Mostrando postagens com marcador Responsabilidade Social. Mostrar todas as postagens
Mostrando postagens com marcador Responsabilidade Social. Mostrar todas as postagens

terça-feira, 10 de dezembro de 2013

Brasil27: Inglês para Todos

Fonte: http://www1.folha.uol.com.br/empreendedorsocial/colunas/2013/12/1383528-brasil27-ingles-para-todos.shtml

Sendo o Brasil um país tão acolhedor e sede de eventos importantes nos próximos anos, como a Copa do Mundo (2014) e as Olimpíadas (2016), seria extraordinário se cada brasileiro pudesse falar fluentemente pelo menos uma segunda língua. Mas pesquisas apontam que estamos bem distantes disso. Em 2012, os números do EF English Proficiency Index mostraram que o desempenho ao comunicar em inglês dos brasileiros é um dos piores entre os 54 países pesquisados. E os resultados do British Council revelaram que somente 5% da população brasileira fala fluentemente o idioma.
Aprender uma nova língua não é uma tarefa fácil. É necessário despender muito tempo e dinheiro para o aprendizado efetivo da mesma. E, como as escolas tradicionais ganham mais dinheiro quanto mais tempo o aluno permanecer na escola, não há um esforço para a aprendizagem rápida. O que confere diversas barreiras, principalmente para as classes C, D e E, que dispõem de poucos recursos, para o aprendizado de um outro idioma.
Arquivo Pessoal/Você Aprende Agora
Felipe Dib, fundador do Você Aprende Agora, gravando as vídeo aulas após seu acidente Crédito: Arquivo Pessoal/Você Aprende Agora
Felipe Dib, fundador do Você Aprende Agora, gravando as vídeo aulas após seu acidente

Com a proposta de facilitar o ensino de inglês, Felipe Dib, 25, graduado em relações internacionais, criou uma metodologia a partir das palavras, frases e expressões mais utilizadas na língua inglesa, baseada no Cambridge English Corpus, da Universidade de Cambridge.
E assim nasceu o curso de inglês Você Aprende Agora. "É um curso grátis, on-line, baseado em aulas de três minutos, desde o nível mais básico até o mais avançado. É um curso voltado para qualquer pessoa no mundo que queira aprender inglês, não importa quem seja ou onde esteja. E, de preferência, aprenda rápido, com eficiência e aquilo que será utilizado na vida real", explica Dib.

MÉTODO
Do início ao final do curso, são 612 videoaulas. Cada uma possui em média três minutos e o método prevê dez minutos de dedicação para cada aula. E por quê? O empreendedor explica: "Queremos que o aluno entenda, escreva e repita cada aula". Dessa maneira, a língua é abordada de forma holística, englobando as quatro habilidades (escrita, fala, escuta e leitura). "Fazendo isso, ele aprende com maior facilidade". Dib acrescenta que, "para aprender, o aluno precisa notar que aquilo é usado no dia a dia ou que irá ajudá-lo em qualquer contexto. Por isso separamos conteúdos baseados no que é mais utilizado".
Todas as aulas podem ser acessadas gratuitamente e o aluno pode assisti-las quantas vezes quiser, rompendo a barreira que a população de baixa renda encontra para aprender inglês. Além disso, caso o estudante queira fazer exercícios e ter um certificado de aprendizagem, o Você Aprende Agora oferece pacotes de créditos que podem ser adquiridos conforme a necessidade do aluno.
COMEÇO
A ideia de criar a iniciativa surgiu após dois acidentes de carro sofridos pelo fundador, como uma forma de agradecimento por ter sobrevivido a eles. Ele queria retribuir à sociedade aquilo que ele sabia fazer de melhor - ensinar inglês. E o curso deveria ter a melhor qualidade que Dib poderia oferecer. Assim, com a nova metodologia criada por ele, em 2011, começou a gravar aulas de inglês e disponibilizá-las gratuitamente na internet.
Somente em março de 2013, o Você Aprende Agora tornou-se um empreendimento, com o início da venda dos pacotes de crédito de exercícios. O empreendedor conta que essa transformação demandou muito trabalho interno e clareza de compromisso social. "Ganhar dinheiro com aquilo me feria. Aquilo era para agradecer a Deus por estar vivo. Por isso eu tinha muito pudor para ganhar dinheiro com a iniciativa. Demorou a entender que se eu pudesse tirar meu sustento dali e me dedicar 100% ao projeto, meu impacto seria muito maior."

