Social-Impact
2006-10-21
Sex & the City: Last Night I Went to a NY Strip Club
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Yes, I did. Now why would I want to watch naked women slide down poles for cash? Certainly not my first choice for a night out, I must say. But some visitors from India asked me to go, so after experiencing cupcakes at the Magnolia bakery how could I deny them the chance to see a strip club?
So I did some research to find a club and the next thing you know the bouncer was holding up the red rope for us to walk onto the red carpet and into the sight of breasts, booty and strobe lights. Now, these ‘visitors from India’ that I mentioned are not some horny guys who wanted to see naked American women. Actually, our encounter with strippers was a bit more mature and sociological than that. These visitors comprised of an amazing social entrepreneur from South India and her colleague. They have spent the last ten years fighting against sex trafficking of women and forced prostitution of women and children. I met them when I was recruiting social entrepreneurs for a professional development program in India this year (www.social-impact.org). They have a program that provides a safe place and rehabilitation services for women and children who have left or been rescued from being commodities in the sex trade.
Sex trafficking is estimated at a $12 billion trade globally and often fuels alternative black market industries such as drugs and weapons.
This social entrepreneur was in America for the first time on the special invitation of the US State Department’s leadership program. Although she seems to be a rather shy soft spoken woman, she wanted to go to the strip club because she often debates about the trade that functions on the exploitation of women but as a feminist knows that there is also power in the ability to choose one’s own profession and expression. Also, as a woman, going to a strip club in India is much more difficult for her to experience.
As we were sipping on some expensive alcohol, we interviewed Kimmie, who was one of the strippers. Kimmie was slender with blonde hair and high heels that were a transparent plastic. She and the other 50 women who work there make about $220 per night unless they get a private room rate of $500 per hour (cash payments are not taxed). She told us that she has a 7 year old child and she started stripping when she got divorced and decided her paralegal job was not paying her enough to live in New York City. She said that many of the strippers there were trying to pay their way through school.
Many of the New York strip clubs go much further than just stripping (I have heard stories of rooms for things like blow jobs and more)… and many of the strippers are there out of desperation, but many are there by choice.
What do you think? Is stripping just another form of exploitation and objectification of women or is it a healthy function of economic empowerment and freedom of expression?
Highlighted Resource: This week we also had training on photography in the field by famous photographer Susan Meiselas. She is Acumen's photographer, but also published a book in the 70’s about carnival strippers. Produced during the early years of the women’s movement, Carnival Strippers reflects the struggle for identity and self-esteem that characterized a complex era of change.
So I did some research to find a club and the next thing you know the bouncer was holding up the red rope for us to walk onto the red carpet and into the sight of breasts, booty and strobe lights. Now, these ‘visitors from India’ that I mentioned are not some horny guys who wanted to see naked American women. Actually, our encounter with strippers was a bit more mature and sociological than that. These visitors comprised of an amazing social entrepreneur from South India and her colleague. They have spent the last ten years fighting against sex trafficking of women and forced prostitution of women and children. I met them when I was recruiting social entrepreneurs for a professional development program in India this year (www.social-impact.org). They have a program that provides a safe place and rehabilitation services for women and children who have left or been rescued from being commodities in the sex trade.
Sex trafficking is estimated at a $12 billion trade globally and often fuels alternative black market industries such as drugs and weapons.
This social entrepreneur was in America for the first time on the special invitation of the US State Department’s leadership program. Although she seems to be a rather shy soft spoken woman, she wanted to go to the strip club because she often debates about the trade that functions on the exploitation of women but as a feminist knows that there is also power in the ability to choose one’s own profession and expression. Also, as a woman, going to a strip club in India is much more difficult for her to experience.
As we were sipping on some expensive alcohol, we interviewed Kimmie, who was one of the strippers. Kimmie was slender with blonde hair and high heels that were a transparent plastic. She and the other 50 women who work there make about $220 per night unless they get a private room rate of $500 per hour (cash payments are not taxed). She told us that she has a 7 year old child and she started stripping when she got divorced and decided her paralegal job was not paying her enough to live in New York City. She said that many of the strippers there were trying to pay their way through school.
Many of the New York strip clubs go much further than just stripping (I have heard stories of rooms for things like blow jobs and more)… and many of the strippers are there out of desperation, but many are there by choice.
What do you think? Is stripping just another form of exploitation and objectification of women or is it a healthy function of economic empowerment and freedom of expression?
