Normal Life

I Miss Normal Life | Rich Brubaker, vlog Episode 012

It's been 8 weeks since my family and I left ""normal life" in Shanghai for what we thought would be a 2 week "vacation".

Now, while we are based safely in the US, and are all together, we simply look forward to getting back to normal life where we are surrounded by friends, where I am able to drop my kid off at the bus, and I am able to resume working with amazing people around the Asia region.

It's a tall order I know.

Especially as COVID19 continues its spread, and news of border closures, airline shutdowns, and city-level lockdowns are leading stories.

As the reality of the last two months has begun to fully set in, I am fully aware that this crisis could have a lasting impact on the communities we have built, what we had planned for 2020, and  could alter "normal" forever going forward.

Something that, in part, I find exciting, but if I am honest, I am really looking forward to getting on a plane back home soon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQsymwwTvgs

About Me:
Driven by the belief that change begins with a single step, I've spent the last 15 years in Asia working to engage, inspire, and equip those around him to understand their power to leverage innovation, entrepreneurship, and leadership to solve "the big" challenges cities face.

Currently, as the Managing Director of Collective Responsibility, Executive Director of HandsOn China, and a former Adjunct Professor of Sustainability at the China Europe International Business School (CEIBS), I'm focused on building platforms that promote long term organizational capacity to address the economic, environmental, and social hurdles that China faces as the country’s economic growth accelerates.

Follow Me:
Website: http://www.richbrubaker.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rich.brubaker
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richbrubaker
Instagram: https://instagram.com/richbrubaker
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/richbrubaker

Contact Me:
[email protected]


Bambu Home

Turning Consumers Away From Plastic | Jeff Delkin & Rachel Speth, Bambu Home

In this episode of Entrepreneurs For Good, I speak withBambu Home Founders, Jeffrey Delkin and Rachel Speth.

The are the founders of one of the EARLIEST sustainability minded brands that I EVER came into contact with, and they are AMAZING people.

In our conversation, we speak through what was behind their jump from their corporate careers, the REALITIES of working with renewable/ natural materials, how they have had to adjust (and GROW) through their last 15 years.

We had a lot of fun. There are a TON of lessons.

They are great people.

Watch it. Enjoy it. Like it. Share it.

About Entrepreneurs For Good Series:
Through this series, we speak with Asia based entrepreneurs whose mission it is to bring solutions to the environmental, social, and economic challenges that are faced within the region to learn more about their vision, the opportunities they see, and challenges that they have had to overcome.It is a series that we hope will not only engage and inspire you, but catalyze you and your organizations into action.To identify a challenge that is tangible, and build a business model (profit or non) that brings a solution to the market.About

Bambu:
More than just bamboo products, we are makers of contemporary eco-friendly products created from renewable materials such as bamboo, cork, coconut, hemp and other sustainable materials. Created with imagination and integrity our unique designs that celebrate form, color and texture using low impact materials and processes. Design with the planet in mind.

Follow Bambu:
Bambu Website: https://www.bambuhome.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bambuliving/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bambuhome
Twitter: https://twitter.com/bambuhome
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/bambubrand

About Rich:
Driven by the belief that change begins with a single step, Richard Brubaker has spent the last 15 years in Asia working to engage, inspire, and equip those around him to take their first step.

Acting as a catalyst to driving sustainability, Brubaker works with government, corporate, academic and non-profit stakeholders to bring together knowledge, teams, and tools that develop and execute their business case for sustainability.

Follow Rich
Website: http://www.richbrubaker.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rich.brubaker
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richbrubaker
Instagram: https://instagram.com/richbrubaker
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/richbrubaker

Contact Rich
[email protected]

#richbrubaker #SocialEntrepreneurship #founderstory

 

 

 

 


Krie Lopez

Employing at Risk Youth in Manila | Krie Lopez, Messy Bessy

The last few weeks have been some of the most difficult I have known in all my years of entrepreneurship, and I know many are facing similar situations where a lot of uncertainty in the air and a well laid plans for 2020 are being tossed aside.

But, as I have come to understand through my conversations with entrepreneurs from around the region, regardless of what is happening in the world, if you are going to succeed you need to keep showing up to work, hunker down, and continue along the path.

It is a lesson that I took away from my time speaking with Krie Lopez , founder of Messy Bessy. An organization that has in a very short time grown rapidly, built a strong brand, and has created real infrastructure for change.