FUTURO
Em apenas oito meses de funcionamento, o Você Aprende Agora conta com mais de 10 mil cadastros e mais de 13 mil seguidores no Youtube. Mais de 3 milhões de aulas foram lecionadas on-line. Os alunos estão espalhados pelo mundo todo, com maior número de acessos provenientes do Brasil, dos Estados Unidos, de Portugal, da Irlanda e do Japão. Além disso, Dib recebeu pela iniciativa diversos prêmios: Prêmio Jovens Inspiradores - Voto Popular 2012; Prêmio Tech Ativismo Global Entrepreneurship Congress 2013 (tech for good); Prêmio Mérito Empreendedor MS 2013; Selecionado Visão de Sucesso - BID e Endeavor 2013.
Apesar de todo o reconhecimento, a verdadeira chancela de qualidade são os depoimentos de seus alunos, contando como aprender inglês com a iniciativa mudou suas vidas. "Eu recebi um depoimento de uma aluna dizendo que o grande amor da vida dela era um indiano, mas a comunicação deles era muito difícil. Depois de fazer as aulas, a relação e a comunicação entre eles melhorou muito", brinca Dib.
A empresa está visualizando novos mercados e já criou o "Tú Aprendes Ahora", uma plataforma para o ensino da língua inglesa para pessoas que falam espanhol como língua nativa. Além dessa expansão para outros territórios, o empresário tem outro grande plano para o futuro: que a plataforma esteja disponível em todas as escolas públicas do Brasil, mas sem deixar de oferecer as aulas gratuitamente. "Nosso modelo nasceu assim e vamos continuar nesta linha. O Você Aprende Agora nasceu para ajudar o aluno a falar inglês e ter mais oportunidades em sua carreira acadêmica e profissional!".
"Let's start?"

BRASIL 27
Iniciativa conjunta dos jovens Fabio Serconek e Pedro Henrique G. Vitoriano e contando com apoio do Centro de Empreendedorismo e Administração em Terceiro Setor (Ceats) da Universidade de São Paulo (USP), o Projeto Brasil 27 está visitando todos os Estados brasileiros para estudar, em cada um deles, um exemplo de negócio social. Conta com o apoio do ICE (Instituto de Cidadania Empresarial), das fundações Avina e Rockefeller, e da Rede Omidyar.
Os registros da jornada ficarão disponíveis no blog do projeto e serão publicados semanalmente no Empreendedor Social.

terça-feira, 18 de junho de 2013

Por que (ainda) não fui às manifestações em São Paulo?

Até ontem estava quieta, mas agora senti a necessidade de me expressar e, provavelmente, polemizar ainda mais. Sou favorável às manifestações sem vandalismo, como esta mais recente em SP, porém sou extremamente cética. Para acreditar que o Brasil, de fato, "acordou", queria ter certeza também de que, entre os milhares de manifestantes ao redor do país, incluindo muitos amigos, não estão incluídas também muitas pessoas que:

- jogam lixo no chão
- picham os muros da cidade sem qualquer ligação com os protestos
- empurram para entrar no metrô
- votam nos mesmos políticos de sempre ou, pior, votam em "coisas" como Tiririca, Netinho, Clodovil... num suposto ato de protesto, se esquecendo de que eles também vão ter os mesmos salários dos demais e estão, geralmente, despreparados para as funções que deveriam exercer
- em vez de lutar pela melhora efetiva do ensino público simplesmente colocam os filhos numa escola particular porque "é importante passar no vestibular"
- usam o carro para ir até a padaria da esquina, contribuindo para o aumento da poluição e do trânsito, param em fila dupla, dirigem após beber...
- reclamam de 20 centavos, mas não se importam de pagar 500, 600 reais para ver um show de 2 horas de algum artista estrangeiro
- trocam de celular a cada 6 meses, gerando lixo eletrônico e contribuindo para que os preços dos lançamentos estejam sempre nas alturas (já que o pessoal compra...)
- dizem que não tem tempo para ler e estudar, mas não perdem um capítulo da novela ou do Big Brother
- gastam tudo o que tem e até fazem dívidas para ir ao Japão ver um jogo de futebol (e do Corinthians ainda por cima rs)
- como postei ontem, daqui a pouco estarão torcendo para o Brasil ganhar a Copa das Confederações e depois a Copa do Mundo, se esquecendo de que, além dos R$ 0,20, um dos motivos dos protestos são os investimentos absurdos nos estádios, e não em escolas, hospitais, transporte...
- agridem ou até matam outras pessoas por serem "diferentes" delas, um porque é punk, o outro porque é skinhead, o outro porque é gay, o outro porque é índio...

Enfim, acho que ontem foi importante, histórico talvez, mas só temo que, em vez de ter "acordado", o Brasil simplesmente caia num novo sonho de que basta juntar alguns milhares de pessoas em algumas cidades do país durante alguns dias e tudo vai se resolver. Há ainda quase 200 milhões de pessoas para serem convencidas da necessidade de protestos (sem vandalismo) e mudanças. Vamos mudar de fato, incluindo atitudes simples que qualquer um pode fazer?

quinta-feira, 6 de dezembro de 2012

Cursos de férias a R$ 20

A UnG está com inscrições abertas para os cursos de férias, inclusive para o campus do Shopping Light, no centro de SP. As inscrições custam apenas R$ 20, para 8 horas de curso.

Darei o curso Inglês com Filmes, nos dias 19/1 e 26/1, das 9h às 13h, no Shopping Light. O curso é indicado tanto para alunos que queiram treinar o idioma como para professores que queiram ter mais variedade em suas aulas, ou simplesmente para quem quer "desenferrujar o inglês".
Inscreva-se no site http://ung.br/cursosdeferias/cursos.php (Clicando em "Inscrição". Mais informações sobre o curso no item "Educação").

Outra opção recomendada, nos mesmos dias e horário, é o curso Introdução ao Terceiro Setor e aos Negócios Sociais: Como Unir Profissão e Realização Pessoal, ministrado por meu sócio na ponteAponte, Cássio Aoqui. O curso está descrito na seção "Administração, Contabilidade e Negócios, mas é aberto a qualquer interessado, sem nenhum pré-requisito.
Inscreva-se http://ung.br/cursosdeferias/cursos.php.

quinta-feira, 30 de agosto de 2012

50 Best Blogs for Special Ed Teachers

Sent by: Kaitlyn cole
Source: http://www.onlineuniversities.com/blog/2012/08/50-best-blogs-special-ed-teachers-updated/


