Last year, a panel of judges from Wharton joined with Nightly Business Report, the most-watched daily business program on U.S. television, to name the 25 most influential business people of the last 25 years. On that list was Muhammad Yunus, managing director of Grameen Bank in Bangladesh and a pioneer in the practice of microcredit lending. Grameen Bank received formal recognition as a private independent bank in 1983 and, as of this month, had dispersed close to $5 billion in loans to four million borrowers, 96% of them women. Grameen's strategy is to offer miniscule loans to very poor people, giving them the means to generate income and work their way out of poverty. Yunus was featured in a book entitled, Lasting Leadership: Lessons from the 25 Most Influential Business People of Our Times, co-authored by Knowledge@Wharton and Nightly Business Report. He was recently interviewed by NBR's Linda O'Bryon while attending the World Health Congress in Washington, D.C.
NBR: You have been credited with inventing the microcredit movement more than 30 years ago. Why did you go in that direction?
Yunus: I had no idea that I would ever get involved with something like lending money to poor people, given the circumstances in which I was working in Bangladesh. I was teaching in one of the universities while the country was suffering from a severe famine. People were dying of hunger, and I felt very helpless. As an economist, I had no tool in my tool box to fix that kind of situation.
NBR: So what gave you the idea to give people tools?
Yunus: While I traveled around the country, I told myself, 'As a person, forget about the tool box. As a human being, I can go out and be available to help another person.' So that's what I started doing. This was back in 1974. I saw how people suffered for a tiny amount of money. They had to borrow from the moneylender, and the moneylender took advantage of them, squeezed them in a way that all the benefits passed on to the moneylender and none remained for the borrowers. So I made a list of people who needed just a little bit of money. And when the list was complete, there were 42 names. The total amount of money they needed was $27. I was shocked. Here we were talking about economic development, about investing billions of dollars in various programs, and I could see it wasn't billions of dollars people needed right away. They needed a tiny amount of money. This was in 1976.
NBR: I understand some of the money was for a bamboo furniture maker?
Yunus: That's right. She was making bamboo stools and earning only two pennies a day. I couldn't believe that someone could make only two pennies for crafting such beautiful stools. After a discussion with her I found out she had to borrow money to buy the bamboo, which cost only 25 cents. But she didn't have the 25 cents. So she had to borrow it from the trader, who agreed to lend it to her on the condition that she sell the bamboo stool to him when it was finished at a price that he decided.
NBR: So how was your plan different?
Yunus: I wanted to give money to people like this woman so that they would be free from the moneylenders to sell their product at the price which the markets gave them -- which was much higher than what the trader was giving them.
NBR: But even then you charged interest.
Yunus: Oh yes ... Definitely, yes.
NBR: And why is that? What was the thinking?
Yunus: I thought if you do things in a businesslike way, then the project can become as big as you want it to because you are earning enough money to cover all your costs. You are not dependent on anybody. You are not dependent on a limited supply of capital. This is business money. Business money is limitless. And then, you can reach out to many more people than you would otherwise do.
NBR: So this is not charity?
Yunus: This is not charity. This is business: business with a social objective, which is to help people get out of poverty. Other banks were not giving loans to these people.
NBR: So how did you get from that first $27 to working with Grameen Bank and expanding this around the globe?
Yunus: The villagers got very excited that I gave them the money. To them, it was like a miracle. Seeing this, a question came to my mind. If you can make so many people so happy with such a small amount of money, why shouldn't you do more of it? Why shouldn't you reach out to many more people? I could do this by linking these people with a bank that could lend them the money. So I went to the bank and proposed that they lend money to the poor people. The bankers almost fell over. They couldn't believe what had been proposed to them. They explained to me that the bank cannot lend money to poor people because these people are not creditworthy. So a long series of debates began with me and the banking system. Finally, I resolved it after about six months by offering myself as a guarantor. I said, 'I will sign the loan papers. I will take the risk, and you give the money.' I got the money and gave it to the people. And luckily for me, all the people paid it back. The banks had been saying that I would never get the money back and would ultimately have to pay it back myself. I said, 'I don't know anything. Let me try it out.' And I tried it, and it worked.
NBR: Has it continued to work?
Yunus: Yes, and we expanded it from village to village. But we still saw that the banks weren't changing their minds even after I had demonstrated that there was no risk to the process, that banks could do better by giving money to poor people, who were paying it back, than to rich people, who were not paying it back.
NBR: Poor people were paying the money back [more reliably] than rich people?
Yunus: Much better than rich people. Because Bangladesh has a tradition of rich people who borrow money from the big banks and hardly pay it back.
NBR: That's pretty startling.
Yunus: Very startling, yes.
NBR: You have said that you loaned primarily to women. Why is that?
Yunus: It has to do with the decision to have a separate bank for the poor people. From the beginning, I had complained about the banking system on two grounds. One complaint was that the banking system was denying financial services to the poor people through certain rules it had set up. The second allegation was that the banking system also was not treating women fairly. If you look at the gender composition of all the borrowers of all the banks in Bangladesh, not even 1% of the borrowers happen to be women. I said this is a very gender-biased organization. So when I began, I wanted to make sure half the borrowers in my program are women so that they are even. I did that. It was not easy because women themselves didn't think that they should borrow money. I had to do a lot of convincing. I encouraged them to believe that they can borrow money and make money. Part of that effort was to overcome fears -- cultural fears -- and the fact that they had never had any experience with business and so on. Soon we saw that money going to women brought much more benefit to the family than money going to the men. So we changed our policy and gave a high priority to women. As a result, now 96% of our four million borrowers in Grameen Bank are women.
NBR: So you say you have four million borrowers. How much money over time have you loaned out?
Yunus: If we start with that $27, and you add on all the money that we have loaned, it's nearly $5 billion that we have given over time. Now we have come to a stage where every two years we are giving $1 billion. So half a billion dollars a year. That's the stage we are in.
NBR: And this keeps funding itself because of the interest that's being paid?
Yunus: That's right. We take the deposits and we offer the depositors good interest rates. The money we lend to the borrowers makes a profit for the bank.
NBR: While people say that your program works well, some also say that it tends to focus on the top tier of poor people. How do you respond to that -- the criticism that it doesn't get to the people who really need such basic things as food and shelter?
Yunus: Grameen Bank helps poor people of all classes, of all types. Bottom, middle, and higher levels. Our work started with $27 to 42 people. Although we say we can work with all levels, and Grameen Bank is an example, still people don't pay attention to what we do. They just say, 'Oh no. Microcredit. It's not doing the right thing, focusing only on the upper level of poor people.' So last year we started to focus on the beggars. Our argument is you can't be poorer than beggars. That's the last stage of your survival. You go around and beg for food, collect rice, cook it at home and then eat. That's your daily survival ration. So we are interested in them. We are saying, 'Look, as you go house to house, would you carry some merchandise with you -- some cookies, candies, toys for the kids and so on -- to sell?' People love that. We thought initially we would have 4,000 to 5,000 borrowers in that program, but as the year ended we had more than 26,000 beggars. They are very happy because they have seen that when they go to houses which have never opened their front door to them, that door is now open. The beggars show their merchandise and they are given a stool to sit on, which they never had before. The beggars not only sell but also get respect from the families.
NBR: We have recently seen elections in Iraq for the first time. Self determination is the hope there. In a sense, is that what your program does? It changes people?
Yunus: Definitely. Actually, if you look at it one way, the microcredit we give to the women is a tool to explore one's self, how much capacity that is stored up inside: 'I never knew that I had the capacity. That creativity. That ingenuity. To make money to express myself. So that money gives, for the first time, an occasion for me to find out how much I can do.' When you were successful in the first round, when you took tiny amounts -- $30, $35 -- and went into business and paid back the loan, you are now much more equipped to do better. Bigger. So you ask for a $50 loan, a $60 loan, because you think you can do bigger business and more challenging business than when you first took out an easy loan.
NBR: It gives you that self confidence.
Yunus: That self confidence. And if you go through 10 rounds and 15 rounds you are ready for a much bigger challenge than you thought. We introduced information technology into the system. We created a cell phone company called Grameen Phone and brought the phone into the villages of Bangladesh. We gave loans to the borrowers to buy a cell phone and start selling phone service. It became a growing business. Now that they are already confident business women, they can very easily come into a business which they never heard of before. They never saw a telephone in their life but they accepted it as a business idea, and there are now more than 100,000 telephone ladies all over Bangladesh doing good business and connecting Bangladesh with the rest of the world.
NBR: Do they use the telephone in their business, or is this a business itself?
Yunus: It's a business itself. If I have a phone, since nobody else has a phone, they have to come to me to use it. They make a call and pay. It's like a public telephone call office. The owner of the phone becomes a one-person public phone office.
NBR: So it's the newest technology for people who have never had a telephone or anything like that.
Yunus: That's right. People complain that microcredit will let these women raise only chickens and cows and nothing else, that they are always stuck with primitive technology and don't have the capacity to move up to a new technology. So this is again a demonstration. Give them a chance to pick up state-of-the-art technology.
NBR: And your program has gone beyond Bangladesh? Are you everywhere in the world?
Yunus: To our knowledge, our program is running in more than 100 countries, some in a big way, some in a small way. And more and more countries are joining in each year, each day.
NBR: Africa is one area of interest. Have there been any special, noteworthy cultural issues there one way or the other?
Yunus: There are cultural issues everywhere -- in Bangladesh, Latin America, Africa, wherever you go. But somehow when we talk about cultural differences, we magnify those differences. To me, after all this experience, I see there are 95% common things in culture, only 5% differences. The human culture is the basic culture. Finding ways to improve people's lives may take different shapes, but it's still the same urge to improve your family, to care for your children, to have a decent life for yourself and so on. So those cultures are common cultures, as is the culture of poverty, deprivation and lack of opportunity. So we create a new culture of confidence and self dignity by [building] businesses that are not at the mercy of anybody. They are equal partners: the bank and the people. They are in business in equal partnership.
NBR: They are both taking a risk.
Yunus: They are both taking a risk and doing business together.
NBR: The focus of this series of interviews is greatest challenges. What would you say your greatest challenge has been?
Yunus: My greatest challenge has been to change the mindset of people. Mindsets play strange tricks on us. We see things the way our minds have instructed our eyes to see. We think the way our minds have instructed our minds to think. We are familiar with one way of thinking. Most of it comes during our academic years, during our student years. The teachers we had, the books we read -- they made up our mindset, and ever since we are stuck with that. We cannot break through this. If you are a successful student in a university, actually you become the 'mini' of the professor whom you liked and admired most ... So that's what mindset does. When you bring in a new thought, you are in conflict with those old thoughts. You struggle, but the old thoughts still prevail because the mindset is so strong. It would be good if we could have an educational system, a learning process, where we could retain our originality and at the same time accumulate insight and never become a mini professor, but remain ourselves and still absorb different views. Yet institutions have their own mindsets, and it's very difficult to penetrate and change them. So changing has to be done faster. It's a faster world -- particularly in the 21st century -- but human minds, our academic system, make change slow. So this has been the hardest challenge that I have faced along the way.
NBR: So you want change to be at a faster speed?
Yunus: Absolutely. Yes.
NBR: You were among the 25 most influential individuals that the Wharton School and Nightly Business Report selected for this series. In a sense, you are unique on that list. How do you see yourself among that group?
Yunus: I was very surprised. I didn't think I was at that level. These are the people who are admired all over the world, who have accomplished so much. Seeing that I was one of the 25, I was really inspired and overwhelmed. But in a way, if I look back, this is recognition of the importance of financial services to the poorest people. This is what you recognized. Today, if you look at financial systems around the globe, more than half the population of the world -- out of six billion people, more than three billion -- do not qualify to take out a loan from a bank. This is a shame. What kind of institutions have we built that cannot afford to extend their services to the majority of the people?
NBR: And finally, what is your vision for the future?
Yunus: My vision for the future? Two things: to make credit a human right so that each individual human being will have the opportunity to take loans and implement his or her ideas so that self-exploration becomes possible. And second: that it will lead to a world where nobody has to suffer from poverty -- a world completely free from poverty. Not a single human being will suffer from the misery and indignity of poverty. Poverty is unnecessary. The human being is quite capable of taking care of himself or herself. But we have created a society that does not allow opportunities for those people to take care of themselves because we have denied them those opportunities. I have described poor people as like a bonsai -- that little tree that grows in a flower pot. I said you pick the best seed of the tallest tree in the forest, and plant it in a flower pot, and it will grow into a tiny tree. Is there anything wrong with the seed? Nothing is wrong with the seed. It's the best seed. Then why is it tiny? Because you planted it in a flower pot. You didn't allow it to grow in the real soil. The poor people are the bonsai people. Society has not allowed them the real soil. If you allow them the real soil, real opportunities, they will grow as tall as everybody else.
NBR: What has happened to those furniture makers that you first loaned $27 to?
Yunus: They have changed. All of Bangladesh has changed if you look from the bottom up. In general, you see Bangladesh is still a poor country and so on. But empowerment has come to the women of Bangladesh -- even the poorest women in Bangladesh. It's tremendous. It's a dramatic change that has taken place. Women have access to money. They can now plan. They can now dream. Their children are in school. Many of them are going into higher education through Grameen Bank financing. New communities are emerging. A new generation is emerging. New technology has been brought in -- information technology, mobile phones, and so on -- in a country where 70% of the people have no access to electricity. We brought solar energy -- self-contained electricity -- and connected it to the mobile phones. We try to address all that. Housing has been brought in, and new infrastructure. The economy as a whole has changed. People are creating their own jobs. They are not waiting for anybody else to hire them.
NBR: And this program has been working in the United States?
Yunus: Yes in the United States, Canada, in England, in France, in Norway. Rich countries, poor countries -- the problem remains the same. (Credit: Wharton)
Media Man Australia Profiles
Muhammad Yunus
Financial News
Social and Community Entrepreneurs
Tuesday, September 09, 2008
Monday, September 08, 2008
Brain Food For Social and Community Entrepreneurs
Super Trivia Guy (aka Ric Allport) creates a free trivia and games newsletter “The Brain Food Factory”. It is designed to exercise all brain functions and is an aid to help people avoid the horrible conditions like Alzheimer’s.
Profile on Super Trivia Guy
The Brain Food Factory is a free newsletter which, at the moment, consists of Super Trivia Guy and his faithful offsider Not-So-Super Helper Person (more about her at a later stage). This website simply enables people to sign up for the free newsletter, however, in time, it will grow into who knows what with all sorts of fun and interesting things to do.
We thought the best way to tell you a little bit about Super Trivia Guy was to put up an interview he did recently. Go get yourself a cup of tea and sit back and get to know him. He's Super!
INTERVIEW OF THE WEEK - SUPER TRIVIA GUY a.k.a RIC ALLPORT
Super Trivia Guy (aka Ric Allport) has had many different incarnations in his life, including High School Teacher, Musician, Music Storeman/Salesman, Artist, Photographer, not to mention his career highlight as a Telephone Sanitizer (which helped him get through Art College). He has been running live trivia shows for the past eleven years with Complete Trivia and has also been developing and running an online trivia competition.
I love the name Super Trivia Guy. Where did you come up with it?
I have been running live trivia shows now for about twelve years and I have been doing an online trivia competition for about four years. Over this time I have lost track off how many questions, pictures and sound clues that I have gone through. After chatting to my business partner in Sydney (who has been doing this for about eighteen years), we roughly estimated that in the databank at the moment there would be about 150,000 questions alone, not including pictures and sounds. I mentioned this to some of my online players and they said that my brain must be bursting with knowledge and I must be a mastermind of trivia, a kind of super trivia guy. When I heard that I thought “what an interesting name, I think I will keep that”. So 'Super Trivia Guy’ was born. I am now working on my Super Creed so if anyone has any suggestions please let me know.
Why are you so interested in trivia, puzzles and the like? When did your interest in these areas begin?
When I was a kid I was always interested in games, puzzles and sport. Certainly not academic things. I was always playing something. I then started to play music as well, which became a great passion for me. I also loved the weird and wonderful e.g. Ripley’s Believe It Or Not, Sideshow Alley at the Easter Show, crazy world records (not many people could tell you that Kevin Cole of New Mexico blew a spaghetti strand 19cms out of his nostril in a single blow).
Over the years I have really become interested in the workings of the brain and the importance of keeping it very active. Unfortunately, I had to watch a friend of mine’s father go rapidly downhill with Alzheimer’s Disease. I found it difficult to understand what was happening at the time, so over the years I have looked into how the brain works and how to keep it active. I found that, much like your body needs to exercise, so does your brain. Doing Crosswords, Trivia Quizzes, Sudoku, Word Games etc really helps to keep the brain active and in top condition. It is not a cure for Alzheimer’s or Dementia or other brain disorders, but it helps to keep them at bay.
What is a typical working day like for Super Trivia Guy?
I am not quite sure about any part of my day being typical, however it usually starts at about 7am when I get up and check emails, make sure that the online trivia competition is running smoothly, and hear the oh so wonderful sound of my coffee being ready! Each day brings different things to do. Usually the first thing to do is check the news sites to see what is going on around the world (trivia happens all the time) and we like to make sure we always have current questions. Then it is creating the questions from the research, finding pictures and sounds. From there it usually leads to creating some Crosswords, Sudoku puzzles etc which I put into our free monthly newsletter. In between all this, there is the promotion and marketing that also has to happen and then the creation of our mega monthly online competition. Somewhere in between all that I fit in food and some sleep.
What are the pros and cons of your job?
I receive wonderful feedback from people all over Australia about our site and how much it helps them. To know that what I do makes a difference to many people’s lives really makes what I do worthwhile. Also, working mostly from home means that I work to my own timetable which can be as flexible as it needs to be (except the end of the month when the next months questions have to be finished, so don’t bother me unless you bring coffee and cake!).
The down side of what I do is the probably the marketing aspect. Trying to create a unique business in a unique place – the Internet, has many challenges when it comes to marketing. The online site is very unique amongst all other trivia sites on the net. Also, the downside in working from home is that sometimes you never stop and take time out for yourself.
What are your interests outside of trivia?
My other interests and passions are music (I have played live since I was fourteen years old), also animals in all shapes and forms. There is nothing more wonderful then watching the amazing creatures that make up this world. And then there is of course watching movies, seeing live bands play original music, going to art shows/festivals and anything else I can fit in.
Which celebrities, leaders or public figures do you admire and why?
Anyone who helps and protects animals in any way shape or form.
Robin Williams: he is an amazing person who is incredibly intelligent, so funny and if you read his life story quite an inspiration.
Adam Hills: the consummate professional host and very funny. Spicks and Specks has to be the best show on TV.
Lisa Randall: a physicist who is making her mark in a very male dominated workplace and one who has very interesting theories.
Jeff Gambin from ‘Just Enough Faith’: check him out, he really helps people in need and deserves all the support he can get.
Oprah Winfrey: love her or hate her, she really has made a difference to so many people in the world.
Ian Ballard: a friend of mine from High School. He found out years ago that he had MS and instead of letting it get the better of him, he has become a driving force behind F5M which is trying to raise $5 million for research into a cure for MS.
Andrew Denton: how he manages to extract so much information from the people he interviews is beyond me. (Credit: Ric Allport)
Website
The Brain Food Factory
Media Man Australia Profiles
Social and Community Entrepreneurs
Profile on Super Trivia Guy
The Brain Food Factory is a free newsletter which, at the moment, consists of Super Trivia Guy and his faithful offsider Not-So-Super Helper Person (more about her at a later stage). This website simply enables people to sign up for the free newsletter, however, in time, it will grow into who knows what with all sorts of fun and interesting things to do.
We thought the best way to tell you a little bit about Super Trivia Guy was to put up an interview he did recently. Go get yourself a cup of tea and sit back and get to know him. He's Super!
