Oriol Pascual

Sustainability, innovation, entrepreneurship

Sustainable Entrepreneurship Manifesto

Declaration

A manifesto is a declaration of principles and intentions. Sustainable entrepreneurship is still on early stages of development, but experience has shown some of the principles defining what works and what does not work in this field.

This manifesto aims to set direction about what are the principles describing this movement. Evolution may be expected as more people get involved and new sustainable entrepreneurial ventures are developed. In any case, this is a starting point and we welcome your participation and point of view.

Sustainable Entrepreneurship Manifesto

  1. Sustainability entrepreneurs formulate new ways to create and capture environmental, social, & financial value;
  2. Sustainable Innovation exploits unforeseen opportunities by delivering solutions for sustainability issues. On this trip, technological & social engineering is often an ally;
  3. It is a journey, not a goal. Your aim; constantly do better than yesterday, competition, or than the status-quo;
  4. People are the greatest source of opportunities. Science sets the limits of what is possible;
  5. Get to know the facts: opportunities come from understanding the context;
  6. Connectivity is productivity. The world is flat, exploit it;
  7. Create value for people around you;
  8. Be a hub on your personal network, leverage others by giving a voice, connecting, empowering;
  9. Information is power!…you got it all, for free, use it, share it, filter it, mix it, reflect on it;
  10. You can do anything you want, anything. The tools are out there, the power of like-minded people too, and you got the brains to do it.

This manifesto is part of the project Sustainable Entrepreneurship: A How-To Guide. I’d be glad to know what you think about it and invite you to add your own suggestions about this set of principles. What is your take?

Photo credit: S J Pinkney

Solar Roadways Wins GE Competition

The first edition of GE’s Ecoimagination Challenge has a winner. After 3.800-plus applications, and 74.000 votes, Solar Roadways has been announced as winner of the $50.000 award.

Solar Roadways, has the audacious plan to replace America’s asphalt roads with textured, glass solar panels that could collect energy, distribute it and simultaneously serve up LED-powered signs. According to Solar Roadways’ founder Scott Brusaw, the idea is to install a massive solar panel network laid out end-to-end from California to New York that would dramatically change the energy landscape and the country’s literal landscape.

GE’s Ecoimagination Challenge aims to come with innovative solutions for the related to sustainable energy systems, divided in three categories: Create - renewable energy, Connect - grid efficiency, Use - buildings.

Via TechCrunch

Enviu is Open for Investment

mkbcrowdfunding from mkbservicedesk on Vimeo.

Enviu is launching Enviu Participations B.V.; a platform for impact investments. By impact investment it is meant investing in a company which business has a high social and/or environmental impact and is still aiming on making good money.

Enviu Participations B.V. is the holding company of start-ups developed by Enviu Foundation. Currently, Enviu Participations B.V. has stakes in:

Enviu Participations B.V. intends to - additionally - acquire nine new start-ups with a high social and/or environmental impact in the period from 2011 to 2014 from Enviu Foundation. Interested to do some impact investment? Read how you can do it here.

The Future of Sustainable Design Thinking

Steve Bishop

Steve Bishop is global lead of environmental impact at the design and business innovation firm IDEO:

There’s a need for making sustainability compelling to people in ways other than adhering to policies, avoiding regulatory encounters. This is an opportunity for growth in business, and an opportunity for positive impact. Ideas flow in a generative nature, building on one another. 

Keep reading the interview at The Atlantic.