We live in very cool times.

I post a comment to Guy Kawasaki’s How to Change the World Blog and received a comment to my comment from Mark Grimes. The next thing you know, I’m talking with Mark on the phone, discussing entrepreneurial efforts in Africa. He’s a founder and activist of http://www.ned.com/ - a social network doing good things.

Mark is an amazing fellow – and Ned is a great community. Please, please check it out. Get involved.

I’m heading down to Eden Campus in Karatara South Africa to help the students set up blogs. The goal is to link their educational experiences and entrepreneurial visions with the rest of the world. Google Adsense revenue would support their school and tuition. Other students from around the world could participate.

If you have any ideas, please drop me a note.

Labels: Eden Campus, Entrepreneurship

I love teaching the concept of the Tipping Point, or the Social Epidemic Curve to my students.

It's great to see the "Ah ha" moment it almost always produces.

I learned the concept from Brian Uzzi at the Kellogg School of Management in Evanston, Il.

Mary Cemenski is the teacher of Marketing at Mankato West High School. Recently she invited me in to speak about entrepreneurship. I did a week on writing a "Business Plan for the Ghostbusters." It's a fun curriculum, and allows the students to explore all the parts of the planning process without the confines of reality.

Here's how I introduced the concept of the Tipping Point to the kids.

Little Jimmy is a five year old boy, who lives with his Mom. He doesn't go to day care, play sports, or gets a chance to interact with local kids his age. His Mom loves to travel, and takes Jimmy everywhere.

One day, when visiting his cousins far away, Jimmy is exposed to the Chicken Pox.

Jimmy brings the Chicken Pox home, but because he doesn't see many people, he doesn't spread the disease. He shows symptoms, and his Mom let's in run its course, and the illness doesn't spread.

Now suppose this story ended a bit differently. Little Jessica form next door sees Jimmy coming home from his trip. She runs over to see where he was, and if he had anything cool to show her. Jessica is like this - she doesn't travel much, or try new stuff herself, but she loves hearing about what other kids are doing.

She catches the Chicken Pox, and transmits to the other kids in her day care class. Those kids transmit it to their T-Ball leagues, Dance Classes and other social networks. Before you know it, every kid seems to have the Chicken Pox.

So the question is - how is your business finding the Jimmies, encouraging the Jessica’s, and selling to the rest of the class?

Marketing can be targeted - often at early adopters (think press release in Wired magazine) - encourage brokers (Bose including information cards with their noise cancelling headphones), or preparing the masses (traditional advertising.)

Invariably, students come up with great examples. From Ipods to clothing, they know this is how the world works.

Heading for South Africa with Dr. Scott Fee to visit Eden Campus. We leave March 11th and return the 25th.

A few posts ago I told you a little about the school - a "green" university built and funded by students through their own entrepreneurial ventures. Designed to help poor rural South Africans build and maintain a working middle class.

Steve Carver of www.winwin.co.za is social entrepreneur who has been the driving force behind this project.

My wife is going down with a group of students in May. If you'd like to get involved, or learn more, drop me a note at mike@nolanonline.com.

Guy Kawasaki tells the tale in "The Art of the Start" that great businesses don't start out trying to make money - they start out making meening.

I go through this list of ideas with clients and students when coming up with new products or promotions. Feel free to use them to jump start the "opportunity" process.

1. What’s expensive, that could be cheap?
2. What’s waiting, that could be happening?
3. What’s hard that could be easy?
4. What’s boring that could be fun?
5. What’s work that could be play?
6. What’s for them, and not for us?
7. What’s tomorrow, that could be now?
8. What’s itching, and needs to be scratched?
9. What’s ordinary, that could be magic?
10. What’s pain, that could be pleasure?

Let me know your thoughts!

Labels: Entrepreneurship, ideas, making meaning

I just spent the week with an social entrepreneur from South Africa. Steve Carver has helped create Eden Campus – the first green business school in South Africa.

It’s an incredible vision – free tuition to impoverished Africans – elected by their villages. The school has an great entrepreneurial mission. The students built their own campus, starting out under a mango tree, renovating a building, and paying for their education through entrepreneurial activities.

In partnership with Nelson Mandela University, Eden campus is providing a high quality, real world business education – creating value for the entire community.



This isn’t a charity – it is designed to be fully self sustaining through business created and run by students. Steve’s vision is to help start 15 schools by 2015. From the website:

This Campus exists to educate leaders who can bring consensus, cooperation and innovative strategies to the worldwide issues of poverty and land use which eventually impact on all of us. We have actively recruited the leading students from 38 disadvantaged and rural communities in the region. After completing their studies, Eden Campus graduates return to their homes in rural areas in an effort to share their knowledge of ethical business practices, sustainable agricultural techniques, and strong sense of values with others in their communities.

Students and teachers from Minnesota State University – Mankato will be visiting the campus this May.

Find out how to get involved at http://www.edencampus.co.za/.