INTERVIEW OF THE WEEK - SUPER TRIVIA GUY a.k.a RIC ALLPORT
Super Trivia Guy (aka Ric Allport) has had many different incarnations in his life, including High School Teacher, Musician, Music Storeman/Salesman, Artist, Photographer, not to mention his career highlight as a Telephone Sanitizer (which helped him get through Art College). He has been running live trivia shows for the past eleven years with Complete Trivia and has also been developing and running an online trivia competition.
I love the name Super Trivia Guy. Where did you come up with it?
I have been running live trivia shows now for about twelve years and I have been doing an online trivia competition for about four years. Over this time I have lost track off how many questions, pictures and sound clues that I have gone through. After chatting to my business partner in Sydney (who has been doing this for about eighteen years), we roughly estimated that in the databank at the moment there would be about 150,000 questions alone, not including pictures and sounds. I mentioned this to some of my online players and they said that my brain must be bursting with knowledge and I must be a mastermind of trivia, a kind of super trivia guy. When I heard that I thought “what an interesting name, I think I will keep that”. So 'Super Trivia Guy’ was born. I am now working on my Super Creed so if anyone has any suggestions please let me know.
Why are you so interested in trivia, puzzles and the like? When did your interest in these areas begin?
When I was a kid I was always interested in games, puzzles and sport. Certainly not academic things. I was always playing something. I then started to play music as well, which became a great passion for me. I also loved the weird and wonderful e.g. Ripley’s Believe It Or Not, Sideshow Alley at the Easter Show, crazy world records (not many people could tell you that Kevin Cole of New Mexico blew a spaghetti strand 19cms out of his nostril in a single blow).
Over the years I have really become interested in the workings of the brain and the importance of keeping it very active. Unfortunately, I had to watch a friend of mine’s father go rapidly downhill with Alzheimer’s Disease. I found it difficult to understand what was happening at the time, so over the years I have looked into how the brain works and how to keep it active. I found that, much like your body needs to exercise, so does your brain. Doing Crosswords, Trivia Quizzes, Sudoku, Word Games etc really helps to keep the brain active and in top condition. It is not a cure for Alzheimer’s or Dementia or other brain disorders, but it helps to keep them at bay.
What is a typical working day like for Super Trivia Guy?
I am not quite sure about any part of my day being typical, however it usually starts at about 7am when I get up and check emails, make sure that the online trivia competition is running smoothly, and hear the oh so wonderful sound of my coffee being ready! Each day brings different things to do. Usually the first thing to do is check the news sites to see what is going on around the world (trivia happens all the time) and we like to make sure we always have current questions. Then it is creating the questions from the research, finding pictures and sounds. From there it usually leads to creating some Crosswords, Sudoku puzzles etc which I put into our free monthly newsletter. In between all this, there is the promotion and marketing that also has to happen and then the creation of our mega monthly online competition. Somewhere in between all that I fit in food and some sleep.
What are the pros and cons of your job?
I receive wonderful feedback from people all over Australia about our site and how much it helps them. To know that what I do makes a difference to many people’s lives really makes what I do worthwhile. Also, working mostly from home means that I work to my own timetable which can be as flexible as it needs to be (except the end of the month when the next months questions have to be finished, so don’t bother me unless you bring coffee and cake!).
The down side of what I do is the probably the marketing aspect. Trying to create a unique business in a unique place – the Internet, has many challenges when it comes to marketing. The online site is very unique amongst all other trivia sites on the net. Also, the downside in working from home is that sometimes you never stop and take time out for yourself.
What are your interests outside of trivia?
My other interests and passions are music (I have played live since I was fourteen years old), also animals in all shapes and forms. There is nothing more wonderful then watching the amazing creatures that make up this world. And then there is of course watching movies, seeing live bands play original music, going to art shows/festivals and anything else I can fit in.
Which celebrities, leaders or public figures do you admire and why?
Anyone who helps and protects animals in any way shape or form.
Robin Williams: he is an amazing person who is incredibly intelligent, so funny and if you read his life story quite an inspiration.
Adam Hills: the consummate professional host and very funny. Spicks and Specks has to be the best show on TV.
Lisa Randall: a physicist who is making her mark in a very male dominated workplace and one who has very interesting theories.
Jeff Gambin from ‘Just Enough Faith’: check him out, he really helps people in need and deserves all the support he can get.
Oprah Winfrey: love her or hate her, she really has made a difference to so many people in the world.
Ian Ballard: a friend of mine from High School. He found out years ago that he had MS and instead of letting it get the better of him, he has become a driving force behind F5M which is trying to raise $5 million for research into a cure for MS.
Andrew Denton: how he manages to extract so much information from the people he interviews is beyond me. (Credit: Ric Allport)
Website
The Brain Food Factory
Media Man Australia Profiles
Social and Community Entrepreneurs
Sunday, September 07, 2008
The schmooze circuit, by Amy Verner - Globe and Mail - 4th September 2008
Festival festivities kick off tonight, but will crystallize at Swarovski on Saturday with the ultimate battle of the bling
Until the Toronto International Film Festival parties get started tonight, this intrepid scenester is in a limbo period, all dressed up and waiting to go. The master spreadsheet has been composed, all access has been secured, each outfit has been roughly planned and friends have come out of the woodwork to offer themselves as my entourage. I can all but taste the Park Hyatt's tray of seasoned almonds, dried fruit and olives - my favourite source of sustenance throughout a week of celeb watching that will take me from Passchendaele at the Drake tonight to the passion of Paris Hilton at Ultra next Saturday.
In the meantime, a few trends are already appearing on this year's film festival schmooze circuit.
The usual battles of the bling will climax at cocktail hour on Saturday night. At the northwest corner of Bloor and Yonge Streets, Swarovski is hosting a prescreening reception for Blindness, a film that isn't exactly easy to watch but makes a crystallizing impact. Meanwhile, a red carpet will be rolled out at the southeast corner of Bloor and Bay Streets for Hello Canada magazine's salute to Hollywood's legendary couples. Birks seems like an apropos venue: Where better to recognize love than in a place that sells diamond rings?
Like a vegetable garden creeping onto the lawn, the greening of TIFF continues. The Royal Bank of Canada soiree on Saturday night is to honour Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in support of the Waterkeeper Alliance. Think organic noshing, Bullfrog Power and greenery in lieu of flowers.
Gift suites, the freebee bonanzas at every festival, also have an eco bent: the It Lounge in the Windsor Arms Hotel features organic cotton Fila T-shirts emblazoned with "f-words" such as "fashionista" and "freedom" in addition to Teva shoes with soles made from recycled tires. Kate Hudson, who's in town for the Virgin Unite Event, will be enlightening the press on Wildaid, an organization that raises awareness about trade in endangered-species products. And then there's Greenhouse, the pop-up bio boîte at 99 Sudbury Street that arrives via New York and touts eco-friendly design materials and 360 Vodka. No doubt attendees at the Playboy Party chaperoned by bunnies Shannon James and Roxanne Dawn will be thanking Mother Nature.
If any businesses stand to gain from the festival, it's restaurants that get no respect throughout the year. Empire and Sopra are two Yorkville-area locations that will be peppered with celebrities - from Claire Danes and Zac Efron (Me and Orson Welles) to Matt Dillon and Kate Beckinsale (Nothing but the Truth) - but Toronto foodies would be the first to point out that these aren't considered the city's best places to chow down. The skinny is that various restos get booked by event producers for the duration of the film festival. They offer themselves at bargain-basement prices in exchange for bragging rights. Of course, if a local stargazer were really smart, she'd make reservations at standbys such as Sotto Sotto and Joso's, or newcomers Grace and Nyood, where more discreet action will be happening nightly.
But grabbing your own brush with greatness is getting harder this year. Lobby will not be open to the hoi polloi this time (not that it ever prided itself on a lax velvet-rope policy). It has turned private and will be known as the Luxury Lounge for the duration. Under the auspices of Jordan Bitove's Vision Co., with such tony brand partners as Perrier-Jouët, Vogue and London Fog, it will be the destination for numerous studio dinners and a little tomfoolery care of LeBron James and Steve Nash, who are hosting after-parties.
And now some burning questions. Check back throughout the week for answers.
Will Anne Hathaway wear Prada to the screening of Rachel Getting Married? While her onscreen look more closely channels ready-to-rebel than ready-to-wear, this bona fide actress will likely go the glam route when she heads to the after-party at Brandt House.
Will Colin Farrell make front-page news once again when he reunites with his formerly homeless Toronto friend who goes by the name Stress? One year after the sexy Irishman treated the stranger to a shopping spree and encouraged him to get his life on track, Stress is now off the streets. Incidentally, Mr. Farrell is here this year for a film called Pride & Glory,which also stars Ed Norton.
Will the cast of Burn After Reading actually make it to their top secret after-party? Last year, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's SUV was so swarmed by fans on Yorkville Avenue that they ditched their plans to kick back at hot spot Amber and decamped to the Park Hyatt's rooftop lounge, which I lovingly refer to as the "famous fortress in the sky."
Will Geoffrey Rush continue to be the festival's most omnipresent party-hopper? Last year, the actor best known for his Academy Award-winning role in Shine turned up everywhere, from Casa Loma to Holt Renfrew to the George Christy luncheon. Should Mr. Rush wish to relinquish this title, singer John Legend definitely qualifies. How he will be able to cram in a song or two at One X One, a headlining performance with Mariah Carey for the Canadian Idol finale, a jam session at King Street boîte Atelier, an appearance at a Lush magazine party and a private dinner into three days is beyond me.
My agenda is equally packed. The difference, of course, is that I won't have an entourage.
Media Man Australia Profiles
Virgin Unite
Film Festivals
Social and Community Entrepreneurs
Until the Toronto International Film Festival parties get started tonight, this intrepid scenester is in a limbo period, all dressed up and waiting to go. The master spreadsheet has been composed, all access has been secured, each outfit has been roughly planned and friends have come out of the woodwork to offer themselves as my entourage. I can all but taste the Park Hyatt's tray of seasoned almonds, dried fruit and olives - my favourite source of sustenance throughout a week of celeb watching that will take me from Passchendaele at the Drake tonight to the passion of Paris Hilton at Ultra next Saturday.
In the meantime, a few trends are already appearing on this year's film festival schmooze circuit.
The usual battles of the bling will climax at cocktail hour on Saturday night. At the northwest corner of Bloor and Yonge Streets, Swarovski is hosting a prescreening reception for Blindness, a film that isn't exactly easy to watch but makes a crystallizing impact. Meanwhile, a red carpet will be rolled out at the southeast corner of Bloor and Bay Streets for Hello Canada magazine's salute to Hollywood's legendary couples. Birks seems like an apropos venue: Where better to recognize love than in a place that sells diamond rings?
Like a vegetable garden creeping onto the lawn, the greening of TIFF continues. The Royal Bank of Canada soiree on Saturday night is to honour Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in support of the Waterkeeper Alliance. Think organic noshing, Bullfrog Power and greenery in lieu of flowers.
Gift suites, the freebee bonanzas at every festival, also have an eco bent: the It Lounge in the Windsor Arms Hotel features organic cotton Fila T-shirts emblazoned with "f-words" such as "fashionista" and "freedom" in addition to Teva shoes with soles made from recycled tires. Kate Hudson, who's in town for the Virgin Unite Event, will be enlightening the press on Wildaid, an organization that raises awareness about trade in endangered-species products. And then there's Greenhouse, the pop-up bio boîte at 99 Sudbury Street that arrives via New York and touts eco-friendly design materials and 360 Vodka. No doubt attendees at the Playboy Party chaperoned by bunnies Shannon James and Roxanne Dawn will be thanking Mother Nature.
If any businesses stand to gain from the festival, it's restaurants that get no respect throughout the year. Empire and Sopra are two Yorkville-area locations that will be peppered with celebrities - from Claire Danes and Zac Efron (Me and Orson Welles) to Matt Dillon and Kate Beckinsale (Nothing but the Truth) - but Toronto foodies would be the first to point out that these aren't considered the city's best places to chow down. The skinny is that various restos get booked by event producers for the duration of the film festival. They offer themselves at bargain-basement prices in exchange for bragging rights. Of course, if a local stargazer were really smart, she'd make reservations at standbys such as Sotto Sotto and Joso's, or newcomers Grace and Nyood, where more discreet action will be happening nightly.
But grabbing your own brush with greatness is getting harder this year. Lobby will not be open to the hoi polloi this time (not that it ever prided itself on a lax velvet-rope policy). It has turned private and will be known as the Luxury Lounge for the duration. Under the auspices of Jordan Bitove's Vision Co., with such tony brand partners as Perrier-Jouët, Vogue and London Fog, it will be the destination for numerous studio dinners and a little tomfoolery care of LeBron James and Steve Nash, who are hosting after-parties.
And now some burning questions. Check back throughout the week for answers.
Will Anne Hathaway wear Prada to the screening of Rachel Getting Married? While her onscreen look more closely channels ready-to-rebel than ready-to-wear, this bona fide actress will likely go the glam route when she heads to the after-party at Brandt House.
Will Colin Farrell make front-page news once again when he reunites with his formerly homeless Toronto friend who goes by the name Stress? One year after the sexy Irishman treated the stranger to a shopping spree and encouraged him to get his life on track, Stress is now off the streets. Incidentally, Mr. Farrell is here this year for a film called Pride & Glory,which also stars Ed Norton.
Will the cast of Burn After Reading actually make it to their top secret after-party? Last year, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's SUV was so swarmed by fans on Yorkville Avenue that they ditched their plans to kick back at hot spot Amber and decamped to the Park Hyatt's rooftop lounge, which I lovingly refer to as the "famous fortress in the sky."
Will Geoffrey Rush continue to be the festival's most omnipresent party-hopper? Last year, the actor best known for his Academy Award-winning role in Shine turned up everywhere, from Casa Loma to Holt Renfrew to the George Christy luncheon. Should Mr. Rush wish to relinquish this title, singer John Legend definitely qualifies. How he will be able to cram in a song or two at One X One, a headlining performance with Mariah Carey for the Canadian Idol finale, a jam session at King Street boîte Atelier, an appearance at a Lush magazine party and a private dinner into three days is beyond me.
My agenda is equally packed. The difference, of course, is that I won't have an entourage.
Media Man Australia Profiles
Virgin Unite
Film Festivals
Social and Community Entrepreneurs
Saturday, September 06, 2008
Social advertising: a plan for viral success, by Michael Berkley - iMedia - 29th August 2008
You may not be able to anticipate which campaigns will be a hit with consumers, but there are ways to optimize your brand's chances of being accepted in their digital gathering spots.
As traditional online advertising proves disappointing in its ability to effectively reach users of MySpace, Facebook and other social network sites, a new breed of marketing tools has emerged under the moniker of "social advertising." Unlike other forms of marketing, social advertisements allow brands to harness the immense marketing power of word-of-mouth campaigns.
There is no force more powerful in advertising than the influence of friends and family. Research supports what marketers have known all along -- all the celebrity product endorsements in the world can't impact someone's purchasing decision as strongly as the recommendation of a friend, husband or wife or business partner.
As powerful as they are, however, word-of-mouth campaigns have historically been a result of serendipitous happenstance rather than orchestrated strategy. In the offline world, brands have little control over how word-of-mouth starts, how it spreads and how it translates into sales. Advertisers can do little more than cross their fingers in hopes of generating community buzz.
That was then. In today's digital world, brands have the ability to harness the unmatched power of world-of-mouth advertising. Rather than simply hope for the best, friend and family influence can now be seeded, augmented and directed by marketers. More significantly, word-of-mouth campaigns can also be tracked and measured in the digital world.
Seeding
Offline, finding and gaining the attention of potential customers is very difficult. Turning that audience into evangelizers of a brand or product is nothing short of miraculous.
In the digital arena, however, well-defined communities already exist. Social network sites such as MySpace and Facebook have become modern day town halls where people regularly gather to communicate and share mutual interests. It has been reported that 75 percent of all teenagers in the United States belong to a social network and 25 percent spend at least 2 hours a day in a social network. Social networks currently hold the highest concentration of teenage attention than any other media.
Brands can be welcomed into these communities... but only if they are perceived as being authentic and providing compelling entertainment or utility to the community.
For example, to reach social network users, Converse included an authentic social networking component to its "Open Gym" campaign. The sportswear giant organized real-world basketball competitions for inner-city youth and used Facebook as an online "meeting place" for participants. The kids went to Facebook to learn about Open Gym games in their communities, to organize new games, play virtual basketball and share videos and pictures of their activities with other players. Converse was accepted into the social network community because it offered real value and was perceived as playing a role beyond simply pushing product.
Authenticity goes beyond content. It also refers to the method of message delivery. Unsolicited advertisements such as banner ads and pop-ups have proven to be ineffective in social network environments because of their obtrusive nature. In their place, a new category of social network-friendly marketing tools called "social advertisements" has begun to emerge.
Social advertisements are opt-in vehicles for brands that allow them to be not only tolerated but actually invited into the online community. They are typically web-based mini-applications that gain consumer attention and spread from friend to friend. Social advertisements are easily embedded onto individuals' home pages and public profile pages. Their focus is to entertain (games, videos), provide utility (information, data) or stimulate communication within the group (chat, message boards, wikis) rather than overtly push a product or service. Of course, the brand messaging is always present. Social advertisements can create vibrant sub-communities around specific entertainment properties, such as a musician or band, sports team, TV show, movie or, in fact, the brand itself.
As one example of available social advertising techniques, Sony Music uses my company's SplashCast tool to connect its artists with users of MySpace and other social network sites. The tool acts as a mini TV-style player that allows the company to distribute a dynamic stream of videos, pictures, text and other digital content. One Sony "Splashcast" stream might be dedicated to its hip-hop artist Chris Brown and another to Britney Spears. Fans might first find the stream on the artist's own website, but since the widget can be easily embedded into any personal page on the web, it quickly spreads from fan to fan. Sony easily updates all of its streams with fresh content whenever it wants.
Different channels allow Sony to distribute and organize various kinds of digital content as it sees fit. One channel may be dedicated to the artist's latest music video while another may be his personal blog. The company also uses two-way communications capabilities to allow users to upload and share additional content. With Chris Brown, for instance, there is a channel dedicated to fan chat and another for pictures that fans want to share with other fans. The result is an online community made up of users from various internet locations that form and regularly meet around the brand's social advertisements!
The above illustration highlights a critical point: key to social advertising is the concept that brands are invited into and distributed by those within the online community (word of mouth). This is very different from conventional advertising, such as banner ads and pop-ups, where the brand is being forced upon consumers. Some social advertising tools not only push content out to receptive audiences but also allow users to upload and share content with each other. The result is a tool that acts as a brand-sponsored, online water cooler: a place where people gather to share mutual interests.
Augmenting
With social advertisements, brands have the ability to accelerate the adoption process. Using conventional media buying methods, they can juice up distribution of their application by increasing its visibility among target consumers. A marketing widget, for example, can be placed on relevant websites or distributed within Google AdSense. Traditional marketing strategies such as PR and print ads can further heighten visibility and interest in the application.
Controlling
Unlike offline word-of-mouth campaigns that can take unexpected and unwanted directions, social advertising keeps the power of control in the hands of the brand. For instance, social advertising tools can usually "blacklist" inappropriate websites from embedding the social ad or widget. Some tools that employ features such as image uploading or chat allow those in charge to pick and choose content they deem appropriate and to moderate conversations that take place within their distributed communities.
Tracking and measuring
Traditional word-of-mouth marketing is as hard to monitor as it is to control. A good social advertisement, however, will provide reports on how far the campaign has spread, in which particular social networks it has taken hold, who's viewing it and who's distributing it. Brands can even review user conversations to assess customer reaction to new products and to better understand customer needs. Ultimately, these tools can measure their effectiveness in swaying purchasing decisions. A review of user chat, for instance, may reveal conversations directly related to purchasing decisions. A close parallel between sales and the social advertisements' viewing/sharing can be an indicator of the advertisement's success.
Conclusion
Word-of-mouth advertising is the most powerful strategy a marketer could hope to employ. Now, thanks to emerging social advertising technologies, it is also a viable reality. Brands can create exciting entertainment experiences or sponsor third-party entertainment content. Either way, harnessing the power of social advertising online is critical for those brands trying to reach teens and young adults.
