In this week’s episode, Caleb, Jeff, and Matthew chat with Dr. Rogelio Garcia Contreras. He is the Director of Social Innovation at the University of Arkansas, and he is a leader in social entrepreneurship and innovation across the world. The guys discuss the difficulties involved in social innovation, students’ ability to think outside the box, and how Rogelio ended up at the University of Arkansas. You do not want to miss out on this important episode. As always, thanks for tuning in!
Shownotes
(1:26) Introducing Dr. Rogelio Garcia Contreras
(6:03) How Rogelio ended up at the University of Arkansas
(13:49) The social innovation challenge
(18:57) Rogelio shares a few highlights from the social innovation challenge
(26:09) Thinking outside the box
(38:04) Playing the long game
(44:38) Advice for the younger self
Links
Quotes
“Although social entrepreneurship has become a very popular rallying point…solutions to these kind of complex problems never come easy, right?” (16:19)
“I’m an optimist in the human spirit and resilience to come up with solutions down the road that address these issues. But it is imperative that we all are aware of the magnitude of the problem, but we also are aware of how we can connect.” (43:16)
Social Innovation Style 2.0
The Startup Junkies podcast had the opportunity to talk with Dr. Rogelio Garcia Contreras, the Director of Social Innovation at the University of Arkansas. Rogelio received his doctorate from the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver, and he has taught in public and private institutions in Mexico, China, Spain, and the United States. He has also worked as an analyst, researcher, and consultant for political and public policy in both the United States and Mexico.
While serving as an Assistant Professor at the Center for International Studies of the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas, Rogelio founded the Social Entrepreneurship Program. At the University of Arkansas, he oversaw the Social Innovation Challenge. In short, Rogelio is a forward thinker and leader in the social entrepreneurship and innovation arena across the globe.
While teaching at the University of Arkansas, Rogelio has provided his students with a semester-long project. They must help non-profits and other organizations improve their impact on the community through innovation. This is an effort to promote fundamental principles of social entrepreneurship, and learn useful tools to optimize and scale cross-sector, collective impact strategies that allow you to do more with fewer resources. Rogelio has found that his students possess the skill of thinking outside the box. They are often less afraid of things that others in the industry see as impossible. In this case, their lack of experience is a skill that some are too close to the situation being addressed to possess.
One of Rogelio’s favorite proposals that came from this assignment was in partnership with Rockline Industries. The students proposed innovation centered around repurposing the company’s wet waste, sending it to another industry rather than a landfill. Another initiative that Rogelio is quite proud of is centered around food waste in Fayetteville. The students came up with a plan involving to-go boxes with QR codes that provide information about the problematic circumstances of food waste, as well as incentives for restaurants and customers.
While Rogelio has seen substantial success with this project in his classroom and the world as a whole, he recognizes that solutions are often difficult to come by and not easy to implement.
“Although social entrepreneurship has become a very popular rallying point…solutions to these kind of complex problems never come easy, right?” (16:19)
Even though solutions do not come easy, Rogelio still believes that change is possible. Acknowledging issues and uniting with others who are passionate about finding solutions is the key to successful social innovation and entrepreneurship.
“I’m an optimist in the human spirit and resilience to come up with solutions down the road that address these issues. But it is imperative that we all are aware of the magnitude of the problem, but we also are aware of how we can connect.” (43:16)
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