Global Innovation Game won by RBD supporter nominating Midomo!

GiG was the official game of Global Entrepreneurship Week and- to our surprise and pleasure- shortly after GEW we received an email informing us that a winner of GiG had nominated Midomo as an idea!

The Global Innovation Game (GiG) challenges an international community of players to create, buy, and sell solutions to problems facing the world. It creates an effective stock market of ideas, where proposed solutions are traded and find value in the ‘ideas market.’

We are so happy that Hilary Singer, who writes for Startup Cafe was impressed enough by Midomo to have nominated it as a solution to a global problem. That Midomo gained enough value on the ideas market to become a winning idea has genuinely given us a real boost- (there may even have been some high-fiveing.)

The mission of Global Mind Games, who created GiG, is to use social games to spark debate and encourage real world change. What GiG has done for Midomo is a brilliant example of an online game creating interest in a real product that can create a difference in real people’s lives.

We’d just like to extend Hilary, and all those who supported Midomo in the virtual market, our sincerest thanks! It’s always been vital to our development that people take an active role in learning and speaking about Midomo and we’re ever grateful for new interest.

Red Button Design's Midomo Bracelet - Social Vision 2010

Red Button Design's newest venture The Midomo Bracelet needs 2 mins of your time!

Please Click Here to submit your email voting for us in the following competition..

Triodos Bank, the Social Enterprise Coalition and the regional social enterprise networks of England are working together to run Social Vision 2010: business at its best – the annual national social enterprise photography competition. (Our submission is the thumbnail above.)

The amazing prize on offer is:
• £750 cash
• an entry ticket for two people to Voice 11.
• a year's free associate membership to the Social Enterprise Coalition
• a year's free subscription to Social Enterprise magazine as well as £1000 worth of print advertising in Social Enterprise magazine

..all of which would be really important for us. But to get there, first we have to win the London heat. So please:

VOTE NOW!

The deadline for voting is 11:30am on Monday 11 October.

Amanda Jones receives a Cosmopolitan "Ultimate Woman" award!

Last Wednesday, November 11th, at a red-carpet, black-tie event at Whitehall's 'Banqueting House' I was awarded a Cosmopolitan Magazine “Ultimate Woman of the Year Award” for my work establishing internationally award winning social enterprise start-up “Red Button Design”

"The Ultimate Women of the Year awards were founded to celebrate Cosmopolitan's core mission - to inspire women to be the best they can be. Every year Cosmopolitan honours the women who really make a difference, who break boundaries, who help those in need and who have been fast-tracked in their field. Readers vote for the women they believe have been the most fun, fearless and fabulous over the past year. It is then left to a panel of judges, all movers and shakers in their own right, to pick the winners from the short-list to attend the glamorous awards ceremony."

So, it transpired that amidst kind words from none other than Fearne Cotton, Lamar, Vernon Kay & Sarah Brown themselves, I collected the award for Ultimate "Green Queen":


“She’s only 25 and the simplicity of her brilliant idea just jumps out at me.” Ultimate Woman judge Vernon Kay

Even though the award has had a few days to sit on the mantelpiece now, I still think that my instant reaction (though tipsy and somewhat bemused) remains heartfelt and genuine "Feeling humbled, supported & above all invigorated to fight another day... Thank-you!"

You can read "Five Reasons Cosmo Loves Amanda" right now and the full printed article can currently be found on page 90 of Cosmopolitan Magazine's December issue!

Red Button Design - Glenfiddich "Pride Of Scotland" Award Finalists

For the twelfth year Scotsman Publications has joined forces with Glenfiddich to give readers the chance to vote in the Glenfiddich Spirit of Scotland Awards.

We're happy to say that Red Button Design have been nominated in the Environment Category and once you have voted for us in The Pitch we'd sheepishly invite you to consider also voting for us in the Spirit of Scotland Awards.

Copy below courtesy of The Scotsman.

Few years have more tested Scotland's enterprise and talent than the past 12 months. Banks have tumbled, firms have failed, unemployment has risen and household spending has been reined in. Fear and apprehension have marked a year that has shaken our confidence and pride.

If ever there was a period in which the creativity and ambition of the nominees for the Spirit of Scotland awards were sorely needed, this is surely it. For it is in the difficult times that perseverance and success are especially important, and which inspire us to greater endeavour. Given this background, the achievements of this year's selection are particularly outstanding.

