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In this brilliant and groundbreaking book, New Yorker writer Malcolm Gladwell looks at why major changes in our society so often happen suddenly and unexpectedly. Ideas, behavior, messages, and products, he argues, often spread like outbreaks of infectious disease. Just as a single sick person can start an epidemic of the flu, so too can a few fare-beaters and graffiti artists fuel a subway crime wave, or a satisfied customer fill the empty tables of a new restaurant. These are social epidemics, and the moment when they take off, when they reach their critical mass, is the Tipping Point.

A compelling vision. Bold leadership. Decisive action. Unfortunately, these prerequisites of success are almost always the ingredients of failure, too. In fact, most managers seeking to maximize their chances for glory are often unwittingly setting themselves up for ruin. The sad truth is that most companies have left their futures almost entirely to chance, and don't even realize it. The reason? Managers feel they must make choices with far-reaching consequences today, but must base those choices on assumptions about a future they cannot predict. It is this collision between commitment and uncertainty that creates The Strategy Paradox.

The authors of this book present true and unique (mainstream) business models that have changed the world. In three parts, they present "Building Innovative Enterprises," "Creating the Markets of the Future," and "Leading Sustainable and Scalable Change." Case studies from for-profit and nonprofit social organizations are also discussed, including Whole Foods, One Laptop Per Child, Band Aid, Live Aid and Live 8.

As McKinsey & Company's business journal, The McKinsey Quarterly offers public, non-profit, and private management "new ways of thinking." Focus is placed on strategy, corporate finance, governance, economic studies, IT, organization, marketing, and operations. Articles are free (dating back to 1992), a selection of which are available with free registration. Some "premium" articles are available to Premium Members (paid subscribers).

MaRS and MaRS tenant OICR were two of many locations for a great video promoting businesses and sectors across Canada. It's being shown to international media and visitors during the Olympics. See us at time index 00:54.

Bitstrips for Schools is a web-based comic-generating platform and a client of MaRS Discovery District. Bitstrips reached its one millionth strip in Ontario. The program is used in Ontario schools to promote literacy.

Advertising Week will commence January 25, 2010. The event highlights industry leaders and key trends in a sector that contributes more than $19 billion annually to the Canadian economy. Leading Social Change - Ideas, Tools and Inspiration is one of the events that will take place at the MaRS Discovery District featuring Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

The DiverseCity Fellows announced their six collaborative city building projects that focuses on a range of social and economic issues in Toronto. SiG@MaRS is involved in the Social Innovation Partnership.

Explore Design Comes Back To Toronto and TreeHugger is There, curated a series of speakers under the heading Design for the Greater Good. The speakers were chosen for their ability to expose teenagers who are interested in design to fields they may not have known about, and who have interesting work that hasn't received a lot of exposure.Robert Ouellette, Columnist National Post & VP Special Projects Zerofootprint was a speaker. He recently consulted with Toronto's MaRS Innovation Centre on its "Smart Cities" industrial cluster stimulus strategy. Oct 13, 2009

If you are starting out as a social entrepreneur or re-vamping your company, this book is for you. It holds insights on how to think like an entrepreneur, how to start an enterprise as a business not a charity. This book will teach you how successful social entrepreneurs: * Focus on community wants and needs * Match those with core competencies to provide the quality services * Assess risk and gauge opportunity * Develop new project ideas and test their feasibility * Write a business plan * Project finances in the plan * Tap into new sources of funding * Develop the idea of social entrepreneurship throughout the organization * Make sure that mission, not money, is the bottom line