Michael Berkley is the CEO of SplashCast Media.
Media Man Australia Profiles
Social Networking Websites
As traditional online advertising proves disappointing in its ability to effectively reach users of MySpace, Facebook and other social network sites, a new breed of marketing tools has emerged under the moniker of "social advertising." Unlike other forms of marketing, social advertisements allow brands to harness the immense marketing power of word-of-mouth campaigns.
There is no force more powerful in advertising than the influence of friends and family. Research supports what marketers have known all along -- all the celebrity product endorsements in the world can't impact someone's purchasing decision as strongly as the recommendation of a friend, husband or wife or business partner.
As powerful as they are, however, word-of-mouth campaigns have historically been a result of serendipitous happenstance rather than orchestrated strategy. In the offline world, brands have little control over how word-of-mouth starts, how it spreads and how it translates into sales. Advertisers can do little more than cross their fingers in hopes of generating community buzz.
That was then. In today's digital world, brands have the ability to harness the unmatched power of world-of-mouth advertising. Rather than simply hope for the best, friend and family influence can now be seeded, augmented and directed by marketers. More significantly, word-of-mouth campaigns can also be tracked and measured in the digital world.
Seeding
Offline, finding and gaining the attention of potential customers is very difficult. Turning that audience into evangelizers of a brand or product is nothing short of miraculous.
In the digital arena, however, well-defined communities already exist. Social network sites such as MySpace and Facebook have become modern day town halls where people regularly gather to communicate and share mutual interests. It has been reported that 75 percent of all teenagers in the United States belong to a social network and 25 percent spend at least 2 hours a day in a social network. Social networks currently hold the highest concentration of teenage attention than any other media.
Brands can be welcomed into these communities... but only if they are perceived as being authentic and providing compelling entertainment or utility to the community.
For example, to reach social network users, Converse included an authentic social networking component to its "Open Gym" campaign. The sportswear giant organized real-world basketball competitions for inner-city youth and used Facebook as an online "meeting place" for participants. The kids went to Facebook to learn about Open Gym games in their communities, to organize new games, play virtual basketball and share videos and pictures of their activities with other players. Converse was accepted into the social network community because it offered real value and was perceived as playing a role beyond simply pushing product.
Authenticity goes beyond content. It also refers to the method of message delivery. Unsolicited advertisements such as banner ads and pop-ups have proven to be ineffective in social network environments because of their obtrusive nature. In their place, a new category of social network-friendly marketing tools called "social advertisements" has begun to emerge.
Social advertisements are opt-in vehicles for brands that allow them to be not only tolerated but actually invited into the online community. They are typically web-based mini-applications that gain consumer attention and spread from friend to friend. Social advertisements are easily embedded onto individuals' home pages and public profile pages. Their focus is to entertain (games, videos), provide utility (information, data) or stimulate communication within the group (chat, message boards, wikis) rather than overtly push a product or service. Of course, the brand messaging is always present. Social advertisements can create vibrant sub-communities around specific entertainment properties, such as a musician or band, sports team, TV show, movie or, in fact, the brand itself.
As one example of available social advertising techniques, Sony Music uses my company's SplashCast tool to connect its artists with users of MySpace and other social network sites. The tool acts as a mini TV-style player that allows the company to distribute a dynamic stream of videos, pictures, text and other digital content. One Sony "Splashcast" stream might be dedicated to its hip-hop artist Chris Brown and another to Britney Spears. Fans might first find the stream on the artist's own website, but since the widget can be easily embedded into any personal page on the web, it quickly spreads from fan to fan. Sony easily updates all of its streams with fresh content whenever it wants.
Different channels allow Sony to distribute and organize various kinds of digital content as it sees fit. One channel may be dedicated to the artist's latest music video while another may be his personal blog. The company also uses two-way communications capabilities to allow users to upload and share additional content. With Chris Brown, for instance, there is a channel dedicated to fan chat and another for pictures that fans want to share with other fans. The result is an online community made up of users from various internet locations that form and regularly meet around the brand's social advertisements!
The above illustration highlights a critical point: key to social advertising is the concept that brands are invited into and distributed by those within the online community (word of mouth). This is very different from conventional advertising, such as banner ads and pop-ups, where the brand is being forced upon consumers. Some social advertising tools not only push content out to receptive audiences but also allow users to upload and share content with each other. The result is a tool that acts as a brand-sponsored, online water cooler: a place where people gather to share mutual interests.
Augmenting
With social advertisements, brands have the ability to accelerate the adoption process. Using conventional media buying methods, they can juice up distribution of their application by increasing its visibility among target consumers. A marketing widget, for example, can be placed on relevant websites or distributed within Google AdSense. Traditional marketing strategies such as PR and print ads can further heighten visibility and interest in the application.
Controlling
Unlike offline word-of-mouth campaigns that can take unexpected and unwanted directions, social advertising keeps the power of control in the hands of the brand. For instance, social advertising tools can usually "blacklist" inappropriate websites from embedding the social ad or widget. Some tools that employ features such as image uploading or chat allow those in charge to pick and choose content they deem appropriate and to moderate conversations that take place within their distributed communities.
Tracking and measuring
Traditional word-of-mouth marketing is as hard to monitor as it is to control. A good social advertisement, however, will provide reports on how far the campaign has spread, in which particular social networks it has taken hold, who's viewing it and who's distributing it. Brands can even review user conversations to assess customer reaction to new products and to better understand customer needs. Ultimately, these tools can measure their effectiveness in swaying purchasing decisions. A review of user chat, for instance, may reveal conversations directly related to purchasing decisions. A close parallel between sales and the social advertisements' viewing/sharing can be an indicator of the advertisement's success.
Conclusion
Word-of-mouth advertising is the most powerful strategy a marketer could hope to employ. Now, thanks to emerging social advertising technologies, it is also a viable reality. Brands can create exciting entertainment experiences or sponsor third-party entertainment content. Either way, harnessing the power of social advertising online is critical for those brands trying to reach teens and young adults.
Michael Berkley is the CEO of SplashCast Media.
Media Man Australia Profiles
Social Networking Websites
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
Charities to pay high price for emission trading scheme, By Rosslyn Beeby - The Canberra Times - 2nd September 2008
Australian charities and community services will struggle to absorb new energy costs of up to $1.1billion as a result of the Rudd Government's proposed emissions trading scheme, new research says.
Organisations such as Meals On Wheels and not-for-profit aged-care centres will be among those hardest hit by a 16 per cent rise in the cost of electricity, according to Canberra-based social issues think-tank, The Australia Institute.
''While some industries, like airlines, can pass on higher fuel prices to their customers, it is much harder for charities to pass on their cost increases to the most vulnerable groups in Australia,'' author of a new research paper by The Australia Institute, economist David Richardson said. ''Unless the Government is assuming that donations to charity are going to rise when emissions trading begins, then there are going to be some big problems.''
The cost of emissions permits under the proposed scheme will impose around $1.5billion on state and territory governments. NSW will bear the brunt of the burden with additional costs of about $466million. The ACT Government will incur new costs of about $26million and Australia's local governments face a collective burden of at least $334million, according to the institute.
''As with state governments, unless local governments receive compensation from the Commonwealth, they will need to either reduce the quality of the services they provide to residents, pay their employees lower wages or increase the rates paid by their residents,'' the research paper read.
Mr Richardson said although the Federal Government had flagged compensation for households affected by rising energy costs, it appeared the community sector had been overlooked.
''Most people think of the community sector as being small and run by volunteers, but according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the sector employed 884,000 people and spent more than $68billion in 2007 providing services as diverse as Meals On Wheels to running thousands of aged-care facilities,'' Mr Richardson said.
''The cost of running hot water systems in the aged-care facilities alone is enormous.''
Mission Australia spokesman Paul Andrews said rising petrol prices had already pushed up costs for the organisation's services for the homeless. In Sydney, the cost of using four vans to pick up and transport homeless people to shelters across the city had risen from $800 a week for petrol to $1200, he said.
''We fully support the need to cut greenhouse emissions, but the costs to charities like us need to be recognised by the Government. Some of the extra costs we will face under an emissions trading scheme are pretty scary.''
Australian National University climate law and policy institute director Andrew Macintosh said the research paper showed charities and community welfare services were more financially vulnerable to carbon pricing than ''the big, polluting industries that currently have the ear of government and are arguing their case for compensation.''
Speaking at an Australian Industry Group forum yesterday, Federal Climate Change and Water Minister Penny Wong said the Rudd Government was '' willing to consider alternative approaches'' as part of the consultation process for its draft Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme.
''In committing to provide assistance to emissions-intensive trade-exposed firms, however, the Government must also balance the competitive position of such industries with the rest of the economy.
Organisations such as Meals On Wheels and not-for-profit aged-care centres will be among those hardest hit by a 16 per cent rise in the cost of electricity, according to Canberra-based social issues think-tank, The Australia Institute.
''While some industries, like airlines, can pass on higher fuel prices to their customers, it is much harder for charities to pass on their cost increases to the most vulnerable groups in Australia,'' author of a new research paper by The Australia Institute, economist David Richardson said. ''Unless the Government is assuming that donations to charity are going to rise when emissions trading begins, then there are going to be some big problems.''
The cost of emissions permits under the proposed scheme will impose around $1.5billion on state and territory governments. NSW will bear the brunt of the burden with additional costs of about $466million. The ACT Government will incur new costs of about $26million and Australia's local governments face a collective burden of at least $334million, according to the institute.
''As with state governments, unless local governments receive compensation from the Commonwealth, they will need to either reduce the quality of the services they provide to residents, pay their employees lower wages or increase the rates paid by their residents,'' the research paper read.
Mr Richardson said although the Federal Government had flagged compensation for households affected by rising energy costs, it appeared the community sector had been overlooked.
''Most people think of the community sector as being small and run by volunteers, but according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the sector employed 884,000 people and spent more than $68billion in 2007 providing services as diverse as Meals On Wheels to running thousands of aged-care facilities,'' Mr Richardson said.
''The cost of running hot water systems in the aged-care facilities alone is enormous.''
Mission Australia spokesman Paul Andrews said rising petrol prices had already pushed up costs for the organisation's services for the homeless. In Sydney, the cost of using four vans to pick up and transport homeless people to shelters across the city had risen from $800 a week for petrol to $1200, he said.
''We fully support the need to cut greenhouse emissions, but the costs to charities like us need to be recognised by the Government. Some of the extra costs we will face under an emissions trading scheme are pretty scary.''
Australian National University climate law and policy institute director Andrew Macintosh said the research paper showed charities and community welfare services were more financially vulnerable to carbon pricing than ''the big, polluting industries that currently have the ear of government and are arguing their case for compensation.''
Speaking at an Australian Industry Group forum yesterday, Federal Climate Change and Water Minister Penny Wong said the Rudd Government was '' willing to consider alternative approaches'' as part of the consultation process for its draft Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme.
''In committing to provide assistance to emissions-intensive trade-exposed firms, however, the Government must also balance the competitive position of such industries with the rest of the economy.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Former Queensland premier Beattie now dreams of being a missionary - The Age - 30th August 2008
Former Queensland Premier and self-confessed "media-tart" Peter Beattie wants to become a missionary.
The now Queensland Trade Commissioner for the Americas based in Los Angeles said both he and his wife Heather would like to pursue other passions in the future, including missionary work.
"Heather's father was an Anglican missionary and she has a very strong social conscience," he told Brisbane's Courier-Mail newspaper.
"We'd probably like to do something in that area, just part-time or whatever.
"But we'd want to become totally irrelevant because you've got to be able to do that sort of work based on what the work is, not on the basis of who you are."
Mr Beattie was a parishioner of St Alban's Anglican Church at Wilston, near his family home on Brisbane's northside.
It has been a year since he suddenly resigned after almost a decade as premier.
The ex-premier and self-confessed "media tart" promptly disappeared from public life before taking up a brief tenure as a visiting professor at the University of South Carolina.
The following month after pledging he would never accept a state or federal government appointment "to avoid any unfavourable perceptions of deals or otherwise" he accepted his latest position.
State opposition treasury spokesman Tim Nicholls said Mr Beattie's pledge to become a missionary was another public relations ploy.
"He had the opportunity to do missionary work earlier this year when he was offered the $300,000-plus a year job as Queensland Trade Commissioner to the Americas," he said.
"If he really wanted to do missionary work he could have refused that job...I think he's certainly not lost his mastery of trying to put a public relations spin on his current position."
Mr Beattie said he often thought about the less advantaged and problems of the world.
"You do think about the issues of spirituality, you do think about mortality, the social issues of the world," he said.
"Those are important questions and if you don't deal with those then you're either a moron, you're shallow or you're dead."
Queensland Transport Minister John Mickel said Mr Beattie would be good as a missionary.
"He would be good at whatever he turned his hand to and if he wants to give back to the community in that way then all power to him," he said.
Anglican Dean of Brisbane, Bishop John Parkes, said Mr and Mrs Beattie would be welcome to join the church as missionaries.
"I know Peter Beattie very well and clearly he is a man of great faith and would have an enormous amount to contribute and he would be welcome to join us in missionary work anytime he likes," Bishop Parkes told AAP.
Mr Beattie has been contacted for further comment.
The now Queensland Trade Commissioner for the Americas based in Los Angeles said both he and his wife Heather would like to pursue other passions in the future, including missionary work.
"Heather's father was an Anglican missionary and she has a very strong social conscience," he told Brisbane's Courier-Mail newspaper.
"We'd probably like to do something in that area, just part-time or whatever.
"But we'd want to become totally irrelevant because you've got to be able to do that sort of work based on what the work is, not on the basis of who you are."
Mr Beattie was a parishioner of St Alban's Anglican Church at Wilston, near his family home on Brisbane's northside.
It has been a year since he suddenly resigned after almost a decade as premier.
The ex-premier and self-confessed "media tart" promptly disappeared from public life before taking up a brief tenure as a visiting professor at the University of South Carolina.
The following month after pledging he would never accept a state or federal government appointment "to avoid any unfavourable perceptions of deals or otherwise" he accepted his latest position.
State opposition treasury spokesman Tim Nicholls said Mr Beattie's pledge to become a missionary was another public relations ploy.
"He had the opportunity to do missionary work earlier this year when he was offered the $300,000-plus a year job as Queensland Trade Commissioner to the Americas," he said.
"If he really wanted to do missionary work he could have refused that job...I think he's certainly not lost his mastery of trying to put a public relations spin on his current position."
Mr Beattie said he often thought about the less advantaged and problems of the world.
"You do think about the issues of spirituality, you do think about mortality, the social issues of the world," he said.
"Those are important questions and if you don't deal with those then you're either a moron, you're shallow or you're dead."
Queensland Transport Minister John Mickel said Mr Beattie would be good as a missionary.
"He would be good at whatever he turned his hand to and if he wants to give back to the community in that way then all power to him," he said.
Anglican Dean of Brisbane, Bishop John Parkes, said Mr and Mrs Beattie would be welcome to join the church as missionaries.
"I know Peter Beattie very well and clearly he is a man of great faith and would have an enormous amount to contribute and he would be welcome to join us in missionary work anytime he likes," Bishop Parkes told AAP.
Mr Beattie has been contacted for further comment.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Charity Poker Event at Starworld Macau: Doyle Brunson Book Signing, Opening of APT Poker Room - Media Release - 25th August 2008
Macau, China – 25th August 2008 --- Ahead of the $1.5 million GUARANTEED APT Macau, that runs from the 27th – 31st August, the glamorous Galaxy StarWorld Casino Resort and Hotel will be bustling with the arrival of the world’s greatest poker players. However, Tuesday 26th August is also a hectic day as the APT officially hits town!
At 3.30pm on Tuesday 26th August, the APT Poker Room on Level 2 will be opened. This is followed at 4.30pm by book signings in the lobby by US poker legend Doyle Brunson, the ‘Godfather of Poker,’ who has won 10 WSOP® bracelets and is the most revered poker strategy writer in the world. Doyle will be on hand to meet fans until 6pm. At 7pm a special charity Celebrity Poker Challenge will be hosted by leading poker tournament director Matt Savage. Proceeds go to Caritas De Macau, the social service organization of Macau. The goal of Caritas de Macau is to provide services to the individuals, families, communities and societies, to help them to live in the society in a more humane condition economically, morally and spiritually.
Flying in from Manila to play in the tournament is Manny Pacquiao, universally seen as the best pound for pound boxer in the world and the first Asian boxer to win four world titles in different divisions. The charity game will also feature movie actor Michael Wong, singer Renee Dai, commentator Angie Mak and models Natalie Ng, Erica Yuen, Janice Man, Cha Cha and Wylien Chiu. Also in attendance will be Miss Hong Kong winner Tracy Ip and cult glamour model Tila Tequila. Poker legend Doyle Brunson is also due to participate.
Chris Parker, CEO of the Asian Poker Tour – “We are delighted to bring the APT to Macau and really excited about offering Asia’s largest ever guaranteed prize pool. The charity poker challenge will be good fun, and, most importantly, it is an aid of a brilliant charity in Caritas De Macau.”
“I’m looking forward to Manny Pacquiao going head-to-head with Doyle Brunson. Manny never goes down but will we see the flyweight king get knocked out by the heavyweight poker legend? That said, perhaps both will get distracted by all the models at the table!”
Following the Celebrity Poker Challenge there is an exclusive after party at StarWorld’s famous Whisky Bar.
The APT Macau is a USD $5300 ($5000+$300) tournament and there are two day ones on the 27th and 28th August so there is still time to sign up and play. Amongst the players expected to take part include the Chinese born Johnny Chan, a 10 time WSOP® bracelet holder and the inspiration for Matt Damon and Edward Norton’s characters in the 1998 Hollywood movie ‘Rounders.’ Joining him are top pros Todd Brunson, J.C Tran, Kenny Tran, John Juanda, Liz Lieu, Nam Le, Quinn Do, Steve Sung, Mel Judah, Huck Seed and APT Manila champion David Saab. Vietnamese players are expected to be a dominating force. The event organizers have extended an open invitation to Olympic megastar and poker nut Michael Phelps to take part for free. On Friday, there will be an exclusive HK$1million buy-in high stakes cash game featuring the world’s best players.
Doyle Brunson will also be signing books between 4.30pm and 6pm on the 27th August.
For more information and players profiles and performances catch all the action at www.asianpt.com
ABOUT ASIAN POKER TOUR (APT)
The Asian Poker Tour (APT) is Asia’s biggest and original poker tour. The Tour was recently acquired by AsianLogic (AIM:ALOG). As part of the new organisation of the APT, four events will be held across Asia in 2008. Next year, the Tour plans to increase this to a total of six events. Each tournament is set to attract live players as well as internet players who will qualify via online satellites. Each main event will offer a minimum guaranteed USD $1 million prize pool. David Saab of Australia won the top prize of US$280,000 at the first leg of the Asian Poker Tour in Manila on June 1st. He recently finished 46th in the WSOP Main Event, winning US$135,100, and hopes to add a second APT championship to his poker accomplishments. The official web site of the APT is www.asianpt.com
ABOUT ASIANLOGIC (ALOG)
AsianLogic is a leading online and land-based gaming company focusing on the Asia-Pacific markets. The Company is listed on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange (AIM: ALOG). AsianLogic owns and operates eight online casino brands and two online poker rooms as well as land-based sportsbook operations through its MegaSportsWorld brand. It is a specialist in Asia-specific games such as Mahjong, Cho-Da-Di, Do-Di-Zhu and 13 Card Poker. The Company owns and operates the Asian Poker Tour. The Company also maintains a corporate advisory team specialising in the gaming sector which is an active investor in gaming-related businesses as well as providing consultancy and analytical services. AsianLogic enjoys strong commercial relationships with leading gaming providers including Playtech, ID Games and LVS. Founded as ESL in 2002, AsianLogic employs over 300 employees, the majority of whom are based in the Philippines.