While being a teacher is never easy, working with students in special education comes with some unique challenges. From writing lengthy IEPs to working closely with parents and other teachers, it takes a calm, collected, organized, confident, and very special person to work with students who often need a great deal more support and assistance than their peers to succeed. Yet even the best special education teachers can use a little guidance, inspiration, and information to help them to be even better at what they do. That’s just what the 50 blogs we’ve collected here can do. Read through this updated list (a revision of this list to reflect new blogs and to remove old, no-longer-updated sites) to find resources that will help you teach, learn, and grow right alongside your students.
Special Education Teaching Tips and Strategies
These blogs are written by teachers and educational professionals who share their ideas, tips, tools, and advice for working with special education students.
  1. Reality 101:
    The Council for Exceptional Children maintains this blog along with the help of several special education teachers who share their experiences and advice.
  2. About.com Special Education:
    Blogger and teacher Jerry Webster shares the basics of special education here, as well as some helpful insights from his own experiences in the classroom.
  3. About.com Learning Disabilities:
    Through this blog you can learn more about a variety of learning disabilities and how you can help children with them excel.
  4. Teachers at Risk:
    Teacher Elona Hartjes shares her insights, resources, and practical classroom advice here, an invaluable resource for any special education teacher.
  5. Successful Teaching:
    This blog isn’t focused on special education, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be a great place for special ed teachers to find advice on all things education-related.
  6. Special 2 Me:
    Check out this blog from a highly dedicated special education teacher (and for the present general education teacher) who is teaching in a high-crime, low-income school in L.A.
  7. Special Education Strategies and More:
    Teachers and parents of children with special needs can find some helpful strategies for helping them grow academically, emotionally, and socially on this blog.
  8. Teacher Sol:
    Exceptional Needs Specialist Maria Angala shares what’s going on in her class as well as updates on her battle to improve special education here.
  9. Teaching Students with Learning Difficulties:
    Teachers and staff working with high schoolers in special education can find useful lessons, tips, and more on this great blog.
  10. Life in Special Education:
    Head to this blog to see what special education teacher Karla Banks is doing in her elementary school classroom.
  11. Special Education Advisor:
    Find help with your IEPs and special education classroom through the help of this blog for K-12 educators.
  12. Ms. Rachel’s Room:
    On this blog you’ll get a front row seat to a special ed classroom headed by Ms. Rachel. Read through her posts for ideas you can use in your own classroom.
  13. ESU 4 Special Education:
    From staff development to lessons, this blog offers numerous resources to help teachers and administrators working with special education students.
  14. Special Education and Learning Differences:
    PCI Education offers tips and ideas for helping students with special needs excel in school and beyond.
  15. The Cooke Special Education Blog:
    The faculty at the Cooke Center share their advice for improving the educational experience of special needs children.
Technology and Assistive Technology
Technology is a big part of just about every classroom these days, including special ed. Read through these blogs to learn how tech can help your students excel.
  1. Assistive Technology:
    Head to this blog to learn more about some of the best assistive technologies out there today or in the works for tomorrow.
  2. Teaching All Students:
    Get tips and tools for using technological tools in the special education classroom from this excellent blog. Don’t forget to check out the list of great apps, too!
  3. Free Resources from the Net for Every Learner:
    The web is full of great educational resources. Use this blog to more easily find them, especially those which cater to the needs of students with learning disabilities.
  4. The Assistive Technology Blog:
    The Virginia Department of Education’s Training and Technical Assistance Center shares expertise on the latest classroom-ready technologies for special students here.
  5. Apace of Change:
    Damian Bariexca shares his lessons from the special education classroom, his educational experience, and openness to using technology on this education blog.
  6. All Together We Can:
    Samuel Sennott authors this blog, focused on assistive technology, which he helps to develop and implement.
Special Topics
These blogs focus on select disabilities, special ed issues, and other specific topics.
  1. Barto’s World:
    Learn more about learning disabilities like dyslexia and ADHD, as well as ways that teachers can help students who have them on this blog from blogger Barto.
  2. Eide Neurolearning Blog:
    This blog focuses on highlighting news and articles related to brain-based learning and learning disorders.
  3. 2e: Twice-Exceptional Newsletter:
    Here you’ll find the newsletter, in blog form, from 2e, with information on the latest research being done into disabilities like ADHD, dyslexia, Asperger’s, and more.
  4. EBD Blog:
    Read up on the latest news, commentary, and resources related to emotional and behavioral disorders here.
  5. Special Needs Resource Magazine:
    Teachers can find a wealth of information to help them assist children with special needs through this great online magazine.
  6. Bilingual Special Ed:
    Are your special education students struggling not only with a disability but also learning another language? Get advice and information here.
  7. I Speak of Dreams:
    Read through this blog for great information and commentary on a wide range of learning disability issues.
  8. The Shut-Down Learner:
    For many students with learning disabilities, school isn’t always a fun place. This blog offers ideas for both parents and teachers to help make learning more fun for these students.
  9. ADDitude Blogs:
    Read blogs written by those struggling with ADHD, teachers, and parents on this great site focused on the condition.
  10. Dyslexia My Life:
    Girard Sagmiller has struggled with dyslexia for decades and today offers advice for teachers and those with the condition on his blog.
Special Education News and Policy
Keep up with the latest news and public policy developments related to special education when you read these blogs.
  1. On Special Education:
    Education Week shares the latest on special education topics through this blog.
  2. SpeEdChange:
    Ira David Socol wants to help improve education for all. Follow his blog to read news and commentary related to special education policy and classroom activities.
  3. Special Education Today:
    This blog makes it simple to keep up with special education news, bringing together the biggest headlines into one place.
  4. Making Special Education Actually Work:
    KPS 4 Parents publishes this blog, focused on improving access and availability of special education programs to all students who need them.
  5. Special Education and Disability Rights Blog:
    Do you know what rights your students have under the law? Read this blog to learn more about the education advocacy issues related to special education and how you can help.
Special Education Law
These blogs will teach you about the legal side of special education.
  1. Special Education Law Blog:
    Attorney Jim Gerl attempts to explain the intricacies of special education law in plain English on this blog.
  2. The Wrightslaw Way:
    Learn how you can stand up for your special education students from this special education advocacy and law blog.
  3. Special Ed Justice:
    This blog is an excellent place to keep up with the latest special education law news.
  4. Special Education Law Blog:
    Here you’ll find discussions of case law, news, advocacy, policies, and more related to special education.
  5. Developments in Special Education Law:
    The Law Offices of H. Jeffrey Marcus share the latest news and a bit of commentary on it as well, on this site.
  6. The Law Office of Lillian E. Wong:
    Special education attorney Lillian Wong shares her advice for parents and teachers on getting students the education they deserve.
Various Topics on Special Education
These blogs cover a range of special education issues, all of which can help you become a better educator.
  1. Education on the Plate:
    Get commentary on the latest special education topics, as well as a hefty dose of advocacy from this blog.
  2. Notes from the School Psychologist:
    School psychologist Rebecca Branstetter works with students who just don’t like school, a reality for many who suffer from a learning disability.
  3. Behavior Modification:
    Learn how to get and keep your classroom under control with a little help from the guidance offered on this blog.
  4. Children with Special Needs:
    Head to this About.com blog to learn more about the issues that affect students who have special needs.
  5. Diane Ravitch’s Blog:
    Education historian Diane Ravitch discusses education, both in the past and in the future, through this blog.
  6. My Special Needs Network Blogs:
    Hear from parents and teachers working with special needs children via a number of great blogs on this site.
  7. ABC Therapeutics:
    This occupational therapy company maintains a great blog, full of ways to help children with autism, sensory issues, or even those who’ve been the victims of bullying.
  8. Smart Kids Learning Disabilities:
    Head to this site to read some excellent articles on everything from helping kids with learning disabilities read to managing technology in the classroom.