This unique awards scheme aims to recognise the individuals who make us proud, inspire our nation and lead the way across Scotland's rich cultural spectrum from the fields of Food, Music, the Environment and Screen to Art, Business, Writing and Sport: people who through their achievements are making every year count.

Receiving a Glenfiddich Spirit of Scotland Award is now one of the country's most sought-after tributes – made all the more important because the winners are selected not by an elite few, but by you, the people of Scotland. Last year readers cast their votes by the thousand for winners including Olympian Chris Hoy, actor James McAvoy and young SuperJam entrepreneur, Fraser Doherty.

In the coming weeks The Scotsman will profile four individuals in each of the following categories: Business, Art, Food, Sport, Music, Screen, Environment and Writing. The nominees have been shortlisted by a consulting panel but it's over to you to decide who should win. In the final week, you can vote for the Top Scot Award, an open category where you can choose the Scot from any walk of life whom you believe has made the greatest impact in furthering Scotland's reputation at home and abroad this year.

The consulting panel for the Awards includes: John McLellan (Scotsman editor), Sally Gordon (Glenfiddich), Peter Irvine (Unique Events), Fiona Bradley (Fruitmarket Gallery), Celia Stevenson (Scottish Screen), Stuart Nisbet (Unique Events), and correspondents from The Scotsman newspaper.

Wildcard voting opens for "The Pitch"

Back in June I took part in a business competition, aptly called The Pitch, that had me filmed live "Dragons' Den" style with a four minute time limit, tasked to convince 5 judges of Red Button Design's worthiness to win yet another award.

Back then I made it as far as the Regional Finals, I didn't, however, quite make it through to the Grand Final, due to be held on the first day of Global Entrepreneurship Week 2009, (16 Nov for those sleeping at the back).

The Grand Final will see the winners of each regional heat (Bristol, Manchester, Glasgow, Birmingham and London) PLUS the winner of a public vote, a "wildcard" entry, competing for the £50,000 worth of business support available to the lucky winner.

You can now vote for us to sneak through into the final as the wildcard, 6th entrant.

Here's how:

1) Go here: www.thepitch2009.com/videos
2) Click the far right tab that says "Scotland"
3) Scroll down until you see me looking very emphatic & click me
4) Watch the video that appears and rate me from one to five stars ;-)

Also... (and I'm just mentioning) it looks as if you can vote more than once....

A Day at "The Pitch"

Spent today tucked away in a breakout room within the Aurora building in Glasgow, alongside representatives from 5 other business all shortlisted for the Scottish heat of The Pitch 2009

The pitch is a Dragons' Den style business competition where 'business owners from across the nation pitch to a panel of top industry experts to demonstrate the innovation, market knowledge, customer engagement and financial viability of their business, competing to win a massive £50,000 worth of business related goods and services.'

I have to confess the day didn't start off as well as it concluded. There was some initial confusion as to the format of "The Pitch" including whether powerpoint was permitted, with some participants having been told it wasn't allowed and some (myself included) turning up with presentations prepared. In the end it emerged that while powerpoint was technically permitted, they had no projector or means of displaying it (*g*) So we all did without. Which was nice actually, I almost wish I was forced to present without it more often... (almost).

Also there was no schedule (or at least not one that was circulated amongst the participants) so we all turned up expecting a much shorter day than the crew had planned. For some this meant that meetings had to be jigged & trains home were missed, though no problem for us as we split up and James left to go about 'business as usual' periodically returning to check on progress and dropping off care packages while I stayed put at Aurora

So we went last, which gave me plenty of time to chat with the other shortlisted businesses: some new to me, and some entrepreneurs I am aware of and have admired for a while. SO, without further ado, lets introduce the competition!

The other pitchers in the Scottish heat were (in chronological order):

Russell Young - Proguard Plus:
Protective paint for Yachts and Jets

Craig Smith - Printed Bag Shop:
Suppliers of eco friendly printed carrier bags (@printedbagshop)

Andy Smith - Agenor Technology:
IT project implementation management software

Richard Burton - HoodEasy:
Suppliers of eco friendly printed carrier bags (@hoodeasy)

Alan Powell - Energy Mechanics:
Renewable energy services

And us. I was Pitching with James on hand to address any specifically technical or design orientated questions.

