Transformation

Phil Lawson

Phil Lawson is the founder and CEO of Spherit Inc. Spherit is a company that looks at the whole of a complex issue and makes sense of it.   Through an online questioner system a chart is created that reports the shape and pattern of a company.  One element the chart produces is staff ability for example is an employee ability being fully used.   The application that does this is called Sphere and it has countless applications.  It can also be used in the areas of health, personal relationships and individual career goals.  The purpose of the application is to assist in navigating to the best possible outcome.

Lawson is also the author.  Being Spherical — Reshaping Our Lives and Our World for the 21st Century is a book about navigating through change.  Lawson co-authored, It’s Going to be OK (but not like we thought), “A story about absolute certainty, confounding bewilderment and an inescapable transformation,” says Lawson.

For more information, visit; www.engagesphere.com

Faye Wilson Tate

The Girl Scouts Women of Distinction are committed to increasing the impact of the Girl Scouts by volunteering and financial giving.  Leaders are chosen by their dedication of service and leadership.  This year’s Girl Scouts Women of Distinction is Faye Wilson Tate.

Fay Wilson Tate is the vice president and director for Global Diversity and Inclusion at CH2M HILL.  CH2M HILL is a global engineering consulting firm.

The Girl Scouts’ program has played a role in Read More »

Rotary International’s motto is, “Rotary, Humanity in Motion.”  They are a collective of service minded individuals helping up their communities and reaching out to those in need across the globe.  The Rotarians differentiate themselves from other organizations by methodically using their business acumen to accomplish their goals.

One such Rotarian is Ron Burton.  Burton joined Rotary International in 1979 and is the current president nominee for 2013-2014. In Burton’s 32 years of Rotary service he has been Rotary International Director, Vice Chair of the Future Vision Committee, and Chair of the 2011 Rotary International Conference in New Orleans, member of the USA Polio Eradication Advocacy Task Force and past President of The Rotary Club in Norman, Oklahoma.  Burton’s commitment to Rotary is evident in his service and as the 2013-2014 presidential nominee he will be working towards The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundations challenge grant.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation awarded The Rotary Foundation a
challenge grant that will match, dollar for dollar, up to $100 million.  Read More »

FSG is a global social enterprise organization.  Social enterprises are organizations that apply business methods to achieving philanthropic goals.  One benefit in social entrepreneurship is both the donor and receipt win.  Winning!  FSG is also a nonprofit consulting firm specializing in strategy, evaluation and research.  They work with companies to develop corporate social responsibility strategies.

John Kania is the managing director of FSG.  Kania’s expertise is in social Read More »

iGivefirst

Technology solutions company iGivefirst facilitates donations to charitable organizations.  Sharif Youssef is the founder and CEO, of Giving Tools, Inc.  iGivefirst is a tool of Giving Tools and a for-profit professional fundraising company focused on philanthropy.  They are based in Denver, Colorado and have a national reach.

Using technology solutions reduces fundraising costs for nonprofits.   Nonprofits that use the iGivefirst button are able to redirect their work focus.   Not only is the charity’s end of the process made easier but donations can be made with a simple click—similar to the Facebook like Read More »

Colorado Gives Day

Colorado Gives Day is hosted by FirstBank and the Community First Foundation.  The two dedicated collaborators, Marla J. Williams, president and CEO of Community First Foundation and Jim Reuter, executive vice president of FirstBank has set 2011’s goal of exceeded last year’s total distribution of $8.7 million.  Ever wonder how your donation supports the community?  Here are two nonprofits with one their many of their success stories.

Marla J. Williams, President and CEO of Community First Foundation

The Nonprofit

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Chris Pelley

Chris Pelley is managing director of Capital Investment Management which embraces the Japanese proverb: “None of us are as smart as all of us.” In addition Pelley views social entrepreneurship as a meaningful endeavor.  Social enterprise is a blend of business acumen where more purpose equals more efficiency, more effectiveness and more sustainability.

The triple bottom line of company, children and charity increases profits.  Chris Pelley’s view on social enterprise derives from a unique source, his daughters. Read More »

Peter Yarrow

Peter Yarrow is best known for being part of the folk musical trio Peter, Paul and Mary.  Yarrow’s current project Operation Respect encourages mutual respect between all people.  “Operation Respect Program” includes a book, CD and teaching curriculum.  The book is Yarrow’s second book following “Puff the Magic Dragon.”  Operation Respect is not only a book but also a nonprofit, education and advocacy organization which teaches respectful, safe and compassionate behaviors.

Puff the Magic Dragon’s meaning has always been questioned and Yarrow assures time and time again it has an innocent message.  Puff the Magic Dragon is a song about compassion and empathy and relates to being respectful to the differences between people.  The song resonates through the ages because it touches the heart.

Operation Respect’s program curriculum can be downloaded, at; www.operationrespect.org.  At this website you can find about 50 songs to download at no cost.  Yarrow shares them because once children sing together they form respect for each other.

Another one of Yarrow’s projects is the Don’t Laugh at Me program which can be found, at; www.dontlaugh.org.

Yarrow welcomes other educators and people who work with children to develop partnerships to get the no bullying message across.

Related articles

• Catching up with Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul and Mary (arts.nationalpost.com)

Engines & Energy Conversion Lab

Colorado is at the global forefront of the new energy economy.  Foreign delegates visit the National Renewable Energy Lab and Engines & Energy Conversion Laboratory to see cutting edge energy development.  Creating collaborative agreements develops relationships between Colorado organizations and foreign delegates.  Brian Wilson with EECL develops energy solutions for engines, smart grids, smart businesses and biofuels.  Through research to producing products EECL makes impacts on the environment for example developing pipeline technology.  This technology’s impact is the equivalent to 120 million automobiles removed from the highway.  The Envirofit program at EECL has produced 350,000 cook stoves which has improved the lives of two million people.  Business and other organizations can partner with EECL and Envirofit by visiting www.envirofit.org.

National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Boosting the demand for clean energy through engaging firms in forums to build partnerships is one focus of NREL.  Partnership activities include multilateral and bilateral partnerships, climate and environmental initiatives and energy assessments. Five barriers to clean energy are policy, new energy technology implementation, standardizing, reducing costs and infrastructure.  NREL works with several entities to solve these issues.  To inquire about partnerships contact the tech transfer office, at: www.nrel.gov/international.

Allan Jones President of Emaginos Inc.

Allan Jones, president of Emaginos Inc. focuses on changing K-12 education.  Changing the course of public education takes more than reforms.  Reforms are not creating the best benefits in public schools.  The NCEE reported globally we are in the middle or bottom of the middle tier of rankings for having successful K-12 education.  The best practices in transforming public education are:

1. Creating stronger teacher unions
2. Viewing teachers as the solution not the problem
3. The Federal government needs to set the priorities
4. Equity needs to go to the best preforming schools.

Charter schools are an asset in proving innovations.  Only 17 percent of charter schools are successful and those schools should be studied for best practices.

Ignoring public schools have efficiency issues will result in people unable to find jobs.  Extinct jobs are not coming back and schooling can’t get in the way of education.  Schools should focus 80 percent on problem solving and 20 percent on learning facts.

Tracy Learning Centers use hands on applications developed by Emaginos Inc. and have a one percent dropout rate and zero percent teacher turnover.  Their learning models are scalable to public schools.  They help students become active, independent learners.  For more information, visit: http://thepowerofus.org.

Related articles

• You: Mount Vernon District vs. Charter School (nytimes.com)