Author Archives: colleenpoynton
Making the Case for Corporate Social Responsibility
Head on over to the Investing In Communities blog to see my most recent set of posts, which focus on the topic of corporate social responsibility (CSR). The series begins as a reflection on CSR, and moves into a direct … Continue reading
Posted in Investing In Communities
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Part IV: Using IIC to Support Hybrid Value Creation
As promised, the conclusion to my essay-come blog post…my blessay? Can I coin that? Anyway, here goes. Below are several examples of how various hypothetical companies in Chicago could leverage IIC dollars to fund innovation, through CSO partnerships and the … Continue reading
A New Catalyst for Social Enterprise (Part III)
If you’ve hung with me so far, congrats. If you’re just coming to this post, I recommend you glance back at the preceding two for a little context (or feel free to jump in here and divine what you may). … Continue reading
A New Catalyst for Social Enterprise (Part II)
Pursuing Profit and Progress First of all, a little terminology: the term “social enterprise” is often used to describe an entity (i.e. IIC is a social enterprise), while “social entrepreneurship” describes a business practice: using a market-based revenue model to … Continue reading
A New Catalyst for Social Enterprise (Part I)
Fall has arrived in Chicago. Almost overnight, the summer haze vanished and a crisp chill arrived in the air – a lovely but sad hint of things to come. As fall is regarded as the season of change, it seems … Continue reading
Making the Pitch
That which seems too good to be true, usually is. We’ve all heard this old maxim, and most of us have adhered to it at one point or another in our lives. It echoes down from the same center of … Continue reading
IIC and Golden Apple Scholars, Bringing New Insights to the Classroom
Last Thursday I attended my first IIC event: the graduation ceremony of the 2010 Golden Apple Scholars Summer Institute. The Golden Apple Scholars Program is unique to Illinois, and now in it’s 25th year of grooming motivated young adults to … Continue reading
Investing In Communities
The first week on the job is rarely a revelation. No matter how excited- or hesitant- one is, I’ve found that the first week is often mundane. You settle in, organize your desk, meet your new co-workers, maybe get introduced … Continue reading
Reflection: A Year on the Westside
(First posted in Dec. 2009) Every morning I take a long bus ride west. I watch as the cityscape transforms outside my window: clean, vibrant streets with shops and cafes give way to a colorful immigrant neighborhoods where beautiful murals … Continue reading
Posted in Chicago, Urban Development
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RE: Community Organizing is….?
Post-D.C. Wrap-Up Nearly six months after traveling to Washington, D.C. with my organization as part of the Coalition to Save Community Banking, my one year fellowship is complete. With a bit of downtime before I launch into my next position, … Continue reading
An American City 