About Entrepreneurs For Good Series:
Through this series, we speak with Asia based entrepreneurs whose mission it is to bring solutions to the environmental, social, and economic challenges that are faced within the region to learn more about their vision, the opportunities they see, and challenges that they have had to overcome.

It is a series that we hope will not only engage and inspire you, but catalyze you and your organizations into action.

To identify a challenge that is tangible, and build a business model (profit or non) that brings a solution to the market.

About Krie
Believing in the 3 Ps “People, planet and profit,” Krie operates on the principle of faith in humanity, in the process of which she has created a story that inspires and produces concrete change in society. The mechanical engineering graduate and Dean’s Lister from Ateneo first joined the Rustan’s Coffee Corporation, before heading the corporate social responsibility program. After 8 years, she quit to research on social entrepreneurship.

After several trial and errors, she hit upon natural cleansers. Messy Bessy, launched in 2007, is now a recognisable and preferred home and personal care product line, mostly for its natural ingredients, environmental sustainability, and innovative composition. This venture also involves employing at-risk young adults, many of whom were formerly abused, trafficked, incarcerated, and impoverished.

For this, she set up HOUSE (Helping Ourselves Through Sustainable Enterprises) in 2015, a safe haven and educational program. Despite facing tests motivating workers and managing students, the HOUSE has produced more than a dozen college scholars. In 2016, she partnered with The British Council Phillippines for its first nationwide effort to promote social entrepreneurship.

Follow Krie:
Messy Bessy Website: https://shop.messybessy.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/krie-lopez-940bb5118/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/krie.lopez

About Rich:
Driven by the belief that change begins with a single step, Richard Brubaker has spent the last 15 years in Asia working to engage, inspire, and equip those around him to take their first step.

Acting as a catalyst to driving sustainability, Brubaker works with government, corporate, academic and non-profit stakeholders to bring together knowledge, teams, and tools that develop and execute their business case for sustainability.

Follow Rich
Website: http://www.richbrubaker.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rich.brubaker
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richbrubaker
Instagram: https://instagram.com/richbrubaker
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/richbrubaker

Contact Rich
[email protected]

#richbrubaker #SocialEntrepreneurship #founderstory


Survive COVID

What's Your Plan to Survive COVID | Behind the Grind, Episode 020

Following up on our conversation about Planning for Crisis, Brian Tam and I spoke with several entrepreneur about how they plan to survive COVID and the challenges their business are facing.

It is a conversation that spans consulting businesses, real estate development, non-profit, and education technology, with each entrepreneur speaking about the challenges presented, the defensive tactics they are deploying, and the challenges/ lessons of managing distributed teams.

Was a great conversation, and one that I believe entrepreneurs / SMEs with China exposed will learn a lot from.

https://youtu.be/i10dpvYd7Bo

About the Behind The Grind Series:
Through this podcast series, Brian and I will speak about the realities (as we know them) of entrepreneurship.

Videos will be available every Saturday, and audience participation is HIGHLY encouraged!

About Rich
Driven by the belief that change begins with a single step, I've spent the last 15 years in Asia working to engage, inspire, and equip those around him to understand their power to leverage innovation, entrepreneurship, and leadership to solve "the big" challenges cities face.

Currently, as the Managing Director of Collective Responsibility, Executive Director of HandsOn China, and a Visiting Professor of Sustainability at the China Europe International Business School (CEIBS), I'm focused on building platforms that promote long term organizational capacity to address the economic, environmental, and social hurdles that China faces as the country’s economic growth accelerates.

Follow Rich:
Website: http://www.richbrubaker.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rich.brubaker
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richbrubaker
Instagram: https://instagram.com/richbrubaker
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/richbrubaker

About Brian:
Brian Tam leads corporate teams through FIRST TIME EVER challenges. From new business models to fresh brands, as CEO of Let's Make Great! he guides multinational companies in China to systematically create the future and explore uncertainties.

He's the mind behind PROTO Innovation Cards and the author of Awrignawl Creativity.

Born in New York, and proudly raised in New Jersey - he has been in China since 2007, working to drive the fantastic change that is happening in China & the world. Let's Make Great!