sábado, 12 de maio de 2012

29 Seriously Inspiring Interviews for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

Sent by Kaitlyn Cole
Source: http://www.onlineuniversities.com/blog/2012/05/29-seriously-inspiring-interviews-for-aspiring-entrepreneurs


Business ventures build on top of one another like Lego towers — they don’t spring Athena-like from the foreheads of entrepreneurs, no matter what some may claim. Anyone with a strong idea, a lot of luck, and even more hard work can succeed in the for-profit and nonprofit sectors. But they need to intently study the victories and mistakes of their predecessors before embarking on any sort of entrepreneurial journey. No matter their background or industry, the following folks have plenty of advice and inspiration to offer while future innovators compile their research.


  1. Muhammad Yunus with the Nobel Foundation, Oct. 13, 2006: This distinguished Nobel Peace Prize recipient pioneered the use of microcredits through the Grameen Bank, which he established in his native Bangladesh in 1983; many for-profit and nonprofit ventures these days utilize the same concept when investing in underprivileged regions. Muhammad Yunus stands as a sterling example of the social entrepreneurship phenomenon, which blends business opportunities with causes promoting economic, social, political, or environmental justice.
  2. Elizabeth Sabol-Jones at Inspirist, Jan. 19, 2011: At 19, an enterprising young Georgetown University Chinese language major launched Nightly Noms, a bakery with delivery service catering to hungry students up late working. Learn about how her creative mind discovered a niche and filled it, asking her peers in the Compass Fellowship — an organization devoted to nurturing and networking young entrepreneurs — for their input.
  3. Oprah Winfrey at Academy of Achievement, Feb. 21, 1991: Even Oprah Winfrey’s detractors should give her credit for forging a career now worth billions after starting out as a less-than-popular local morning talk show host from a traumatic background. Future innovators looking to launch their own startup can easily find inspiration in her perseverance and seemingly boundless work ethic.
  4. Lauren Bush at Under30CEO, April 21, 2011: Lauren Bush, co-founder of FEED Projects, discusses how she applied her entrepreneurial skills to the nonprofit, social justice sector. Partnering with the United Nations’ School Feeding initiative, the company blends business and activism by selling merchandise and donating the profits to Latin American, Asian, and African children in need.
  5. Patrick Chukwura at Young Entrepreneurs, Sept. 27, 2011: Creative and entertainment industries are notoriously difficult to break into, and more enterprising individuals frequently wind up better off creating their own opportunities as opposed to waiting for them to happen along. Learn a little something about innovation when developing and marketing video games from the co-founder of Fine & Dandy Games, whose Goop proved successful on the iPad and iPhone amongst hefty competition.
  6. Pete Cashmore at Bloomberg Venture, July 7, 2010: By this point, anyone familiar with new media, technology, social media, and the Internet know Mashable, seeing as how it’s currently one of the largest, most profitable blogs around. Watch this video with the site’s founder and CEO where he talks about how he launched everything solo and wound up with an entire company built around one idea.
  7. Beh Weng Wei at Tech65.org, Feb. 25, 2012: Beh Weng Wei won the grand prize at the 2011 Young Entrepreneur Awards for his Frambie pitch, which eliminates some of the stress associated with custom picture framing and should be launching in Singapore on June 1, 2012. A simple concept wound up netting him $17,000 from Canon and MediaCorp, proving that one doesn’t have to bog down ideas in needless complexities to produce something valuable.
  8. Luiz Seabra at CosmeticNews, March 20, 2006: One of the wealthiest men in the world erected his business empire around sustainable cosmetics, addressing mounting consumer demands for environmentally-conscious products through his Natura brand; it eventually became Brazil’s first bath and beauty company to utilize a refill structure. Rather than fad chasing, take away from his story a lesson in noting more permanent consumer desires and catering to them.
  9. Kevin Rose at TechCrunch, April 20, 2009: Digg founder Kevin Rose almost sold his wildly popular aggregator to Google in 2008, and subsequently turned his resources toward creating a much stronger independent business instead. For wannabe entrepreneurs, this serves as a valuable lesson in how things might not progress in the intended fashion; they must be ready to keep things hurdling forward with strength, creativity, and — of course — luck.
