By Georgina Allen
Re-Vision Labs Intern

It is impossible to make it through a day without hearing something about the depressing state of the economy.  Hundreds of thousands have lost their jobs and struggle to find work.  Many more have become disillusioned with the profit as a primary goal in life.  Out of this, however, has come an inspiring story of growth in “necessity entrepreneurs”, many of which have turned to more socially conscious methods of generating income.  This exciting new trend made me think it would be interesting to hear from a seasoned social entrepreneur and get advice based on his experience.

James Dailey is the co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of MicroEnergy Credits, aiming to source carbon offsets from the developing world.  He worked at the Grameen Technology Center since its founding in 2001, and led the development of the Microfinance Open Source (Mifos) project, a micro-banking software application. He has consulted on technology and extending financial services in dozens of countries.   He is also the CTO of VillageReach and is responsible for the Last Mile logistics systems that support global public health.  The following list is a summary of the lessons he’s learned through these ventures.

Buck the status quo.

James graduated with a degree in information systems from University of Notre Dame at a time when his skills were in  high demand.  Most of his university colleagues took high paying jobs with big consulting firms.  Instead, James decided to delve into an entirely different discipline by joining the Peace Corp.  This unique combination of skills and knowledge has been crucial in giving James an edge in his industry of choice.

Be a sponge.

James had the privilege of working with Grameen Technology Center, part of Grameen Foundation early on.  During his time there James observed the market dynamics around software and learned from experienced people in the field, taking in everything he could on the market conditions, the needs of buyers and the products of vendors.  This led to the development of the Grameen MIFOS project, which gave microfinance banks access to open source banking software.

Seize the moment.

Shortly after James left Grameen Foundation, he discovered that his good friend April, who had years of experience in business consulting and knowledge of microfinance, was also looking to establish a scalable social venture.  The two recognized that their combined skill sets and sudden lack of time obligations presented a once in a lifetime kind opportunity.

Test the waters.

“The first step is coming up with an idea that really compels you and then circulating that idea.  We tried on a bunch of different ideas.  We tried them out on people, discarded a bunch of ideas, and then focused in on one particular aspect.”

Take it with a grain of salt.

Before MicroEnergy Credits (MEC) came into being, James and April wrote a number of different business plans.  “You have to have the humility to say ‘that one didn’t work’” says James.

Follow your heart.

For James, the daunting task of conducting business internationally, let alone in the developing world was part of the fun.  “So there are more obstacles talking to so someone in Mozambique than there are in Peoria Illinois, but it is much more interesting.  It’s just part of the landscape. It’s not particularly challenging.”

Hustle and bustle.

While James and April were getting MEC off the ground, their connections were enormously helpful.  Not only did these provide an outlet for contract work and income, but they both continued to take on paid work for the industry in which they were aspiring entrepreneurs, keeping them up to speed on important information.

Proceed with caution.

“We tend to be  strong on the strategic stuff.”  James and April spent over a year writing up a business plan for MEC and they continue to take a very deliberate approach to their decision making process.  It seems to have paid off because not once has failure been on their radar!

There’s no turning back.

James expressed that you have to have a “sense of we are in this to make a massive change in the lives of people, and if I don’t do it who will? Somebody has to try to figure this out. We have the skill to do it so are going to stick with it till it happens.”  Additionally, “If you just have a good idea, or even a great idea, people on the other side of the table are wondering if you are going to be here a year from now.”

Think big.

James and April’s most recent venture, YurtCozy incorporates an element of community by encouraging their fans to purchase carbon offsets by supporting green micro-entrepreneurs featured on their website.  When asked about this, James indicated that it was all part of the broader scheme of things to scale up their operations.  As with the organic and local foods movement, it is simply a matter of fulfilling a demand that already exists.

And for some final words of inspiration, “To paraphrase a famous entrepreneurial saying – If at least some of the people don’t think you are crazy, then you don’t have an original idea”.

By Martina Welke
Communications Fellow

Next month I will celebrate the one-year anniversary of my Oath of Allegiance to the United States.  As a freshly minted citizen, I was all jazzed up about democracy and excited to officially have a political voice in the country where I’ve lived the vast majority of my life.

