Flier for the opening the Red Bike Shed

The goal is to open the Red Bike Shed with a certain level of functionality at the beginning of May, and work on the many other things that need to be organized after that.

Exploitative Microfinance

The NYT put out a story today that talks about the entrance of big banking institutions into Microfinance, and the outrageous interest rates; some over 100% annually that they are charging. I think this raises a larger question for the world of social entrepreneurship. When a socially entrepreneurial model for creating a sustained business is proven, what is there to stop traditional business from expanding into that niche with profit as their primary goal not social good?

New York Times Article: Big Banks Draw Profits From Microloans to Poor

Photos From Red Bike Shed Site Visit

Front of the Shed. Sandbagged from the flooding last week.



Warren opening the Shop Container.

Project 2: The Red Bike Shed

I am working with the Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council(WRWC) for DESE project number 2. The Red Bike shed is a community based bike shop started through the WRWC last year. Our goal is to make the Red Bike Shed a bike shop with a social entrepreneurial model that will repair bikes for kids in the Olneyville neighborhood, provide them with bikes classes and try to increase bike use on The Fred Lippitt Woonasquatucket River Greenway. My goal is to work with them to design the infrastructure and systems that allow them to develop a sustainable social entrepreneurial venture that has a portion of its funding coming from a self-sustaining revenue stream. Below is the mind map of the basic planning and design elements of this project.

Precident For Marketing Solar Ovens

Persons Helping People (PHP) is non-profit corporation
based in St. Paul, MN, whose mission is to help alleviate
hunger in developing countries. Their primary product is a prototype solar
cooker.

As part of their effort they hired a marketing consultant for market strategies and recommendations: Spirit West.

Spirit West Management evaluated PHP’s current marketing strategy
based on at material cost of $20. Each unit utilizes sixty-five, 20-ounce
recycled plastic soft drink bottles and a salvaged aluminum
printing plate. Spirit West Management, Inc., points to better results
being likely in the international market.

"There is often initial resistance for using solar
ovens in developing countries because it changes the way
people cook their food. This initial resistance may be
overcome with basic awareness training on issues such as
air quality, inaccessibility and cost of fuel, and water
pasteurization."

Our design would have a much lower cost of training in that it does not significantly change the way people cook their food.

Problem Statement

Currently the status quo method for cooking in Tibet contributes to environmental destruction, health problems and requires time consuming fuel collection. There is a need for a clean, renewable and cheap way to cook food which fits in with the current routine of users.

Poblem Statement Mind Map