World Series of Poker”® and “WSOP”® are registered trade marks of Harrah’s License Company LLC. No license, affiliation, sponsorship, or endorsement is claimed, or should be inferred from the use of these trademarks here. AsianLogic is not licensed by or otherwise affiliated with Harrah’s License Company LLC or the World Series of Poker®, in any way.
For more information, please contact:
Warren Lush
Asian Poker Tour
+34656236600
warrenl@partygaming.com
Melissa Ross
Lyceum Media
+44 (0) 207 953 4026
Melissa@lyceummedia.com
Media Man Australia Profiles
Doyle Brunson
WSOP
Macau
Poker and Casino News
Casino News Media
At 3.30pm on Tuesday 26th August, the APT Poker Room on Level 2 will be opened. This is followed at 4.30pm by book signings in the lobby by US poker legend Doyle Brunson, the ‘Godfather of Poker,’ who has won 10 WSOP® bracelets and is the most revered poker strategy writer in the world. Doyle will be on hand to meet fans until 6pm. At 7pm a special charity Celebrity Poker Challenge will be hosted by leading poker tournament director Matt Savage. Proceeds go to Caritas De Macau, the social service organization of Macau. The goal of Caritas de Macau is to provide services to the individuals, families, communities and societies, to help them to live in the society in a more humane condition economically, morally and spiritually.
Flying in from Manila to play in the tournament is Manny Pacquiao, universally seen as the best pound for pound boxer in the world and the first Asian boxer to win four world titles in different divisions. The charity game will also feature movie actor Michael Wong, singer Renee Dai, commentator Angie Mak and models Natalie Ng, Erica Yuen, Janice Man, Cha Cha and Wylien Chiu. Also in attendance will be Miss Hong Kong winner Tracy Ip and cult glamour model Tila Tequila. Poker legend Doyle Brunson is also due to participate.
Chris Parker, CEO of the Asian Poker Tour – “We are delighted to bring the APT to Macau and really excited about offering Asia’s largest ever guaranteed prize pool. The charity poker challenge will be good fun, and, most importantly, it is an aid of a brilliant charity in Caritas De Macau.”
“I’m looking forward to Manny Pacquiao going head-to-head with Doyle Brunson. Manny never goes down but will we see the flyweight king get knocked out by the heavyweight poker legend? That said, perhaps both will get distracted by all the models at the table!”
Following the Celebrity Poker Challenge there is an exclusive after party at StarWorld’s famous Whisky Bar.
The APT Macau is a USD $5300 ($5000+$300) tournament and there are two day ones on the 27th and 28th August so there is still time to sign up and play. Amongst the players expected to take part include the Chinese born Johnny Chan, a 10 time WSOP® bracelet holder and the inspiration for Matt Damon and Edward Norton’s characters in the 1998 Hollywood movie ‘Rounders.’ Joining him are top pros Todd Brunson, J.C Tran, Kenny Tran, John Juanda, Liz Lieu, Nam Le, Quinn Do, Steve Sung, Mel Judah, Huck Seed and APT Manila champion David Saab. Vietnamese players are expected to be a dominating force. The event organizers have extended an open invitation to Olympic megastar and poker nut Michael Phelps to take part for free. On Friday, there will be an exclusive HK$1million buy-in high stakes cash game featuring the world’s best players.
Doyle Brunson will also be signing books between 4.30pm and 6pm on the 27th August.
For more information and players profiles and performances catch all the action at www.asianpt.com
ABOUT ASIAN POKER TOUR (APT)
The Asian Poker Tour (APT) is Asia’s biggest and original poker tour. The Tour was recently acquired by AsianLogic (AIM:ALOG). As part of the new organisation of the APT, four events will be held across Asia in 2008. Next year, the Tour plans to increase this to a total of six events. Each tournament is set to attract live players as well as internet players who will qualify via online satellites. Each main event will offer a minimum guaranteed USD $1 million prize pool. David Saab of Australia won the top prize of US$280,000 at the first leg of the Asian Poker Tour in Manila on June 1st. He recently finished 46th in the WSOP Main Event, winning US$135,100, and hopes to add a second APT championship to his poker accomplishments. The official web site of the APT is www.asianpt.com
ABOUT ASIANLOGIC (ALOG)
AsianLogic is a leading online and land-based gaming company focusing on the Asia-Pacific markets. The Company is listed on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange (AIM: ALOG). AsianLogic owns and operates eight online casino brands and two online poker rooms as well as land-based sportsbook operations through its MegaSportsWorld brand. It is a specialist in Asia-specific games such as Mahjong, Cho-Da-Di, Do-Di-Zhu and 13 Card Poker. The Company owns and operates the Asian Poker Tour. The Company also maintains a corporate advisory team specialising in the gaming sector which is an active investor in gaming-related businesses as well as providing consultancy and analytical services. AsianLogic enjoys strong commercial relationships with leading gaming providers including Playtech, ID Games and LVS. Founded as ESL in 2002, AsianLogic employs over 300 employees, the majority of whom are based in the Philippines.
World Series of Poker”® and “WSOP”® are registered trade marks of Harrah’s License Company LLC. No license, affiliation, sponsorship, or endorsement is claimed, or should be inferred from the use of these trademarks here. AsianLogic is not licensed by or otherwise affiliated with Harrah’s License Company LLC or the World Series of Poker®, in any way.
For more information, please contact:
Warren Lush
Asian Poker Tour
+34656236600
warrenl@partygaming.com
Melissa Ross
Lyceum Media
+44 (0) 207 953 4026
Melissa@lyceummedia.com
Media Man Australia Profiles
Doyle Brunson
WSOP
Macau
Poker and Casino News
Casino News Media
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Spinners and losers, the community pays a price, by Andrew Tate - Fairfax - 24th August 2008
The spinning gold sovereign used with such effect by author Frank Hardy to foretell a corruption of the spirit in the opening lines of his novel Power Without Glory is now rampant in our communities in the form of the spinning wheels of poker machines.
But where Hardy's book, widely seen as a fictionalised account of the life of legendary Collingwood football club benefactor John Wren, told how a man called John West became rich on the back of the working poor, now it's the clubs that are directly benefiting from gambling's most efficient form of community larceny.
Earlier this year, The Age reported that Victorian AFL clubs gouged more than $110 million from poker machines in the 2006-07 financial year and are increasingly targeting Melbourne's most vulnerable communities. The Monash University research also revealed rorting by clubs of their "community benefit" obligations.
The clubs disputed the accuracy of those figures and one club, Collingwood, has since moved to sell two of its loss-making venues. The Magpies, however, will not be offloading their three money-spinners in outer-suburban areas.
Also grabbing a slice of the action is Hawthorn, with former premier-turned-president Jeff Kennett last month trumpeting plans for 80 poker machines at Caroline Springs — an odd look for the chairman of beyondblue, which combats depression-related illnesses.
Some contend these pokies venues provide "entertainment" where other services are lacking. Even a businessman from 100 years ago, such as John Wren, would recognise these places. In 2006, the racing industry made its peace with Wren when the Champions of Australian Racing Museum staged an exhibition about his "contribution to society". Having built his fortune from the illicit tote he ran in a Collingwood yard from 1893 to 1907, the invitations praised Wren as a "visionary businessman".
But where a single illegal entrepreneur once defied the authorities to bring "sport" to the people, the State Government and AFL clubs appear to have found a way to take the sport, and the fairness, out of the equation.
While the government takes pride in its gaming industry reforms and has done some hard yards to open the state's gaming machines to smaller operators, the overall reach and take of poker machines will remain staggeringly high. The government also points to the banning of 24-hour venues outside the casino and in 2012 — yes, in four years — the ban on automatic teller machines in venues. But I still recall Labor Premier Joan Kirner's feigned excitement in 1990 at the media launch of the first gaming machine at the first Tabaret. The beaten Premier played a clunky football game where an electronic player had to kick a goal. The industry immediately hit the boundary, it had won the game and traditional poker machines soon joined the party.
Elsewhere, Premier Kennett's casino remains a behemoth. Its "visionary businessman" and purveyor of sport is James Packer, who has also done well from house-friendly changes to blackjack and roulette rules. Before its recent corporate shake-up, the Packer empire had the benefit of cross-promoting football stars, posing as clowns on Channel Nine's The Footy Show, taking every opportunity to mention the delights to be had at Crown. Collingwood's president Eddie McGuire played a lead role as host and enthusiastic company man.
Then consider that the clubs don't just collect their cash via the machines they operate. The government has also handed out hundreds of thousands of dollars in sponsorship for clubs such as Essendon to promote an anti-gambling message. Not a bad double-headed coin when you consider the Windy Hill social club is chock-full of poker machines.
The government and clubs maintain that revenue is put to good use, but that sounds a bit like the philanthropy attributed to the likes of Wren. Having cash on tap from the weakness of others usually allows you to throw some largesse towards your own pet causes.
It may ultimately be up to the public to make judgements about football clubs that talk about being part of a community, but who rely on gaming losses to feather the nest. AFL players earn their money onfield and provide joy to fans, but their pay packets and support networks should not be subsidised by pokies strategically placed to target those who covet the lifestyle that players enjoy.
Footy clinics, charity photo-ops and hospital visits are laudable, but the clubs and society should make stable homes for kids a priority ahead of the "community benefit" offered by football departments or big-screen TVs in gaming lounges.
In NSW, South Sydney co-owner Russell Crowe tried to take another path, moving to scrap the NRL club's 60 poker machines that were returning almost $1 million a year. Last week, members worried about revenue knocked back the plan.
Arguing his case, Crowe had said: "This group is for anyone who believes the best way to act is to think about how your actions can improve the lives of people in your community."
Contrast this to the AFL clubs' self-belief that the harm is offset by their own good deeds. Magpie president McGuire is one such charitable man, who views Wren as a great sporting entrepreneur and inspiration. He may be right. But after Collingwood took everything of value and left Victoria Park, the Pies' great spruiker lauded the club's move to the banks of the Yarra — where in the 1930s, Wren developed the Motordome.
Of course, the poker machines didn't go over the Yarra into the leafy neighbourhoods but to the outer suburbs, where cash is funnelled back to build a new empire.
And still the sovereign spins.
McGuire said in 2005: "It's amazing to think that John Wren built what we're now trying to build at the Lexus Centre. We're getting back to his original plan."
Power Without Glory indeed.
But where Hardy's book, widely seen as a fictionalised account of the life of legendary Collingwood football club benefactor John Wren, told how a man called John West became rich on the back of the working poor, now it's the clubs that are directly benefiting from gambling's most efficient form of community larceny.
Earlier this year, The Age reported that Victorian AFL clubs gouged more than $110 million from poker machines in the 2006-07 financial year and are increasingly targeting Melbourne's most vulnerable communities. The Monash University research also revealed rorting by clubs of their "community benefit" obligations.
The clubs disputed the accuracy of those figures and one club, Collingwood, has since moved to sell two of its loss-making venues. The Magpies, however, will not be offloading their three money-spinners in outer-suburban areas.
Also grabbing a slice of the action is Hawthorn, with former premier-turned-president Jeff Kennett last month trumpeting plans for 80 poker machines at Caroline Springs — an odd look for the chairman of beyondblue, which combats depression-related illnesses.
Some contend these pokies venues provide "entertainment" where other services are lacking. Even a businessman from 100 years ago, such as John Wren, would recognise these places. In 2006, the racing industry made its peace with Wren when the Champions of Australian Racing Museum staged an exhibition about his "contribution to society". Having built his fortune from the illicit tote he ran in a Collingwood yard from 1893 to 1907, the invitations praised Wren as a "visionary businessman".
But where a single illegal entrepreneur once defied the authorities to bring "sport" to the people, the State Government and AFL clubs appear to have found a way to take the sport, and the fairness, out of the equation.
While the government takes pride in its gaming industry reforms and has done some hard yards to open the state's gaming machines to smaller operators, the overall reach and take of poker machines will remain staggeringly high. The government also points to the banning of 24-hour venues outside the casino and in 2012 — yes, in four years — the ban on automatic teller machines in venues. But I still recall Labor Premier Joan Kirner's feigned excitement in 1990 at the media launch of the first gaming machine at the first Tabaret. The beaten Premier played a clunky football game where an electronic player had to kick a goal. The industry immediately hit the boundary, it had won the game and traditional poker machines soon joined the party.
Elsewhere, Premier Kennett's casino remains a behemoth. Its "visionary businessman" and purveyor of sport is James Packer, who has also done well from house-friendly changes to blackjack and roulette rules. Before its recent corporate shake-up, the Packer empire had the benefit of cross-promoting football stars, posing as clowns on Channel Nine's The Footy Show, taking every opportunity to mention the delights to be had at Crown. Collingwood's president Eddie McGuire played a lead role as host and enthusiastic company man.
Then consider that the clubs don't just collect their cash via the machines they operate. The government has also handed out hundreds of thousands of dollars in sponsorship for clubs such as Essendon to promote an anti-gambling message. Not a bad double-headed coin when you consider the Windy Hill social club is chock-full of poker machines.
The government and clubs maintain that revenue is put to good use, but that sounds a bit like the philanthropy attributed to the likes of Wren. Having cash on tap from the weakness of others usually allows you to throw some largesse towards your own pet causes.
It may ultimately be up to the public to make judgements about football clubs that talk about being part of a community, but who rely on gaming losses to feather the nest. AFL players earn their money onfield and provide joy to fans, but their pay packets and support networks should not be subsidised by pokies strategically placed to target those who covet the lifestyle that players enjoy.
Footy clinics, charity photo-ops and hospital visits are laudable, but the clubs and society should make stable homes for kids a priority ahead of the "community benefit" offered by football departments or big-screen TVs in gaming lounges.
In NSW, South Sydney co-owner Russell Crowe tried to take another path, moving to scrap the NRL club's 60 poker machines that were returning almost $1 million a year. Last week, members worried about revenue knocked back the plan.
Arguing his case, Crowe had said: "This group is for anyone who believes the best way to act is to think about how your actions can improve the lives of people in your community."
Contrast this to the AFL clubs' self-belief that the harm is offset by their own good deeds. Magpie president McGuire is one such charitable man, who views Wren as a great sporting entrepreneur and inspiration. He may be right. But after Collingwood took everything of value and left Victoria Park, the Pies' great spruiker lauded the club's move to the banks of the Yarra — where in the 1930s, Wren developed the Motordome.
Of course, the poker machines didn't go over the Yarra into the leafy neighbourhoods but to the outer suburbs, where cash is funnelled back to build a new empire.
And still the sovereign spins.
McGuire said in 2005: "It's amazing to think that John Wren built what we're now trying to build at the Lexus Centre. We're getting back to his original plan."
Power Without Glory indeed.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Grey Goose Entertainment and Sundance Channel Announce Talent Pairings for Fourth Season of 'Iconoclasts' Premiering October 16 at 10 PM ET/PT
NEW YORK, Aug. 18 Iconoclasts-Season-4
Produced By Sundance Channel And Grey Goose Entertainment
An @radical.media Production, Fourth Season To Feature: Archbishop Desmond Tutu + Sir Richard Branson; Stella McCartney + Edward Ruscha; Tony Hawk + Jon Favreau; Bill Maher + Clive Davis; Venus Williams + Wyclef Jean; Cameron Diaz + Cameron Sinclair
'One of the best documentary series on television.' - Whitney Matheson, USA Today, October 24, 2007
'In any case, they are not sitting in a TV Studio, under TV lights, falling back on their professional personalities. The result seems at once more casual and more fabulous -like peeking over a fence at the Saturday afternoon party.' - Los Angeles Times, October 21, 2007
NEW YORK, Aug. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Sundance Channel and Grey Goose Entertainment today unveiled the six pairings set to appear during the fourth season of the Sundance Channel original television series "Iconoclasts." Each hour-long episode of the six-part series features two leading innovators from different fields who come together to discuss their passions and creative processes. "Iconoclasts" debuts Thursday, October 16, 2008, at 10 PM ET/PT and is executive produced by Robert Redford.
"Iconoclasts" is produced by @radical.media and directed by Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky (the filmmakers behind Metallica: Some Kind of Monster).
Participants for Season Four are: Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu and entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson; fashion designer Stella McCartney and artist Edward Ruscha; skateboarder Tony Hawk and filmmaker/actor Jon Favreau; political humorist Bill Maher and music industry executive Clive Davis; tennis champion Venus Williams and musician/producer Wyclef Jean; and actress Cameron Diaz and architect Cameron Sinclair.
"We are very excited about the pairings in this season of 'Iconoclasts'" said Laura Michalchyshyn, Sundance Channel GM. "Each 'Iconoclast' has made significant impact in their respective fields and watching them share their worlds with those that inspire them makes each episode entertaining and engrossing."
"Iconoclasts" pairs two leading creative innovators from different fields including film, sports, architecture, fashion, food, music, and business. Unlike an ordinary interview program, "Iconoclasts" captures the essence of these headline-makers through the eyes of the creative visionaries who respect and admire them the most. The "Iconoclasts" visit each other's worlds to explore their creative process, their inspirations and their passions. Each pair provides viewers with an inside glimpse into the inspiration and motivation that made these iconoclasts who they are today and offers insight into the real people behind the public personae.
Season one of "Iconoclasts" featured: actor Samuel L. Jackson and basketball legend Bill Russell, fashion designer Tom Ford and artist Jeff Koons, chef Mario Batali and musician Michael Stipe, producer Brian Grazer and CEO Sumner Redstone, actress Renee Zellweger and news correspondent Christiane Amanpour, and actor and environmentalist Robert Redford and actor and philanthropist Paul Newman.
Season two featured: Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder and big-wave surfer Laird Hamilton; dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov and chef Alice Waters; filmmaker Quentin Tarantino and singer/songwriter Fiona Apple; actress Isabella Rossellini and inventor Dean Kamen; music great Paul Simon and producer Lorne Michaels; and comedian Dave Chappelle and poet Maya Angelou.
Season three featured: actor/filmmaker Sean Penn and author/adventurer Jon Krakauer; singer/songwriter Alicia Keys and actress Ruby Dee; actor Mike Myers and physician, author, and philosopher Dr. Deepak Chopra; entrepreneur Howard Schultz and writer/producer Norman Lear; musician/Artistic Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center Wynton Marsalis and chef John Besh; and former U.S Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and actress and humanitarian Ashley Judd.
"Iconoclasts" is executive produced by Robert Redford; Jon Kamen, Frank Scherma and Justin Wilkes of @radical.media; Monsell Darville of Grey Goose Entertainment; and Laura Michalchyshyn, Lynne Kirby and Kirk Iwanowski of Sundance Channel; and co-executive produced by Sidney Beaumont and Joe Berlinger. The series producers are Rachel Dawson and Christine Walters. Supervising Producer for Sundance Channel is Mala Chapple.
Current broadcast schedule (subject to change) is as follows:
Archbishop Desmond Tutu + Sir Richard Branson (Oct. 16 at 10 PM ET/PT)
Stella McCartney + Edward Ruscha + (Oct. 23 at 10 PM ET/PT)
Tony Hawk + Jon Favreau (Oct. 30 at 10 PM ET/PT)
Bill Maher + Clive Davis (Nov. 6 at 10 PM ET/PT)
Venus Williams + Wyclef Jean (Nov. 13 at 10 PM ET/PT)
Cameron Diaz + Cameron Sinclair (Nov. 20 at 10 PM ET/PT)
SUBJECT BIOGRAPHIES
Archbishop Desmond Tutu
In 1979, Anglican priest and Bishop of Lesotho Desmond Mpilo Tutu became the first black General Secretary of the South African Council of Churches. He spoke strongly and fearlessly against the evil of apartheid, calling on the international community to impose economic sanctions against South Africa towards a non-violent change. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984 and was elected the first black Anglican bishop of Johannesburg. In 1986 he was installed as Archbishop of Cape Town, and he continued to be untiring in his denunciation of apartheid. In 1994, after the end of Apartheid and the election of Nelson Mandela as the first President of a free South Africa, Archbishop Tutu was appointed Chairman of South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission, to investigate apartheid-era crimes. His policy of forgiveness and reconciliation has become an international example of conflict resolution, and a trusted method of post-conflict reconstruction. He continues to pursue an active international ministry for peace.