Our turn rolled around a little after 4:15. Previous 'pitchers' had alluded to problems with tech but the teething problems must have resolved themselves somewhere down the line as we had no such difficulties. The pitch went smoothly, technology behaved, and I timed in at an impressive 3m 58s.

The Judges ( Nick Price, Michael Canon, Jennifer Cheyne, Graeme Scott, Craig Patterson & Bill Morrow ) were great. I was impressed with how engaged they all still were having spent a long and unbelievably warm day stuck in a glass room under many lights.

Also, the folk running the day were really helpful and nice, as were the tech crew. Previous gripes aside, it is hard not to have fun, even under stressful circumstances, when you're surrounded by such enthusiastic people so my thanks and gratitude to them all for arranging the day.

So, what to say?
On the whole i'm pretty happy with the way my Pitch went, I got some lovely comments from the judges on my presentation style, some of which I am pleased to say made it onto the Twitter Stream. Other than that, however, I will withhold further judgement as the video will make it onto "The Pitch" website very soon allowing you to make up your own minds, and speaking of making up minds ...
the announcement of who is to progress to the finals of "The Pitch" is due to be made tomorrow.

Watch this space I guess??

Shell LIVEwire "Grand Idea" voting open!

Red Button Design are up for public vote as part of Shell LIVEwire's "Grand Idea". You need to register but you can vote for us to receive the £1,000 funding by visiting the LIVEwire website.

For this part of the award we were required to make a 60 second video, which would ordinarily have been a fun activity. However, email problems on Shell's end meant that I missed receiving this information until a stressed out researcher called to apologise. Anyway, I ended up doing our video pitch at about 5am in my pyjamas in order to meet the 9am next-morning deadline. Accordingly my hands are all of me that actually feature ;) Still, it's not too shabby an effort in our opinion.

Curious yet? Good good..
Now simply log in to view the 8 competing videos displayed on the home page. The voting buttons are just under each video and you only get one vote, so choose wisely!*




Voting is open until June 30th.

Pass the message on!

*well, choose us!

Press & Media for the NLS Environmental Innovation Award.

The press wagon has been laggard getting moving on this one but over the last week, slowly and surely, the releases and announcements have been made.

Firstly, the NLS have issued a statement of congratulations and uploaded their Official Press Release announcing us as the winners of the Innovation Award for Environmental Technology.

NLS commercial director Ian Rippin issued the following comment:
“We are delighted to present this award to Red Button Design. Science innovation is at the heart of what we do at NLS and our support of this award underlines our passion for developing new ways of doing things. Congratulations to our worthy winners, Red Button Design.”

In addition there's a little voxpop below which was taken on the night (and demonstrably, by my near-laughter, fairly late on in the night, well after the bar opened!)



A full list of winners from the night can be found alongside the official press release on the Sustainability Live website.

Red Button Design win NLS Environmental Innovation Award.

Having been as pleased as I was to announce that our water sanitation device "ROSS" made it into the finals of "The 2009 NLS Innovation Awards for Environmental Technology" I am now very excited to announce that, at a black tie event on Tuesday night, we went on to win the award!

While it is true to say that we have been fortunate enough to receive ... a fair few awards in the last 2 years it is also correct that (with the exception of perhaps the 'Wall Street Journal Innovation Award' some 18 months ago) these have not often been in recognition of the scientific and technical achievements we have made.

The National Laboratory Service (NLS) Awards, however, are judged using a strict set of scientifically demanding criteria and we are thrilled that the technical progress we have made has been recognised by winning an award from such a reputable and influential organisation with such an unrivalled reputation for scientific excellence.

I will be following up this post with a collection of some of the press and media surrounding the event, very soon!

Shine 09 & Web 2.0

Well I have just about come down from the high of "Shine", the Unconference for Social Entrepreneurs, which ran Friday & Saturday last week. As I briefly blogged on the Friday, Shine represented a thoroughly enjoyable, inspiring, buzz of ideas, enthusiasm and (critically) caffeine.

According to The School for Social Entrepreneurs:
"The four partners started the event because they felt there was a need for an accessible, affordable, practical, well-networked, dynamic event that was less about long powerpoints and plenary speeches, and more about one-to-one support and moving your business on."
And I have to say I agree with both the premise and the execution of the idea.

