Posted on 12.5.08

As I sit here in Shanghai, China, I've come to realize just how vast the American social sector is. I Googled "social innovation China" and was surprised to see how little information there was on the web. In contrast, there are so many social sector organizations in the U.S.

tackling problems in local communities--everything from education to health, the environment to job training. We are very fortunate.

In China, there is construction on every block and around every corner. The people seem both hard-working and humble. I see building cranes for miles and miles in every direction; skyscrapers fill the skyline. I'm staying with my father in the Zhangjiang area, a place that looks and feels like a new Silicon Valley. While the Bay Area feels like innovation and health, New York feels like raw energy and Shanghai feels like bustling growth.

Since I'm still on California time, I spend the wee morning hours surfing the net. I can spend all my free time reading about the interesting things people are doing around the world. I get inspired every second to be a part of this new thriving movement.

Here are a few tips for exploring this movement that I've found helpful:

1) Surf the net

2) Check out Stanford's "The Social Innovation Conversations" podcasts

3) Watch "Ashoka: Innovators for the Public" [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DttTSJEO47g] on YouTube for inspiration

4) Download key articles from a few of your favorite organizations' Web sites

5) Attend local social sector events in your community and talk to people there

6) Join organizations/associations for causes that you care about

7) Register at www.change.gov to tell your story on "An American Moment"

8) Start having conversations with everyone you know about your passion

9) Write for yourself and for a larger audience