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we're here today with diana 8 & Schanker
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a social impact strategist and founder
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and CEO of global momenta she's also a
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philanthropic advisor a professor and
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entrepreneur diana thanks for being with
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us today my pleasure thanks for having
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me ritual that I'm curious to know like
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how did you what personal experiences
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kind of shaped your career and sort of
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inspired you to become involved with
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social innovation and entrepreneurship
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well there were lots of them but the the
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way that I came into innovation and
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entrepreneurship was really more by
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default than design I was driven and
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called to engage in work that would
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promote global social justice and I
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thought that I would need to do that
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through the lens and frame work of human
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rights law which is how I began and
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entered this field what I found out very
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soon was that the way I wanted to
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leverage the law and human rights to
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promote global social justice didn't
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really exist I needed to innovate that
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and it turns out I'm very
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entrepreneurial in how I do that so
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before we had the language of social
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innovation social entrepreneurship I
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thought I was just doing my work
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creating new ways to motivate and
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mobilize people and resources for
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progressive social impact it turns out
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we now call it social innovation and
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social entrepreneurship and I now not
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only get to practice that but advise
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others on how they can optimize their
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impact and teach social entrepreneurship
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and provide trainings in that area
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that's funny that you say that you know
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the terminology has changed a lot
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because that's one of the things I find
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most interesting about the field is just
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that I feel like what people are talking
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about when they say social innovation or
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social entrepreneur it's constantly
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changing just as the world is changing
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and so I guess I wanted to hear from you
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about that like I mean do you feel like
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that people's focus or what they mean
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when they say that has changed over the
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years and how has it changed I think
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that it has changed and it hasn't so it
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has in that by using the language of
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entrepreneur
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ship and innovation we're quite
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consciously adapting and applying
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business acumen business practices
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business sensibility and strategy to how
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we create social change and I think
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that's a good thing because business as
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usual of how we go about so in this our
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work in the social change sector isn't
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sufficient anymore we need new tools we
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need new strategies and drawing from the
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private business sector is a really
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creative way we can do our work better
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and adopting the language of innovation
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is important and exciting because it
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inherently compels us to constantly
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iterate and reiterate and renew how we
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create change we innovate in that way so
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it in those senses I think the new
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language reflects a change I also think
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it causes a change and how we carry out
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our work I also think though there is a
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constant of people's desire to make a
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difference people's desire to have our
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work matter to have our time our efforts
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our energy and our resources generate
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value and I think that that's a very
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deep and innate human drive the fact
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that we can now articulate that and
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identify that drive in new vehicles new
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options that might engage more people
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mobilize more people to realize their
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potential to make a difference is
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exciting and that's where we are in
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social innovation and social
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entrepreneurship now in your work with
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at global momenta you work with clients
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to create customized plans for them to
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put you know social innovation and
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social entrepreneurship plans into
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practice if you take us through like
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when a client comes to you you take us a
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little bit through the process you go
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through with them to kind of determine
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what is the best fit like what plan is
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the best fit for them sure I don't have
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a cookie cutter solution and I don't
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as I heard a colleague sada conference
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yesterday as a solution provider I come
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in as a thought partner so as a thought
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partner I want to be a very active and
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astute hopefully listener to who my
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client is as an individual a family a
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foundation an organization a company
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were their advisors and really what
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their needs are what their vision is and
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what their resources are that they want
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to mobilize for their social impact
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vision and then and then we strategize
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together based on on those factors so if
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I come in with a solution that I think
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meets all their needs I could miss a
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really important opportunity that they
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might inspire in me to suggest or have
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themselves and I see that also is an
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iterative process where we'll work
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together to create the optimal strategy
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for them so you're my tagline with
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global momenta and really my mantra is
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to optimize your impact that doesn't
