http://worldbenefit.case.edu/innovation/ The BAWB Innovation Bank is an expanding collection for societal good. Each record of the archive is a profile highlighting an innovation, its context, roots and impacts. en-us Sun, 24 Aug 2008 8:45:26 PM EDT Copyright 2005 BAWB http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss bawb@case.com Providing a supply network of over 3,000 kilometers, covering 85 per cent of Hong Kong's households, and serving about 1.6 million customers makes Towngas a juggernaut in its industry. But when such gargantuan feats are achieved with and because of a deep sense of environmental sensitivity, the business model becomes an exemplar for others. The company is a producer, distributor, and marketer of natural gas in Hong Kong. It restores the belief in the powerful thought that green does turn into gold. http://worldbenefit.case.edu/innovation/bankInnovationView.cfm?idArchive=375 000375 Sun, 24 Aug 2008 11:04:00 PM EDT Sustainability in architectural design is what fuels the creativity at Ten Directions Design. By employing practices like Not-So-Big House Approach, Sustainable Design, and Indoor Air Quality, the firm lives up to its name, taken from the ten directions of Buddha Land described in one of the principal works of Buddhism, the Lotus Sutra. The name implies multidimensionality and thus refers to the three-dimensional nature of this ?green' architectural firm's work. Combining the analysis of a house with an understanding of the needs of the client, the firm creates a space that is a delight for the client and is friendly to the environment. http://worldbenefit.case.edu/innovation/bankInnovationView.cfm?idArchive=337 000337 Sun, 24 Aug 2008 10:42:00 PM EDT In consonance with its name of Triodos or ?three way', Triodos Bank has built its business model on the three pillars of people, planet and profits. The belief of the bank is simple and its mission is lucid - it finances companies, institutions and projects that add cultural value and benefit people and environment with the support of depositors and investors who wish to encourage social responsibility and a sustainable society. http://worldbenefit.case.edu/innovation/bankInnovationView.cfm?idArchive=600 000600 Mon, 07 Jul 2008 11:14:00 AM EDT Advanced Patient AdvocaCY (APA is an interesting example of an organization ?doing well by doing good'. It implements an innovative business model that produces positive societal impact through a unique bridge between needs of two parties, in turn generating profits for itself. Kevin Groner and Matthew Miano created Advanced Patient Advocacy (APA) in 2000 to help un- and under-insured people in the United States secure third party payer coverage for hospital bills. The organization collects information from extensive, one-on-one interviews with patients regarding demographics, diagnoses, income, assets, work history, and disability and with the help of a proprietary web-based application, matches the patient with a matrix of government entitlement programs in order to assist individuals in securing the funding to pay for their hospitalization. A web-based data management system called "DARWIN" manages all patient data 'information, etc. ' and is integrated with hospital systems, which helps facilitate better tracking of patient information. By working to secure eligibility for patients, APA in turn helps hospitals reduce their bad debt write-offs and procure greater interim Medicare reimbursement. http://worldbenefit.case.edu/innovation/bankInnovationView.cfm?idArchive=553 000553 Wed, 02 Jul 2008 3:40:00 PM EDT Food, Fun and Social Activism - the blinking words flashing across the website of White Dog cafe more than sum up its philosophy- they define the life spirit flowing through the café's business model. The café does not simply offer its award-winning cuisine but does this with social consciousness through various activities and events organized throughout the year. Through its initiatives to serve the customer, community, earth and each other, the café is a model for small community businesses as levers for social change. http://worldbenefit.case.edu/innovation/bankInnovationView.cfm?idArchive=602 000602 Wed, 02 Jul 2008 3:27:00 PM EDT Culture change in an organization can be actuated through multitude of business strategies- redesigning the organization chart, articulating a renewed mission or revamping the human resource practices. But Alberici Corportaion chose to define and communicate its values through what it does best- constructing buildings. By designing a building that is a manifestation of the company's message of environmental sensitivity, the organization has not only contributed to a greener planet but has accumulated savings for itself and created a productive, healthy and motivated workforce. http://worldbenefit.case.edu/innovation/bankInnovationView.cfm?idArchive=608 000608 Wed, 02 Jul 2008 3:19:00 PM EDT Batesville Casket Company's innovative reforestation program is an exemplar for the sound business strategy of reducing carbon footprint while, in turn, generating higher revenues. The organization realized the growing demand for wooden caskets, and returned to production of wooden in addition to metal caskets around 1970's. Wood being a renewable resource provided an opportunity for reforestation, positioning it as a chance for a ?living memorial' for the deceased through planting a tree sapling. The program has had huge success in terms of preserving the environment as well as increasing the revenues for the organization. http://worldbenefit.case.edu/innovation/bankInnovationView.cfm?idArchive=620 000620 Wed, 02 Jul 2008 2:59:00 PM EDT TOMS shoes are the harbinger of what has been christened as the ?one to one movement'- for every shoe a customer buys, TOMS donates a pair to a child in need. Going beyond corporate philanthropy, TOMS has integrated the spirit of positive world impact in the very heart of its business, making it a truly sustainable model. http://worldbenefit.case.edu/innovation/bankInnovationView.cfm?idArchive=1153 0001153 Thu, 19 Jun 2008 4:54:00 PM EDT The ?ethic of recycling' at its best may look like the business model of TerraMai- reclaiming wood from demolished buildings, processing it, and selling it to be used in the construction of new structures. Identifying the opportunity created by a demand of the size and type of wood that is fast vanishing from the face of earth, TerraMai is not only flourishing as a business but contributing to the efforts of saving the depleting forests. http://worldbenefit.case.edu/innovation/bankInnovationView.cfm?idArchive=624 000624 Thu, 19 Jun 2008 4:13:00 PM EDT The vision Professional Supply Inc. of the company is more than energy efficiency; they are determined to change the way businesses think about energy use. By its innovative patented technologies for air conditioning, heating and ventilation, the organization has helped companies weave in energy conservation into their business strategies proving that green does turn into gold. http://worldbenefit.case.edu/innovation/bankInnovationView.cfm?idArchive=627 000627 Thu, 19 Jun 2008 4:19:00 PM EDT