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How the Arts Drove Pittsburgh's Revitalization

John Tierney

December 11, 2014 |

The Atlantic |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Investments into the arts serve as significant economic catalysts. In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, legacy foundations like the Heinz Endowments, Benedum Foundation, and Richard King Mellon Foundation pooled their resources to create the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, which supports art and culture in the city’s downtown districts. By purchasing and refurbishing existing real estate, as well as lending support to smaller initiatives like the Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company, PCT’s investments have served as an engine of growth for the city.

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Getting a Senior Discount? Here's How to Give It Away

Kerry Hannon

November 21, 2014 |

The New York Times |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Bainbridge Island, Washington

Not all seniors need the various discounts they receive. The Boomerang Giving project allows them to donate back the difference of the discounts on things like movie tickets to a charity of their choice, benefiting not only a community cause but also their own mental and physical health. Various services also assist them in selecting and investing wisely in different nonprofits.

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The Company That Turns Plastic Bottles Into Fabric—and Jobs

John Tierney

November 07, 2014 |

The Atlantic |

Multi-Media |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Haiti, Port-au-Prince

Thread is a social enterprise out of Pittsburgh taking a two-for-one approach to the issues of both poverty and pollution in Haiti. They help take plastic waste out of the environment by turning it into durable fabrics that are sold to clothing and accessory companies looking to source responsible materials, and they create sustainable jobs for Haitians who collect and process the plastic waste.

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MIT D-Lab promotes rural community innovations in Guatemala with Soluciones Comunitarias

Nancy Adams

October 10, 2014 |

MIT News |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: Guatemala, Santa Maria Nebaj, El Quiché

MIT's D-Lab is supporting individuals in impoverished, rural areas invent low-cost technologies to address the needs of their communities. In 2009, the D-Lab paired with SolCom, a Guatemalan community organizing enterprise, and an international development fund to bring this model to the isolated area of Nebaj, assisting locals in creating a Makerspace for microentrepreneurs. The collaboration has fostered an environment for sustainable grassroots change, in which the social and intellectual capital needed to create the needed innovations and inventions originates in the community itself.

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How to Attract Artists to a Down-and-Out Neighborhood

John Tierney

October 10, 2014 |

The Atlantic |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Columbus, Ohio

Public-private collaborations can promote entrepreneurship and foster economic revitalization. In the Franklinton neighborhood of Columbus, Ohio, partnerships between the city of Columbus, the Franklinton Development Association (FDA), and local businesses have led to a flourishing of artist studios, maker spaces, and other community attractions. The initiatives were funded in part by grants from ArtPlace America as well as the city of Columbus.

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Profits at the Bottom of the Pyramid

Erik Simanis

October 01, 2014 |

Harvard Business Review |

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Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States

Too often socially useful businesses end up failing because they get ahead of themselves and end up not being profitable. Companies now can select from an 'opportunity map' of ventures that serve the poorest individuals, and are more likely to be profitable and sustainable.

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Innovation Within Reach

Sarika Bansal

August 21, 2014 |

The New York Times |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Nepal

What about the world’s poorest, for whom new, expensive gadgets are out of reach - what types of innovation would be most beneficial for them? Through “frugal innovation”, people are designing products specifically to meet the needs of the world’s poorest citizens.

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Serving the base of the pyramid: five tips from emerging-market experts

Bruce Watson

May 30, 2014 |

The Guardian |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

The Social Innovation Summit, hosted in New York City, examines five key elements that allow the strategy of marketing to the base of the pyramid to actually succeed, and the companies big and small that are leveraging this approach to sustainably break the cycle of poverty in varied industries for communities around the world.

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The Robots That Saved Pittsburgh

Glenn Thrush

February 04, 2014 |

Politico |

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Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Pittsburgh

Post-industrial cities can re-platform their economies by fostering institutions that drive innovation and attract both financial and human capital. By promoting long-term collaboration between universities, cultural institutions, and entrepreneurs, Pittsburgh has undergone a three-decade-long urban reinvention. With Carnegie Mellon University as an anchor, the city’s robotics research sector has attracted investment from government projects and venture capital, creating a ripple effect of growth and urban development.

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Refurbished Wind Turbines to Power the Developing World at a Profit

Mary Mazzoni

January 30, 2014 |

Triple Pundit |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi, Emirate of Abu Dhabi

The commercially-based Wind for Prosperity initiative may have devised a solution to meet growing demands for electricity in developing economies, where fossil fuels are expensive, difficult to access, and take a toll on environmental and human health. The venture works to refurbish wind turbines from Europe and re-deploy them in the developing world, providing clean and affordable power where it’s needed most.

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