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mean necessarily maximize the numbers
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according to an algorithm that I've
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preconceived it means what is the
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optimal strategy for you then rather
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than imposing a solution on my clients
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will create that together as the
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partners and now as part of that like
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what are the most important things to
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you like that you want to learn about
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them like maybe either whether it's
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visiting their headquarters justing I'm
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talking with them like what are you
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trying to learn to sort of help them
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figure out how to optimize that's such a
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good question well the the big picture
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answer in terms of your motivation is is
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what is inspiring and driving there
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they're coming to me so what's keeping
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them up at night what's getting them up
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in the morning and if I don't get a feel
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of you know that that spark or
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excitement something's missing and we
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need to find it usually it's there we
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can get that that's probably the first
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thing I need to learn about them the
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second is just more practical what are
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the resources they're able
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to identify and mobilize for for this
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vision and that that need not be
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exclusively financial and it may be a
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small or a large financial piece of a
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bigger picture but what really is the
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full spectrum of resources at their
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disposal that they want to bring to bear
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and then the third is a structural
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organizational capacity so what is their
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style what is their work style do they
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want to be very hands on our hands off
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what is their their their preferred role
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that they want to play what are their
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success factors so when they have been
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in a moment this is something I usually
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ask clients as a way of learning what I
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need to know from them when they've been
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at the top of their game when they know
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that everything's lined up and they're
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doing a great job and everything feels
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right and they get the feedback and the
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results that they want what were the
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factors that they needed to come into
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play for that moment we all have those
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moments you probably have that moment
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right now thinking about or a viewer
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watching this good thing I know when
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that moment was for me what was I doing
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at that time who was i with what was my
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role if I can understand and learn that
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then I will understand better how to
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work with that person so as we optimize
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their social impact it's it's customized
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to them in their needs now you also
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teach social entrepreneurship at the new
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school and I'm curious about what is the
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biggest thing that you're trying to I
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guess teach the students but then also
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what's the most important thing they've
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taught you those are great questions too
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so um I I love teaching social
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entrepreneurship and happy and honored
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to do it now at the Milano School of
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Management at the new school and I've
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also been fortunate to lecture at other
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schools in other arena and enna bards
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MBA and sustainability what I learn
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every single time is from the students
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that there is an unquenchable thirst and
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desire to be part of
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this era of social impact if we can call
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it that what I teach and want most
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centrally to convey is that we all have
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a role to play in this time in this
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process and our world needs all of us so
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no one's off the hook and no one's
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irrelevant that it all matters we're not
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all going to be social entrepreneurs but
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not everyone should be an entrepreneur
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to make a difference we can understand
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social entrepreneurship as one driver of
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social change to then identify where do
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I fit into that echo system maybe I'm an
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investor or a philanthropist that's
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partnering with financing this kind of
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social change maybe I'm a conscious
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consumer or a teacher or another
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important role in this this larger
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picture but I have a place and it's up
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to me to take that stand and rise to the
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occasion because the time is now to do
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so actually brings me to my next
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question so I mean social and social
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innovation impact it often involves
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partnerships from you know but from the
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nonprofit's fear from the private sphere
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and from the government's beer and I'm
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wondering I guess how do you think that
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the people from each of these fears or
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individuals or groups whatever can be
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better partners to each other I'm loving
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your questions so how I think they can
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be better partners to each other I think
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it's the same way where we're good
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partners in anything that we're mutually
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benefiting from the relationship we
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identify and recognize that we're
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mutually respectful and recognizing of
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each other's equal value and worth in
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the process and I think that we are
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merging towards greater and better
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partnerships between sectors as we come
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into a convergence in understanding that
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we need different disciplines and
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industries working together to solve
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problems or better yet prevent them from
