Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

APRIL 24, 2018

When I explained that our board just didn’t see manufacturing reading machines for the blind making financial sense for a for-profit company, Gerry said “How about you set up a deliberately nonprofit tech company?”

Mentoring 167

Mentoring Copyright Law Photography 167

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

JUNE 13, 2011

As part of the Arkenstone sales, Rob also helped us create a wholly owned for-profit subsidiary to protect our nonprofit status (by having a taxable subsidiary handle unrelated business income, the nonprofit parent was better protected). Rob is committed to the success of social enterprises.

San Francisco 140

San Francisco Law Lecture Advice 140

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

JUNE 3, 2011

A longtime venture capitalist with his DEFTA Partners firm , he wants to help solve social problems using hybrid capital structures that meld nonprofit and for-profit partners. He uses the Alliance Forum Foundation as one of his vehicles for making deals along these lines in Asia and Africa.

Public 140

Public Bangladesh San Francisco Asia 140

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

JUNE 13, 2016

Toyama on that issue: If a private company is failing to make a profit, no one expects that state-of-the-art data centers, better productivity software, and new laptops for all of the employees will turn things around. Yet, that is exactly the logic of so many attempts to fix schools with technology.

Laptop 100

Laptop Hype Ghana Phase 100

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

JUNE 8, 2015

You are someone who dreams about using your management and leadership skills and love of technology for social impact, exceeding the bounds of what a regular for-profit business can do. You’ve come to the right place: Benetech. We are Silicon Valley’s deliberately nonprofit software company.

Technology 100

Technology Literacy Social Uganda 100

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

DECEMBER 13, 2015

It is full of examples of interesting ed tech from for-profits and nonprofits, as well as local, state and federal government agencies. I just finished reading the National Education Technology Plan , and I can recommend it to anyone interested in the future of technology in American education.

Education 100

Education National Technology Student 100

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

SEPTEMBER 18, 2011

Speed Geeking at the Gates Foundation Global Library Program about Bookshare International 9/22 Stanford Social Innovation Review online webinar "Nonprofit, For-profit, or Something in Between?"

Public 133

Public Change Connecticut Cleveland 133

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

MARCH 6, 2013

Why You Don’t Want this Job: You’ll have to show you have a unique combination of both social justice and technology cred; You’ll probably be paid half of what you’d be worth to a for-profit company; You’ll have to travel to both developing countries and Washington, D.C. and work often with people in miserable conditions (yes, in both places!);

Job 238

Job Open Source Global Government 238

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

FEBRUARY 27, 2013

Digital and mobile communications are changing the rules about social networks, intellectual property, and the availability of big data, with an overall blurring of the boundaries between state, for-profits, and nonprofits. At Benetech, we look to fill the gap between what’s possible and what’s profitable with technology.

Develop 144

Develop Social Library eBook 144

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

NOVEMBER 3, 2011

We were all there thanks to the efforts of Drew Conway, Jake Porway, and Craig Barowsky (Data without Borders’s founders) who had the crazy idea of bringing together well-intentioned data analysts and non-profits with data in need of analysis. The next Data Dive will be held here in San Francisco on Nov. 4-6 (tomorrow!),

New York City 133

New York City New York San Francisco Analysis 133

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

MAY 10, 2013

Unfortunately, most companies won’t pursue projects without the promise of big profits and the people who need tech tools the most often can’t afford them. Technology has the potential to improve the lives of millions across the world.

Technology 172

Technology India Washington America 172

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

MAY 14, 2011

We just bridge the gap between possibility and profitability. To see one example, check out my recent paper “For Love or Lucre” on how to decide whether to be a nonprofit or for-profit when starting a social enterprise.) We see what’s already possible with technology, and build what we call the “last social mile.”

Technology 150

Technology Change Social Literacy 150

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

JUNE 28, 2013

We are a high tech organization that is not organized as a for-profit company, but instead as a nonprofit charitable corporation working to ensure technology serves all of humanity. At Benetech , we like to think of ourselves as part of Silicon Valley’s heart.

Library 225

Library Government United States Accessibility 225

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

AUGUST 6, 2010

His idea is straightforward: he believe the Middle East/North Africa region is ripe for values-centered for-profit social enterprises that can both make plenty of money and deliver social benefits.

SWF 140

SWF Group Asia Europe 140

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

SEPTEMBER 20, 2009

The participants would get hands on training at a non profit organization in India and will train in all aspects of non profit management.

International 129

International India Social Student 129

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

JULY 29, 2011

It's a for-profit social enterprise, with a focus on employing disadvantaged people. I was happy to thank everybody for their work on behalf of our Bookshare members, and letting them know how important that work is for giving our members an equal shot at education. And, of course, that's just what Daproim is all about.

Kenya 228

Kenya Student Africa University 228

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

DECEMBER 16, 2009

By announcing we're doing open content college textbooks with Flat World Knowledge, a cool for-profit startup. We got great feedback about our announcement a couple of weeks ago about doing open content textbooks for K-12, thanks for funding from the US Department of Education. How were we going to top that one?

Knowledge 100

Knowledge License Accessibility Demonstration 100

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

NOVEMBER 23, 2009

I recently blogged about seeing David Wiley's talk about Flat World Knowledge, the open content textbook company (for-profit, but giving away the digital versions of their textbooks for free under CC licenses), at the BYU ESR conference.

Accessibility 150

Accessibility Content Open Copyright 150

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

JUNE 16, 2011

I’m a high tech engineer and the founder of Benetech, one of Silicon Valley’s leading nonprofit technology companies, dedicated to seeing that the benefits of technology help all of humanity, not just the richest 10% • As a nonprofit charity, we focus on areas of market failure, where regular for-profit companies have decided that the market opportunity (..)