Follow Brian:
Website: http://www.letsmakegreat.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brian.tam.56211
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tamonline/
Instagram: https://instagram.com/letsmakegreat/

#BehindtheGrind #Entrepreneurship #coronavirus


Plan for Crisis

Plan for Crisis | Behind The Grind, Episode 019

Over the last few weeks, as the crisis surrounding COVID19 became worse by the day, the need to plan for crisis through various business scenarios has been a priority.

Initially, my concern was knowing here my staff had traveled to, if they were safe, and if they could get back to Shanghai, but as they were accounted for, I began looking at the wider impacts that this crisis could have on my business.

Fortunately, as an entrepreneur who has seen crisis in business model, products, cash flow, and HR, I have come to plan for a lot of these things already as I look at each year, but to plan for them all at once when the underlying problem isn't in my control, is a bit different.

Which is where this episode of Behind the Grind, opens up a very interesting series for us. It was planned to just be about planning, but as we sat down for the session we shifted into the process we would deploy should the virus become a major disruption.

Which it has.

About the Behind The Grind Series:

Through this podcast series, Brian and I will speak about the realities (as we know them) of entrepreneurship.

Videos will be available every Saturday, and audience participation is HIGHLY encouraged!

About Rich

Driven by the belief that change begins with a single step, I've spent the last 15 years in Asia working to engage, inspire, and equip those around him to understand their power to leverage innovation, entrepreneurship, and leadership to solve "the big" challenges cities face.

Currently, as the Managing Director of Collective Responsibility, Executive Director of HandsOn China, and a Visiting Professor of Sustainability at the China Europe International Business School (CEIBS), I'm focused on building platforms that promote long term organizational capacity to address the economic, environmental, and social hurdles that China faces as the country’s economic growth accelerates.

Follow Rich:

Website: http://www.richbrubaker.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rich.brubaker
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richbrubaker
Instagram: https://instagram.com/richbrubaker
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/richbrubaker

About Brian:

Brian Tam leads corporate teams through FIRST TIME EVER challenges. From new business models to fresh brands, as CEO of Let's Make Great! he guides multinational companies in China to systematically create the future and explore uncertainties.

He's the mind behind PROTO Innovation Cards and the author of Awrignawl Creativity.

Born in New York, and proudly raised in New Jersey - he has been in China since 2007, working to drive the fantastic change that is happening in China & the world. Let's Make Great!

Follow Brian:

Website: http://www.letsmakegreat.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brian.tam.56211
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tamonline/
Instagram: https://instagram.com/letsmakegreat/


Harris Guevarra

Social Media and Storytelling for Social Entrepreneurs | Harris Guevarra, PH Drinks

In this episode of Entrepreneurs For Good, I speak with Harris Guevarra, Founder of PH Drinks, about building a marketing and communications agency that is specialized around issues of corporate social responsibility, sustainability, and social innovation.

Through the interview we speak about his entrepreneurial path, as well as how social entrepreneurs can better leverage social media.

Internally, there were two really cool things that I appreciated about how Harris is "living" his purpose.  The first is that while he runs a for profit business that works with large brands to communicate their stories, he provides probono services to mission driven organizations.  The second is that he allows for his employees to remain off projects that are not aligned to their own values.

For me, those are both signs of an entrepreneur who has a high degree of self-awareness, and commitment to his values.

About The Entrepreneurs For Good Series:
Through this series, we speak with Asia based entrepreneurs whose mission it is to bring solutions to the environmental, social, and economic challenges that are faced within the region to learn more about their vision, the opportunities they see, and challenges that they have had to overcome.

It is a series that we hope will not only engage and inspire you, but catalyze you and your organizations into action.

To identify a challenge that is tangible, and build a business model (profit or non) that brings a solution to the market.

About Harris:

Harris Guevarra is the owner, President and CEO of Drink - a Manila-based communications and creative agency specialized on sustainability. The company has been helping top corporations, leading organizations and government agencies to use their sustainability stories in order to strengthen their brands and communicate their impacts to both internal and external stakeholders.

The company’s work has received numerous awards in the Philippines and Southeast Asia since being founded in 2014. Harris himself recently completed a certificate course on Business Sustainability Management from the University of Cambridge‘s Institute of Sustainability Leadership.

Follow Harris:
Drink PH Website: http://drinkph.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harrisguevarra/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/harris.guevarra/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/thisisharris

About Rich:
Driven by the belief that change begins with a single step, Richard Brubaker has spent the last 15 years in Asia working to engage, inspire, and equip those around him to take their first step.