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happening in the first place
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and we're looking in that process I
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think at of convergence and seeing more
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co-creation and collaboration that
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necessitates or reflects greater
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transparency and authenticity so that's
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a shift in power because we used to
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think that whatever our sector was was
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the primary place from which we view the
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world and then everyone else comes in or
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out either giving us the power that we
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don't have them we want need or taking
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from us the power that we're going to
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hold over them and I hope and see that
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we're arriving at a point where we
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recognize the real power is in being
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present with each other and that's when
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you have really powerful partnerships
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now what do you think is maybe the
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biggest misconception is conception that
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people have about strategic philanthropy
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or corporate social social
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responsibility I'm not sure what the
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biggest misperception is but I think
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there are I think there's some baggage
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that those terms come with and and
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perhaps they are misperceptions one is
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that it's you know what we call green
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washing with environmental programs that
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aren't really doing anything good for
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the environment but they look like it so
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one is that that it's just for show or
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it's just semantics but it's not really
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making a difference the other is that
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it's making a difference but that
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corporate social responsibility program
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or that strategic philanthropy
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initiative is a isolated and perhaps
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marginalized segment of the company or
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the philanthropy Phil anthropol
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philanthropic program I think that those
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are misperceptions because while we may
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have started out that way we're learning
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to integrate and have more convergence
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of those kinds of initiatives corporate
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social responsibility or strategic
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philanthropy as part of how we do the
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business of social good the business of
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our corporation the business of our
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philanthropy I think there's also a
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misperception of dismissing those
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initiatives and I guess it relates to
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the other two perceptions as being
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somehow not as important and not as
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central to the core mission of the
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corporation or of the foundation but
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actually sometimes that's that's the
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most important part and when it's
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effective it's actually embedded into
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the business well and I actually reach
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me to another question I guess what do
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you think there is whether it's a leader
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of the company or whoever's leading the
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particular corporate social
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responsibility initiative I mean what do
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you think they can do to sort of gain by
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in all levels of the organization to
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sort of have show people that it's not
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just oh that's that other thing that we
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do that I have to do but it is something
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that's actually core to the company or
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the organization's mission well I think
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the role that leadership can play in
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sending that message is is really
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important and it's demonstrating
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commitment and authenticity so if the
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leadership is committing resources
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financial time positions structure to a
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social impact initiatives that sends a
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really powerful message that it's not
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just an add-on it's not just an
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incidental nor is it marginalized so
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that's that's one important piece I
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think another important piece is letting
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it genuine be genuine and genuinely
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authentic for the leader so when the
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leader literally shows up and talks
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about the social impact initiatives not
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as the separate piece oh now I'm going
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to do my social impact day but as part
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of how I go around my day how I go about
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my business then that authenticity is
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really felt in its resonant and people
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respond to what's true and honest and we
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sure know when it's not so so leadership
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I think has an important responsibility
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imperative and I think a very exciting
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opportunity to
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take values the values that they hold
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the values that they want the company to
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emulate and say we're going to now live
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this through the practice of our work
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this is our business hmm and now you are
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actually part of launching a new
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incubator called qik nyc's that right
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now tell me a little bit one of the
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goals of this initiative well kick New
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York City is part of kick international
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network of 13 cities around the world
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who are rolling out this new incubator
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and we come in after the entrepreneur
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may have been inspired from an MBA
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program or a bootcamp or some kind of
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intensive experience and then what then
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they've perhaps launched a prototype or
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piloted venture but they need that kick
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to go forward or to take it up to the
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next stage so we are an intensive
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concentrated accelerator to take the
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entrepreneurs through a training program
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that covers a social entrepreneurship
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all the you know the good and the bad
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and the ugly and the beautiful and
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gorgeous that you need to know and
