Roshan Paul

I’ve collaborated with the Stanford Social Innovation Review to write a series of articles about our work in social innovation education. Here is the list of articles I wrote or co-wrote as part of the series, in chronological order. In July 2017, I compiled them into a little book called Your Work Begins at No, which is available on request.

1. Social Change and the Shadow Side of Passion – find out what we mean by the ‘Wound-Gift Concept’. January 2014

2. Seven Elements of Social Innovation – our social innovation framework that underpins our training and education model. March 2014

3. Looking to Nature for Social Innovation – seeing nature as a guide and mentor towards improving our capacity to be innovators. June 2014

4. From Motivated Professional to Social Changemaker – 15 insights on leadership and transition from the frontlines of professional education. August 2014

5. World Literature on Social Innovation – A Quest – a new book makes an important contribution to a field screaming out for diversity—but may also illustrate why there isn’t more diversity. September 2014

6. The Inner Journey of the Changemaker – How we manage ourselves and empathize with others are as important as professional management skills in creating social impact. November 2015

7. Decelerate to Accelerate – Sometimes the fastest way forward may be to slow down. January 2015

8. Schools Aren’t Just Buildings – Why innovation in education is about a lot more than just building schools. July 2015

9. Time to Align – We get 24 extra hours this year, a great opportunity for social change leaders to look at the connection between who they are and what they do. February 2016

10. Are You Delivering Services or Are You Providing Value? – social innovators need to ask themselves whether the products and services they offer are actually new—and whether they in fact benefit the people they aim to help. February 2017

11. How to Develop Worthwhile Internships – Four guidelines for making internships valuable to both your organization and the next generation of social change leaders. June 2017

12. Building a Financially Sustainable Social Enterprise in Emerging Markets – Six lessons on achieving financial independence in a resource-constrained era. July 2017

13. A Medical School for Changemaking – how Amani Institute is building a skills-based and inclusive curriculum for changemaking in the developing world. May 2020

14. Weaving a Network of Relationships – an excerpt from my book The New Reason to Work. May 2022 (This excerpt and the book was included in the SSIR’s list of top 10 books of 2022).

Check them out and share your thoughts!  And do share it with anyone you think might be interested!

In April 2016, I was honored to give a TEDx talk at TEDxAmsterdamED. It was a thrilling experience to walk onstage at a TED event, to find your way in the darkness to that red dot of a carpet, turn to face an audience of 500 that is all looking at you but you can’t see, take a deep breath, and begin.

I spoke about the growing trend of people all around the world seeking “careers of meaning and impact”, and willing to make personal sacrifices to do so. And how this would be a giant wave of change that our education systems and organizations aren’t yet ready for. Do watch the talk!

In May 2015, I was honored to give the Commencement Speech to the graduate schools (the schools of business, education & leadership, arts & sciences, peace, and nursing) at the University of San Diego. Watch it here: