Through the transformative power of water and the creation of jobs among the indigenous and impoverished to documenting climate change and asking the right questions, leaders are working to make a sustainable impact on their communities, the world and some of the most pressing social and environment challenges.
After working as a Manhattan, New York, USA, nightclub promoter, Scott Harrison traveled to West Africa and left wanting to improve global access to clean water. In 2006, he founded charity:water as a new model of nonprofit sustainability, and turned it into one of the most trusted and admired nonprofits in the world. His secret? Connecting people to inspiring stories about the transformative power of this most basic need. More children can attend school. More adults can work. Some diseases can be prevented. Through the pages of his book, Thirst, he hopes to inspire others to find more purpose in their lives. Read more. A Rwanda-based motorcycle taxi company, SafeMotos, is bringing safety and economic security to customers who rely on this quick and inexpensive, yet unsafe, mode of transportation. It’s a convenient app-based Uber-like transport service model with the added mission of having a social impact. Founders Barrett Nash and Peter Kariuki embraced the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals to engage people living on USD10 or less per day. They provide training and checks to ensure passenger safety but also want to improve the lives of their drivers by increasing income by 15 percent and hiring one female driver out of five. Read more. While people may be sporting Canada Goose parkas all around the world today, the Inuit invented the first parkas. And now Canada Goose has commissioned 14 Intuit seamstresses to design a one-of-a-kind collection handmade for Project Atigi, a new social entrepreneurship project that will donate 100 percent of the proceeds to Inuit Communities in Canada. President and CEO Dani Reiss, a YPO member, says, “We have a responsibility to be a meaningful part of the community that we call home.” Project Atigi not only offers a glimpse into Inuit culture and heritage, but also helps build thriving businesses and support communities in the North. Read more. Aquatica Submarines sent a three-person submarine, Stingray 500, to the Great Blue Hole off the coast of Belize to document a geologic phenomenon and support conservation science. Formed as a limestone cave hundreds of thousands of years ago, when sea levels were far lower, this perfect sinkhole holds a stone record of thawing glaciers. Their three-dimensional sonar image of the interior provides clues to the impact of rising sea levels. And when we know more about the impact of climate change on our planet, we can find more ways to mitigate the damage. Read more. The idea of sustainable growth is a noble one, but its actual meaning is not clearly defined. To some, it may refer to green growth or the triple bottom line. To others, corporate social responsibility or the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals. For most businesses, it means repeatable, ethical and responsible. Whatever the definition, sustainable growth starts with asking the right questions about customers, competitors, costs, capital, communities and culture. With those answers, diverse teams can work together to find more sustainable solutions. Read more.
Thirst: A Story of Redemption, Compassion, and a Mission to Bring Clean Water to the World
Motorbike Transport App Creates Jobs and Saves Lives in Rwanda
Canada Goose Celebrates Inuit Craftsmanship
Diving Belize’s Blue Hole: Logs From a Majestic Pit of Acid
What Does Sustainable Growth Really Mean?
