What I heard at the Social Innovation Summit

In late November Silicon Valley played host to the annual Social Innovation Summit, a private forum dedicated to exploring solutions for some of the world’s toughest social problems through collaborative efforts and innovative business models.

The U.S. Fund's Rajesh Anandan at the Social Innovation Summit

Rajesh Anandan and I led an interactive roundtable titled “Scaling Innovation through Partnerships.” We shared UNICEF’s key learning’s from our Technology4Devlopment work and attendees to tell us what they’ve learned about how to scale innovation at the Bottom of the Pyramid.

A few of my favorite takeaways:

• Co-creating solutions with end users is critical to success with base of the pyramid technologies. Using what’s available locally and infusing with short bursts from other sectors and markets helps build sustainable tools

• For-profit ideas are an essential part of the social sector. They can have massive impact on poverty reduction, increase taxes to governments and drive private wealth creation that in turn feeds philanthropy.

• The world is more able than ever to collaborate. Small groups have enormous access to information and technology that allow them to interact with governments and global companies as equals.

Jacquelline Fuller of Google moderates a panel.

After this stimulating conversation, we got to chat with other Summit speakers including folks from Microsoft, Twitter, Facebook, X-Prize, Samsung, Chevron, and the United Nations. Highlights of the day included a conversation between Intel, Microsoft and the X Prize Foundation on the best models to incentivize effective social innovation, and a fireside chat with the White House’s new director of the Office of Social Innovation, Jonathan Greenblatt. Facebook and DonorsChoose.org discussed their perspectives on leveraging social media networks for innovation, sharing examples of key successes.

To wrap up the day US Fund for UNICEF ambassador Dikembe Mutombo and Haitian musician Wyclef Jean took the stage to talk about the power of celebrity, philanthropy and social change.

Click here to view a video featuring Rajesh Anandan and the lessons UNICEF has accumulated while developing the most effective ways to bring aid to children around the world.