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Markets: Reform or Rebuild

Thursday, March 31, 2011

Session Description

Social entrepreneurs working to transform markets offer tremendous promise for large scale change. Strategies vary, with some working within the existing system by creating new standards and certification mechanisms. Others, however, deliberately choose to create entirely new markets. Join four of the world’s leading innovators for a candid conversation about strategy, inherent risks, core competencies and most importantly, the impact achieved in working with markets.

Time & Location

Time:
11:00 - 12:30, Thursday, March 31, 2011 BST
Speakers
  • Speaker
    Rupert Howes has served as Chief Executive of the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) since October 2004. Prior to joining the MSC, Rupert worked as the Director of the Sustainable Economy Programme at the Forum for the Future, an influential UK-based sustainable development organization that partners with business, capital markets, governments, and others to accelerate the transition to a more sustainable way of life. Rupert has been internationally recognized for his work to promote sustainable fishing practices. In 2014, Rupert was awarded a Schwab Foundation Social Entrepreneurship Award, which recognizes leaders in sustainable social innovation. In 2009, he received the World Wildlife Foundation’s “Leaders for a Living Planet” Award. He also received a Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship in 2007 for his contributions in establishing the MSC as the world’s leading fishery certification and ecolabelling program.
  • Speaker
    CEO, ClearlySo
    Rodney Schwartz is CEO of ClearlySo (www.clearlyso.com) the world’s first marketplace for social business & enterprise (SBEs), commerce and investment, which connects more than 2,000 SBEs with capital and other key resources. Schwartz advises leading UK social enterprises, such as the HCT Group, lectures at the Saïd Business School, Oxford, and is on the board of the Ethical Property Company and The Green Thing (Chairman). He is former Chairman of Justgiving and Shelter. Schwartz’s background is investment banking and venture capital.
  • Speaker
    Founder & CEO, Fair Trade USA
    Since launching the Fair Trade Certified™ label in 1998, Paul has helped establish Fair Trade as one of the fastest growing segments of the food and apparel industries. To date, Fair Trade USA has partnered with over 1,500 leading companies, including Green Mountain, Nespresso, Whole Foods, Costco, Kroger, and Target. Fair Trade USA now certifies coffee, tea, cocoa, sugar, coconut, fresh produce, and seafood. Through groundbreaking partnerships with Patagonia, Athleta, West Elm and J. Crew, Fair Trade has begun certifying apparel and home goods. In 2022, consumer recognition of the Fair Trade Certified label hit 65%. To date, Fair Trade USA and its partners have generated over $1 billion in additional income for farmers and workers in 51 countries, allowing them to care for the environment and steadily improve their livelihoods. Paul has been named Ethical Corporation’s 2019 Business Leader of the Year and is a four-time winner of Fast Company magazine’s Social Capitalist of the Year.
  • Speaker
    Co-Founder & President, Kiva
    Premal helps lead Kiva.org —a crowdfunding website that connects people through lending to alleviate poverty. Since 2005, over $1B in philanthropic loans has been crowdfunded to millions of underserved entrepreneurs in 90 countries — with a 96% repayment rate. The site has been named as one of Oprah's Favorite Things and a Top 50 Website by TIME Magazine. Premal's inspiration came while volunteering in India while on leave from PayPal, where he had been an early employee. Premal began his career as a management consultant and graduated from Stanford University. He’s passionate about making it easier for anyone to discover their own power to make real impact. He serves on the Board of VolunteerMatch.org & Watsi.org — a crowdfunding for developing world health care site. For his work as a social entrepreneur, Premal was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum and selected to FORTUNE magazine’s “Top 40 under 40″ list.
  • Speaker
    Founder and CEO, Arzu
    Connie Duckworth founded ARZU, Inc. in 2004 and serves pro bono as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. She is a retired Partner and Managing Director of Goldman, Sachs, & Co., where she was named the first woman sales and trading partner in the firm’s history during her 20-year career. The recipient of numerous awards for leadership and advocacy, Ms. Duckworth was named a 2008 Skoll Foundation Honoree for Social Entrepreneurship.