I found an outlet for that excitement during the last election season, when I took to the phones as a volunteer for a local campaign.  It was thrilling to be part of the action for the first time—I didn’t even mind the occasional insults and frequent hang-ups as I worked my way through call lists.  After the votes came in and the celebration parties died down, I intended to stay actively involved and continue to exercise my nascent constituent muscles.  However, the inevitable distractions of a busy life soon took over, and I found myself wondering how I would ever find the time to be the proactive, informed citizen I’d hoped to be.

I found my answer at the OpenGovWest conference, which I highlighted on The Lab a few weeks ago.  I arrived with a vague notion of what Gov 2.0 meant (largely informed by conversations with my RVL colleagues), but didn’t fully understand how web 2.0 technology could expand my capability to interact with governing bodies, access public information with speed and ease, and contribute to collaborative processes of unprecedented scale.  The tone of the conference was set for me during an early morning conversation with a fellow attendee, who told me that he was there “to see tomorrow.”   Throughout the day, I gained a clearer understanding of what tomorrow might bring, and each new discovery or vision for the future helped to reignite my latent civic excitement.

What might “tomorrow” look like?

The conference keynote speaker, Andrew Hoppin, gave one of the best examples of how Gov 2.0 tools could serve constituents.  Hoppin has served as the first Chief Information Officer for the New York State Senate since February 2009, and in that short time he has taken the Senate from “worst to first” in terms of accessibility, transparency, and collaborative capability. When Hoppin started the job, most offices were still using printed news clippings and photocopies to share media information, which required a lot of resources and staff time.  The Senate also had a very outdated system for corresponding with constituents, and it was difficult to access information.

Now from the “Open Senate” portal of the NY Senate website, visitors can use detailed search fields to browse through legislation information and data.  Since there is an overwhelming amount of information available, the data has been extensively categorized to help narrow search parameters.  I decided to search for legislation relating to “transportation,” which returned over two thousand results;  however, when I specified that I only wanted to see bills that had been delivered, I was greeted with a far more manageable list of twenty, all of which were available for public comment.

The website Hoppin created also provides tools for tracking news and staying abreast on Senate activities.  E-mail and mobile updates are available as a simple sign-up option.  The Senate has an RSS feed, Twitter account (@NYSenate), and Facebook page–meeting constituents with media they are already using.  For the first time, people can even stream floor sessions in real-time, making it possible to watch exactly what is happening in the NY State Senate from anywhere in the world.

As I was exploring the NY Senate website, I was imagining a day when I might watch a live committee hearing during my lunch break and leave a public comment or contact my senator with feedback before returning to work.  Or a day when I would read a Tweet about an important upcoming vote, retweet it for all my friends, family and colleagues to see, and coordinate a massive constituent response.  Gov 2.0 tools are already creating new possibilities for political involvement around the world, and with increased public support and innovation the potential for “tomorrow’s” governance might be something we cannot yet even imagine.

Intrigued by what we learned about Agent Green during a recent interview with the owners of the Pike Brewing Company, Aurea Astro and I decided to further explore this mysterious environmental force moving through Seattle businesses.  First we made our way back to Pike Pub—the site of Agent Green’s inaugural appearance—and then our investigations led us to Terra Bella Flowers in Seattle’s Greenwood neighborhood, one of Agent Green’s most recent missions.

Re-Vision Labs founding partners Gabriel Scheer and Dan O’Shea designed the Agent Green program as part of Seattle Greendrinks in an effort to capitalize on the power of crowds and community partnerships.  Agent Green utilizes these elements in order to help make it easy and ultimately financially beneficial for businesses to become more environmentally efficient.  Proponents of Agent Green use social media, traditional media, and good old word-of-mouth to announce an upcoming event, and on the day of the event a crowd descends to support the participating business and help fund energy retrofits.

Back to the Pub We Go!

Gabriel approached Drew Gillespie, manager of the Pike Pub, early in 2009 and proposed that the restaurant host the first Agent Green event in Seattle.  They decided to schedule the event during Earth month, and Pike Pub committed 25% of sales made to the Agent Green crowd to energy retrofits.