I was particularly interested in how well this event translated itself to Twitter. You only need to browse through the Hashtag #shine09 to see how actively the event was reported by UnConference delegates and followed by those unable to attend. Increasingly I am coming to the conclusion that a good Twitter following can make or break an (un)conference and I had similar discussions at the highly Twittered Engage Invest Exploit Conference in Edinburgh last month (Hashtag #eie09).

For example, on the Saturday of Shine I hosted a scheduled, round table, discussion bearing the rather grand title "'Real & Perceived Barriers to UK Investment for Global Projects". I was asked to do so after a conversation which sprung up around my Tweet "Fed up of the misguided & labored notion that a social enterprise worth UK funding has to have beneficiaries within the UK"

It was advertised (optimistically in my nervous opinion!) as being an opportunity for 'provocative conversation' though I need not have worried. A brilliant hour or so was spent exploring common problems and barriers to investment, not only by the 15 or so people present in the room but, as some of us were Twittering, we had followers and contributors from the global Twittersphere! Most notably @cliffprior and @jameselliot chatting with me and @davedawes.

Furthermore it looks as if the roundtable discussion produced an idea that is going to translate to a longer, larger discussion on Ning and result in a sort of democratic, crowd sourced, crowd funded, international, endowment investment fund (!) inspired by the likes of Kiva, Zopa and MyFootballClub

....Oh I feel a web 2.0 / Social Entrepreneurship Blog post coming on! :)

It'll have to wait though, I'm off to the NLS Awards tonight. Wish me luck!

Shortlisted for Scientific Award by The NLS.

I am thrilled to announce that our water transport, sanitation and storage device "ROSS" (due for commercial launch Feb 2010) has made it through multiple rigorous judging stages in order to be named one of 7 finalists for "The 2009 NLS Innovation Awards for Environmental Technology".

The National Laboratory Service (NLS) Awards are judged using a strict set of scientifically demanding criteria and we are thrilled that the significant technical progress we have made in the last 9 months is being recognised by such a reputable and influential organisation with such an unrivalled reputation for scientific excellence.

The winner of the NLS Innovation Award for Environmental Technology will be announced at a black tie dinner on May 19th at the National Motorcycle Museum in Birmingham, as part of Sustainabilitylive! 2009.

Amanda is a finalist in 'SHE' Magazine's "Inspiring Women Awards"

Amanda has been named as one of 3 finalists in The 'Pioneer' category of SHE Magazine's "Inspiring Women Awards".

According to the magazine: 'The Pioneer' is
"a woman who has had a groundbreaking impact on medical science or social development."

The winners of each category will be invited to a celebratory lunch in May, hosted by SHE's Editor Sian Rees and attended by special guests and celebrities. A full list of winners, photos from the event and a photoshoot with the shortlisted women will be published in the June issue of SHE magazine; visit the website in May to see video coverage of the awards ceremony and a special peek ‘behind the scenes' on the day.

We think the winners are due to be announced in the next week, so to ensure that you know as soon as we know add this blog to your RSS reader!

Don't RSS yet? Find out how

How Bank of Scotland & The Sunday Times got it so wrong.

Today is the deadline for the Bank of Scotland £6 million, Social Entrepreneur Awards in association with the Sunday Times.

Some months ago, amongst a flurry of PR, and a hum of excitement from the Social Enterprise Community, BOS & The Sunday Times announced with open arms that "Whether your organisation is a charity, voluntary organisation, church or any other not-for-profit organisation, large or small you are eligible for these awards"

Hang on ...
any other not-for-profit organisation?

I have long been of the unwavering opinion that so·cial en·ter·prise (n.) is responsibly-profitable enterprise* and that as long as that organistaion is dedicated to creating social value, its structure is unimportant. A quick check with the Social Enterprise Coalition and Social Enterprise Magazine indicates the consensus falls firmly on my side.