Highlighted Resource: This week we also had training on photography in the field by famous photographer Susan Meiselas. She is Acumen's photographer, but also published a book in the 70’s about carnival strippers. Produced during the early years of the women’s movement, Carnival Strippers reflects the struggle for identity and self-esteem that characterized a complex era of change.
2006-09-30
Mug Shots: Entrepreneurial Leaders for Social Change
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There are seven of us Acumen Fund fellows in my program. I have been really impressed with the intelligence, humility and fun personalities of this group. I wanted to share a bit of their backgrounds below so that you can get a sense for who else is walking with me on this journey.
Ayeleen Ajanee
The first Pakistani to attend the Indian School of Business in Hyderabad, Ayeleen is finishing an MBA, specializing in Strategic Marketing. After high school in Karachi, Pakistan, she graduated from the Southern Methodist University of Texas with a BS in Mechanical Engineering. Returning to Karachi in 2003, Ayeleen joined Unilever Pakistan as an Area Engineer, the first woman ever to hold such a position. Still an active member of her local mosque school, Ayeleen helped devise the curriculum and establish a library.
Eric Berkowitz
Eric consults on projects in India, China and the U.S. in the areas of microfinance, financial services and business development. Previously, he was a consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers and served as Director of the China office at Tractus-Asia, where he assisted foreign companies making investment decisions and setting up operations in Asia. Eric holds a BS in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from Princeton University and an MBA from the Wharton School.
Adrien Couton
With experience studying and working in eight different countries, Adrien’s professional background includes private equity, an internet start-up, the World Bank (for water and sanitation consulting) and four years with McKinsey & Company, working mostly in the energy and transportation sectors. He holds a Masters in Management from HEC Paris, a Masters in Political Sciences from Université de la Sorbonne, and a Masters in Public Administration from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard.
David Lehr
A Reuters Digital Vision Fellow, David is currently a principal in an early-stage venture that delivers customized market data via mobile phones to farmers in the developing world. Previously, David held management roles with key Silicon Valley companies, including launching Adobe Systems in China. He holds a Masters of Pacific International Affairs from the University of California, San Diego, and a BA in economics from the State University of New York at Albany.
Keely Stevenson
Before Acumen, Keely was working to start up a development program for social entrepreneurs in India (www.social-impact.org), Keely has worked for Triodos Bank UK, the Royal Bafokeng Nation in South Africa, the Skoll Foundation, the California Senate and was a United Nations Fellow. She was an Honors Alumni Scholar at University of California, Berkeley and earned her MBA in Management and Social Entrepreneurship at Oxford’s Said Business School. A Skoll Scholar in Social Entrepreneurship, Keely created Social Edge (www.socialedge.com), the world’s first online community for social entrepreneurs.
Nadaa Taiyab
Nadaa just finished a Masters at Tufts in International Business and International Environmental Policy, with a focus on climate change, carbon markets and sustainable development. She has worked as a financial analyst in the Investment Banking Division of Goldmans Sachs in New York and for the World Bank in Indonesia, piloting a project for private sector development in post-conflict areas. Nadaa obtained her undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania in International Relations. Born in Sri Lanka, she grew up in Indonesia and Canada.
Jocelyn Wyatt
Jocelyn just finished an MBA at Thunderbird, where she organized the Net Impact Global Citizenship Challenge and the International Development Association Microfinance Conference. Previously, Jocelyn served as Country Director for Scojo in India and was responsible for overseeing all aspects of the program including finance, accounting, marketing, distribution, inventory management and training. She also worked for five years for Chemonics International, a contractor for the
Ayeleen Ajanee
The first Pakistani to attend the Indian School of Business in Hyderabad, Ayeleen is finishing an MBA, specializing in Strategic Marketing. After high school in Karachi, Pakistan, she graduated from the Southern Methodist University of Texas with a BS in Mechanical Engineering. Returning to Karachi in 2003, Ayeleen joined Unilever Pakistan as an Area Engineer, the first woman ever to hold such a position. Still an active member of her local mosque school, Ayeleen helped devise the curriculum and establish a library.
Eric Berkowitz
Eric consults on projects in India, China and the U.S. in the areas of microfinance, financial services and business development. Previously, he was a consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers and served as Director of the China office at Tractus-Asia, where he assisted foreign companies making investment decisions and setting up operations in Asia. Eric holds a BS in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from Princeton University and an MBA from the Wharton School.