When the scheduled day arrived, the crowd flooded in and raised $3,700.  After much research and analysis, Drew decided that lighting was the best place to invest in energy retrofits.  With the help of energy incentives offered Seattle City Light (which amounted to $14,000!) and the money earned from the Agent Green event, Pike Pub only had to pay about $1,000 out of pocket—an investment that Drew estimates will pay for itself with energy savings in less than a year and a half.

“We’ve always been a fairly green company, but [Agent Green] was the beginning of us really striving to be leaders,” Drew told us.

The lighting improvements have resulted in 31 tonnes of carbon gas reductions and 51,000 KW hours savings!  Drew is now working with Puget Sound Energy to improve the restaurant’s heating and cooling systems, and he continues to look for more opportunities for promoting environmental excellence.

“It’s amazing the small things you can do to make a big difference—it doesn’t take much to compost or change your light bulbs…a lot of it can save you money in the long run.”

Drew appreciates that events like Agent Green allow the Pike Brewing Co. to support social awareness and engagement: “That’s where I’m really seeing an impact on a business side is people in Seattle who are in these communities, who are environmentally responsible, now respect us and come here.”

This year for Earth Day, Pike Pub will be hosting an Earth Dinner “to support Chefs Collaborative and to raise awareness of the importance of a sustainable food supply.”  And where will Agent Green be heading this month?  Read on, gentle reader, read on…

And North, to Greenwood!

Aurea and I continued to track the Agent around Seattle, and ended up in a somewhat magical Greenwood neighborhood flower shop.  We spoke with the Terra Bella Flowers owner, Melissa Feveyear, amidst a visceral feast of vibrant blossoms, rich scents, and fanciful ornaments.  Oh, and how could I neglect to mention the gigantic canine Oscar—closer in stature to a horse than a dog—who rested his delightfully large head in my lap for the duration of our conversation.

Terra Bella Flowers was one of six businesses to join Agent Green and the Sustainability Committee of the Greenwood-Phinney Chamber of Commerce in February for the fourth and most extensive mission to date.  Melissa’s shop already operates “under the umbrella of organic, local, and sustainable” products, so the Agent Green partnership was an obvious match.

The crowd convened yet again, this time to enjoy food, shopping, and art all around the neighborhood.

“We had more traffic come through here than I’d ever seen before…I had roughly twenty to thirty people in here at all time,” Melissa recounted.  “It really helped us with publicity and I think in the long term it will help us financially for that reason.”

Melissa hopes to eventually insulate the cold concrete floors and improve the Terra Bella heating system with the revenue and resources generated by Agent Green.

Where Next?

If you’ve decided by now that you want to do a little sleuthing of your own and you happen to be in Seattle,  don’t make plans next Tuesday evening: April’s Agent Green event will be at Sport Restaurant & Bar on 4th Avenue.  Hope to see you there!

The Open Government West conference last week demonstrated the diversity of voices and perspectives involved in the Gov 2.0 movement, and the foreboding challenges ahead as we work across the public, private, non-profit, and civilian sectors.  How will a mass conglomeration of web and app developers, bureaucrats, non-profiteers, community activists, pensive loiterers, corporations, city council members, and CTO’s ever mobilize into one effective vehicle for opening government?

How will we ever satisfy everyone without falling into the proverbial black hole of satisfying no one?  So many interests, so many different lenses, thinking caps, needs and visions… shudder.  And snore.

But as I combed through the hours of video from the Open Government West conference last week, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that despite the heterogeneity of attendees, the extensive reiteration of only a couple words imbued optimism that maybe, just maybe, a mass conglomeration of hybrid ambitions could actually effect the change in the world we all want to see.

I love pop culture and Kelly Osborne’s “One Word,” (specifically the Chris Cox dance remix), seemed especially fitting for a 2 min video that to me, helped summarize the conference in that tasty and palatable way only a lowly pop culturist could enjoy.  But maybe you will as well.

Can you guess which word was heard over and over at the conference?

Tweets, innovative discourse and nerdy humor abounded at Seattle City Hall on Friday, where government officials, software developers, educators, and private sector professionals gathered for OpenGovWest. Over 200 conference attendees from the west coast of the United States and Canada, as well as special guests from as far away as Chile, took part in panel discussions, breakout sessions, and a participant-driven “unconference” in order to share knowledge, draft best practices, and set new goals for Gov 2.0: a more transparent, collaborative, and efficient system of governance than ever before.