  10. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala at The Independent, May 16, 2006: As an economist, Nigeria’s Minister of Finance and current World Bank presidential candidate brings something completely different and equally valuable to discussions of entrepreneurship than CEOs and investment bankers. One doesn’t need a background in finance, history, or geopolitics to understand her explanation of how heavy political corruption restricts economic growth and what needs doing to ensure equal opportunities for all citizens.
  1. Mark Bao at Junior Biz, Feb. 22, 2010: Business wunderkind Mark Bao launched three nonprofits and 11 Internet-based companies by age 17, some of which he wound up selling and earning a comfortable profit. His promising career began when he was just a high school freshman, and he provides some awesome insight about starting something big from something small.
  2. Bill Gates at the Smithsonian Institute, circa 1993: Face it — the staggering majority of startup companies won’t wind up enjoying Microsoft’s level of international success; but that doesn’t mean they can’t pick up more than a few bits of solid advice from the corporation’s founder. The Bill Gates interview archived by the Smithsonian Institute heavily details both the personal and professional decisions that wound up dictating his entire career.
  3. Jessica Jackley Flannery at Big Vision Podcast, Oct. 30, 2006: Kiva nurtures entrepreneurship in economically deprived regions through microloans, which provide promising upstarts the money they need to launch without requiring exorbitantly wealthy investors. In this inspiring interview with the nonprofit’s co-founder, listeners pick up some useful information and inspiration about how to best invest in an entrepreneur’s dreams.
  4. Sheila Johnson at Prendismo Collection, Dec. 18, 2003: Sheila Johnson earned billions as the co-founder of BET and Salamander Hospitalities (for which she also serves as CEO) and owner and partner of the sports teams Washington Mystics, Washington Wizards, and Washington Capitals. From her, future business owners will pick up some excellent pointers on sharpening their leadership acumen, the importance of mentors and self-preservation, and other excellent personal and professional matters.
  5. Aneesha Raghunathan at Raising CEO Kids, Dec. 20, 2010: Rather than sweatshop labor, all of Hope Line Fashions’ products are created by adult women in India receiving a living wage and working in safe conditions. Founder Aneesha Raghunathan instigated this impressive initiative at 17 after witnessing firsthand the often horrific reality of outsourced clothing manufacturing, merging capitalism and charity into one impressively ethical package.
  6. Teri Moy at Small Business Trends, June 17, 2011: Entrepreneurs don’t have to think globally in order to achieve success, earn money, and creatively fill niches that many consumers may not realize even exist — sometimes all it takes is a little creativity in one’s own neighborhood to turn more than a few heads. Teri Moy, a Virginia-based photographer, began and operates a studio specializing in portrait and commercial shoots; she earned accolades for marketing toward couples on their second marriages and businesspeople desiring social media headshots, two demographics to whom few shutterbugs explicitly catered.
  7. Chuck Feeney at RTE Radio 1, Jan. 18, 2008: He may possess a net worth of billions from his international chain of duty-free shops, but most people familiar with Chuck Feeney’s name know him more as the paragon of frugality and philanthropy; he famously lives on the equivalent of a middle-class income (flying coach and renting apartments, for example) and sends most of his prodigious wealth toward education, world peace, and healthcare causes. From him, up-and-coming innovators with ideas to share about making their money stretch as far as possible as well as the importance of giving back to the world.
  8. Prerna Gupta at evolver.fm, Jan. 25, 2011: A singer funneled her love of music, fascination with technology, and entrepreneurial spirit into the establishment of Khush, exemplifying why up-and-coming business owners should pay close attention to their passions — they may very well discover others willing to shell out money and join in, too! LaDiDa, the company’s wildly popular iPhone app, pioneered the “reverse karaoke” phenomenon, which allows vocalists (and not-so-vocalists) to record themselves and receive a customized accompaniment in response.
  9. Coco Chanel with Micheline Sandrel, July 31, 1969: Despite her more than a wee bit unfortunate politics, this legendary fashion and beauty mogul served as an inspiration to enterprising women before the feminist movement granted them the autonomy and opportunities to get ahead in business. Most of this interview, which went down when she was 86, revolves around her grim perceptions of where her industry’s obsession with youth might wind up taking it.