Adrien Couton
With experience studying and working in eight different countries, Adrien’s professional background includes private equity, an internet start-up, the World Bank (for water and sanitation consulting) and four years with McKinsey & Company, working mostly in the energy and transportation sectors. He holds a Masters in Management from HEC Paris, a Masters in Political Sciences from Université de la Sorbonne, and a Masters in Public Administration from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard.
David Lehr
A Reuters Digital Vision Fellow, David is currently a principal in an early-stage venture that delivers customized market data via mobile phones to farmers in the developing world. Previously, David held management roles with key Silicon Valley companies, including launching Adobe Systems in China. He holds a Masters of Pacific International Affairs from the University of California, San Diego, and a BA in economics from the State University of New York at Albany.
Keely Stevenson
Before Acumen, Keely was working to start up a development program for social entrepreneurs in India (www.social-impact.org), Keely has worked for Triodos Bank UK, the Royal Bafokeng Nation in South Africa, the Skoll Foundation, the California Senate and was a United Nations Fellow. She was an Honors Alumni Scholar at University of California, Berkeley and earned her MBA in Management and Social Entrepreneurship at Oxford’s Said Business School. A Skoll Scholar in Social Entrepreneurship, Keely created Social Edge (www.socialedge.com), the world’s first online community for social entrepreneurs.
Nadaa Taiyab
Nadaa just finished a Masters at Tufts in International Business and International Environmental Policy, with a focus on climate change, carbon markets and sustainable development. She has worked as a financial analyst in the Investment Banking Division of Goldmans Sachs in New York and for the World Bank in Indonesia, piloting a project for private sector development in post-conflict areas. Nadaa obtained her undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania in International Relations. Born in Sri Lanka, she grew up in Indonesia and Canada.
Jocelyn Wyatt
Jocelyn just finished an MBA at Thunderbird, where she organized the Net Impact Global Citizenship Challenge and the International Development Association Microfinance Conference. Previously, Jocelyn served as Country Director for Scojo in India and was responsible for overseeing all aspects of the program including finance, accounting, marketing, distribution, inventory management and training. She also worked for five years for Chemonics International, a contractor for the
2006-09-12
September 11, 1906
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September 11th is a significant day for us all.
On September 11, 1906 in Johannesburg, Gandhi launched the modern non-violence movement. Touching the world forever, he initiated the Satyagraha against the Natal Government, which was trying to pass an Ordinance meant to disenfranchise the Indians of South Africa. "I had no companion. We were 2,000 men, women and children against a whole nation capable of crushing the existence out of us. I did not know who would listen to me. It all came as if in a flash. Many fell back. But the honour of the nation was saved. New history was written by the South African Satyagrahis."
On September 11, 2006, I want to especially honor those victims and heroes from the September 11, 2001 tragedy in the U.S. and thank those who work every day to bring peace to our communities around the world. Sometimes the smallest contributions of our time, talent, ideas or finances can truly change the world. We must not forget that there are many more people out there creating hope and vibrancy in life and than are planning destruction.
Mapping the Social Capital Markets in India.
As many of you remember from my last post, I have been working this year as a consultant/interim Director to launch a new company called Social-Impact in India. As I wrap up my work with Social-Impact and move to my fellowship with the Acumen Fund, I have been working on an analysis of the Indian social capital markets. I sparked the creation of this study because Social-Impact aspired to deepen its understanding of the funding market within which Indian social entrepreneurs are operating and to identify potential co-investors/funders for the programme.
At the end of this research, I hope to have carefully mapped the landscape of social financers such as foundations/trusts, corporations, individuals and banks or other financial sector entities in India, including the type of instruments they use (grants, loans, equity), their primary interest areas (livelihoods, education, women, etc), driving philosophies/strategies and their motivations (philanthropic/commercial).
This also incorporates some review of the legal or policy issues that affect the financing of social change organizations.
I have posted below a few DRAFT slides and welcome your feedback on the framework I have begun or the initial map. The initial draft of the landscape was derived from a set of 20 interviews in India and two focus groups in August 2006.
On September 11, 1906 in Johannesburg, Gandhi launched the modern non-violence movement. Touching the world forever, he initiated the Satyagraha against the Natal Government, which was trying to pass an Ordinance meant to disenfranchise the Indians of South Africa. "I had no companion. We were 2,000 men, women and children against a whole nation capable of crushing the existence out of us. I did not know who would listen to me. It all came as if in a flash. Many fell back. But the honour of the nation was saved. New history was written by the South African Satyagrahis."
