program’s purpose.

One other biggie, collaboration is key. You just might find allies in the most surprising places. For Leonard, his pleasant surprise came in the form of Valencia’s Sustainability Department. While he did not originally think to partner with Sustainability, the director Resham Shirsat has become one of the program’s staunchest advocates. So throw those assumptions out the door!

With what little spare time he has, Leonard serves on Covenant House Florida’s board which focuses on addressing the needs of homeless youth. He is a classically trained bassoonist, and also participates in mud runs.

Teaching Change Shout-outs

Start something that matters by Blake Mycoskie

Covenant House Florida

Tough Mudder

Join Jerrid and Courtney as they examine the fine, often interchangeable, the line between social entrepreneurship and social innovation.  As Jerrid explains it, social entrepreneurship encompasses using business practices to create wealth and social value.

In some ways, social innovation can be thought of as the umbrella under which social entrepreneurship falls. This takes into account all of the people who may be socially innovative but not necessarily social entrepreneurs. To this end, the purpose of social innovation is for social progress and value creation. This purpose divulges ever so slightly from social entrepreneurship because social innovation may or may not have a wealth-generating component.  Still with us?

Take this example. Jon Territo—true story—is a music professor at Valencia who wants to find ways to infuse social innovation into his courses. One idea is to have his choral groups and ensembles play at fundraisers so students can learn the benefits of giving back to their communities.  Or perhaps his students may perform at a concert where the admission is two can goods. Both options fall under the social innovation umbrella.

While seeds of social innovation may be planted in the course lessons of some faculty, the main focus of the work at Valencia is social entrepreneurship. The academic program helps students create businesses that do well and do good. Courtney is curious how Jerrid teaches such a broad topic to his students. As it turns out, Jerrid has plenty of resources in his toolkit which includes a systematic literature review he co-authored with Rollins College Professor Mary Conway Dao-on.

Jerrid, as does Courtney, likes to teach through examples. He spends the first 2 weeks on terminology then the class begins to narrow down the list and dissect the remaining definitions until a cohesive understanding emerges.

The show wraps up with the hosts sharing their extracurricular activities. Courtney was inspired by a workshop she attended at the Orlando Public Library that focused on seizing your dreams. She was also thrilled that the student club she co-advises, the Valencia East Book Nerds, received Program of the Year for their banned book trivia event.

Jerrid was also having a great week. He is also an advisor to a student club, the Social Entrepreneurship Student Organization (SESO). SESO hosted a successful event where social entrepreneurship extraordinaire, Eric Glustrum, was the guest speaker. An inspiration in the field, Eric Glustrum’s credentials include being an Ashoka Fellow, Echoing Green Fellow, Forbes 30 Social Entrepreneurship Under 30, and founder of Watson U.   

Teaching Change Shout-outs

“The winding road of social entrepreneurship definitions: a systematic literature review” by Mary Conway Dato-on and Jerrid Kalakay  

http://www.watsonuniversity.org/

In the inaugural episode of Teaching Change, Professor Jerrid Kalakay and Librarian Courtney Moore set the stage to chronicle social entrepreneurship education at Valencia College and beyond. As Jerrid defines it, social entrepreneurship is the practice of using innovative business practices to create social value and wealth. The co-hosts, who both work at Valencia, begin with personal introductions that provide details on their respective backgrounds and interests.

At Valencia, Jerrid pulls double duty as a full-time instructor for the New Student Experience course and as the Social Entrepreneurship Program Coordinator—and this is just his day job! Jerrid, having earned a Ph.D. in leadership and change with a focus on social entrepreneurship, brings a vast field of knowledge to the podcast. He has long been a steadfast advocate for social entrepreneurship education and was instrumental in developing the program at Valencia. A married man and father of three, Jerrid’s motivations are quite simple. For his family and society as a whole, it is his hope that everyone makes the world a little better than when they found it.

While Jerrid is very much the insider, Courtney is stepping into new territory with a podcast on social entrepreneurship. Most days she is either at the library’s reference desk or teaching information literacy instruction classes. Courtney’s role as a librarian has constantly enhanced her worldview and has set her up as a staunch supporter of lifelong learning who walks the walk. Her master’s degree in library science and information studies has allowed her a professional platform to champion the value and access to information. Courtney’s burgeoning knowledge of social entrepreneurship is bolstered by her experience as an educator and self-confessed podcast addiction.

Outside of work, both Jerrid and Courtney make the most of their spare time. Jerrid is a not-so-undercover fanboy who loves a good binge of nerdy television. The SyFy channel is a must. Jerrid also has an affection for hip hop music due to its running themes of shared experience.

Courtney moonlights as a member of Weekend Toastmasters—a club that builds public speaking and leadership skills. She also has ambitions to one day parlay her fiction writing hobby into a Shonda Rhimes, “Scandal”-size gig.

Teaching Change Shout-Outs

Clean the World

Downtown Credo

Fluente