Qatar 154

Qatar Accessibility People Copyright 154

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

OCTOBER 20, 2015

She runs a for-profit social enterprise named Daproim that provides data entry services using disadvantaged students as their primary workforce. Carol Wanjiku is the CEO of Daproim. She’s an incredible social entrepreneur I just visited with in Nairobi, Kenya. We go way back with her firm.

Kenya 100

Kenya Social Student India 100

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

MARCH 23, 2008

Individuals, nonprofit organizations, and for-profit companies are all eligible. 25 Laureates will be honored at a Gala event on November 12, 2008 and five Laureates will share a cash prize of $250,000. Self-nominations are accepted and encouraged. Reward those making a difference and nominate today at [link]

Museum 100

Museum Award Tech Global 100

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

JANUARY 17, 2014

As a different kind of Silicon Valley tech company—a nonprofit with a pure focus on social good—our goal is to see that the best of technology gets applied to social needs left unaddressed by for-profit businesses. In reality, the entire field of accessibility hinges on a robust fair use exception, Section 107.

Copyright 196

Copyright Law Accessibility Library 196

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

APRIL 30, 2012

Benetech operates at the heart of the new social economy, as illustrated by our innovative approach to picking up ventures that can make revolutionary impact on the social sector and by our business model that hinges on “building the last social mile” to fill the gap between what’s possible and what’s profitable with technology.

Award 154

Award Lecture Social Student 154

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

APRIL 20, 2013

I remember the day I told my wife, Virginia, that I’d do this “nonprofit thing” for just one year and then go back to regular for-profit high tech companies. That was over 24 years ago!

eBook 221

eBook Award Copyright Syria 221

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

APRIL 18, 2007

Last year's Gathering had really indicated our members were interested in a new organizational form that might better serve social enterprise rather than bending the for-profit or charity forms to our purposes (since we aren't really either). This meeting moved the conversation forward.

North Carolina 100

North Carolina Long Beach Asia Proposal 100

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

FEBRUARY 25, 2015

I had a chance to talk to Seth Levine , co-founder of the Foundry Group, and Ryan Martens , founder and CTO of Rally Software, about the One Percent Initiative (startup companies give one percent of equity or annual profits) and the Entrepreneur''s Foundation of Colorado that they are strongly promoting among their companies and the Colorado region.

Impact 100

Impact Colorado Social San Francisco 100

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

AUGUST 18, 2008

Starting a for-profit in California took me one or two weeks, and I think it's still that fast. Setting up as a nonprofit is not easy. But, setting up a nonprofit and getting 501(c)(3) status can take a year or more and cost ten or twenty thousand dollars (unless you get pro bono legal help).

Resource 123

Resource San Francisco New York Sponsor 123

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

FEBRUARY 15, 2013

As a matter of fact, the funding for Benetech to start Bookshare and our Martus human rights software project came from a successful spinoff of our first social enterprise, the Arkenstone reading machines, which we sold to a for-profit for roughly $5 million.

Analysis 174

Analysis Project Open Source Analytics 174

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

JANUARY 20, 2010

Benetech's recommendation is to apply intellectual property to unmet social needs, by encouraging WEF stakeholders to think beyond solely profitable applications. So, here's the proposal we made to the WEF, and which I look forward to advocating for in Davos next week. We believe this can be accomplished by: 1.

Proposal 100

Proposal Government University Switzerland 100

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

MARCH 28, 2014

It is, however, a very narrow tool even for a social enterprise, let alone for a profitable business opportunity. We had emailed back and forth about software that would drill him on ever-lengthening strings of numbers. Such an application is completely doable with not that much work.

Ideas 223

Ideas Kenya Brain Software 223

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

MARCH 10, 2014

Here’s Benetech’s outlook: we advocate for a human-centered approach to data in the social sector. Data without context has little value. We ask the question: data for whom?

Data 168

Data Classroom Measure Accessibility 168

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

FEBRUARY 4, 2007

Benetech doesn't give technology away, but instead develops socially beneficial and affordable products and services that are not financially attractive to for-profit companies. The market was small and for-profit companies were not interested. Benetech's origins start with its Arkenstone project.

Award 100

Award San Diego New York New York City 100

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

NOVEMBER 10, 2005

The Mercury News ran a great story and quoted Peggy Gibbs, one of our execs: Old problems, new solutions : The Tech Museum Awards also provide a venue for many local foundations and non-profits to seek out new ideas and partners.

China 100

China Award Museum Tech 100

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

APRIL 20, 2007

And, the social sector isn't structured by its nature to encourage scale like the for-profit sector. Now, I was one of the many people in the audience who didn't see much room for the social enterprisers in the mostly binary world of Carl's speech (strong for-profits and traditional charities).

Blogger 100

Blogger Create America Articulate 100

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

APRIL 21, 2005

He encouraged us to found a new sector that isn't nonprofit and isn't for profit, but is somewhere in the middle. Here's an article from the Milwaukee press on the event: When non-profits cash in. I was able to introduce him, and it was great to hear from his presentation how he gets social enterprise.

Milwaukee 100

Milwaukee Press Profit Conference 100

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

JANUARY 1, 2011

Benetech is a Silicon Valley nonprofit organization developing innovative technology solutions with a primary goal of positive social change rather than profit. Benetech Truths 1 We are committed to social change through technology. 2 We get stuff done.

Literacy 145

Literacy Articulate Open Source International 145

Beneblog: Technology Meets Society

JUNE 25, 2007

One of the things I often talk about in my public speaking is the continuum that goes from pure profit orientation to pure charity. Most social entrepreneurs I know operate somewhere in between, and for good reasons. Charity is an important and good thing, but charity can be a powerful negative force when misapplied.

Africa 100

Africa Malawi America Children 100