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Greetings friends in FLOW,
Well, 2008 has certainly launched with great flow, and not only with the weather here in Northern California. Here is a brief overview of FLOW Action, now and in the year ahead. I will cover the following below:
* The Focus for FLOW – 2008
* FLOW Activation Circle News
* Empowering Women Entrepreneurs
* Peace Through Commerce
* Conscious Capitalism
* The FLOW Book – Liberating the Entrepreneurial Spirit for Good
* Introduction to Social Entrepreneurship Seminar by FLOW friend C.J. Hayden
The Focus for FLOW – 2008
In short we are focusing on…
Programs: We continue to develop and produce our three programs, as outlined below.
Publications: The FLOW book continues to evolve and seems to be heading towards completion, after another shift at the end of 2007. Stay tuned for the next, complete edition! Our new web site has been well received and highly complimented, BUT, before we begin promoting it and requesting content, we are deeply exploring using another web platform for our site. We are testing the Socialtext wiki software in connection with our upcoming Empowering Women Entrepreneurs retreat, and are likely to port our website to the Socialtext wiki platform soon.
FLOW Activation Circles: See below for details on the ongoing development of our FACs.
Collaborations: Our network of individuals and organizations with whom we collaborate and share ideas and information grows daily, and we always welcome the opportunity to meet new people. Through the Empowering Women Entrepreneurs events last Fall we began wonderful new relationships (including with Women Thrive Globally, Adina Worldbeat Beverages, World of Good, and Ode Magazine) and deepened existing relationships (with SweetRiot, Educate Girls Globally, and others). In the context of Peace Through Commerce, we have initiated what we expect will be a long time collaboration with Free to Choose Media, who is producing the initial video programming for PTC. And our relationship with FreedomFest is deepening this year, as we will produce a FLOW day at the July convention.
FLOW Activation Circle News
New York: “The NYC Flow Activation Circle has turned our attention to Human Flourishing. We have been exploring how embracing the entrepreneurial spirit for good might lead to greater self-actualization. Do conscious business practices enhance productivity and profitability? Is there a trade-off between having a successful business and serving a higher purpose in life? We will spend the next few meetings exploring these topics in more detail and welcome your input.” Contact Logan Bobo at loganbobo@gmail.com.
San Francisco: Next meeting (tomorrow) Tuesday, January 29th, 6:00 – 8:00 pm at Café Gratitude, 2200 4th Street, San Rafael, facilitated by Jeff Klein, FLOW ED & Chief Activation Officer.
Austin: Next meeting Tuesday, February 12th, 6:30 - 8:30 pm at Ventana Del Soul,
1834 E Oltorf, Austin, facilitated by Michael Strong, FLOW CEO & Chief Visionary Officer, and featuring Austin Maverick, Diane Carroll, founder of the Maverick Center.
We continue to cultivate community in these three cities and are laying the group to expand FACs to other cities.
Empowering Women Entrepreneurs
After our successful pilot events this Fall, we are going “back inside” with a small, private working retreat in March in Austin designed to catalyze an Alliance to produce an ongoing, multi-channel, integrated EWE program, and to initiate one or more on-the-ground pilot programs in developing communities around the world. We anticipate launching a fully developed program within the next year, activating various elements between now and then.
In the context of EWE and the upcoming retreat, Michael and Mark Frazier of OpenWorld continue to develop the concept and model for a Women’s Empowerment “Success-Sharing” Zone. The organizers of the 2010 Women’s World Conference in Sophia Bulgaria are embracing the idea of launching a zone. In connection with the conference, and Michael and Mark are participating in their organizing meetings in February at the UN.
Peace Through Commerce
PTC and advancing understanding of the role of economic freedom in promoting peace is Michael Strong’s principal current focus – in his research, writing, and convening. With great input from John (Mackey), the scope of the PTC message is expanding and nuances more fully explored. We are working closely with Free to Choose Media to produce a short video representing the PTC concept, as well as developing an hour-long documentary with excerpted modules for distribution to schools throughout North America through their related distribution company, Izzit media. Michael is also developing an on-line PTC game and classroom curriculum, to create an initial integrated program directed to young people.
Conscious Capitalism
John continues to lead the development of our CC program and has begun a collaboration with David Wolfe and Raj Sisodia, co-authors of Firms of Endearment: How World-Class Companies Profit from Passion and Purpose.
They are convening a small group of aligned business and thought leaders to more fully develop the theory of CC and to explore its application in practice.
The FLOW Book – Liberating the Entrepreneurial Spirit for Good
If “the third times a charm,” then we are nearly ready to publish the first FLOW book, as we recently made our third (or was it the fourth?) substantial shift in the concept and content for the book. Drawing from and essentially repackaging the content FLOW produced for the Working for Good curriculum in 2006 the book provides context for entrepreneurial solutions to social challenges and opportunities, exemplary stories, and inspiring models for engaging in FLOW Entrepreneurship. We will post the entire manuscript in the next few weeks and look forward to your feedback.
Introduction to Social Entrepreneurship Seminar by FLOW friend C.J. Hayden
Introduction to Social Entrepreneurship
Building a sustainable enterprise to make the world a better place
Teleseminar with C.J. Hayden
Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2008
11 AM-12 PM Pacific; 2-3 PM Eastern; 7-8 PM GMT
Social entrepreneurship is a model that has been gaining momentum in recent years as an answer to social problems on a global scale and scarce resources to address them. Social entrepreneurs apply business principles and leadership skills to address social issues. They build mission-driven businesses aimed at solving social problems, direct their professional skills and training toward helping people in need, or use their entrepreneurial skills to found nonprofits that use innovative business models.
For more information and to register go to www.socialentrepreneurcoach.com or call (415) 981-8845 or (877) 946-4722
Wishing you a flow-filled 2008 and looking forward to converging flows,
Jeff Klein
Executive Director &
Chief Activation Officer
FLOW
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