Day One Conference Highlights:

•    After a welcome from conference convener Sarah Schacht of Knowledge as Power, Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn took the podium to give opening remarks.   McGinn described how social media and online collaboration tools influenced his campaign and ultimately helped make him successful.  He then announced the launch of the Lab for Civic Innovation, a public-private partnership designed to facilitate innovative democratic processes.

•    During a discussion of Open Gov Policy, Skip Newberry, an Economic Development Policy Advisor  to the City of Portland, stressed the need to collaborate across jurisdictions in order to establish best practices.  He also suggested using community oversight to mitigate risk and increase civic ownership in the development of public data tools.  The Assistant Attorney of Everett, WA, Ramsey Ramerman, made an important distinction between “transparent vs. translucent” government; i.e. open data is not just about information, but also developing the tools to allow the public to effectively access that information.

•    Bibliana McHugh of TriMet gave a brief summary of her pioneering work in transit data standards, and pointed out that those standards continue to evolve and improve because of the kinds of discussions that took place at OGW.

•    Minister Ben Stewart of British Columbia summarized the success of Vancouver’s social media campaign during the recent Olympic games and announced an Apps 4 Climate Action Contest.

•    In his keynote address, Andrew Hoppin explained how his team has transformed the New York state senate from “worst to first” in the Gov 2.0 race.  Early in 2009, he prioritized the creation of a truly 2.0 website, the radical expansion of access to public data, and the improvement internal collaboration tools.  Hoppin then dismantled the archaic NY senate system and replaced it with a highly interactive, easy to navigate, extremely transparent model that now serves as an archetype for other governments to build upon.

•    Bill Schrier, Seattle’s Chief Technology Officer, introduced data.seattle.gov and outlined a strategy for advancing open data initiatives in government.  His suggestions included deputizing private organization to help governments keep up, engaging citizens in solutions to common problems such as crime, combating naysayers by using crowdsourcing, and demonstrating strong leadership to encourage widespread participation and comfort.

•    After a series of breakout sessions, the entire group reconvened to report findings and recommendations.  Brett Horvath, Re-Vision Labs founding partner and head of Seattle’s Government 2.0 Task Force, announced a proposal drafted in his session to unite Vancouver, Seattle, Portland and San Francisco— “The West Coast Four”—in an agreement on one data project to develop a crime-based application to share across jurisdictions.

Sarah Schacht addresses over 200 attendees.

We’ll be posting interviews and further coverage of OpenGovWest on The Lab over the next few days.

By Martina Welke & Aurea Astro
Re-Vision Labs Fellows

Part Three:  The Rest of the Story

(Check out Part One and Two if you missed them)

The Finkels are not only successful business people, talented artists, and environmental stewards, but also masterful storytellers.  Aurea and I delighted in hearing about their adventures around the world and learning how their stories have influenced the Pike Brewing Company.

According to the thorough, rich history provided on the company website, Charles and Rose Ann met at a wine tasting in 1968: “Over shared Shiners they discover[ed] they both love beer and each other.”  During our interview, the 40 plus years the Finkels have spent together became increasingly apparent in our dialogue: Charles or Rose Ann often seamlessly completed the other’s sentences or added details to a story without ever interrupting the flow of their narrative.

Customers have taken notice of the stories and personalities behind the brewery and pub.  The Finkels get a lot of compliments on their website and the fact that they are a family-owned business.

“In an environment where increasingly people are relying on the Walmarts and chain businesses to satisfy their need to eat and to shop, I think people find it refreshing to go to a genuine place, that’s authentic, that real people own it, real people care about it.  Real people know their employees and care about their employees.  People who care about the quality of the food that they serve,” Charles told us.

The care Charles referred to is evident in the attention to detail the Finkels pay in every step of their business process.  Food purchasing, menu design, brewing recipes, bottle labels, and community outreach are all meticulously handled by the Finkels, and it’s this personal touch that gives their restaurant and their beer unique appeal.

