Interesting Voices, Innovative Ideas – Skoll World Forum 2014
Video Description
The Skoll World Forum has long attracted provocateurs and disruptors who are rethinking old paradigms and building new entrepreneurial environments and cultures around the world. Designed to expand the imagination, creative insights, and inspiration of attending delegates, this session invites you to explore ambitious new ideas for urban cultural development, global social networks, and a glimpse into the future of social change.
Featuring:
Moderator – Jess Search – CEO of Britdoc Foundation
Gabriella Gomez Mont – Director and founder of Laboratorio para la Cuidad
Marina Gorbis – Executive Director of Institute for the Future
Fredrick Ouko – Executive Director of Action Network for the Disabled
Bart Weetjens – Founder of APOPO
Speakers
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Founder, Riziki Source Limited
Fredrick is the Founder at Riziki Source, a social enterprise that facilitates access to job opportunities for persons with disabilities in Kenya leveraging the power of technology. He works part-time as a Co-CETO for ADD International and previously a program officer for disability rights program at Open Society Initiative for Eastern Africa, he was also the disability inclusion advisor for Kenya, Light for the World Netherlands and formerly a founding executive director of Action Network for the Disabled for 15 years, a national disabled person` organization in Kenya working to improve life prospects of children
and youth with disabilities in Kenya through education and sustainable livelihood initiatives. He was elected an Ashoka Fellow in 2012 for his work around
issues of employment for persons with disabilities in Kenya.
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Director and founder, Laboratorio para la Ciudad
Gabriella directs “Laboratorio para la Ciudad*, Mexico City`s new creative think-tank and experimental space: a place to reflect about all things city, and ponder social scripts and urban futures for the largest megalopolis on the American continent: from the speculative (even outlandish) to the practical.
This project came about through a personal invitation by Dr. Miguel Angel Mancera– Mexico City`s elected and liberal Mayor– to incorporate “Laboratorio para la Ciudad” into the city`s official structure for the next 6 years. This novel initiative will support creativity and civic innovation through the different layers of both government and social-space, intermingled. In addition to directing Laboratorio para la Ciudad, Gabriella is a writer, visual artist, documentary film director, cultural advisor and arts curator, plus a Yale World Fellow, TED Senior Fellow, Institute for the Future Fellow, Fabrica alumni and World Cities Summit Young Leader.
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Executive Director, Institute for the Future
MARINA GORBIS
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, INSTITUTE FOR THE FUTURE
Marina Gorbis is a futurist and social scientist who serves as executive director to the Institute for the Future (IFTF), a Silicon Valley nonprofit research and consulting organization. In her 18 years with IFTF, Marina has brought a futures perspective to hundreds of organizations in business, education, government and philanthropy to improve innovation capacity, develop strategies, and design new products and services. Marina’s current research focuses on how social production is changing the face of major industries, a topic explored in detail in her book, The Nature of the Future: Dispatches from the Socialstructed World. She has also blogged and written for BoingBoing.net, FastCompany, Harvard Business Review, and major media outlets. A native of Odessa, Ukraine, yet equally at home in Silicon Valley, Europe, India, and Kazakhstan, Marina is particularly well suited to see things from a global viewpoint. She has keynoted such international events as The Next Web Conference, NEXT Berlin, the World Business Forum, the National Association of Broadcasters annual convention, and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges annual conference. She holds a BA in psychology and a master’s of public policy from UC Berkeley.
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Jess is a founder of Doc Society, which has funded and championed the work of independent documentary filmmakers around the world since 2005. Writing with Fire, I Am Softie, The Edge of Democracy, CITIZENFOUR, The Territory, The Square, Virunga etc Currently obsessed with Climate and Democracy narratives and protecting the space for independent storytelling.
Jess is also a trustee of MSI Reproductive Choices, the world's most effective family planning and abortion provider in 37 countries. Jess is also chair of UK think tank IPPR and a board member of crowdfunding innovator Kickstarter.
Jess is a big fan of the Skoll World Forum.
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Bart is a Zen Buddhist monk and social entrepreneur.
He took the initiative to train giant African rats (AKA HeroRATs) as sustainable detectors in response to the global landmine problem. What started in 1995 as a modest research initiative in detection rats technology, gradually grew into a global humanitarian operation through his organisation apopo.org which became one of the leading social enterprises in the world, recognised and awarded by networks like Ashoka, the Skoll Awards and the World Economic Forum.
Bart transitioned from his executive role in 2015 to focus on the practice of Zen. In the same year he got involved in The Wellbeing Project which aims to catalyze a culture of inner wellbeing for all changemakers.
While exploring the relationship between personal growth and social innovation, he recently co-founded a new initiative innerpreneurs.org which is a brave space for entrepreneurial leaders to fulfilll their noble life purpose.
