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Mobile Networks for Social Entrepreneurs

Hosted by Steve Wolak (March 2010)

mobile networks

Beyond the Indian Fisherman: Real-world mobile solutions for social entrepreneurs
 
Betavine Social Exchange is an open community website which enables NGO’s or community groups to pose Challenges to Betavine’s mobile developer community. Together they devise mobile solutions which, once deployed with the help of local support partners, offer real-world solutions with a clear route to market. 
 
There are more and more applications of mobile technology in emerging markets which have a social benefit such as banking for the unbanked (e.g. mPesa and Wizzit), and improving access to quality healthcare (e.g. CellLife and Phones4Health). Other examples show how change-makers have come up with enterprises that depend on mobile technology to reach disparate or excluded communities.
 
mobile challenges solutions deployment
 
In South Africa,Ashoka Fellow Garth Japhet has built Heartlines, a “virtual movement” that uses mobile phone text messages and a web-based social network to inspire, guide and connect people, provide a sense of community and common purpose. The mobile component enables more people in more communities, especially schools and youth groups, to join Heartlines’ National Conversation on values.
 
In Kenya,KACE  (a private sector firm) empowers rural farmers with market information using a web-based platform, and SMS messaging to enable buyers and sellers of agricultural commodities to trade directly with one another.
 
RLabs, based in Cape Town, is leading the way on mobile solutions for community issues and are looking at ways of stimulate local mobile businesses.
 
Opening up mobile technology to social entrepreneurs is the main purpose of the Betavine Social Exchange which is a new venture of Vodafone’s R&D Labs only launched in October 2009, and piloting with a focus on South Africa until May 2010. 
  • What examples have you come across of using mobile technology as part of a solution to a social challenge or problem?
  • What are the barriers to using mobile solutions in the social sector?
  • What needs to be in place to stimulate the local mobile eco-system?
  • Would you use Betavine Social Exchange? If not, why not?
Join Stephen Wolak, with the Vodafone Group R&D, in the conversation, then continue the discussion at their conference on Mobile Technology for Social Entrepreneurs in London 15, May 2010.

 

Comments: 10

Betavine traction

Posted by PaulLamb at Mar 02, 2010 07:43 PM
Steve: Betavine looks really interesting. Thanks for sharing! I am wondering how much traction your are getting with it among the ICT4D community doing mobile work and how solutions coming out of Betavine will be supported and scaled, as appropriate? There seems to be a lot of piloting but (as David Lehr pointed out his 2008 discussion)but not enough thought to business models and longer term sustainability.

Also, with regard to your question about examples of social sector mobile projects, tons are listed on the Mobile Active mDirectory: http://mobileactive.org/directory and on Kiwanji.net's mobile database:
http://www.kiwanja.net/database/kiwanja_search.php

Betavine traction

Posted by Stephen Wolak at Mar 03, 2010 04:57 AM
Hi Paul, Good point!
We are focussed on created mobile businesses, which is why we are keen to work with the Social Edge community. Our focus is on getting the solutions to challenges rolled out in local markets .. that is our measure of success.
We are working with Katrin from Mobile Active, you will see that Betavine Social Exchange is a tool listed on the site and we have blogged on MobileActive. We are also working with Ken from Kiwanja - we are putting a FrontlineSMS page on the Social Exchange.
We are currently setting up relationships with partners on the ground who can help us translate the solutions on Betavine Social Exchange into local businesses.
Any ideas on this greatfully received.

Sorting through the opportunities.

Posted by Van Ajemian at Mar 03, 2010 12:52 AM
Stephen, good evening from Los Angeles.

Am trying to reach you by e-mail. Two professors and I have a concept to use mobile-phone technology for social good. It seems as if you would have the background to point us in the right direction. Thanks.

Van
Van Ajemian, JD
vanajemian@hotmail.com
Montebello, California USA

2 tools you missed

Posted by Israel Kloss at Mar 03, 2010 08:12 AM
It's great to see the mobile initiative toward international development and crisis situational awareness. But I think there are 2 tools sorely missing here which Dr. O actually covered at the NetSquared Mobile Challenge last year:
1) INSTEDD Geochat -- http://geochat.instedd.org -- This tool by some of the smartest medical and technical staff I have ever met in Palo Alto really blows away all other social-good-focused mobile tools I've seen for the past 6 years since I founded Cell Alert.

2) Our Frontline SMS Alerts Initiative -- http://cellalert.org/FrontlineSMS (full disclosure: I'm the founder of the non-profit http://www.CellAlert.org and the social benefit corp -- http://www.CellAlert.net

Cell Alert is focusing on 2 major problems that the Internet presents for both the developed world and the 3 billion people living on less than $2/day (see http://www.globalissues.org/TradeRelated/Facts.asp):

1) Those with the Internet have information overload (developed nations)

2) Those without Internet have comparatively no information (developing nations)

We are focusing on taking the glut of information in developed nations and delivering some of the best and most essential and time-critical of it to those people in need among the quickly expanding cellular phone users worldwide.