“In our previous life as a beer importer, we introduced the first organic beer ever in America.   I designed the label, and I put organic on there, but I understated it.  I wanted people to buy the beer because it was really a delicious beer, not because it was organic.  And the same thing with our restaurant.  We want people to come here because the food is delicious, because the place is fun to be in, because the beer is so good, not because it’s necessarily organic.  It is, but that’s an added bonus.  The real most important thing is the food.”

Watch for Charles and Rose Ann at the pub enjoying a pint of Pike XXXXX Stout or Kilt Lifter Ruby Ale, walking their mascot—a one-eyed Boston Terrier named Dirby, or riding around town on their bicycle-built-for-two, complete with “tandem talker” headsets and matching jerseys.

By Martina Welke & Aurea Astro
Re-Vision Labs Fellows

Part Two: Building a Movement, System and Community

(In case you missed it, find Part One here)

During the same year that the Finkels originally found the Pike Brewing Co., another movement was brewing across the Atlantic.  In 1989, delegates from fifteen countries signed a manifesto that officially began Slow Food, an organization dedicated “to counteract[ing] fast food and fast life, the disappearance of local food traditions and people’s dwindling interest in the food they eat, where it comes from, how it tastes and how our food choices affect the rest of the world.”

The Finkels became involved in the Slow Food movement in the late nineties and started regularly traveling to Italy for Slow Food functions, such as the Salone del Gusto, the largest craft food fair in the world.  After selling the Pike Brewing Co., the Finkels had more time to devote to Slow Food and other charitable causes, which strengthened their already staunch commitment to high quality food and green practices. (Stay tuned for Part Three for more details on the Finkels’ Slow Food adventures…)

As the Finkels have implemented their sustainable philosophy after repurchasing the Pike Brewing Co., they’ve found tremendous value in two things we happen to value quite highly here at Re-Vision Labs: community and collaboration.  In addition to the resources they discovered through Slow Food, the Finkels have joined national and local networks that support their vision for sustainability.

“We’re very active in an organization called Chef’s Collaborative, which is a national organization that connects restaurants to farms,” Charles said.

Five Pike Brewing Co. staff members recently participated in a Chef’s Collaborative event called Farmer Fisher Chef Connection, a full day of panel discussions and networking opportunities for the Northwest food community (where Re-Vision Lab founding partner Dan O’Shea was a featured speaker).

The Finkels have noticed it’s become easier to find sustainable food sources that can deliver in a timely manner as more restaurants have taken an interest in becoming green.  Bringing more players to the table not only encourages suppliers to rise to meet demand, but also allows for more collaboration.  A Pike Pub beef supplier, Heritage Meats, facilitated one such collaborative opportunity with Canlis, an upscale Seattle restaurant.   Since Canlis purchasers are primarily interested in prime beef cuts, and Pike Pub needs a high volume of hamburger, Heritage Meats struck a mutually beneficial balance that efficiently meets both restaurants’ needs.

Charles: “The system has to be in place to facilitate an expedient business plan.  And that is what is happening now, both in terms of food and beer.”

Rose Ann: “Exactly.  And that’s why more and more restaurants can follow a sustainable philosophy.”

The Finkels have found many ways to support the local communities they are a part of, beginning with their food-purchasing priorities.

“While we like organic, we’re not going to buy something organic that gets shipped 1400 miles.  Our goal is to deal with local purveyors,” Rose Ann said.

Sunday Evening Whiskey Club musicians relax between sets at Washington for Haiti event.

Pike Pub also frequently hosts events that bring lovers of food and beer together.  Days before Valentine’s Day—as “foreplay before the big day”—the Pub hosted the second annual Chocofest.  According to the press release, over twenty vendors gather together to share “the best beers, wines, spirits, and mead with an assortment of chocolate that would make Willie Wonka jealous.”  I’m definitely going next year.

A few weeks before Chocofest, Pike Pub generously hosted Washington for Haiti in partnership with Re-Vision Labs, a fundraiser that resulted in over $3,400 for Fonkoze, a microfinance organization in Haiti.  To celebrate Father’s Day in June, the Pub is hosting a Pints for Prostates event as part of a national campaign to raise awareness of prostate cancer.

Whether uniting people for the sake of environmental sustainability, global development, public health, or unadulterated appreciation of delicious viands, the Finkels are impressively demonstrating the power of communities within their restaurant, brewery, and worldwide network of epicureans.