I, however, don't have £6 million to donate to the cause and, sadly, those who do at Bank of Scotland are only recognising the social benefit of what is described in their Ts and Cs as:

"not-for-profit organisations, meaning organisations which are not capable of distributing profits generated by the organisation or capital back to shareholders, members or other participants in the organisation;"

A short sighted approach if ever there was one. Non-profits, as the definition above testifies, cannot release capital. This, you might speculate, would put off investors and you'd see a 5x ROI on that guess. Not being able to raise finance through investment leaves non-profits on the scrounge. So in this sense I see the appeal of offering millions of pounds in prize money to an organisation that can't raise it's cash any other way. BUT, and here is the point that so often gets missed, how sustainable is this? What happens when th organisation needs more cash down the line? Just how scalable are non-profits and are they really going to contribute to the growth of the economy in the same way that a Social Enterprise producing equal social value, only constituted in a way that makes them eligible for investment capital, would?

Whether structured as non-profits or for-profits, social enterprises should be measured by their ability to tackle pressing problems with innovative solutions and their capacity to grow and scale whilst exponentially improving the status quo.

Are bank of Scotland supporting scalable Social Enterprise?
No.

Are they likely to discover and finance the next "Divine Chocolate" or "Big Issue"
No.

Both Divine Chocolate (Enterprising Solutions "Social Enterprise of the Year" 2007 ) and The Big Issue (John Bird, Ernst & Young "Social Entrepreneur of the Year" 2008) are incorporated as Limited Companies and are therefore capable of "distributing profits back to shareholders". Consequentially this would render them both ineligible for qualification as a "Social Enterprise" under The Bank of Scotland / Sunday Times definition.

It is extremely disappointing to see that the UK is still so backwards in its thinking regarding Social Enterprise. If we are ever to take a lead in this vital sector it needs to be universally recognised that Social Enterprise is not a synonym for non-profit, and there is no difference between social value created by donor funds and social value created with internally generated surplus.

Earth Awards Round Up

Monday night's Gala Award Ceremony for The Earth Awards was a star studded affair to be sure, NY Socialites and Press were out in force mingling with the judges, us finalists and a series of distinguished guests ranging from Celebrities through to Politicians & Royalty.

Despite not winning the coveted top spot, we spoke with several interested parties regarding potential investment, faired well under the charm of Charlie Rose and made some amazing new business contacts and friends (and in a pleasing number of cases, both)

The winner was announced as MIT fellow Neri Oxman.

Images of the event can be found on gettyimages.

There'll be more to follow, but for now here's what's being said about the event here in NYC:

Vanity Fair: Getting Green
“The real prize here, though, is the opportunity for bringing these ideas to the marketplace and in front of venture capitalists,”

Existing Visual
"As master of ceremonies, Charlie Rose made his rounds in the famed pool room of Philip Johnson’s iconic Four Seasons Restaurant to briefly interview all ten finalists before the winner was named."

Eco Chic Honours
"The theme was green, but the attire was black tie at the Earth Awards Gala at the Four Seasons last night."

Go Green or Go Home
"The Earth Awards Gala was held Monday night at the Four Seasons in New York City recognizing those who think green with “future-crucial designs” in the worlds of architecture, fashion, food, alternative energy, and product design."

Cityfile New York: The Tuesday Party Report
"The Earth Awards, honoring innovations in sustainable design, held a gala at the Four Seasons last night"

New York Observer: Lean and Green
"This is a nice event," Mr. Niccolini concluded, surveying the room. "Lots of attractive people."

Earth Awards Announced Tonight!

The winner of The Earth Awards is due to be announced in just under 12 hours, this evening at around 11:15 EST. (4:15am UK - but you'll wait up, right?)

At the briefing this morning we learnt that only one of our team need be interrogated interviewed live, on camera, this evening, by Emmy award winning journalist Charlie Rose...* We met the daughter of the Malaysian Prime Minster, and met the Editor of Wallpaper Magazine. We had our details and a photo taken for their blog and (fingers crossed) maybe we'll even get something in print. We'll be meeting the other political guests along with the selection committee, esteemed New York glitterati and press, at the VIP Champagne Reception this evening.

But (more importantly?) this briefing was also our first opportunity to meet our fellow finalists, a set of genuinely intriguing individuals with truly engaging projects, many of whom I will, doubtlessly, promote on this blog in due course.

I'll be twittering throughout, if you want up-to-the-second info, otherwise wish us luck & we'll profile the winner tomorrow.

*Yes, it'll be me and no I am not at all scared to be interviewed about US politics by a guy who has famously interviewed President-elect Obama. Honest.

Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device

NYC Update

Now that we're safely in NYC (despite the best efforts of terrible British weather, delays, missed connections and the like!) We're beginning to get excited about what tomorrow has in store for us!

All 10 finalists are to be interviewed on stage during the black-tie dinner tomorrow, infront of a prestigious audience of designers, financiers, innovators and world-leaders (including, apparently, H.R.H Tunku Naquiyuddin, the crown prince of Malaysia!) before the winner is announced at the end of the night. In true American award ceremony style we have been issued with briefing packs including a list of the questions we shall be asked so that we may prepare our answers. But in all honesty, as the only UK representitives at a US award ceremony (again!) I'm beginning to feel the pressure.

Questions include the following:

- How does sustainable design and innovation benefit both the CEO’s bottom line and the consumer’s daily life?

- What are your thoughts on the new US presidential administration and its environmental policies?

- How do you begin to change a legacy largely marked by inefficiency and wastefulness?

I guess i should navigate away from the NY City Ballet's box office site and start swotting up on US politics.


Thanks to James for the photograph above, of the breathtaking view from the hotel's 9th floor, floor-to-ceiling bedroom windows!

New York Bound: Earth Awards Press Release

"On January 12, 2009, ten of the world's most gifted young designers will convene in New York for The Earth Awards, a global search for products and concepts that are sustainable, innovative and — for many — essential to improving basic quality of life.

The evening will award a significant cash prize for the best new design, chosen by an esteemed, international Selection Committee, and will be presented before an audience of high profile environmentalists, venture capitalists, sustainable designers and media. Each design or concept was judged by its potential to sustain the planet and the people who inhabit it."

For more information about the Earth Awards, please contact Nadine Johnson at 212-228-5555 or earth.awards@nadinejohnson.com

We will of course keep blogging during our time stateside so stay tuned for vital updates!

Meanwhile, we'll be staying at the Standard Hotel NY who have cunningly placed a webcam in a building opposite so take a peek for 24 hour views of life inside the hotel & the NY weather (we're expecting snow!)

The Earth Awards Want Us! ... In New York!

I have just received confirmation that we're one of 10 finalists in The Earth Awards.

The Earth Awards launched as "a global search for future-crucial design solutions that will improve our collective social, cultural, economic and ecological quality of life."

This is an incredibly significant award and I can't quite believe the opportunity it presents:

"All finalists will be flown to New York City for an Awards Ceremony Gala on January 12th, 2009, where the first prize winner will be announced. The winner will receive a monetary prize, and all finalists will receive the opportunity to pitch their ideas to industry leaders including venture capitalists, industrialists, and Fortune 500 business leaders."

*speachless*

More info:
The Awards
The Judges

John Logie Baird “Young Innovators” Award 2008

Red Button Design narrowly missed out on the top spot of the John Logie Baird “Young Innovators” Award 2008, receiving a second place commendation after making it into the final 5 from over 350 businesses.

Isabell Majewsky, chief executive of organisers GO Group, said: “The Awards aim to identify innovators as well as discovering the next generation of John Logie Bairds. We can then give them the help and support they need to bring their products to market.”

John Logie Baird, of course, dedicated most of his adult life to creating the television and the awards in his name were presented to the most innovative projects with the best prospects of commercial success. Fraser Docherty of SuperJam fame scooped the first place prize demonstrating his prospects of commercial success by already having his innovative 'no added sugar' Jam stocked in Waitrose, Morrisons and Tesco!

SuperJam
John Logie Baird Awards

Amanda & James BOTH make "Future 500"

It may be -3°C outside but I was at the news agents when it opened this morning for my copy of The Observer and the Future 500 supplement* it contains, weren't you?

Now if you consult your paper copy, James and I not only made it on to the prestigious "Future 500" list but we made Top 10 in the "Science and Innovation" category, and Top 100 cross-sector. None to shabby but not the end of it, oh no!

If you consult the official list you will find that James and I were both accepted onto the list as individuals in different categories (it is a list for individuals and not companies after all) James merited inclusion in the "Science and Innovation" category, as listed in print. I got my own entry in the "Media" category.

Amazingly we both made "Top 10" in our respective categories!
So Red Button Design technically occupy 2 of the top 100 places! Talk about a good team!

*The supplement is entitled "Generation Next" and our names appear on pg 24 (we're 7th to be listed)