Sir Richard Branson
Sir Richard Branson is the founder and president of Virgin Group, one of the world's most recognized and respected brands. The Virgin Group has expanded into air and ground travel, telecommunications, financial services, health, space travel and clean energy. In 1999, Branson was awarded a knighthood for "services to entrepreneurship." In an effort to develop new approaches to social and environmental issues through business and social sector partnerships, Branson founded the not-for-profit foundation Virgin Unite. Beginning in September 2006, he committed future proceeds from the Virgin Group's transportation interests to investment into renewable energy initiatives. He also announced a $25 million prize for a viable technology that achieves net removal of anthropogenic, atmospheric greenhouse gases. Recently, he joined Nelson Mandela, Graca Machel and Desmond Tutu to form The Elders, a group of independent leaders seeking sustainable solutions to global humanitarian issues. In December 2007, Branson was recognized by UNCA as Citizen of the Year.
Stella McCartney
Born and raised in London, Stella McCartney graduated from Central St Martins in 1995. Her signature style of sharp tailoring, natural confidence and sexy femininity has made her one of the world's top fashion designers. After an acclaimed tenure as Creative Director of Chloe in Paris, McCartney launched her own fashion house, showing her first collection in Paris in October 2001. She now operates stores in eight cities worldwide; in addition to ready-to-wear, her collections include accessories, eyewear, fragrance, and the critically lauded sports performance line "adidas by Stella McCartney," launched in 2004. In 2007, she introduced the world's first luxury organic skincare line, CARE by Stella McCartney; this was followed in Spring 2008 by a lingerie line and a limited edition travel collection with LeSportsac. A lifelong vegetarian, McCartney does not use any leather or fur in her designs. She has received numerous awards recognizing her achievements in fashion and social awareness
Edward Ruscha
Born in 1937 in Omaha, Nebraska, Edward Ruscha was raised in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. In 1956, he moved to Los Angeles to attend the Chouinard Art Institute, and had his first solo exhibition in 1963 at the Ferus Gallery. He continues to live and work in Los Angeles, and is represented by Gagosian Gallery. Ruscha has consistently combined the cityscape of his adopted hometown with vernacular language to communicate a particular urban experience. His work encompasses painting, drawing, photography and artist's books, and he has been the subject of numerous museum retrospectives that have traveled internationally. In 2001, he was elected to The American Academy of Arts and Letters and in 2005 he represented the United States at the 51st Venice Biennale. Ruscha's paintings and drawings are currently the subject of a 13 volume catalogue raisonne, the first volume of which was published in 2003. A major painting retrospective will open at the Hayward Gallery, London in 2009.
Tony Hawk
Skateboarding legend Tony Hawk has dazzled fans with his physical skill and artistry since he turned pro at age 14. Hawk's talents have brought skateboarding unprecedented mainstream attention and respect, which has helped legitimize all action sports. Now 40 and still skating professionally, Hawk invented more than 80 tricks and is best known for his "900" (two and a half spins above a 12-foot-high halfpipe), which existed only in theory until he landed it at the 1999 X-Games. He has written three books, including the bestselling autobiography, "HAWK: Occupation Skateboarder," and has released a series of hit video games. The Tony Hawk video game series is now one of the best-selling franchises of all time, with more than 30 million units sold worldwide. In recent years Hawk has expanded his licensing, media and event businesses into some of the biggest brands in action sports. He is an active participant in the Make-a-Wish Foundation, and his non-profit charity, the Tony Hawk Foundation, has awarded over $2.3 million to help finance over 390 public skateparks in low-income areas nationwide.
Jon Favreau
Eleven years after establishing himself with the acclaimed hipster comedy, Swingers, Jon Favreau continues to challenge himself with a variety of eclectic projects highlighting his strengths as an actor, writer and director. As a director, Favreau most recently released Iron Man, starring Robert Downey Jr. As an actor, he is currently filming I Love You, Man; he next appears in Four Christmases, opening in late 2008. His directing credits include the intergalactic adventure Zathura and the 2003 holiday classic Elf, starring Will Ferrell. In 2001, he made his feature directorial debut with Made; he also wrote and co-starred with Vince Vaughn and Sean "Puffy" Combs. Favreau conceived and hosted the Emmy(TM)-nominated IFC series "Dinner For Five," which premiered in 2001. His acting credits include The Break Up; the title role in the Rocky Marciano biopic Marciano; Wimbledon; Daredevil; Love and Sex; The Replacements; Very Bad Things; Deep Impact; Rudy; "Friends"; and "The Sopranos," playing himself.
Bill Maher
For the last 15 years, Bill Maher has set the boundaries of where funny, political talk can go on American television. First on "Politically Incorrect" (Comedy Central, ABC, 1993-2002), and for the last six years on HBO's "Real Time," Maher's combination of unflinching honesty and big laughs have garnered him 21 Emmy nominations. And in October of 2008, this same combination will be on display in the movies when Maher's uproarious and unprecedented swipe at organized religion, "Religulous," directed by Larry Charles ("Borat") hits theaters.
Clive Davis
As the record industry's most innovative, outspoken and influential executive, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member Clive Davis has had a profound effect on the world of music. As the president of Columbia Records from 1967-1973, he was directly responsible for signing artists including Janis Joplin, Santana, Laura Nyro, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen and Aerosmith. Davis strengthened Columbia's catalog in all fields of recorded music, playing a key role in the careers of Simon & Garfunkel, Sly & The Family Stone, Bob Dylan, Barbra Streisand, Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock. In 1974, he founded Arista Records, where he launched the recording careers of Whitney Houston, Barry Manilow and Patti Smith. In 2000, Davis formed J Records, enjoying the first of many successes with Alicia Keys' Grammy(R)-winning debut. Davis' triumph at J led to his joining the BMG Record Group in 2003. A longtime humanitarian activist, Davis has spearheaded the donation of millions of dollars to AIDS charities since 1985 and in 2003 he endowed the first ever degree awarded program in contemporary music establishing the Clive Davis Department of Recorded Music at NYU's Tisch School.
Venus Williams
At the tender age of 14, Venus Williams became a professional athlete, taking the world of tennis by storm. Fiercely determined and wielding an impressive physical prowess, she spent the next decade rising to the top-ranked position and winning numerous championships, including the U.S. Open, Wimbledon and doubles at the Australian Open and French Open, as well as two Olympic Gold medals. In July 2008, she won her fifth Wimbledon Championship in a riveting match against her sister Serena Williams, joining the handful of legendary women's singles tennis champions who have won five or more Wimbledon Championships. Known for her distinctive style, Williams earned a degree in Fashion Design from The Art Institute of Ft. Lauderdale. Now 28, she is a successful entrepreneur with her own line of sneakers, clothing and accessories, "EleVen"; and an interior design firm, V Starr Interiors. She is the subject of a new coffee-table book, "Venus," with images by world-renowned avant-garde photographer, Koto Bolofo.
Wyclef Jean
Haitian-born Wyclef Jean is a Grammy Award-winning musician/producer and social activist. A founding member of the pioneering hip-hop group Fugees and prolific solo artist, Jean has effortlessly crossed genres, generations and geographic boundaries as a musical goodwill ambassador and a diplomat for positive cultural evolution. His sixth and latest studio solo album is "Carnival Vol. II: Memoirs of an Immigrant." His albums with the Fugees include the platinum-selling 1996 classic "The Score," which reached the #1 slots on Billboard's Top 200 and Top R&B/Hip-Hop albums charts and earned two Grammy Awards. Much in demand as a producer, writer and performer, he has collaborated with artists including Bono, Carlos Santana, Whitney Houston and Shakira. In 2005, Jean created the non-profit foundation Yele Haiti to provide aid and assistance to his native Haiti. The charity links with existing groups and/or starts programs relating to hunger, education, youth rehabilitation, AIDS treatment and prevention, and sustainable development.
Cameron Diaz
Cameron Diaz made her feature film debut at age 21 in the hit 1994 comedy The Mask. She has since appeared in over 30 feature films, emerging as one of the most talented actresses of her generation and winning numerous awards. She has given critically acclaimed performances in a wide range of films, including My Best Friend's Wedding, There's Something About Mary, Being John Malkovich, Any Given Sunday, Charlie's Angels, Shrek, Vanilla Sky, Gangs of New York, The Holiday, In Her Shoes and, most recently, What Happens in Vegas. She also produced a 10-episode worldwide adventure series, entitled Trippin for MTV. Diaz is a committed environmentalist and has been trained to deliver Al Gore's presentation on climate change, a grass-roots efforts to raise awareness around the world. She has been a guest lecturer on environmentally friendly building at Stanford University as part of a popular MTVU program. A longtime supporter of the Environmental Media Association, she has filmed public service announcements about the importance of conserving energy.
Cameron Sinclair
Cameron Sinclair is the co-founder and 'eternal optimist' for Architecture for Humanity, a charitable organization founded to develop architectural and design solutions to humanitarian crises and provide pro-bono design services to communities in need. The organization has completed over one hundred projects in seventeen countries ranging from schools, health clinics, affordable housing and long term sustainable reconstruction. Most recently they have been rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina and developed HIV/AIDS outreach centers throughout Africa. Named by Fortune Magazine as one of seven people changing the world for the better he was the recipient of the TED prize in 2006, was recently selected a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum, and is the recipient of Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum's the 2008 Smithsonian National Design Awards for Design Patron Award. As a result of the TED Prize he and Architecture for Humanity co-founder Kate Stohr launched the Open Architecture Network, the world's first open source community dedicated to improving living conditions through innovative and sustainable design. Sinclair and Stohr also compiled a compendium on socially conscious design titled "Design Like You Give A Damn".
Sundance Channel
Under the creative direction of Robert Redford, Sundance Channel is the television destination for independent-minded viewers seeking something different. Bold, uncompromising and irreverent, Sundance Channel offers audiences a diverse and engaging selection of films, documentaries, and original programs, all unedited and commercial free. Launched in 1996, Sundance Channel is subsidiary of Rainbow Media Holdings LLC. Sundance Channel operates independently of the non-profit Sundance Institute and the Sundance Film Festival, but shares the overall Sundance mission of encouraging artistic freedom of expression. Sundance Channel's website address is www.sundancechannel.com.
Rainbow Media Holdings LLC
Rainbow Media Holdings LLC is a subsidiary of Cablevision Systems Corporation (NYSE: CVC). Rainbow Media is a leading producer of targeted, multi-platform content for global distribution, creating and managing some of the world's most compelling and dynamic entertainment brands, including AMC, IFC, WE tv, Sundance Channel, Lifeskool, sportskool, and VOOM HD Networks. Through IFC Entertainment, Rainbow Media also owns and manages the following: IFC Films, a leading distribution company for independent film; IFC Productions, a feature film production company that provides financing for select independent film projects; and IFC Center, a three screen, state-of-the-art cinema in the heart of New York's Greenwich Village. Rainbow Media also operates Rainbow Advertising Sales Corporation, its advertising sales company; Rainbow Network Communications, its full service network programming origination and distribution company; and 11 Penn TV, a company that manages Rainbow Media's NYC studios and post-production facilities.
Grey Goose Entertainment
Founded in April 2005, Grey Goose Entertainment is dedicated to producing original and unique content for television, music and film. Each innovative project reflects the spirit of GREY GOOSE Vodka and celebrates the interests of the consumer. Season one of "Iconoclasts" was the first production from Grey Goose Entertainment. In addition to season one and season two of "Iconoclasts" Grey Goose Entertainment supports THE ARTISTS DEN, an innovative enterprise that curates the best new music from around the globe, which it showcases in unique and intimate venues.
@radical.media
@radical.media is a diverse global production company which has produced numerous award-winning feature films and television programs including the Academy Award(R)-winning "Fog of War," the Grammy Award winning "Concert For George," "Metallica: Some Kind of Monster" winner of the Independent Spirit Award and Jay-Z's "Fade To Black." Additionally, the company produced the first and second season of the critically acclaimed television series "Iconoclasts" on the Sundance Channel, "The Gamekillers" and "Nike Battlegrounds" on MTV, "Fast Cars and Superstars" on ABC and the Emmy winning-series "Ten Days That Unexpectedly Changed America" for the History Channel.
For more information go to www.sundancechannel.com/iconoclasts
Media Man Australia Profiles
Social and Community Entrepreneurs
Produced By Sundance Channel And Grey Goose Entertainment
An @radical.media Production, Fourth Season To Feature: Archbishop Desmond Tutu + Sir Richard Branson; Stella McCartney + Edward Ruscha; Tony Hawk + Jon Favreau; Bill Maher + Clive Davis; Venus Williams + Wyclef Jean; Cameron Diaz + Cameron Sinclair
'One of the best documentary series on television.' - Whitney Matheson, USA Today, October 24, 2007
'In any case, they are not sitting in a TV Studio, under TV lights, falling back on their professional personalities. The result seems at once more casual and more fabulous -like peeking over a fence at the Saturday afternoon party.' - Los Angeles Times, October 21, 2007
NEW YORK, Aug. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Sundance Channel and Grey Goose Entertainment today unveiled the six pairings set to appear during the fourth season of the Sundance Channel original television series "Iconoclasts." Each hour-long episode of the six-part series features two leading innovators from different fields who come together to discuss their passions and creative processes. "Iconoclasts" debuts Thursday, October 16, 2008, at 10 PM ET/PT and is executive produced by Robert Redford.
"Iconoclasts" is produced by @radical.media and directed by Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky (the filmmakers behind Metallica: Some Kind of Monster).
Participants for Season Four are: Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu and entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson; fashion designer Stella McCartney and artist Edward Ruscha; skateboarder Tony Hawk and filmmaker/actor Jon Favreau; political humorist Bill Maher and music industry executive Clive Davis; tennis champion Venus Williams and musician/producer Wyclef Jean; and actress Cameron Diaz and architect Cameron Sinclair.
"We are very excited about the pairings in this season of 'Iconoclasts'" said Laura Michalchyshyn, Sundance Channel GM. "Each 'Iconoclast' has made significant impact in their respective fields and watching them share their worlds with those that inspire them makes each episode entertaining and engrossing."
"Iconoclasts" pairs two leading creative innovators from different fields including film, sports, architecture, fashion, food, music, and business. Unlike an ordinary interview program, "Iconoclasts" captures the essence of these headline-makers through the eyes of the creative visionaries who respect and admire them the most. The "Iconoclasts" visit each other's worlds to explore their creative process, their inspirations and their passions. Each pair provides viewers with an inside glimpse into the inspiration and motivation that made these iconoclasts who they are today and offers insight into the real people behind the public personae.
Season one of "Iconoclasts" featured: actor Samuel L. Jackson and basketball legend Bill Russell, fashion designer Tom Ford and artist Jeff Koons, chef Mario Batali and musician Michael Stipe, producer Brian Grazer and CEO Sumner Redstone, actress Renee Zellweger and news correspondent Christiane Amanpour, and actor and environmentalist Robert Redford and actor and philanthropist Paul Newman.
Season two featured: Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder and big-wave surfer Laird Hamilton; dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov and chef Alice Waters; filmmaker Quentin Tarantino and singer/songwriter Fiona Apple; actress Isabella Rossellini and inventor Dean Kamen; music great Paul Simon and producer Lorne Michaels; and comedian Dave Chappelle and poet Maya Angelou.
Season three featured: actor/filmmaker Sean Penn and author/adventurer Jon Krakauer; singer/songwriter Alicia Keys and actress Ruby Dee; actor Mike Myers and physician, author, and philosopher Dr. Deepak Chopra; entrepreneur Howard Schultz and writer/producer Norman Lear; musician/Artistic Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center Wynton Marsalis and chef John Besh; and former U.S Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and actress and humanitarian Ashley Judd.
"Iconoclasts" is executive produced by Robert Redford; Jon Kamen, Frank Scherma and Justin Wilkes of @radical.media; Monsell Darville of Grey Goose Entertainment; and Laura Michalchyshyn, Lynne Kirby and Kirk Iwanowski of Sundance Channel; and co-executive produced by Sidney Beaumont and Joe Berlinger. The series producers are Rachel Dawson and Christine Walters. Supervising Producer for Sundance Channel is Mala Chapple.
Current broadcast schedule (subject to change) is as follows:
Archbishop Desmond Tutu + Sir Richard Branson (Oct. 16 at 10 PM ET/PT)
Stella McCartney + Edward Ruscha + (Oct. 23 at 10 PM ET/PT)
Tony Hawk + Jon Favreau (Oct. 30 at 10 PM ET/PT)
Bill Maher + Clive Davis (Nov. 6 at 10 PM ET/PT)
Venus Williams + Wyclef Jean (Nov. 13 at 10 PM ET/PT)
Cameron Diaz + Cameron Sinclair (Nov. 20 at 10 PM ET/PT)
SUBJECT BIOGRAPHIES
Archbishop Desmond Tutu
In 1979, Anglican priest and Bishop of Lesotho Desmond Mpilo Tutu became the first black General Secretary of the South African Council of Churches. He spoke strongly and fearlessly against the evil of apartheid, calling on the international community to impose economic sanctions against South Africa towards a non-violent change. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984 and was elected the first black Anglican bishop of Johannesburg. In 1986 he was installed as Archbishop of Cape Town, and he continued to be untiring in his denunciation of apartheid. In 1994, after the end of Apartheid and the election of Nelson Mandela as the first President of a free South Africa, Archbishop Tutu was appointed Chairman of South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission, to investigate apartheid-era crimes. His policy of forgiveness and reconciliation has become an international example of conflict resolution, and a trusted method of post-conflict reconstruction. He continues to pursue an active international ministry for peace.
Sir Richard Branson
Sir Richard Branson is the founder and president of Virgin Group, one of the world's most recognized and respected brands. The Virgin Group has expanded into air and ground travel, telecommunications, financial services, health, space travel and clean energy. In 1999, Branson was awarded a knighthood for "services to entrepreneurship." In an effort to develop new approaches to social and environmental issues through business and social sector partnerships, Branson founded the not-for-profit foundation Virgin Unite. Beginning in September 2006, he committed future proceeds from the Virgin Group's transportation interests to investment into renewable energy initiatives. He also announced a $25 million prize for a viable technology that achieves net removal of anthropogenic, atmospheric greenhouse gases. Recently, he joined Nelson Mandela, Graca Machel and Desmond Tutu to form The Elders, a group of independent leaders seeking sustainable solutions to global humanitarian issues. In December 2007, Branson was recognized by UNCA as Citizen of the Year.
Stella McCartney
Born and raised in London, Stella McCartney graduated from Central St Martins in 1995. Her signature style of sharp tailoring, natural confidence and sexy femininity has made her one of the world's top fashion designers. After an acclaimed tenure as Creative Director of Chloe in Paris, McCartney launched her own fashion house, showing her first collection in Paris in October 2001. She now operates stores in eight cities worldwide; in addition to ready-to-wear, her collections include accessories, eyewear, fragrance, and the critically lauded sports performance line "adidas by Stella McCartney," launched in 2004. In 2007, she introduced the world's first luxury organic skincare line, CARE by Stella McCartney; this was followed in Spring 2008 by a lingerie line and a limited edition travel collection with LeSportsac. A lifelong vegetarian, McCartney does not use any leather or fur in her designs. She has received numerous awards recognizing her achievements in fashion and social awareness
Edward Ruscha
Born in 1937 in Omaha, Nebraska, Edward Ruscha was raised in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. In 1956, he moved to Los Angeles to attend the Chouinard Art Institute, and had his first solo exhibition in 1963 at the Ferus Gallery. He continues to live and work in Los Angeles, and is represented by Gagosian Gallery. Ruscha has consistently combined the cityscape of his adopted hometown with vernacular language to communicate a particular urban experience. His work encompasses painting, drawing, photography and artist's books, and he has been the subject of numerous museum retrospectives that have traveled internationally. In 2001, he was elected to The American Academy of Arts and Letters and in 2005 he represented the United States at the 51st Venice Biennale. Ruscha's paintings and drawings are currently the subject of a 13 volume catalogue raisonne, the first volume of which was published in 2003. A major painting retrospective will open at the Hayward Gallery, London in 2009.
