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The Autism Advantage

Gareth Cook

November 29, 2012 |

The New York Times |

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Over 3000 Words

Response Location: Denmark

Thorkil Sonne's experiences with his own gifted, autistic son led him to start a company called Specialisterne, founded on the idea that - given the right environment - some autistic adults could not just hold down a job but also be the best person for it, increasing access to a self-sustained adulthood.

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A Magical Paper Prevents Your Food From Rotting

Whitney Pastorek

November 15, 2012 |

FastCompany |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States

While implementing fruits and vegetables into a daily diet is recommended for optimal health, the lack of longevity for produce is often a problem that leads to food waste. Fenugreen FreshPaper, invented by Kavita Shukla while in her senior year of high school, addresses this issue by infusing a sheet of paper with a combination of spices that increases the shelf-life of produce.

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Open Education for a Global Economy

David Bornstein

July 11, 2012 |

The New York Times |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States

An Irish-based company, ALISON, provides free, high-quality e-courses to people around the globe in order to help close the gap between education and workplace skills. Particularly focused on providing access to areas where more traditional forms of education and job training are difficult to get, this approach is helping to change lives and the economy for the better.

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The Promise of Social Impact Bonds

Tina Rosenberg

June 20, 2012 |

The New York Times |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United Kingdom

When a government needs to invest in an expensive capital project — a new sewer system, bridge or highway — it issues bonds. The hot new idea in social programs – finance prevention programs to cut recidivism, reduce homelessness or keep kids in school by selling bonds, to be paid only if the program is a success.

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Shopping for a Better World

Sarika Bansal

May 09, 2012 |

The New York Times |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

The philanthropic practice of buy-one-give-one can be ineffective if communities are given ill-fitting donations or if the donations supplant local markets. The company Warby Parker ensures lasting change by financing the means of local production of a pair of glasses for every pair bought.

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Patagonia's Founder Is America's Most Unlikely Business Guru

Seth Stevenson

April 27, 2012 |

Wall Street Journal |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Ventura, California

Yvon Chouinard, the founder of outdoor adventure retail company Patagonia, vowed to run the company from an eco-conscious perspective. From donating a portion of the store's income to registering as a benefit corporation in California, Chouinard and the company has stayed true to the mission. Now, other major companies are following suit.

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Conquering Food Deserts With Green Carts

David Bornstein

April 18, 2012 |

The New York Times |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

Programs to get fresh produce carts to areas with no access to healthy food work best when government and determined entrepreneurs team up. Success from this model is evident in New York City, where the city has incentivized the selling of fruits and vegetables by street vendors in areas that are in the most need of the produce.

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One Acre Fund: a Nonprofit's Business Approach to Helping Small Farmers

Fred de Sam Lazaro

April 03, 2012 |

PBS NewsHour |

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Under 800 Words

Response Location: Kenya, Bungoma

International development organization One Acre Fund opts to set up shop in rural locations like Bungoma, Kenya rather than major cities like New York and Nairobi and treat its stakeholders as customers instead of beneficiaries. This non-profit's business-like approach has helped it grow from 5,000 farm families in 2006 to 125,000 in 2012, and around 99 percent of families repay their farm loans. As One Acre Fund farmers sell their excess produce, they can invest in basic necessities like education for their children.

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In a Second Career, Working to Make a Difference

Tina Rosenberg

January 05, 2012 |

The New York Times |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

Some inner city schools, nonprofits, and businesses in New York lack the staff to make their organizations function for the people they serve. ReServe is a program that links retired professionals with part-time jobs in schools, libraries, hospitals and other city agencies to help fil this gap.

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Outsourcing Is Not (Always) Evil

David Bornstein

December 08, 2011 |

The New York Times |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The United States can outsource certain kinds of "microwork," such as accurately digitizing large swaths of information, to developing countries without taking jobs from Americans ― if it’s done carefully, and ethically, as some organizations are working to do. As the author Robert Wright has argued, we no longer live in a zero-sum world, where one person’s, or one country’s gain, must be another’s loss.

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