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facilitates peer-to-peer learning and
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engagement along with mentor matching of
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practitioners in the field and it all
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takes place in a co-working space
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devoted to social entrepreneurs so that
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they as they're incubating their idea or
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their own leadership are in the
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environment of the community of social
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enterprise and entrepreneurship with the
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kick New York City program as director
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I'm also introducing a new element that
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I've created through global momenta and
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rolled out this summer piloted through
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my partner inspiring capital who also
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has a terrific fellowship program and I
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call that values in action so I'm
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looking at framing social
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entrepreneurship
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as the way that we live our values in
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the action of our work and our business
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so we're framing the social
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entrepreneurship training through values
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in action looking at for what I call
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compass points to guide us through this
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new terrain of social entrepreneurship
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and innovation and those compass points
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to guide us our inspiration intention
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integrity and impact so all of that
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comes together through the kick New York
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City program and then other ways that I
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can share that with clients and the
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community and our reading about it
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actually got me wondering like what do
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you feel like is I mean for young social
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entrepreneurs and whether that's young
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in terms of age or young in terms of
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people just getting started in this
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space what do you think are the biggest
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needs that they have in terms of
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resources whether that's you know
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tangible or intangible well I think
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there are several key resources that
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they need I do think capital support is
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essential and really important and I
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know a lot of colleagues and funders who
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say you know it's never about the money
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it's always something else they need and
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that's true unless you don't have any
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money and then guess what it's really
00:19:09
about the money so so i think i think
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the capital of support financing is
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really important secondly community and
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by community I mean both infrastructure
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a place physically that you go to where
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you interact with other people and a
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community of Human Resources people and
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peers you can engage with to support you
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to try out ideas to get inspired and
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supported by so capital community
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infrastructure and then I think a lot of
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entrepreneurs need sustenance
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sustainability sustenance to sustain the
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operation and sometimes that's one of
00:20:01
the other
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components the capital or community
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infrastructure needs but sometimes it's
00:20:06
just that that you can do it through one
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more iteration so there's their
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structural components that we need to
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understand and iterate and reiterate and
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pilot and then re revised and then pivot
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in the process of innovating and
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enterprise and for that it's really
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helpful to have great advisors a coach a
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trainer but those those resources that
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sustain you so that you're really a
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sustainable enterprise and by that I
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don't mean the sustainable in the sense
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of being resource friendly
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environmentally friendly although that's
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good too but being able to sustain your
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work those are huge needs I think
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there's also a sense that social
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entrepreneurs feel like they can create
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their own thing and they're on their own
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and they're going to go do it but
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actually you need to be part of a supply
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chain management so you need to consider
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who will be your clients or customers
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who will be your suppliers your and and
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the advisor piece is also really
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important so I spoke about sustenance to
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sustain the enterprise as being a need
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that young entrepreneurs of any age and
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appreciate that insight we all need
00:21:36
advisors and my advice and approach to
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advising entrepreneurs is to gather
00:21:46
people who inspire you from different
00:21:50
disciplines and and sensibilities than
00:21:53
you're out you already have you at the
00:21:55
table so we don't need another you
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actually that's what friends are for but
00:21:59
for your advisors you need someone who
00:22:01
knows more than you you need someone who
00:22:03
knows less than you you need someone
00:22:05
who's more experienced and less
00:22:07
experienced I'm going to come from a
00:22:08
completely different sectors someone who
00:22:09
comes from a different aspect of the
00:22:11
business process
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and having the the courage to invite
00:22:17
those people smarter than you around the
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table with knowledge you don't have is
00:22:21
really important part of building your
00:22:23
team great and just one final question
00:22:26
for you what is the best piece of
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leadership advice that you've ever
00:22:30
received oh that's great and I wish I
00:22:34
had a really great answer I you know the
00:22:40
the best advice i think i've ever
00:22:44
received wasn't really advise the best
00:22:50
advice that I that I returned to came
00:22:52
from it's just one of my favorite quotes
00:22:54
a colleague of mine joy Anderson who
00:22:58
said trust grace to surprise you and I
00:23:03
love that as a leader we think that it's
00:23:06
all about our business management and
00:23:08
the skill set that we need to bring up
00:23:11
but I trust that we have that I i trust
00:23:13
that a leader is smart and has vision
00:23:16
and has skills and has capacity and then
00:23:22
it's being open to that magic the
00:23:26
alchemy of serendipity an opportunity
00:23:29
when it arises so if we trust that grace
00:23:35
will surprise us we're open to that and
00:23:37
is Mary Oliver the poet also indirectly
00:23:44
advises me by inspires inspiring me with
00:23:47
her words she says in instructions for
00:23:49
living a life that I think I take as a
00:23:51
leader three things one pay attention
00:23:55
and to be astonished and three tell
00:24:00
about it pay attention be astonished
00:24:03
tell about it I think by leading our
00:24:07
leadership is how we tell about what
00:24:10
astonishes us from what we see so being
00:24:13
really present and attentive to pay
00:24:15
attention and then be amazed by what's
00:24:18
around us all the time and tell about it
00:24:21
dan I thank you so much for being with
00:24:23
us today my pleasure thank you
00:24:40
you