Tony Hawk
Skateboarding legend Tony Hawk has dazzled fans with his physical skill and artistry since he turned pro at age 14. Hawk's talents have brought skateboarding unprecedented mainstream attention and respect, which has helped legitimize all action sports. Now 40 and still skating professionally, Hawk invented more than 80 tricks and is best known for his "900" (two and a half spins above a 12-foot-high halfpipe), which existed only in theory until he landed it at the 1999 X-Games. He has written three books, including the bestselling autobiography, "HAWK: Occupation Skateboarder," and has released a series of hit video games. The Tony Hawk video game series is now one of the best-selling franchises of all time, with more than 30 million units sold worldwide. In recent years Hawk has expanded his licensing, media and event businesses into some of the biggest brands in action sports. He is an active participant in the Make-a-Wish Foundation, and his non-profit charity, the Tony Hawk Foundation, has awarded over $2.3 million to help finance over 390 public skateparks in low-income areas nationwide.
Jon Favreau
Eleven years after establishing himself with the acclaimed hipster comedy, Swingers, Jon Favreau continues to challenge himself with a variety of eclectic projects highlighting his strengths as an actor, writer and director. As a director, Favreau most recently released Iron Man, starring Robert Downey Jr. As an actor, he is currently filming I Love You, Man; he next appears in Four Christmases, opening in late 2008. His directing credits include the intergalactic adventure Zathura and the 2003 holiday classic Elf, starring Will Ferrell. In 2001, he made his feature directorial debut with Made; he also wrote and co-starred with Vince Vaughn and Sean "Puffy" Combs. Favreau conceived and hosted the Emmy(TM)-nominated IFC series "Dinner For Five," which premiered in 2001. His acting credits include The Break Up; the title role in the Rocky Marciano biopic Marciano; Wimbledon; Daredevil; Love and Sex; The Replacements; Very Bad Things; Deep Impact; Rudy; "Friends"; and "The Sopranos," playing himself.
Bill Maher
For the last 15 years, Bill Maher has set the boundaries of where funny, political talk can go on American television. First on "Politically Incorrect" (Comedy Central, ABC, 1993-2002), and for the last six years on HBO's "Real Time," Maher's combination of unflinching honesty and big laughs have garnered him 21 Emmy nominations. And in October of 2008, this same combination will be on display in the movies when Maher's uproarious and unprecedented swipe at organized religion, "Religulous," directed by Larry Charles ("Borat") hits theaters.
Clive Davis
As the record industry's most innovative, outspoken and influential executive, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member Clive Davis has had a profound effect on the world of music. As the president of Columbia Records from 1967-1973, he was directly responsible for signing artists including Janis Joplin, Santana, Laura Nyro, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen and Aerosmith. Davis strengthened Columbia's catalog in all fields of recorded music, playing a key role in the careers of Simon & Garfunkel, Sly & The Family Stone, Bob Dylan, Barbra Streisand, Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock. In 1974, he founded Arista Records, where he launched the recording careers of Whitney Houston, Barry Manilow and Patti Smith. In 2000, Davis formed J Records, enjoying the first of many successes with Alicia Keys' Grammy(R)-winning debut. Davis' triumph at J led to his joining the BMG Record Group in 2003. A longtime humanitarian activist, Davis has spearheaded the donation of millions of dollars to AIDS charities since 1985 and in 2003 he endowed the first ever degree awarded program in contemporary music establishing the Clive Davis Department of Recorded Music at NYU's Tisch School.
Venus Williams
At the tender age of 14, Venus Williams became a professional athlete, taking the world of tennis by storm. Fiercely determined and wielding an impressive physical prowess, she spent the next decade rising to the top-ranked position and winning numerous championships, including the U.S. Open, Wimbledon and doubles at the Australian Open and French Open, as well as two Olympic Gold medals. In July 2008, she won her fifth Wimbledon Championship in a riveting match against her sister Serena Williams, joining the handful of legendary women's singles tennis champions who have won five or more Wimbledon Championships. Known for her distinctive style, Williams earned a degree in Fashion Design from The Art Institute of Ft. Lauderdale. Now 28, she is a successful entrepreneur with her own line of sneakers, clothing and accessories, "EleVen"; and an interior design firm, V Starr Interiors. She is the subject of a new coffee-table book, "Venus," with images by world-renowned avant-garde photographer, Koto Bolofo.
Wyclef Jean
Haitian-born Wyclef Jean is a Grammy Award-winning musician/producer and social activist. A founding member of the pioneering hip-hop group Fugees and prolific solo artist, Jean has effortlessly crossed genres, generations and geographic boundaries as a musical goodwill ambassador and a diplomat for positive cultural evolution. His sixth and latest studio solo album is "Carnival Vol. II: Memoirs of an Immigrant." His albums with the Fugees include the platinum-selling 1996 classic "The Score," which reached the #1 slots on Billboard's Top 200 and Top R&B/Hip-Hop albums charts and earned two Grammy Awards. Much in demand as a producer, writer and performer, he has collaborated with artists including Bono, Carlos Santana, Whitney Houston and Shakira. In 2005, Jean created the non-profit foundation Yele Haiti to provide aid and assistance to his native Haiti. The charity links with existing groups and/or starts programs relating to hunger, education, youth rehabilitation, AIDS treatment and prevention, and sustainable development.
Cameron Diaz
Cameron Diaz made her feature film debut at age 21 in the hit 1994 comedy The Mask. She has since appeared in over 30 feature films, emerging as one of the most talented actresses of her generation and winning numerous awards. She has given critically acclaimed performances in a wide range of films, including My Best Friend's Wedding, There's Something About Mary, Being John Malkovich, Any Given Sunday, Charlie's Angels, Shrek, Vanilla Sky, Gangs of New York, The Holiday, In Her Shoes and, most recently, What Happens in Vegas. She also produced a 10-episode worldwide adventure series, entitled Trippin for MTV. Diaz is a committed environmentalist and has been trained to deliver Al Gore's presentation on climate change, a grass-roots efforts to raise awareness around the world. She has been a guest lecturer on environmentally friendly building at Stanford University as part of a popular MTVU program. A longtime supporter of the Environmental Media Association, she has filmed public service announcements about the importance of conserving energy.
Cameron Sinclair
Cameron Sinclair is the co-founder and 'eternal optimist' for Architecture for Humanity, a charitable organization founded to develop architectural and design solutions to humanitarian crises and provide pro-bono design services to communities in need. The organization has completed over one hundred projects in seventeen countries ranging from schools, health clinics, affordable housing and long term sustainable reconstruction. Most recently they have been rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina and developed HIV/AIDS outreach centers throughout Africa. Named by Fortune Magazine as one of seven people changing the world for the better he was the recipient of the TED prize in 2006, was recently selected a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum, and is the recipient of Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum's the 2008 Smithsonian National Design Awards for Design Patron Award. As a result of the TED Prize he and Architecture for Humanity co-founder Kate Stohr launched the Open Architecture Network, the world's first open source community dedicated to improving living conditions through innovative and sustainable design. Sinclair and Stohr also compiled a compendium on socially conscious design titled "Design Like You Give A Damn".
Sundance Channel
Under the creative direction of Robert Redford, Sundance Channel is the television destination for independent-minded viewers seeking something different. Bold, uncompromising and irreverent, Sundance Channel offers audiences a diverse and engaging selection of films, documentaries, and original programs, all unedited and commercial free. Launched in 1996, Sundance Channel is subsidiary of Rainbow Media Holdings LLC. Sundance Channel operates independently of the non-profit Sundance Institute and the Sundance Film Festival, but shares the overall Sundance mission of encouraging artistic freedom of expression. Sundance Channel's website address is www.sundancechannel.com.
Rainbow Media Holdings LLC
Rainbow Media Holdings LLC is a subsidiary of Cablevision Systems Corporation (NYSE: CVC). Rainbow Media is a leading producer of targeted, multi-platform content for global distribution, creating and managing some of the world's most compelling and dynamic entertainment brands, including AMC, IFC, WE tv, Sundance Channel, Lifeskool, sportskool, and VOOM HD Networks. Through IFC Entertainment, Rainbow Media also owns and manages the following: IFC Films, a leading distribution company for independent film; IFC Productions, a feature film production company that provides financing for select independent film projects; and IFC Center, a three screen, state-of-the-art cinema in the heart of New York's Greenwich Village. Rainbow Media also operates Rainbow Advertising Sales Corporation, its advertising sales company; Rainbow Network Communications, its full service network programming origination and distribution company; and 11 Penn TV, a company that manages Rainbow Media's NYC studios and post-production facilities.
Grey Goose Entertainment
Founded in April 2005, Grey Goose Entertainment is dedicated to producing original and unique content for television, music and film. Each innovative project reflects the spirit of GREY GOOSE Vodka and celebrates the interests of the consumer. Season one of "Iconoclasts" was the first production from Grey Goose Entertainment. In addition to season one and season two of "Iconoclasts" Grey Goose Entertainment supports THE ARTISTS DEN, an innovative enterprise that curates the best new music from around the globe, which it showcases in unique and intimate venues.
@radical.media
@radical.media is a diverse global production company which has produced numerous award-winning feature films and television programs including the Academy Award(R)-winning "Fog of War," the Grammy Award winning "Concert For George," "Metallica: Some Kind of Monster" winner of the Independent Spirit Award and Jay-Z's "Fade To Black." Additionally, the company produced the first and second season of the critically acclaimed television series "Iconoclasts" on the Sundance Channel, "The Gamekillers" and "Nike Battlegrounds" on MTV, "Fast Cars and Superstars" on ABC and the Emmy winning-series "Ten Days That Unexpectedly Changed America" for the History Channel.
For more information go to www.sundancechannel.com/iconoclasts
Media Man Australia Profiles
Social and Community Entrepreneurs
Monday, August 18, 2008
Soaring Success DVD - Australia's Greatest Entrepreneurs
Media Man Australia director, Greg Tingle, is amongst those featured and interviewed on the Soaring Success - Australia's Greatest Entrepreneurs DVD.
What is it about some businesses that makes them succeed where others fail? What do successful entrepreneurs have in common? How can you turn a simple idea into a vibrant and profitable business? How can you raise money to fund your venture?
The ‘Soaring Success DVD’ features extraordinary interviews with Australia’s most successful entrepreneurs, sharing invaluable business advice. The founders of iconic and rising Australian companies including Boost Juice, Just Cuts, Gloria Jeans, Atlassian, Finite IT, Wotif.com, Red Balloon Days and many more, share the secrets of starting, growing and leading multimillion dollar businesses.
Soaring for Success is ideal for the aspiring entrepreneur, professionals seeking a career change, business students and as an educational resource for teachers and lecturers. With practical advice for turning your ideas into money, Soaring for Success is the ideal resource on starting your own business and being your own boss.
Profile
Here’s a peek at some of the successful Australian entrepreneurs and businesses that feature on ‘Soaring Success.’ With combined turnovers in excess of $1.2 billion, these entrepreneurs share practical advice on how to turn your ideas into money. Click here
Websites
YouTube promo 1
YouTube promo 2
Soaring Success official website
Who Are We?
Formed in 2008, Desiya is a Young Achievement Australia (YAA) company which is sponsored by Ernst & Young. Established by 16 students from USYD, UNSW and UTS, Desiya was motivated to create ‘Soaring Success’ because of the lack of information available to students about careers in entrepreneurship. Desiya’s mission is to empower aspiring entrepreneurs to achieve their business dreams.
Young Achievement Australia (YAA) is a not-for-profit charitable organisation which has been developing the potential of young Australians for over 30 years. YAA’s aim is to educate young Australians in the practical knowledge of business operations by providing them the opportunity to establish and run small enterprises. Through organising business skills programs for secondary and tertiary students, YAA is contributing to developing the skills and capabilities of youth. Visit http://www.yaa.org.au to learn more about the programs on offer.
Desiya would like to thank Ernst & Young as their official sponsor. Dedicated to developing the capabilities of the next generation of business leaders, Ernst & Young have supported the making of ‘Soaring Success’ and EY employees have volunteered their time on a weekly basis to mentor Desiya’s young members in all aspects of running a business.
Media Man Australia Profiles
Social and Community Entrepreneurs
Entrepreneurs and Innovators
What is it about some businesses that makes them succeed where others fail? What do successful entrepreneurs have in common? How can you turn a simple idea into a vibrant and profitable business? How can you raise money to fund your venture?
The ‘Soaring Success DVD’ features extraordinary interviews with Australia’s most successful entrepreneurs, sharing invaluable business advice. The founders of iconic and rising Australian companies including Boost Juice, Just Cuts, Gloria Jeans, Atlassian, Finite IT, Wotif.com, Red Balloon Days and many more, share the secrets of starting, growing and leading multimillion dollar businesses.
Soaring for Success is ideal for the aspiring entrepreneur, professionals seeking a career change, business students and as an educational resource for teachers and lecturers. With practical advice for turning your ideas into money, Soaring for Success is the ideal resource on starting your own business and being your own boss.
Profile
Here’s a peek at some of the successful Australian entrepreneurs and businesses that feature on ‘Soaring Success.’ With combined turnovers in excess of $1.2 billion, these entrepreneurs share practical advice on how to turn your ideas into money. Click here
Websites
YouTube promo 1
YouTube promo 2
Soaring Success official website
Who Are We?
Formed in 2008, Desiya is a Young Achievement Australia (YAA) company which is sponsored by Ernst & Young. Established by 16 students from USYD, UNSW and UTS, Desiya was motivated to create ‘Soaring Success’ because of the lack of information available to students about careers in entrepreneurship. Desiya’s mission is to empower aspiring entrepreneurs to achieve their business dreams.
Young Achievement Australia (YAA) is a not-for-profit charitable organisation which has been developing the potential of young Australians for over 30 years. YAA’s aim is to educate young Australians in the practical knowledge of business operations by providing them the opportunity to establish and run small enterprises. Through organising business skills programs for secondary and tertiary students, YAA is contributing to developing the skills and capabilities of youth. Visit http://www.yaa.org.au to learn more about the programs on offer.
Desiya would like to thank Ernst & Young as their official sponsor. Dedicated to developing the capabilities of the next generation of business leaders, Ernst & Young have supported the making of ‘Soaring Success’ and EY employees have volunteered their time on a weekly basis to mentor Desiya’s young members in all aspects of running a business.
Media Man Australia Profiles
Social and Community Entrepreneurs
Entrepreneurs and Innovators
Saturday, August 16, 2008
The doer lord and his do-it manor, by Paola Totaro - Fairfax - 16th August 2008
Paola Totaro catches up with an Australia-bound leader who banks on the resilience of people - not the capacity of government - to effect life's improvements.
Lord Mawson bounds into the room, every step exuding a springy, down-to-earth optimism: "I'm Andrew, would you like a coffee?" he says, handshake at the ready. There is no PA or secretary at attention here. Instead, the life peer with the gentle Yorkshire accent returns with his own half-finished cup of Fairtrade coffee in one hand and a fresh mug in the other.
We have been ushered into what appears to be the teensiest conference room in the universe, but the view from the window is far from small. This is Number One London Bridge Road, and outside is the River Thames. Across the water is Sir Norman Foster's iconic green glass gherkin, in front the shiny beehive that is City Hall, just up river, the golden stone glow of Tower Bridge.
Lord Mawson, who has been described as the Richard Branson of the social sector, is apologetic that this little meeting room is in constant use and we may be evicted at any moment. "I've been on holidays and forgot to make a booking," he laughs.
Nothing could encapsulate Andrew Mawson's philosophy of life, business and social entrepreneurship better than this moment. The room is one of 30 or so that form part of what is known as Mezzanine, an offshoot of the national charity CAN (Community Action Network) he set up in 1998. CAN bought the three floors and offers charities and "third sector" bodies space in the prestige building - but for rents calculated by the desk space (four to five square metres) and on flexible or even short terms. Faxes, copiers, phones, kitchens - and even that Fairtrade coffee - are included in the monthly rental bill, as is use of the 30 or so meeting rooms, some tiny, a few big enough to accommodate conferences of up to 80 people. About 400 organisations, from the World Wildlife Fund to Social Enterprise London to the Princess Diana Memorial Award work together under the same, upmarket roof.
"Why shouldn't charities and social welfare organisations work from beautiful places? Why, because they work for the poor and have limited resources, should they operate from a back street somewhere?" They should, says Mawson, have presence. And operating under one roof affords economies of scale - the ability to buy at discount, for example - that benefit all.
Mawson, 54, began his journey in Bradford, Yorkshire. The son of working-class parents, he left school at 16 to take an engineering apprenticeship with the post and telecommunications utility. His parents were thrilled their boy had public sector security with entitlement to a pension at the end. For Mawson, it was an opportunity to learn life's practicalities, to learn the job at every level. It is what he describes now as "the how" - the philosophy of learning by doing - and it would stand him in great stead.
"Three or four years afterwards, though, I started to become interested in the 'why'." He met a clergyman, John Shaw, a profound influence, and the young Mawson studied for the ministry at the Baptist College in Manchester, where he was influenced by the principal, Michael Taylor - intellectually rigorous and demanding. Then there was the pastor who ministered to drug addicts in a nearby small parish: "I saw then how tiny church communities could do just so much on the ground."
In 1984, Reverend Mawson, married and with a young child and a degree in theology, landed in a moribund Uniting Church parish at Bromley-by-Bow, one of the bleaker and exhausted public housing concrete jungles in east London.
In a district bisected by motorways, windblown, forgotten to generational cycles of poverty and unemployment, he found 50 languages or dialects spoken within a 10-minute walk of his church building. A sense of hopelessness pervaded, and anyone who could fled the place.
On that first, freezing November evening - standing in a church hall built for 200 but with just 12 septuagenarian parishioners seated before him - Mawson realised he had three choices: "stay in bed and succumb to depression; hide away and write a doctorate on inner-city poverty; or wander the streets, observe the local community and try to understand what on earth was going on outside the solid oak doors that until then had protected me from the world".
With just £400 in the bank and a suite of rundown and derelict buildings as his domain, Mawson took to the community his natural optimism and refusal to take no for an answer. The modus operandi remains the same 25 years later - anyone who comes with an idea and desire or energy actually to "do" will get a hearing, and backing to see if it works.
At first, it was finding innovative uses for derelict empty buildings. When a young woman wanted to build a boat from scratch, Mawson cleared a hall to provide her with space. When Santiago, a Chilean political refugee, needed to use his carving and building skills to restore his spirit, he recreated the centre for the community. A young woman wanted to teach art and pottery, another wanted to set up a ballet school. Dismissive local bureaucrats insisted the poor would not send children to learn dance - let alone pay for the classes - but within a year the school was filled with local, fee-paying children.
Art and life were joining hands.
The same model was applied when a creche was desperately needed. Mawson reduced the unused space set aside for formal prayer in his church, redesigning the building to make it usable as a state-of-the-art and accessible early-childhood centre - and as a place of Sunday worship. Germaine Greer, an early visitor, later wrote that the centre showed what could happen when "a church climbs down from its eminence", generating "incalculable riches". Prince Charles is also a supporter from early days.
For the next decade, Mawson found ways to inspire his community, to help them take risks, to innovate as they bumbled along, finding new ways to revitalise or reuse abandoned assets. Kingsley Hall, the pioneering pre-welfare East End centre chosen by Mahatma Gandhi as his residence during the 1931 roundtable talks on India, was across the road and also played to Mawson's spirit and imagination.
Many famous visitors had walked the same streets. Gandhi's morning constitutionals were still remembered by older members of the community; the former prime minister Clement Attlee had come; the experimental psychiatrist, R.D. Laing worked nearby; even Charlie Chaplin paid a visit.