Acting as a catalyst to driving sustainability, Brubaker works with government, corporate, academic and non-profit stakeholders to bring together knowledge, teams, and tools that develop and execute their business case for sustainability.

Follow Rich
Website: http://www.richbrubaker.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rich.brubaker
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richbrubaker
Instagram: https://instagram.com/richbrubaker
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/richbrubaker

Contact Rich
[email protected]

#richbrubaker #SocialEntrepreneurship #socialmedia


Building Community

Building Community is Important | Behind the Grind, Episode 018

In this episode of Behind the Grind, Brian and I talk about the the vision, process, and tools for building community.

For both of us, connecting to people is one of the reasons why we are doing the work we are doing, and are excited to find new communities to build and interact with.

For Brian, his communities have been a source of inspiration, a testing ground for products, and is built one coffee (or beer) at a time.

For Rich, each platform is a bit different, and the tools that technology have supported the development of physical communities, but driving scale is a challenge that he continues to balance. Something made more challenging given the geographic range of activities, and communities, that he is building.

About the Behind The Grind Series:
Through this podcast series, Brian and I will speak about the realities (as we know them) of entrepreneurship.

Videos will be available every Saturday, and audience participation is HIGHLY encouraged!

About Rich
Driven by the belief that change begins with a single step, I've spent the last 15 years in Asia working to engage, inspire, and equip those around him to understand their power to leverage innovation, entrepreneurship, and leadership to solve "the big" challenges cities face.

Currently, as the Managing Director of Collective Responsibility, Executive Director of HandsOn China, and a Visiting Professor of Sustainability at the China Europe International Business School (CEIBS), I'm focused on building platforms that promote long term organizational capacity to address the economic, environmental, and social hurdles that China faces as the country’s economic growth accelerates.

Follow Rich:
Website: http://www.richbrubaker.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rich.brubaker
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richbrubaker
Instagram: https://instagram.com/richbrubaker
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/richbrubaker

About Brian:
Brian Tam leads corporate teams through FIRST TIME EVER challenges. From new business models to fresh brands, as CEO of Let's Make Great! he guides multinational companies in China to systematically create the future and explore uncertainties.

He's the mind behind PROTO Innovation Cards and the author of Awrignawl Creativity.

Born in New York, and proudly raised in New Jersey - he has been in China since 2007, working to drive the fantastic change that is happening in China & the world. Let's Make Great!

Follow Brian:
Website: http://www.letsmakegreat.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brian.tam.56211
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tamonline/
Instagram: https://instagram.com/letsmakegreat/

#BehindtheGrind #Entrepreneurship #podcast


Christine Goulay

Sustainable Fashion and Startups | Christine Goulay, Kering Group

In this episode of Entrepreneurs For Good, I speak with Christine Goulay about her work as Sustainability Innovation Manager at The Kering Group to work with entrepreneurs and innovators to solve the sustainability challenges their Group faces.

It is a fresh look at how brands seeing the opportunities to work with externals, and beyond speaking about the challenges of how that works internally, Christine gives some advice to entrepreneurs who are looking to work with them.

About #EntrepreneursForGood Series:
Through this series, we speak with Asia based entrepreneurs whose mission it is to bring solutions to the environmental, social, and economic challenges that are faced within the region to learn more about their vision, the opportunities they see, and challenges that they have had to overcome.

It is a series that we hope will not only engage and inspire you, but catalyze you and your organizations into action.

To identify a challenge that is tangible, and build a business model (profit or non) that brings a solution to the market.

About Christine
Christine is a corporate sustainability and innovation expert with more than 10 years of professional experience as a venture capital corporate lawyer, running a start-up business, teaching and researching triple bottom line companies, and working for a corporate leader in sustainability in the apparel sector.

Follow Charlene:
Kering Website: https://www.kering.com
Kering Sustainability Website: https://www.kering.com/en/sustainability/
Kering on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMDZYZibcyrf99iEa4CQJkA

About Rich:
Driven by the belief that change begins with a single step, Richard Brubaker has spent the last 15 years in Asia working to engage, inspire, and equip those around him to take their first step.

Acting as a catalyst to driving sustainability, Brubaker works with government, corporate, academic and non-profit stakeholders to bring together knowledge, teams, and tools that develop and execute their business case for sustainability.

