B.Lab

http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/130/mission-critical.html

I was just turned onto this social design company in the UK by a write up in FastCompany.com. The company is called Participle and they “design” social programs to support seniors, youths and families. Their key appears to be community building and I’m not on one of my web 2.0 rants, real physical communities. Unlike a typical social works organization, Participle works in interdisciplinary teams including a social worker, an innovation strategist and an industrial designer to solve problems that include redesigning more than the physical works but the whole system in schools, hospitals and public housing.

The project that really caught my attention was Peckham Circle for the disenfranchised aging population in a poor area of London. By using neighborhood networks, gardens and financial planning assistance they are providing practical assistance as well as encouraging members to help each other.

In a recent article about seniors in Japan who wind up breaking the law and in prison, it seems clear to me that the government support system here is not designed to deal with the growing aging problem. This is close to a business plan project an MBA team I currently am in is doing to build a web business that helps retired professionals find quality work and supplement their questionable social security in the future.

In my mind starting a company like Participle here in Japan would be a good thing for me to think about in the future. There are a variety of social systems that are in need of new innovative ideas and many ways to help improve society. A social design company seems a perfect concept. Time to put on my thinking cap…

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