  10. Jane Chen at Social Capital Markets, Dec. 3, 2010: Jane Chen co-founded Embrace and serves as an excellent example of entrepreneurship with social consciousness and the importance of setting goals when serving society. For only $25, healthcare facilities and families can purchase portable incubators that do not use electricity to save the lives of babies born prematurely or with low birth rates; Embrace strives toward helping at least 3.8 million babies in India and save the lives of 135,000 between 2010 and 2015 — though any amount of infants and families assisted constitutes a victory.
  1. Warren Buffett at Huffington Post/Yahoo! News, July 8, 2010: Berkshire Hathaway’s billionaire CEO thinks love, not money, makes the business world go ‘round — hardly surprising, considering his well-documented frugality — and believes the greatest bit of advice he ever received centers around its perpetuation. Profits are nice, of course, and ensure health and safety, but when they grow into the largest priority, things begin suffering.
  2. Emily May at The Pixel Project, Jan. 9, 2012: Thanks to Emily May’s Hollaback! smartphone app and innovative blog network, women, minorities, the LGBTQ, and absolutely anyone else experiencing public street harassment, bullying, and assault hold the power to speak up and speak out against their tormenters. Her nonprofit blends new media, and activism to promote safer neighborhoods in all corners of the globe, offering some cool, inspiring lessons about creatively harnessing technology for the greater good.
  3. Caterina Fake in Entrepreneur, March 29, 2011: In this rapid-fire read, the co-founder of Internet sensations Flickr and Hunch talks about multiple topics aspirant and new entrepreneurs alike should pore over. Social media, personal memories, book suggestions, investments, and other hallmarks of succeeding in online business pursuits receive coverage here, though she doesn’t delve too deeply into any one particular facet.
  4. Edwin Broni-Mensah at Your Hidden Potential, Dec. 9, 2011: Regardless of whether or not a wannabe entrepreneur hopes to apply his or her business skills to charitable causes, this interview with the mind behind GiveMe Tap dishes out some most excellent advice about startups. Let both his lessons and his innovative approach to providing potable water through sustainability inspire undertakings across different industries.
  5. Pierre Omidyar in BusinessWeek, June 20, 2005: eBay’s founder draws parallels between launching and running his own company and operating a nonprofit investing in tech-related business ventures; lessons acquired in one venture often apply to others surprisingly well. At the center of it all, though, lay people, whose ideas and insights keep everything running — a little bit of belief, a little bit of luck, and a lot of bit of energy and resources make all the difference.
  6. Jiro Ono in Jiro Dreams of Sushi, 2011: Tucked unassumingly in the Tokyo subway and sporting only 10 seats, the modest sushi joint Sukibyabashi Jiro sports a most immodest 3-star Michelin rating — the first time such a prestigious honor was ever bestowed on such an establishment. Japan officially hails chef and proprietor Jiro Ono as a living treasure, and business students and entrepreneurs should pay close attention to his core values; quality remains paramount, and presentation means nothing if it doesn’t hail from a place of pride, passion, and sincerity.
  7. Georgina Cooper at Wealthy Student, March 30, 2011: Fashion aficionados on a budget adore Pretaportobello.com because it hooks them up with one-of-a-kind clothing and accessories from oft-overlooked designers, benefiting both the producer needing some attention and the consumer with constraints. This interview with the site’s founder tells the tale of how she synthesized different needs into one logical, mutually beneficial concept both simple and highly effective.
  8. Ben Cohen & Jerry Greenfield at Not Quite Nigella, Nov. 26, 2009: Few companies have so famously and seamlessly welded social with economic entrepreneurship as Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream, making it quite the role model for progressive up-and-comers. Although the company obviously sparks controversy by taking public political stances, what frequently attracts buyers to the premium brand is its unapologetic “take me for what I am” attitude — something even non-business folks can benefit from witnessing.
  9. Blake Mycoskie at TreeHugger, Sept. 11, 2008: Consumers who don’t know Blake Mycoskie’s name at least know of TOMS, the shoe company merging for-profit ventures with nonprofit goals, matching every pair sold with one shipped to children and adults in need. Its core concept might very well serve as a particularly useful starting point for future business leaders hoping to better the world while still financially supporting themselves and their employees.