But most of all, Mawson learnt from his neighbourhood that he should not fear a challenge. And if the state rejected a proposal, other ways needed to be found to make it say yes. In so doing, he inspired others.
Then, in 1991, another catalyst hit hearts and home. Mawson watched horrified as a young mother - an active community helper - struggled against terminal cancer and battled to look after her children, while the National Health Service failed her at every step. It was the community that stood by her as she died. Galvanised by the neglect - and the buck-passing they saw during a subsequent inquiry - Mawson and his team set about creating Britain's first integrated health centre, a model that pioneered and promoted lifestyle and prevention as the keys to health care.
Through it all, Mawson refused to use second-rate materials or cheap alternatives - terrestrial or metaphysical. His first project - building public toilets for the centre - "was marble all the way", he says.
His unshakeable belief in human beings and their need for environments that inspire led Mawson to aim high in each aspect of his community's life. They built gardens, restored an ancient wall, created quality-food co-operatives. Health improved and new skills were nurtured, opening business opportunities and means to self-sufficiency. Social workers, counsellors, teachers and other professionals used to come by bus to the blighted area; now, three-quarters of these jobs are held by locals.
In his book The Social Entrepreneur Making Communities Work (Atlantic Books), Mawson - who arrives in Australia next week for talks in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Canberra - uses human stories, anecdotes and an easy, chatty style to describe the revolution he led in social service delivery.
But he also describes two decades of an almost comic - if it were not so tragic - litany of bureaucratic dithering, of opportunities lost, of reports forgotten on desks, of paper shuffling, obstructive politicians and civil servants who lived on buck-passing, excuses and never-ending political rhetoric.
His early enthusiasm and respect for Tony Blair and New Labour's desire to use Bromley-by-Bow as a model for a nationwide integrated health system is obvious.
But as the years unfolded - and millions were spent - he watched with barely contained heartbreak as the system attempted to carbon-copy his community's model rather than use the experience to empower other communities to create and tailor new facilities to their needs.
Mawson says that in this, New Labour failed: "The areas of deprivation in the UK have not shifted a great deal since Dickens's day and any talk of a new approach of the kind I fervently believe would work has led us to nothing but lots of strategising, meetings, papers, conferences, seminars, websites … and when the money runs out, there is nothing left to show, no tangible result and so, of course, the show moves on."
Mawson is too much of a gentleman (or crossbench politician, now) to cast stones, but it is clear he fears little will change under Gordon Brown or his Tory opponent, David Cameron.
He argues that politicians should empower individuals and communities that have had success and step back from promising big, expensive, one-size-fits-all nationwide social regeneration projects.
"People are weary of traditional methods of community consultation and community governance which have failed to engage them, their interests, their commitment, and have failed to make changes to their lives. My experience in East London suggests that the world is fundamentally unfair and unequal, but full of glorious diversity. Some of the mantras that underpin much traditional thinking in this area have contributed to the impoverishment of our inner cities and have undermined both community and personal responsibility."
A quarter of a century after the first big step of his journey, Mawson's enthusiasm remains infectious. He says the world is changing, that the generation of his children - 28, 22 and seven - responds differently to age-old problems. He speaks fervently about the creative spirit, about the political system finding ways to legitimise doers such as himself and communities such as Bromley-by-Bow.
If he did not have runs on the board, it would be difficult to cop what can sound like simplistic sloganeering. But his extraordinary achievements suggest otherwise.
In the 10 years since he established CAN, he has founded a £300 million housing company in east London and was instrumental in setting up a £100 million regeneration program in the lower Lea Valley, almost next door to the 2012 Olympic site, also in east London.
Now he is fighting to have the two projects "talk to each other" so that the Olympic legacy is not a ghost town of empty stadiums. He is also at the helm of St Paul's Way, a multimillion-pound project to transform the disadvantaged local government area of Tower Hamlets in east London, and is a big force behind the innovative One Church: 100 Uses project, which is trying to bring fresh uses to church buildings no longer needed for worship.
As we are evicted from the meeting room, Mawson recalls the young woman who wanted to start a local cafe amid warnings that Bromley-by-Bow people would not spend good money on coffee. He backed her anyway and, years later, Pie in the Sky is a thriving local restaurant.
For details of Mawson's Australian tour, visit http://www.can-online.org.uk Paola Totaro is the Herald's Europe correspondent.
Media Man Australia Profiles
Social and Community Entrepreneurs
Lord Mawson bounds into the room, every step exuding a springy, down-to-earth optimism: "I'm Andrew, would you like a coffee?" he says, handshake at the ready. There is no PA or secretary at attention here. Instead, the life peer with the gentle Yorkshire accent returns with his own half-finished cup of Fairtrade coffee in one hand and a fresh mug in the other.
We have been ushered into what appears to be the teensiest conference room in the universe, but the view from the window is far from small. This is Number One London Bridge Road, and outside is the River Thames. Across the water is Sir Norman Foster's iconic green glass gherkin, in front the shiny beehive that is City Hall, just up river, the golden stone glow of Tower Bridge.
Lord Mawson, who has been described as the Richard Branson of the social sector, is apologetic that this little meeting room is in constant use and we may be evicted at any moment. "I've been on holidays and forgot to make a booking," he laughs.
Nothing could encapsulate Andrew Mawson's philosophy of life, business and social entrepreneurship better than this moment. The room is one of 30 or so that form part of what is known as Mezzanine, an offshoot of the national charity CAN (Community Action Network) he set up in 1998. CAN bought the three floors and offers charities and "third sector" bodies space in the prestige building - but for rents calculated by the desk space (four to five square metres) and on flexible or even short terms. Faxes, copiers, phones, kitchens - and even that Fairtrade coffee - are included in the monthly rental bill, as is use of the 30 or so meeting rooms, some tiny, a few big enough to accommodate conferences of up to 80 people. About 400 organisations, from the World Wildlife Fund to Social Enterprise London to the Princess Diana Memorial Award work together under the same, upmarket roof.
"Why shouldn't charities and social welfare organisations work from beautiful places? Why, because they work for the poor and have limited resources, should they operate from a back street somewhere?" They should, says Mawson, have presence. And operating under one roof affords economies of scale - the ability to buy at discount, for example - that benefit all.
Mawson, 54, began his journey in Bradford, Yorkshire. The son of working-class parents, he left school at 16 to take an engineering apprenticeship with the post and telecommunications utility. His parents were thrilled their boy had public sector security with entitlement to a pension at the end. For Mawson, it was an opportunity to learn life's practicalities, to learn the job at every level. It is what he describes now as "the how" - the philosophy of learning by doing - and it would stand him in great stead.
"Three or four years afterwards, though, I started to become interested in the 'why'." He met a clergyman, John Shaw, a profound influence, and the young Mawson studied for the ministry at the Baptist College in Manchester, where he was influenced by the principal, Michael Taylor - intellectually rigorous and demanding. Then there was the pastor who ministered to drug addicts in a nearby small parish: "I saw then how tiny church communities could do just so much on the ground."
In 1984, Reverend Mawson, married and with a young child and a degree in theology, landed in a moribund Uniting Church parish at Bromley-by-Bow, one of the bleaker and exhausted public housing concrete jungles in east London.
In a district bisected by motorways, windblown, forgotten to generational cycles of poverty and unemployment, he found 50 languages or dialects spoken within a 10-minute walk of his church building. A sense of hopelessness pervaded, and anyone who could fled the place.
On that first, freezing November evening - standing in a church hall built for 200 but with just 12 septuagenarian parishioners seated before him - Mawson realised he had three choices: "stay in bed and succumb to depression; hide away and write a doctorate on inner-city poverty; or wander the streets, observe the local community and try to understand what on earth was going on outside the solid oak doors that until then had protected me from the world".
With just £400 in the bank and a suite of rundown and derelict buildings as his domain, Mawson took to the community his natural optimism and refusal to take no for an answer. The modus operandi remains the same 25 years later - anyone who comes with an idea and desire or energy actually to "do" will get a hearing, and backing to see if it works.
At first, it was finding innovative uses for derelict empty buildings. When a young woman wanted to build a boat from scratch, Mawson cleared a hall to provide her with space. When Santiago, a Chilean political refugee, needed to use his carving and building skills to restore his spirit, he recreated the centre for the community. A young woman wanted to teach art and pottery, another wanted to set up a ballet school. Dismissive local bureaucrats insisted the poor would not send children to learn dance - let alone pay for the classes - but within a year the school was filled with local, fee-paying children.
Art and life were joining hands.
The same model was applied when a creche was desperately needed. Mawson reduced the unused space set aside for formal prayer in his church, redesigning the building to make it usable as a state-of-the-art and accessible early-childhood centre - and as a place of Sunday worship. Germaine Greer, an early visitor, later wrote that the centre showed what could happen when "a church climbs down from its eminence", generating "incalculable riches". Prince Charles is also a supporter from early days.
For the next decade, Mawson found ways to inspire his community, to help them take risks, to innovate as they bumbled along, finding new ways to revitalise or reuse abandoned assets. Kingsley Hall, the pioneering pre-welfare East End centre chosen by Mahatma Gandhi as his residence during the 1931 roundtable talks on India, was across the road and also played to Mawson's spirit and imagination.
Many famous visitors had walked the same streets. Gandhi's morning constitutionals were still remembered by older members of the community; the former prime minister Clement Attlee had come; the experimental psychiatrist, R.D. Laing worked nearby; even Charlie Chaplin paid a visit.
But most of all, Mawson learnt from his neighbourhood that he should not fear a challenge. And if the state rejected a proposal, other ways needed to be found to make it say yes. In so doing, he inspired others.
Then, in 1991, another catalyst hit hearts and home. Mawson watched horrified as a young mother - an active community helper - struggled against terminal cancer and battled to look after her children, while the National Health Service failed her at every step. It was the community that stood by her as she died. Galvanised by the neglect - and the buck-passing they saw during a subsequent inquiry - Mawson and his team set about creating Britain's first integrated health centre, a model that pioneered and promoted lifestyle and prevention as the keys to health care.
Through it all, Mawson refused to use second-rate materials or cheap alternatives - terrestrial or metaphysical. His first project - building public toilets for the centre - "was marble all the way", he says.
His unshakeable belief in human beings and their need for environments that inspire led Mawson to aim high in each aspect of his community's life. They built gardens, restored an ancient wall, created quality-food co-operatives. Health improved and new skills were nurtured, opening business opportunities and means to self-sufficiency. Social workers, counsellors, teachers and other professionals used to come by bus to the blighted area; now, three-quarters of these jobs are held by locals.
In his book The Social Entrepreneur Making Communities Work (Atlantic Books), Mawson - who arrives in Australia next week for talks in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Canberra - uses human stories, anecdotes and an easy, chatty style to describe the revolution he led in social service delivery.
But he also describes two decades of an almost comic - if it were not so tragic - litany of bureaucratic dithering, of opportunities lost, of reports forgotten on desks, of paper shuffling, obstructive politicians and civil servants who lived on buck-passing, excuses and never-ending political rhetoric.
His early enthusiasm and respect for Tony Blair and New Labour's desire to use Bromley-by-Bow as a model for a nationwide integrated health system is obvious.
But as the years unfolded - and millions were spent - he watched with barely contained heartbreak as the system attempted to carbon-copy his community's model rather than use the experience to empower other communities to create and tailor new facilities to their needs.
Mawson says that in this, New Labour failed: "The areas of deprivation in the UK have not shifted a great deal since Dickens's day and any talk of a new approach of the kind I fervently believe would work has led us to nothing but lots of strategising, meetings, papers, conferences, seminars, websites … and when the money runs out, there is nothing left to show, no tangible result and so, of course, the show moves on."
Mawson is too much of a gentleman (or crossbench politician, now) to cast stones, but it is clear he fears little will change under Gordon Brown or his Tory opponent, David Cameron.
He argues that politicians should empower individuals and communities that have had success and step back from promising big, expensive, one-size-fits-all nationwide social regeneration projects.
"People are weary of traditional methods of community consultation and community governance which have failed to engage them, their interests, their commitment, and have failed to make changes to their lives. My experience in East London suggests that the world is fundamentally unfair and unequal, but full of glorious diversity. Some of the mantras that underpin much traditional thinking in this area have contributed to the impoverishment of our inner cities and have undermined both community and personal responsibility."
A quarter of a century after the first big step of his journey, Mawson's enthusiasm remains infectious. He says the world is changing, that the generation of his children - 28, 22 and seven - responds differently to age-old problems. He speaks fervently about the creative spirit, about the political system finding ways to legitimise doers such as himself and communities such as Bromley-by-Bow.
If he did not have runs on the board, it would be difficult to cop what can sound like simplistic sloganeering. But his extraordinary achievements suggest otherwise.
In the 10 years since he established CAN, he has founded a £300 million housing company in east London and was instrumental in setting up a £100 million regeneration program in the lower Lea Valley, almost next door to the 2012 Olympic site, also in east London.
Now he is fighting to have the two projects "talk to each other" so that the Olympic legacy is not a ghost town of empty stadiums. He is also at the helm of St Paul's Way, a multimillion-pound project to transform the disadvantaged local government area of Tower Hamlets in east London, and is a big force behind the innovative One Church: 100 Uses project, which is trying to bring fresh uses to church buildings no longer needed for worship.
As we are evicted from the meeting room, Mawson recalls the young woman who wanted to start a local cafe amid warnings that Bromley-by-Bow people would not spend good money on coffee. He backed her anyway and, years later, Pie in the Sky is a thriving local restaurant.
For details of Mawson's Australian tour, visit http://www.can-online.org.uk Paola Totaro is the Herald's Europe correspondent.
Media Man Australia Profiles
Social and Community Entrepreneurs
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Russell Crowe's distress over pokies - The Daily Telegraph - 13th August 2008
Rabbitohs owner Russell Crowe is distressed at the likely prospect of South Sydney Leagues Club re-opening with poker machines.
In tandem with business partner Peter Holmes a Court, the Hollywood actor launched an impassioned campaign for the licensed club to ban poker machines last September.
The radical proposal will be decided on Sunday, when members gather for Souths Leagues Club's AGM at Redfern Town Hall.
But in a demonstration of how the once-popular idea has lost momentum, officials expect that less than 100 people will turn out to vote.
The leagues club was relying on the Rabbitohs to manage the venue without machines and absorb any collateral damage from $1 million in lost pokies revenue.
But the football club withdrew its support after it was unable to secure parliamentary support to abolish the statutory sign-in desk.
Without a safety net, leagues club chairman Bill Alexiou-Hucker now expects members to vote in favour of pokies.
"We will go with whatever the members decide, but it would be harder without a guaranteed (poker machine) revenue stream," Mr Alexiou-Hucker said.
Crowe is understood to be upset that the proposal is set to be defeated and recently asked for reasons why it had fallen from favour.
Comment - Greg Tingle
There's no doubt that Russell Crowe's heart is in the right place and that he means well. There's a number of commercial realities at stake here. Don't forget, and corporate and public will, South's lost Firepower. No doubt Branson's Virgin Blue was relieved. Australian's and much of the world loves a punt, be it pokies, horse racing, a wager on the boxing, and there days, firms like Virgin, PKR, 888 and others are offering online casinos. Even Warnie's got in on the act. Abroad online casino business has been keeping Calvin Ayre on his toes, but Ayre was in online business, not like James Packer, who recently lost a bundle on a casino deal gone wrong abroad. The Gaming Expo is coming up at Darling Harbour on the 24th August. Don't suppose we will see Russell Crowe or Peter Holmes a Court there, but maybe a few online casino tycoons will show up, and perhaps some Rabbitoh board members also. Wonder if any TAB Corp and Aristocrat brass will show. Rabbitohs, you have South Cares, so ensure the money goes back to the community, and you should be fine. I think the community has faith in The Bunnies to do the right and ethical thing with the profits.
(Credit: Daily Telegraph)
Media Man Australia Profiles
Poker and Casino News
Casino News Media
Social and Community Entrepreneurs
In tandem with business partner Peter Holmes a Court, the Hollywood actor launched an impassioned campaign for the licensed club to ban poker machines last September.
The radical proposal will be decided on Sunday, when members gather for Souths Leagues Club's AGM at Redfern Town Hall.
But in a demonstration of how the once-popular idea has lost momentum, officials expect that less than 100 people will turn out to vote.
The leagues club was relying on the Rabbitohs to manage the venue without machines and absorb any collateral damage from $1 million in lost pokies revenue.
But the football club withdrew its support after it was unable to secure parliamentary support to abolish the statutory sign-in desk.
Without a safety net, leagues club chairman Bill Alexiou-Hucker now expects members to vote in favour of pokies.
"We will go with whatever the members decide, but it would be harder without a guaranteed (poker machine) revenue stream," Mr Alexiou-Hucker said.
Crowe is understood to be upset that the proposal is set to be defeated and recently asked for reasons why it had fallen from favour.
Comment - Greg Tingle
There's no doubt that Russell Crowe's heart is in the right place and that he means well. There's a number of commercial realities at stake here. Don't forget, and corporate and public will, South's lost Firepower. No doubt Branson's Virgin Blue was relieved. Australian's and much of the world loves a punt, be it pokies, horse racing, a wager on the boxing, and there days, firms like Virgin, PKR, 888 and others are offering online casinos. Even Warnie's got in on the act. Abroad online casino business has been keeping Calvin Ayre on his toes, but Ayre was in online business, not like James Packer, who recently lost a bundle on a casino deal gone wrong abroad. The Gaming Expo is coming up at Darling Harbour on the 24th August. Don't suppose we will see Russell Crowe or Peter Holmes a Court there, but maybe a few online casino tycoons will show up, and perhaps some Rabbitoh board members also. Wonder if any TAB Corp and Aristocrat brass will show. Rabbitohs, you have South Cares, so ensure the money goes back to the community, and you should be fine. I think the community has faith in The Bunnies to do the right and ethical thing with the profits.
(Credit: Daily Telegraph)
Media Man Australia Profiles
Poker and Casino News
Casino News Media
Social and Community Entrepreneurs
How South Sydney's no-pokies leagues club plan died, by Josh Massoud - The Daily Telegraph - 13th August 2008
On Sunday morning fewer than 100 people will gather in Redfern Town Hall to end South Sydney's proposal for a no-pokies leagues club.
What was once a heart-warming campaign has sunk with so little trace that it now settles alongside Harold Holt as Australia's most perplexing vanishing act.
It was only in September when Rabbitohs co-owners Peter Holmes a Court and Russell Crowe declared they wanted South Sydney Leagues Club to make history and re-open without poker machines.
Their rhetoric was woven in a feel-good thread of "corporate responsibility" that fitted oh-so-snugly with prevailing social moods.
In a co-signed letter e-mailed to the club's 6500 members in December, they wrote: "We are not moralising here, we just believe that low-income areas like Redfern need less poker machines rather than more."
Who could argue? If Satan walks among us, it is surely in the guise of a one-armed bandit. They take food from the table, rob children of their textbooks and pollute the audiosphere with a bleeping so demented it makes the Crazy Frog ringtone seem bearable by comparison.
Little wonder, then, that Holmes a Court and Crowe were feted as saviours when they announced the plan.
Problem is, it takes more than a cape and external underpants to save the day in clubland.
Despite boasting a Facebook page and several hundred "No Pokies" T-shirts, the campaign has since withered in a silence almost as deafening as the angels' trumpets and that heralded its arrival.
That fanfare is the only reason why leagues club directors are persevering with a members' vote on the proposal during Sunday's AGM at Redfern. To a man, they fully expect it to be defeated.
After being swept along in an overwhelming tide of benevolence, the general public is now entitled to feel confused. Community-minded organisations like the Salvation Army which applauded the idea are entitled to feel duped.
They deserve to know why their faith in Holmes a Court and Crowe's vision was not returned with a sustained endeavour to bring it to life.
Just days after the pair penned their heartfelt on-line entreaty, directors voted to endorse the idea.
But the final count - 4-3 in favour of no-pokies - was not emphatic enough to implement the plan without consulting the membership.
