Episodes
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We started In Good Company in hopes of inspiring people of all ages, backgrounds, and professions to do good. In the past 8 episodes, we’ve explored the ins and outs of social enterprise and told the stories of different social entrepreneurs. As our first season comes to a close, our hosts Reese and Tom leave you with their 5 top tips on starting a social enterprise.
Thank you for your support throughout this season of In Good Company. We have many more episodes in store for you in the coming seasons. Should you want to share your story, please feel free to send us a message through Facebook. See you soon! -
Chris Torrance’s academic mind gives him a bird’s eye view of business. His takes on value chains, competition, and employee ownership and mindset prove he’s a man who’s out to do good and knows how to do it. Luckily, Chris doesn’t stop at theories and concepts. He’s flown from Chicago to Tanzania in search for the perfect way to take his ideas to the ground.
Chris is now in the Philippines and runs Ambension Silk Enterprise - a social enterprise dedicated to revitalizing the silk and textile industry in the Philippines. The company prides itself not only on its sustainable, innovative, and ethical practices all throughout its supply chain, but on the sheer quality of its products. The bird, it seems, has finally got the worm.
In this episode of In Good Company, Chris tells us more about:Maximizing the value created in supply chains
Creating non-zero sum games across industries
Overcoming the employee mindset
The importance of creating ownership
Why the stories behind social enterprises should come second -
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When Mark Ruiz resigned from his corporate job, he wrote a question-and-answer style document detailing the reasons behind his decision and sent it to his colleagues. He made clear that he wasn’t burned out or just taking a break. He did, however, still love business and intended to use his financial know-how in a new setting.
True to his word, Mark now runs Hapinoy - a micro-enterprise development program focused on small neighborhood convenience stores (sari-sari stores). Mark helps sari-sari store owners improve their businesses and help the communities that the stores are in through training, microfinance, and providing new opportunities in technology.
In this episode, Mark tells us more about:Doing what you love, doing good, and making money
Knowing your role in social development
Working with multiple partners
Social enterprises and market forcesTo listen, please click here.
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What do a former slum area and an island paradise have in common? Tom says they both may just change your life.
Tom Graham (founder of MAD Travel and author of The Genius of the Poor) flew from London to Manila on a short-term journalism assignment. Instead he found himself up and down the Philippines in search of meaning and purpose. In his search, he stumbled upon some beautiful, interesting, and unsuspecting destinations.
On this episode of In Good Company, Tom shares a list of places that helped him find meaning and purpose, and ultimately changed his life. Will they change your life, too? That’s up to you. -
Raf Dionisio’s job selling panty liners simply could not distract him from his longing for the outdoors. His love for the environment, knack for connecting with people, and entrepreneurial mindset have allowed him to see travel and tourism as effective and fun means for creating positive social change.
Raf now runs MAD Travel with our host Tom, and The Circle Hostel, a line of budget friendly eco-hostels in the Philippines. These enterprises come together to help Raf help others through reforestation, cultural preservation, and a #ThereAreNoStrangers mindset.
In this interview, Raf tells us more about:- The links between nature, poverty, and culture
- Tourism as a tool for social change
- Happiness and authenticity
- Why the mountains on our Instagram feeds are not as nice as they may seem -
As a little girl, Marie Cavosora dreamed the American Dream. She later on fulfilled this dream as an advertising maven, living the high life in cities like New York and San Francisco. At the height of her success, however, she pondered on the material nature of her happiness. She slowly began departing from shopping designer clothes and sipping champagne to sleeping in a yoga studio and walking through the path of spirituality.
Marie finds herself back in her home country, the Philippines. She now runs CalaBoo, a carabao dairy farm, that works closely with farmers to challenge narrow mindsets and industry practices to liberate the local market from foreign brands.
In this spirited interview, Marie tells us more about:Dreaming for your country and being empowered by its people
Moving from comfort and privilege to purpose and meaning
The challenge of changing mindsets to actualize potential
Why being a change-maker is not enough -
Social entrepreneurs Reese Fernandez-Ruiz (founder of Rags2Riches & Things That Matter) and Tom Graham (founder of MAD Travel and author of The Genius of the Poor) have built their business out of doing good. Their stories, as featured in our previous episodes, have earned some recognition and have inspired others to follow in their footsteps.
This might lead to you to think of social entrepreneurship as a high-hanging fruit. One that you either cannot possibly reach or that you should be praised for reaching. They tell us how it’s not just there to make you feel good, but how it’s not all about radical decisions and sacrifices either.In this episode, our hosts list 5 myths and misconceptions about social entrepreneurship and doing good. Among other things, they discuss:
The proper motivations for doing good
Using the time, skills, and resources you already have to help make change
“The entitlement of the giver”
The perceived perfection of social entrepreneurs -
Meet Reese Fernandez-Ruiz, one of the founders of Rags2Riches, a social enterprise from the Philippines that creates handmade bags for sustainability, livelihood, and community development. Reese found inspiration in the women she met, together with a group of young professionals, in Payatas Philippines, who were making rugs out of scrap and overstock fabric and selling them to make a living, earning just 12-16 pesos per day. With no background in the fashion industry R2R sought out the help of fashion designer Rajo Laurel, who saw bags and wine holders where others saw simple rugs. Today Reese is an award-winning social entrepreneur and advocate for a more sustainable, and proudly Filipino, fashion industry.
In this interview, you will listen to great advice from Reese on the following:
- finding your why
- making those first steps in starting a social enterprise
- retail therapy that feels good and does good
- scaling up a social enterprise
- the perks of being a social entrepreneur
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Tom Graham is a public speaker, author, and social entrepreneur. He came to the Philippines from London on a short-term journalism assignment but instead began to find meaning in the stories of people all around the country. In “The Genius of the Poor” Tom explores the insights and lessons he learned from conflict areas, gang leaders, and prisons in the Philippines. He also founded MAD (Make A Difference) Travel, a social tourism company that works with and for indigenous tribes and local communities to create meaningful travel experiences.
Tom aims to use travel as a tool to help people find meaning in their lives and create lasting effects on the lives of others.
In this interview, Tom tells us more about the following:
The genius of the poor Travel and tourism as tools for social change How to go beyond volun-tourism and poverty porn Connecting your market with tribes and communities, and learning a lot along the way
