BusinessWeek innovation blog reached out to its readers on Facebook, Twitter, and its blog asking for suggestions for social media innovators for 2009. They got a lot of suggestions and decided to create four different categories (see below.) I was selected as "eyes to the world." The profile is here.
I was asked to do a brief video talking about what I thought the next innovation on the web is - you can see here where I talked about how these new tools are allowing people to come together and do things for charities out of love at a grand scale, not just money. I also talked about the next innovation of the social web - as a platform to do good.
There's some details in the profile that could stand to corrected, but later for that.
Congratulations to the other three folks who received recognition.
1) Toolmasters: Imaginative techies whose schemes and applications open new doors and lead to insights. Our toolmaster is Noah Brier, who works days in New York at Barbarian Group, an interactive marketing shop.
2) Eyes to the World: People innovating with social media to help others. Beth Kanter is our pick. She uses every avenue on the World Wide Web to raise funds for Cambodian children through the Sharing Foundation. And she shares what she learns with nonprofits everywhere. Kanter, 52, is also a Net pioneer. A one-time employee of the Boston Symphony, she plunged into the Internet in the early 1990s. She started tapping friends—and friends of friends—through her blog while adopting two Cambodian children in 2000.
3) Crowdstrappers: Entrepreneurs or consultants who harness new approaches in social media to reposition or invigorate businesses—either their clients' or their own. Here we select Eric Brown, who has turned his apartment business in Royal Oak, Mich., into a social media laboratory. Brown, 49, has no training in social media. But he believes in openness and hopes that the ease of communicating through blogs, Twitter, and Facebook, can turn him into a better landlord.
4) Hidden heroes: These are people working inside old-style enterprises and use social media to change the culture and operations. Our choice is Scott Monty, who heads up social media at Ford Motor.
Gee, wish I didn't have to hop a plane to the West Coast all day today - would love to revel in this ...
Congratulations Beth :)
Posted by: Noah Brier | February 10, 2009 at 02:04 PM
Beth, You are SO deserving! You are our nonprofit light for social media...fantastic content ALL the time!! Congrats.
Posted by: Susie Bowie | February 11, 2009 at 08:08 AM
Hey - wonderful news! Congratulations!!
Posted by: John | February 11, 2009 at 08:14 AM
Hi Beth,
CONGRATULATIONS :-)
I'm a regular reader of your posts, but I've never commented before. Your posts are so informative, you are a knowledge base of Social Media.
I always feel that, my comments would never be able to do justice to your posts as I'll run short of words appreciating it.
You are a rare combo, Beth. These days you hardly find people with head and heart. People generally have only one of these aspects and most of the time none of these ;-)
Keep up the good work. God bless you
Krishna
Posted by: Krishna | February 11, 2009 at 09:36 AM
I hope the long flight gave you an opportunity to revel, even if on an airplane. You deserve it. I also hope you realize that the amazing good created by the people in your community is a direct reflection of the content you create, the example you set, the bar you raise, the questions you pose and the dialogue you facilitate.
I'm not sure how you do it, but I'm so very grateful you do.
Kudos & Congrats!!
Posted by: Stacey Monk | February 11, 2009 at 09:56 PM
This is fantastic and well-deserved!!!!!!!!!! I can think of no one better. We shall celebrate when I see you next :)
Posted by: Danielle | February 12, 2009 at 07:16 AM
congrats beth -- you're a rockstar :-)
Posted by: Ramya | February 12, 2009 at 12:57 PM
Beth - so well deserved! Congrats
Posted by: Allyson Kapin | February 12, 2009 at 02:29 PM
Congratulations on the nomination.
Posted by: Alan | February 13, 2009 at 05:06 AM
Very well deserved! Big Congrats and big hugs!
Posted by: Demetrio Maguigad | February 13, 2009 at 12:22 PM
Congrats!! You are by far the shining light of this article and I am so happy to see you recogized for the amazing work that you do. I am always an adoring fan!
Posted by: Kendra Kellogg (E-Advocate) | February 14, 2009 at 10:11 AM
Thanks to innovators like you, I think we're entering not just Web 3.0, but Nonprofit 3.0. More thoughts here:
http://tinyurl.com/bkga5e
Congrts!
Jeremy Gregg, CFRE
VP of Development
Center for Nonprofit Management
Posted by: Jeremy Gregg | February 15, 2009 at 11:36 AM
Congrats Beth! That's a huge honor and extremely well deserved!
Posted by: Scott Meis | February 15, 2009 at 02:08 PM
Just saw this while catching up on reading - Congratulations!! Very well deserved!
Posted by: Rachel Happe | February 21, 2009 at 06:18 AM
This is like the third time I have seen and read this post. I should probably take the time to congratulate you, It has to be a grand honor to not only be involved with but recognized for something so huge.
Great Job
Brad west ~ onomoney
Posted by: Brad West | March 31, 2009 at 10:54 PM