Do you ever read something and think 'awesome!"? Sasha Dicther, who is the Director of Business Development of the Acumen Fund, inspired by Seth Godin's new book, Triibes, wrote this absolutely awesome manifesto. (You can read it in html on this post).
For a few years now, I have been moving my focus more and more towards how do we take all of the great work we have done at Yoga Yoga, and explore what is next? My thoughts often settle around the focus of social entrepreneurship, patient money and creating 'organic' social change directed towards making yoga even more accessible, and how to not lose the knowledge, technology and wisdom of the 'yoga' as it reaches a larger audience, something that is a concern as the yoga 'industry' is increasingly associated with 'stuff' and 'sweat' versus knowledge and a lifetime of patient practice.
Recently I found this page about the Acumen Fund's approach to lending, and was greatly impressed by the breadth as well as the depth of their thinking about how to bring funding into the world of social change.
As I explore various initiatives for bringing yoga into the mainstream of the marketplace, hoping to support the change that this practice brings to individual lives day in and day out, my primary focus is how to 'scale' without losing our heart. I am convinced that the creative use of capital is at the heart of this issue, and I am inspired to continue to explore this when I read work this thoughtful, cogent and persuasive!
I hope you take the time to read it. Especially now, in these economically confronting times, we can be well served by taking the time to question our current beliefts in capital, economics and what it means to foster genuine well being in our communities. I think money and capital can be part of the 'perscription' for community health, but it is time to reinvent the rules. I think Acumen can help, and other groups like Ashoka, and the RSF Social Finance are moving this entire concept more and more into the mainstream of our culture every day.
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Hey Rich,
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for sharing my manifesto with your blog readers. Your ping caught my eye since I'm entering my second decade as a yoga practitioner, and I really think all of these threads of who you are, what you do in the world, and being the change you hope to see, all do ultimately come together.
My best wishes to you.
Sasha