We do it through the use of 2 tools which we want to integrate for use one the ground, worldwide: FrontlineSMS and Cell Alert.
WANT MORE INFO? Read more here: http://cellalert.org/FrontlineSMS or email me at israel at CellAlert.net

2 tools you missed

Posted by Nicky Hickman at Mar 03, 2010 11:28 AM
Great examples, in fact Geochat could be part of the Solution to a recent Challenge on Betavine Social Exchange; Using Mobiles for GPS system. http://www.betavine.net/[…]/Using+Mobiles+for+GPS+system

Particularly interesting business model in the case of Cell Alert, this is a good example of reverse innovation, ie, an innovation from the developing world that finds application in the developed world. I presume that the revenues from the developed world, have made deployment in the developing world commercially viable?

2 tools you missed

Posted by Israel Kloss at Mar 03, 2010 12:04 PM
Nicky,
Thanks for your response to my post about GeoChat and Cell Alert. You asked "I presume that the revenues from the developed world, have made deployment in the developing world commercially viable?"

Actually, I'm from Seattle and now live in Washington DC so this tool actually was born in the developed world but my fascination is for social entrepreneurship and I exited the for-profit world in favor of making a difference in suffering communities.

I took this tool to the finals of Netsquared (www.Netsquared.org) last year and presented one job alerts usage of this tool in combination with FrontlineSMS.

But anyway, I prefer to talk about this by phone. Do you see any potential for us working together? How can I work with Betavine and get this tool noticed and perhaps get the funding to bundle it with Frontline SMS? We really think this will take off... there's a video here on the homepage with just 1 of our visions of can Cell Alert can help suffering communities:
http://cellalert.org

We're kinda motionless but full of international development via our mobile solutions right now. Have any tips for where to go next?

Sincerely,

Israel
israel at cellalert.org

2 tools you missed

Posted by Nicky Hickman at Mar 04, 2010 03:55 AM
Hi Israel,

It's easy to work with Betavine Social Exchange (http://www.betavine.net/socialx-web/main/home) you can register on the site, and then sign up as a Community Partner or a Support Partner. Once you are registered you can propose your solutions to Challenges that are listed on the site. Together with the Challenge owner, you can start to find Support Partners with the right resources for deployment.

If you would like to chat directly on the 'phone', please go to http://www.inglisjane.co.uk/contact.html, and I will give you a call.

Warm regards,
Nicky

London conference May

Posted by Lorna Slade at Mar 16, 2010 06:38 AM
This is a very interesting and timely initiative. Can you give me details of your upcoming conference and how one might attend? Thanks. Lorna Slade

Conference 12 June 2010, London

Posted by Nicky Hickman at May 10, 2010 07:17 AM
Hi Lorna,
Apologies for the delay in replying we have been getting things set up, but I'm very pleased to say that Betavine Social Exchange are running a Workshop 'Mobile Technology for Social Entrepreneurs' on Saturday 12th June 2010 at Vodafone's offices in London, UK. The event group will be for <150 people only, but we will continue our discussions online and aim to maximise online access to the event working together with Social Edge and others.

You can register free here http://mt4socialenterpreneurs.eventbrite.com/

We will have contributions from CDI, Skoll Foundation, Vodafone, Schwab Foundation, GSMA Development Fund, the Web Foundation and WIP. There will also be a Social Apps Exchange which will feature a range of mobile applications specifically suited to social ventures, and plenty of opportunities to meet participants from all three key sectors: Mobile technology, Business and Social.

At this stage, the agenda is provisional and we would welcome any suggestions or input you may have to make the most of this day.

'Mobile Technology for Social Entrepreneurs' 12 June 2010, Paddington, London.
You can register free here http://mt4socialenterpreneurs.eventbrite.com/

Update: Conference 12 June 2010, London

Posted by Nicky Hickman at May 26, 2010 07:48 AM

Betavine Social Exchange and Vodafone are hosting, Mobile Technology for Social Entrepreneurs on 12 June 2010. The objective of the event is to Bring together key individuals who have a passion for seeing mobile technology work for social entrepreneurs to build networks and facilitate the uptake of mobile technology for social entrepreneurs. Even if you are not able to join us in person, then there are plenty of opportunities to both contribute online.

Register & Look-up who else will be there: http://mt4socialenterpreneurs.eventbrite.com/

Event Wiki http://www.betavine.net/[…]/Mobile_Technology_For_Social_Entrepreneurs

Part of Betavine’s new Resources Wiki, the event page includes,
o Confirmed Conference Agenda
o Speakers Bio’s and information about the companies or organisations they represent
o Opportunity to add your own video with details of your work, or in response the conference’s key questions on bringing the worlds of social, mobile and business entrepreneurs closer together.
                
Demo your product as part of the Apps Exchange
If you know anyone who might be interested in including demo’s of apps as part of the Apps Exchange over lunch, you can register a demo-slot on the Event Wiki, or email me

Join our Linked-in Group
http://www.linkedin.com/gro[…]=3053371&trk=anet_ug_hm

Help us to Promote the Conference and develop the community
There are still some places left and we would like to encourage as many people as possible to contribute to the debate online through the wiki and linked-in group. If you can help in any way, to spread the word, this would be very much appreciated. #mt4se