In the meantime, Holmes a Court vowed to devise a business plan to convince members their club could survive without the $1 million its 60 machines would otherwise provide.
To this end, he created a consortium between the Rabbitohs football club, restaurant guru Con Dedes and developer Trivest - which purchased the leagues club building earlier that year for $10 million.
The consortium offered to pay Souths Leagues Club $300,000 for the right to manage the licensed premises, and in doing so, accept full liability for any losses.
It also planned to operate the venue "like a pub" and wanted the State Government to waive the long-standing duty for club members and guests to sign-in before entering.
On this contentious point, club chairman Bill Alexiou-Hucker and Holmes a Court held a positive meeting with Premier Morris Iemma in January.
Recalling the events, Alexiou-Hucker said this week: "It was a great proposal because they took on all the risk and we got money to put back into the community."
There was one catch. Of the three directors who wanted pokies, Frank Zappia was the most strident opponent. A brother of Sharks CEO Tony Zappia, the Liverpool real estate agent insisted on a cut-off date for Holmes a Court to gain legislative approval to abolish the sign-in desk.
Holmes a Court wanted an April deadline, but Zappia pushed for March 31. If the Government did not agree by that date, then both parties would be able to walk away.
But why March 31? "Because I did my homework," Zappia replied. "I knew the Parliament only sat on three or four days in March and there would be a minimum chance for them to get the legislation through.
"I was looking at the calendar, counting the days until March 31."
The fateful day arrived and no progress had been made.
Redfern became very quiet, a calm before the storm that would see Crowe oust Holmes a Court as Rabbitohs executive chairman six weeks later.
With the football club in turmoil, its owners suddenly had little time to prevent the poker machine plague from infecting their sickly neighbours.
The offer was withdrawn, the consortium disbanded and the leagues club left without a safety net to cover for the $1 million black hole.
That is why boardroom enemies Alexiou-Hucker and Zappia can agree their members have little choice but to vote in favour of poker machines.
In fact, both believe the issue is now so clear-cut they can't envisage more than 100 people bothering to show up.
(Credit: The Daily Telegraph)
Comment by Greg Tingle
There's no doubt that Russell Crowe's heart is in the right place and that he means well. There's a number of commercial realities at stake here. Don't forget, and corporate and public will, South's lost Firepower. No doubt Branson's Virgin Blue was relieved. Australian's and much of the world loves a punt, be it pokies, horse racing, a wager on the boxing, and there days, firms like Virgin, PKR, 888 and others are offering online casinos. Even Warnie's got in on the act. Abroad online casino business has been keeping Calvin Ayre on his toes, but Ayre was in online business, not like James Packer, who recently lost a bundle on a casino deal gone wrong abroad. The Gaming Expo is coming up at Darling Harbour on the 24th August. Don't suppose we will see Russell Crowe or Peter Holmes a Court there, but maybe a few online casino tycoons will show up, and perhaps some Rabbitoh board members also. Wonder if any TAB Corp and Aristocrat brass will show. Rabbitohs, you have South Cares, so ensure the money goes back to the community, and you should be fine. I think the community has faith in The Bunnies to do the right and ethical thing with the profits.
Media Man Australia Profiles
South Sydney Rabbitohs
Poker and Casino News
Casino News Media
Social and Community Entrepreneurs
What was once a heart-warming campaign has sunk with so little trace that it now settles alongside Harold Holt as Australia's most perplexing vanishing act.
It was only in September when Rabbitohs co-owners Peter Holmes a Court and Russell Crowe declared they wanted South Sydney Leagues Club to make history and re-open without poker machines.
Their rhetoric was woven in a feel-good thread of "corporate responsibility" that fitted oh-so-snugly with prevailing social moods.
In a co-signed letter e-mailed to the club's 6500 members in December, they wrote: "We are not moralising here, we just believe that low-income areas like Redfern need less poker machines rather than more."
Who could argue? If Satan walks among us, it is surely in the guise of a one-armed bandit. They take food from the table, rob children of their textbooks and pollute the audiosphere with a bleeping so demented it makes the Crazy Frog ringtone seem bearable by comparison.
Little wonder, then, that Holmes a Court and Crowe were feted as saviours when they announced the plan.
Problem is, it takes more than a cape and external underpants to save the day in clubland.
Despite boasting a Facebook page and several hundred "No Pokies" T-shirts, the campaign has since withered in a silence almost as deafening as the angels' trumpets and that heralded its arrival.
That fanfare is the only reason why leagues club directors are persevering with a members' vote on the proposal during Sunday's AGM at Redfern. To a man, they fully expect it to be defeated.
After being swept along in an overwhelming tide of benevolence, the general public is now entitled to feel confused. Community-minded organisations like the Salvation Army which applauded the idea are entitled to feel duped.
They deserve to know why their faith in Holmes a Court and Crowe's vision was not returned with a sustained endeavour to bring it to life.
Just days after the pair penned their heartfelt on-line entreaty, directors voted to endorse the idea.
But the final count - 4-3 in favour of no-pokies - was not emphatic enough to implement the plan without consulting the membership.
In the meantime, Holmes a Court vowed to devise a business plan to convince members their club could survive without the $1 million its 60 machines would otherwise provide.
To this end, he created a consortium between the Rabbitohs football club, restaurant guru Con Dedes and developer Trivest - which purchased the leagues club building earlier that year for $10 million.
The consortium offered to pay Souths Leagues Club $300,000 for the right to manage the licensed premises, and in doing so, accept full liability for any losses.
It also planned to operate the venue "like a pub" and wanted the State Government to waive the long-standing duty for club members and guests to sign-in before entering.
On this contentious point, club chairman Bill Alexiou-Hucker and Holmes a Court held a positive meeting with Premier Morris Iemma in January.
Recalling the events, Alexiou-Hucker said this week: "It was a great proposal because they took on all the risk and we got money to put back into the community."
There was one catch. Of the three directors who wanted pokies, Frank Zappia was the most strident opponent. A brother of Sharks CEO Tony Zappia, the Liverpool real estate agent insisted on a cut-off date for Holmes a Court to gain legislative approval to abolish the sign-in desk.
Holmes a Court wanted an April deadline, but Zappia pushed for March 31. If the Government did not agree by that date, then both parties would be able to walk away.
But why March 31? "Because I did my homework," Zappia replied. "I knew the Parliament only sat on three or four days in March and there would be a minimum chance for them to get the legislation through.
"I was looking at the calendar, counting the days until March 31."
The fateful day arrived and no progress had been made.
Redfern became very quiet, a calm before the storm that would see Crowe oust Holmes a Court as Rabbitohs executive chairman six weeks later.
With the football club in turmoil, its owners suddenly had little time to prevent the poker machine plague from infecting their sickly neighbours.
The offer was withdrawn, the consortium disbanded and the leagues club left without a safety net to cover for the $1 million black hole.
That is why boardroom enemies Alexiou-Hucker and Zappia can agree their members have little choice but to vote in favour of poker machines.
In fact, both believe the issue is now so clear-cut they can't envisage more than 100 people bothering to show up.
(Credit: The Daily Telegraph)
Comment by Greg Tingle
There's no doubt that Russell Crowe's heart is in the right place and that he means well. There's a number of commercial realities at stake here. Don't forget, and corporate and public will, South's lost Firepower. No doubt Branson's Virgin Blue was relieved. Australian's and much of the world loves a punt, be it pokies, horse racing, a wager on the boxing, and there days, firms like Virgin, PKR, 888 and others are offering online casinos. Even Warnie's got in on the act. Abroad online casino business has been keeping Calvin Ayre on his toes, but Ayre was in online business, not like James Packer, who recently lost a bundle on a casino deal gone wrong abroad. The Gaming Expo is coming up at Darling Harbour on the 24th August. Don't suppose we will see Russell Crowe or Peter Holmes a Court there, but maybe a few online casino tycoons will show up, and perhaps some Rabbitoh board members also. Wonder if any TAB Corp and Aristocrat brass will show. Rabbitohs, you have South Cares, so ensure the money goes back to the community, and you should be fine. I think the community has faith in The Bunnies to do the right and ethical thing with the profits.
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Friday, August 08, 2008
Bill Gates Leaves Microsoft to Focus on Philanthropy - The Chronicle of Philanthropy - 24th June 2008
Friday will mark Bill Gates’s last day as a full-time employee of Microsoft, the company he co-founded 33 years-ago, reports InformationWeek. Mr. Gates is leaving his company to concentrate on his work with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Seattle fund he and his wife established in 1999.
Mr. Gates will remain in his role as Microsoft’s chairman.
The software mogul said he plans to encourage his wealthy friends to support the foundation’s efforts. “I need to orchestrate the rich world to help out,” said Mr. Gates.
“Everybody should give time and some money,” he added. “Pick a cause, and there are so many good ones out there, that you can develop some expertise in, and perhaps involve your spouse or the rest of your family,” he said.
Read The Chronicle’s recent article on the Gates Foundation’s new leader.
(Credit: The Chronicle of Philanthropy)
Comments
Now that’s what I call leadership (and success on all levels). - Greg Tingle
Mr. Gates continues to amaze me. Many thanks to his foundation for the continued support of the “Generous Community” and our “Adopt a School” Initiative. Great people like Bill and Melinda Gates, his father and Greg Tingle are pushing this initiative beyond the borders of the US. We at the Generous Community are excited about his new direction. - Bob Winstead
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Mr. Gates will remain in his role as Microsoft’s chairman.
The software mogul said he plans to encourage his wealthy friends to support the foundation’s efforts. “I need to orchestrate the rich world to help out,” said Mr. Gates.
“Everybody should give time and some money,” he added. “Pick a cause, and there are so many good ones out there, that you can develop some expertise in, and perhaps involve your spouse or the rest of your family,” he said.
Read The Chronicle’s recent article on the Gates Foundation’s new leader.
(Credit: The Chronicle of Philanthropy)
Comments
Now that’s what I call leadership (and success on all levels). - Greg Tingle
Mr. Gates continues to amaze me. Many thanks to his foundation for the continued support of the “Generous Community” and our “Adopt a School” Initiative. Great people like Bill and Melinda Gates, his father and Greg Tingle are pushing this initiative beyond the borders of the US. We at the Generous Community are excited about his new direction. - Bob Winstead
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Wednesday, August 06, 2008
Packer signs up to jobs covenant, by Sarah Smiles - The Sydney Morning Herald - 5th August 2008
Businessman James Packer has agreed to employ 500 Aborigines as part of an ambitious initiative to get 50,000 indigenous people into work in the next two years.
The nation's main business organisation, the Business Council of Australia, has also expressed interest in joining the project.
The project, led by mining magnate Andrew Forrest, aims to get Aboriginal people off welfare and into full-time work.
It has received backing from the Federal Government, which has agreed to pay for training for Aboriginal people to get them job-ready.
The BCA, which represents the country's largest companies, has already spoken to Mr Forrest about the initiative.
Mr Forrest, Australia's richest man, has described the project as corporate Australia's "single best opportunity" to help solve the biggest social issue facing the nation.
Indigenous leader Warren Mundine, who is part of the project's steering committee, said he had also received a flurry of emails from "fairly large" companies interested in the project.
"This thing to me is exciting because it's corporate," said Mr Mundine. "It will be a different world when we wake up when this programs over."
He said the mining industry was well placed to absorb workers, but all sectors should consider employing Aboriginal people, including finance, retail and tourism.
Large corporations such as BHP Billiton, ANZ, the Commonwealth Bank and Qantas are already boosting indigenous employment under a program run by Reconciliation Australia. The organisation has created more than 1700 jobs in the private sector over the last two years.
Barbara Livesey, chief executive of Reconciliation Australia, said it will approach Mr Forrest to "share lessons" of its own program and suggest it as a framework.
The steering committee has 100 days to design the initiative, named the Australian Employment Covenant. The goal is to get 50,000 Aboriginal people into work over the next two years. Under the covenant, they will be offered full-time employment, skills training and on-the-job mentoring.
"The mentors will be the heroes of the covenant," said Mr Forrest in a statement yesterday.
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The nation's main business organisation, the Business Council of Australia, has also expressed interest in joining the project.
The project, led by mining magnate Andrew Forrest, aims to get Aboriginal people off welfare and into full-time work.
It has received backing from the Federal Government, which has agreed to pay for training for Aboriginal people to get them job-ready.
The BCA, which represents the country's largest companies, has already spoken to Mr Forrest about the initiative.
Mr Forrest, Australia's richest man, has described the project as corporate Australia's "single best opportunity" to help solve the biggest social issue facing the nation.
Indigenous leader Warren Mundine, who is part of the project's steering committee, said he had also received a flurry of emails from "fairly large" companies interested in the project.
"This thing to me is exciting because it's corporate," said Mr Mundine. "It will be a different world when we wake up when this programs over."
He said the mining industry was well placed to absorb workers, but all sectors should consider employing Aboriginal people, including finance, retail and tourism.
Large corporations such as BHP Billiton, ANZ, the Commonwealth Bank and Qantas are already boosting indigenous employment under a program run by Reconciliation Australia. The organisation has created more than 1700 jobs in the private sector over the last two years.
Barbara Livesey, chief executive of Reconciliation Australia, said it will approach Mr Forrest to "share lessons" of its own program and suggest it as a framework.
The steering committee has 100 days to design the initiative, named the Australian Employment Covenant. The goal is to get 50,000 Aboriginal people into work over the next two years. Under the covenant, they will be offered full-time employment, skills training and on-the-job mentoring.
"The mentors will be the heroes of the covenant," said Mr Forrest in a statement yesterday.
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Tuesday, August 05, 2008
Charity Stakes
WE ARE IN A TIME WHERE THE AMERICAN FAMILY'S DOLLAR IS BEING STRETCHED FAR BEYOND THE BREAKING POINT. With rising costs across the board, Americans are looking for outlets to explore that will offer them great fun and entertainment at the lowest possible costs. Worthy charities and organizations are also feeling the same financial pinch as well.
On a whole, charitable contributions are down, as well as, organizational memberships. This squeeze is hindering MANY very worthwhile charities and causes, funded by these great organizations.
We at CHARITYSTAKES have developed a fun and exciting solution to this American dilemma.
Through CHARITYSTAKES, we want to bring an exciting experience for those who enjoy: playing poker, sports events and contests, games, tournaments, and other fun and exciting activities of entertainment. We offer them a place where Members can "Win Big with No Risk".
Along with all the fun and excitement our members will experience with CHARITYSTAKES, our members will also enjoy knowing that a large portion of their monthly dues will be donated back to a great and worthy cause. In effect, through their enjoyment, they will be contributing to the betterment of others lives, all creatures great or small, and any and every tragedy that may affect society as a whole.
CHARITYSTAKES' patent pending business model was developed as a venue to encourage people to play competitively along with the ability to win prizes – without their risking any of their own money. The only cost to our Members is a low monthly fee – NO CONTRACTS INVOLVED.
CHARITYSTAKES has applied its unique approach to many online games, tournaments and contests, enabling players to WIN BIG WITHOUT ANY RISK. With the increasing rise in the popularity of poker and CHARITYSTAKES unique approach, it is guaranteed to be a WIN – WIN for all.
Most important, we at CHARITYSTAKES are committed to responsible game-play, and are NOT A GAMBLING WEBSITE. In fact, we consider ourselves the "Anti-Gambling Website", because we do not offer gambling, we make it impossible for Members to lose their own money. Our goal is to maintain the thrill of online games while keeping it safe for everyone. Yet, we still provide the fun and exciting entertainment experience.
We promote safe and responsible game play all while working to "Play for Your Cause".
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On a whole, charitable contributions are down, as well as, organizational memberships. This squeeze is hindering MANY very worthwhile charities and causes, funded by these great organizations.
We at CHARITYSTAKES have developed a fun and exciting solution to this American dilemma.
Through CHARITYSTAKES, we want to bring an exciting experience for those who enjoy: playing poker, sports events and contests, games, tournaments, and other fun and exciting activities of entertainment. We offer them a place where Members can "Win Big with No Risk".
Along with all the fun and excitement our members will experience with CHARITYSTAKES, our members will also enjoy knowing that a large portion of their monthly dues will be donated back to a great and worthy cause. In effect, through their enjoyment, they will be contributing to the betterment of others lives, all creatures great or small, and any and every tragedy that may affect society as a whole.
CHARITYSTAKES' patent pending business model was developed as a venue to encourage people to play competitively along with the ability to win prizes – without their risking any of their own money. The only cost to our Members is a low monthly fee – NO CONTRACTS INVOLVED.
CHARITYSTAKES has applied its unique approach to many online games, tournaments and contests, enabling players to WIN BIG WITHOUT ANY RISK. With the increasing rise in the popularity of poker and CHARITYSTAKES unique approach, it is guaranteed to be a WIN – WIN for all.
Most important, we at CHARITYSTAKES are committed to responsible game-play, and are NOT A GAMBLING WEBSITE. In fact, we consider ourselves the "Anti-Gambling Website", because we do not offer gambling, we make it impossible for Members to lose their own money. Our goal is to maintain the thrill of online games while keeping it safe for everyone. Yet, we still provide the fun and exciting entertainment experience.
We promote safe and responsible game play all while working to "Play for Your Cause".
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Online Charity Gaming Site Opens In Arizona - 31st July 2008
In America, a new membership-based Internet gaming site has launched in the state of Arizona, home to leading online gambling opponent Senator Jon Kyl, as a way to raise money for charity.
Members of CharityStakes.com pay $19.95 per month for unlimited access to four online casino games along with pools for various sporting events. Operated by Scottsdale-based CharityStakes LLC, five dollars of this non-contract fee is given to charity while another five dollars is designated for a winner’s pool.
Co-founded by Michael Schapp and Barbara Bucca, CharityStakes.com is legal because members cannot lose any money so it is not defined as a gambling website.
“We are in a time where the American family’s dollar is being stretched far beyond the breaking point,” read a statement from CharityStakes.com.
“With rising costs across the board, Americans are looking for outlets to explore that will offer them great fun and entertainment at the lowest possible costs. Worthy charities and organisations are also feeling the same financial pinch as well.
”On a whole, charitable contributions are down, as well as organisational memberships. This squeeze is hindering many very worthwhile charities and causes funded by these great organisations.
”We at CharityStakes have developed a fun and exciting solution to this American dilemma. Through CharityStakes.com, we want to bring an exciting experience for those who enjoy playing poker, sports events and contests, games, tournaments and other fun and exciting activities of entertainment. We offer them a place where members can ‘win big with no risk’.”
Benefiting charities include the American Cancer Society and the Make-A-Wish Foundation and members can also get political by designating their money for the Democratic National Committee or the Republican National Committee.
Media Man Australia Profiles
Charity
Gaming
Social and Community Entrepreneurs
Members of CharityStakes.com pay $19.95 per month for unlimited access to four online casino games along with pools for various sporting events. Operated by Scottsdale-based CharityStakes LLC, five dollars of this non-contract fee is given to charity while another five dollars is designated for a winner’s pool.
Co-founded by Michael Schapp and Barbara Bucca, CharityStakes.com is legal because members cannot lose any money so it is not defined as a gambling website.
“We are in a time where the American family’s dollar is being stretched far beyond the breaking point,” read a statement from CharityStakes.com.
“With rising costs across the board, Americans are looking for outlets to explore that will offer them great fun and entertainment at the lowest possible costs. Worthy charities and organisations are also feeling the same financial pinch as well.
”On a whole, charitable contributions are down, as well as organisational memberships. This squeeze is hindering many very worthwhile charities and causes funded by these great organisations.
”We at CharityStakes have developed a fun and exciting solution to this American dilemma. Through CharityStakes.com, we want to bring an exciting experience for those who enjoy playing poker, sports events and contests, games, tournaments and other fun and exciting activities of entertainment. We offer them a place where members can ‘win big with no risk’.”
Benefiting charities include the American Cancer Society and the Make-A-Wish Foundation and members can also get political by designating their money for the Democratic National Committee or the Republican National Committee.
Media Man Australia Profiles
Charity
Gaming
Social and Community Entrepreneurs
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