In this episode of So, Now What host Catherine Galloway engages with Gates Cambridge scholars Paulo Savaget Nascimento, Sandile Mtetwa, and Uche Ogechukwu to explore innovative business models that address wicked problems such as energy poverty and community empowerment. The conversation emphasizes the importance of unconventional approaches, allyship, co-creation, and interdisciplinary thinking in fostering sustainable solutions for the common good. The guests share their experiences and insights on how to leverage existing resources, engage marginalized communities, and promote inclusivity in entrepreneurship.

Takeaways

• We are living in complex times with pressing problems.
• Innovative approaches can address energy poverty effectively.
• Allyship involves co-creating solutions with communities.
• Workarounds can provide unconventional solutions to challenges.
• Inclusivity is crucial in energy solutions for marginalized groups.
• Interdisciplinary thinking enhances social enterprise effectiveness.
• Diversity and adaptation are essential for tackling wicked problems.
• Community ownership leads to sustainable outcomes.
• Starting small and scrappy can lead to significant impact.
• Humanizing innovation is key to successful implementation.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Wicked Problems and New Business Models

05:00 Innovative Approaches to Energy and Community Empowerment

09:56 The Role of Allyship and Co-Creation in Sustainable Solutions

14:54 Workarounds: Unconventional Solutions to Complex Problems

19:54 The Importance of Inclusivity in Energy Solutions

24:59 Interdisciplinary Thinking and Its Impact on Social Enterprise

29:51 So, Now What: Scaling for the Common Good