On September 11, 2006, I want to especially honor those victims and heroes from the September 11, 2001 tragedy in the U.S. and thank those who work every day to bring peace to our communities around the world. Sometimes the smallest contributions of our time, talent, ideas or finances can truly change the world. We must not forget that there are many more people out there creating hope and vibrancy in life and than are planning destruction.
Mapping the Social Capital Markets in India.
As many of you remember from my last post, I have been working this year as a consultant/interim Director to launch a new company called Social-Impact in India. As I wrap up my work with Social-Impact and move to my fellowship with the Acumen Fund, I have been working on an analysis of the Indian social capital markets. I sparked the creation of this study because Social-Impact aspired to deepen its understanding of the funding market within which Indian social entrepreneurs are operating and to identify potential co-investors/funders for the programme.
At the end of this research, I hope to have carefully mapped the landscape of social financers such as foundations/trusts, corporations, individuals and banks or other financial sector entities in India, including the type of instruments they use (grants, loans, equity), their primary interest areas (livelihoods, education, women, etc), driving philosophies/strategies and their motivations (philanthropic/commercial).
This also incorporates some review of the legal or policy issues that affect the financing of social change organizations.
I have posted below a few DRAFT slides and welcome your feedback on the framework I have begun or the initial map. The initial draft of the landscape was derived from a set of 20 interviews in India and two focus groups in August 2006.
2006-08-29
Sparking Social Change in India
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The first day Social Edge launched in 2001, the homepage quoted the great Indian leader Gandhi: "We must be the change we wish to see in this world."
Very exciting things are happening in India today. This year was my first visit to India. I had read about developments in social entrepreneurship in India on Social Edge from my friend, Mr. K.L. Srivastava’s paper, and I have a few Indian friends from business school working on exciting ventures such as Cleanstar Technology.
However, upon visiting, I still found myself in awe when I witnessed the momentum of social change initiatives here…and most importantly, the potential to solve massive social problems.
Since April, I have been helping to launch a new organization called Social-Impact. The three founders, Eric Archambeau, Charly Kleissner and Peter Wheeler, chose Hyderabad, India to launch a pilot for a new professional development programme for social entrepreneurs.
Building on the vision of the founders, much of the programme design has been crafted by Kim Alter of Virtue Ventures and implemented by me and our India Director Thomas T.T. I have thoroughly enjoyed working with such movers and shakers.
Social-Impact selects social entrepreneurs with established projects and helps them scale up by providing mentoring, training, technical assistance networking and access to finance. Among other things, I went to India to conduct the due diligence process for selecting Social-Impact’s first group of social entrepreneurs for the programme. This process resulted in a final group of eight extraordinary social entrepreneurs whose profiles can be viewed here. In my next post, I hope to share a bit more about them and their engagement with Social-Impact.
Random Note: My favorite thing about today was getting a bit of quiet time to read “Train to Pakistan” and have a yummy shot of wheatgrass juice in the Singapore Airport.
Very exciting things are happening in India today. This year was my first visit to India. I had read about developments in social entrepreneurship in India on Social Edge from my friend, Mr. K.L. Srivastava’s paper, and I have a few Indian friends from business school working on exciting ventures such as Cleanstar Technology.
However, upon visiting, I still found myself in awe when I witnessed the momentum of social change initiatives here…and most importantly, the potential to solve massive social problems.
Since April, I have been helping to launch a new organization called Social-Impact. The three founders, Eric Archambeau, Charly Kleissner and Peter Wheeler, chose Hyderabad, India to launch a pilot for a new professional development programme for social entrepreneurs.
Building on the vision of the founders, much of the programme design has been crafted by Kim Alter of Virtue Ventures and implemented by me and our India Director Thomas T.T. I have thoroughly enjoyed working with such movers and shakers.
Social-Impact selects social entrepreneurs with established projects and helps them scale up by providing mentoring, training, technical assistance networking and access to finance. Among other things, I went to India to conduct the due diligence process for selecting Social-Impact’s first group of social entrepreneurs for the programme. This process resulted in a final group of eight extraordinary social entrepreneurs whose profiles can be viewed here. In my next post, I hope to share a bit more about them and their engagement with Social-Impact.
Random Note: My favorite thing about today was getting a bit of quiet time to read “Train to Pakistan” and have a yummy shot of wheatgrass juice in the Singapore Airport.