Follow Rich
Website: http://www.richbrubaker.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rich.brubaker
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richbrubaker
Instagram: https://instagram.com/richbrubaker
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/richbrubaker

Contact Rich
[email protected]

#richbrubaker #SocialInnovation


Celebrating Success

Defining, Measuring, & Celebrating Success | Behind the Grind, Episode 017

In this episode of Behind the Grind, Brian and I speak about the defining, measuring, and celebrating success as entrepreneurs.

Processes that have in many ways have changed a lot over the years.  None more important than recognizing that we need to be better at all three, however maintaining a constant struggle with the later.

About the Behind The Grind Series:

Through this podcast series, Brian and I will speak about the realities (as we know them) of entrepreneurship.

Videos will be available every Saturday, and audience participation is HIGHLY encouraged!

About Rich

Driven by the belief that change begins with a single step, I've spent the last 15 years in Asia working to engage, inspire, and equip those around him to understand their power to leverage innovation, entrepreneurship, and leadership to solve "the big" challenges cities face.

Currently, as the Managing Director of Collective Responsibility, Executive Director of HandsOn China, and a Visiting Professor of Sustainability at the China Europe International Business School (CEIBS), I'm focused on building platforms that promote long term organizational capacity to address the economic, environmental, and social hurdles that China faces as the country’s economic growth accelerates.

Follow Rich:

Website: http://www.richbrubaker.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rich.brubaker
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richbrubaker
Instagram: https://instagram.com/richbrubaker
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/richbrubaker

About Brian:

Brian Tam leads corporate teams through FIRST TIME EVER challenges. From new business models to fresh brands, as CEO of Let's Make Great! he guides multinational companies in China to systematically create the future and explore uncertainties.

He's the mind behind PROTO Innovation Cards and the author of Awrignawl Creativity.

Born in New York, and proudly raised in New Jersey - he has been in China since 2007, working to drive the fantastic change that is happening in China & the world. Let's Make Great!

Follow Brian:

Website: http://www.letsmakegreat.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brian.tam.56211
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tamonline/
Instagram: https://instagram.com/letsmakegreat/


Cyrille Filott

Investing in Sustainable Food & Agriculture | Cyrille Filott, Rabobank

In this episode of Entrepreneurs For Good, I speak with Cyrille Filott, Global Strategist for Consumer Foods at Rabobank.

For me, this was a really interesting discussion as I have been working hard to develop an understanding for the interplay between finance and sustainability, and took away a much better understanding for how Rabobank sees sustainability in the food & agricultural space, the role of consumers, and how they are putting their money to work.

About #EntrepreneursForGood Series:
Through this series, we speak with Asia based entrepreneurs whose mission it is to bring solutions to the environmental, social, and economic challenges that are faced within the region to learn more about their vision, the opportunities they see, and challenges that they have had to overcome.

It is a series that we hope will not only engage and inspire you, but catalyze you and your organizations into action.

To identify a challenge that is tangible, and build a business model (profit or non) that brings a solution to the market.

About Cyrille Filott:
Cyrille Filott is global strategist for Consumer Foods. Within the sector he is focusing on the baked goods chain and various other topics. He is based in Utrecht, The Netherlands.

Cyrille is a business economist with a great deal of experience in fund management and equity research. He joined the research team at RaboResearch Food & Agribusiness in 2008. Since the beginning of 2014 he is strategist for the Consumer Foods sector.

Cyrille earned a Master’s degree in Economics from Erasmus University in Rotterdam. He also holds a VBA designation.

Follow: Cyrille:
LinkedIn: https://nl.linkedin.com/in/cyrille-filott-16b4586
Twitter: https://twitter.com/cyrille_filott

Follow Rabobank:
Rabobank Website: http://www.goodfoodcommunity.com/

Rabobank Consumer Research: https://research.rabobank.com/far/en/sectors/consumer-foods/index.html

About Rich:
Driven by the belief that change begins with a single step, Richard Brubaker has spent the last 15 years in Asia working to engage, inspire, and equip those around him to take their first step.

Acting as a catalyst to driving sustainability, Brubaker works with government, corporate, academic and non-profit stakeholders to bring together knowledge, teams, and tools that develop and execute their business case for sustainability.

Follow Rich
Website: http://www.richbrubaker.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rich.brubaker
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richbrubaker
Instagram: https://instagram.com/richbrubaker
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/richbrubaker

Contact Rich
[email protected]

#richbrubaker #entrepreneurs4good #SocialEntrepreneurship