Day 2 of SOCAP 2012 features another three social entrepreneurs with the opportunity to stand on the main stage and tell an audience full of powerful decision makers, influencers, and investors their idea to make the world a better place. They were chosen out of a group of 100 entrepreneurs who participated in the Impact Accelerator, a weekend focused on peer collaboration, targeted mentoring, and polished presentations before the kickoff of the conference.
Simon Griffiths is the co-founder of Who Gives A Crap, a toilet paper company that uses 50% of its profits to build toilets and improve sanitation in the developing world. Today, approximately 40% of the global population still does not have access to a clean toilet. As a result, many people get sick and die of diarrhea-related diseases. Who Gives A Crap makes toilet paper together with a recycled toilet paper producer. Currently, the product is sold through their website and the company seeks future distribution in supermarkets and other stockists.
Debbie Sterling is the founder of GoldieBlox, a toy company that aspires to develop an interest and skill set among young girls in engineering. Engineers are responsible for solving many of the biggest challenges we face in society, yet close to 90% of them are male. This means we are building a world where the female perspective is severely lacking, which presents a problem when we consider the fact that 50% of the population is female. Many young girls lose interest in math and science by the age of 8 and to keep them interested, GoldieBlox developed an interactive toy that encompasses one of their favourite activities, storytelling. Goldie is the main character who builds machines to solve problems and help her friends.
Jason Aramburu is the founder of re:char, an environmental company that develops biochar and deploys small biochar production factories in the developing world. Waste such as wood chips, cardboard, dried grass, and leaves can be turned into biochar, a rich, carbon-negative nutrient material. This means farmers in the developing world can use it in agricultural soils to enhance crop yield by as much as 20% at low cost and improve their income. On a large scale, biochar can be an effective method to help mitigate climate change by removing carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. The company currently sells a product called Black Revolution on their website for $25, which is a blend of compost, coconut coir, and biochar that can be used on a garden or farm to increase yield and sequester carbon.