Author: grayrob

“GuideMe is an electronic embedded device designed to guide people with visual disabilities. The system works on transferring visual information acquired by sensors technology to sound information through an interactive phone application.”

Minder’s new technology, Mimik, enables you to use a computer without your hands. “No more disabilities. We mind, we enable.”

Today, I’m adding a new category, “SoCent Central.” I have about 6 weeks of scouting left and my number one task is to discover more social companies. We ask everyone we speak with – entrepreneurs, social entrepreneurs, academics, NGO staff, … Continue reading →

Day 2: Meeting 1 Prof. Çağrı Bulut at Yaşar Üniversitesi – Assoc. Prof. Bulut is the Head of the Department of Business Administration at Yaşar University and a board member of both KOSGEB and the Entrepreneurship Education Commission at the Technological Research Council … Continue reading →

6-Month Fellowship Opportunity for Social Enterprise Management in Emerging Markets – Deadline approaching! Jointly developed and managed by the Monterey Institute, Sanghata Global, and Village Capital, the Frontier Market Scouts (FMS) program turns compassionate and capable young professionals into talent … Continue reading →

Many thanks to Halit Duran and the Izmir Regional Development Agency (IZKA) for making this trip possible. Day 1: Meeting 1 Embryonix – a non-profit incubator program at izmir ekonomi üniversitesi that provides free consulting, free office space, financial support, training and professional development … Continue reading →

Tuesday evening, I met Zeynep, a Grameen Bank client in Turkey. We arrived at her store – a sizeable place where she produces and sells speciality clothing and items for traditional henna wedding celebrations – and, thanks to our wonderful … Continue reading →

1) Phonetically Spelled Cognates… I don’t know why I love them, but I do. Not the Taksis, but the words that Turkish and English have in common. Party becomes parti. Concert becomes Konser (“C” makes a “J” sound in Turkish). … Continue reading →

Since my last “Life in Istanbul” post, a lot has happened. I have continued to have strange encounters with animals… I have become acquainted with Istiklal’s regulars… I have been a tourist… I finished a month long intensive Turkish class… … Continue reading →

Sarp Kalkan, an Economic Policy Analyst at the Economic Policy Research Foundation of Turkey (TEPAV), completed a series of 3 articles detailing the major changes to and impacts of the new Commercial Code shortly after it went into effect on … Continue reading →

In 2011, TUSEV (Third Sector Foundation of Turkey) reported that 2.5% of Turkish people volunteered for civil society organizations (CSOs) and 4.5% were active members [Civil Society in Turkey: At a Turning Point]. For the sake of a reference point –although I’m not … Continue reading →

Social Enterprise challenges the assumption that creating a positive social impact and fulfilling a social mission are inherently incompatible with generating profit. These hybrid businesses borrow certain practices and principles from both the non-profit and for-profit sectors and then add … Continue reading →

Steven Koltai recently completed a four part blog series for the United States Institute of Peace. His posts talk about the powerful role of entrepreneurship in conflict-afflicted states, the ways that small and growing businesses (and those who invest in … Continue reading →

A wonderful Turkish woman, named Elçin, studied abroad in the United States and treated Carolyn, my colleague, and me to dinner last week. During dinner, she made the astute observation: “In the U.S., there is a rule for everything!” While … Continue reading →