Thanks for your interest and for visiting this blog! If you are interested in terms such as sustainability,  SDGs, social responsibility, agile business but also in innovation, innovative thinking and acting and social entrepreneurship you might find here a huge source of inspiration, stories and ideas – mostly linked to my own experiences in India.

I travel often to India, for professional and private reasons. Mainly I spend my time in rural and tribal areas and poor surroundings while talking to the people, understanding their thoughts , their social engagement , microentrepreneurship and the Indian society- and to co-create across the traditional borders of social and business world, of East and West. I meet representatives from huge traditional social players and big international companies. I visit international social and innovation-related conferences and listen to politicians and ambassadors. I stay hours and hours with tribal women to get insights into their lives, needs, thoughts.

Why? Because India is one of the most diverse countries and wherever people say India is like this or that there is always true the opposite, too. However, there are some needs and requirements that seem to be essential and repetitive – independent from which perspective we have a look at it: It is the need to change and the opportunity India offers to understand, connect, learn and just do.

We see only what we experience. Time to co-create and being innovative!

I’m actively and passively involved in co-creation and collaborative projects run together by NGOs and traditional business. Social and entrepreneurial thinking and acting together can make a big difference. Have you ever cooked together with tribal women? Have you heard about kindergarten teachers who are informal health workers in the villages? Do you know about the biggest challenges in the life of self-help group women and how Indian people from the lower class do the first steps in the direction of business? How co-creation among a huge industrial companies and local stakeholders from NGOs can develop?

If we talk innovation, if we talk business we often just think technology and products. But what about reverse innovation, integrated innovation, social innovation… innovation is something we should experience and open our minds to. It is difficult to imagine how things could work differently if we do act as usual, if we try only what we were teached and trained.There is that much more behind it by bringing tools, business and social needs together.  India is a country that brings you out of your comfort zone, it makes you understand what diversity means and it is an eye-opener.

That’s why in the programs we run there are also leadership experiences included – twice a year there is a disruptive developmental experience offered. If you are interested, have a look at www.innovindia.org.

A focus of my today’s business activities in a huge international company is to support Social entrepreneurs and startups in terms of networking and empowerment. Because it matters. Because the future and being innovative is about creating a win-win. Social engagement is not about us or social tools – it is about empowering others.

What’s in for you?

I’d like to encourage you to  discover the potential of innovation and social entrepreneurial thinking and doing. I strongly believe in change and in bringing business back to social as well as bringing social closer to business to make it more sustainable and meaningful.

I am happy if you join me on this travel through India and the world – go India, go future!
Your feedback, comments and ideas are very welcome. Looking forward to get in touch with you.

Best,

Manuela

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For learning more on my professional background and experiences in exposure trips, international online marketing and communications skills (> 15 years, international industry experience), please

• visit my LinkedIn Profile
• read about the leadership week in India and its outcome.
• have a look at these articles:(10 May 2015, article in The Hindu): German firm launches health project at Mankarai  http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Coimbatore/german-firm-launches-health-project-at-mankarai/article7189564.ece 
• Please visit the social entrepreneurial initiative I’m professional-wise involved in: Making More health

The posts published in this blog reflect besides facts and trends always my personal thoughts and interpretations. During my professional activities which you find mainly at the Makingmorehealth website I share here more my private experiences, cocreative activities and beliefs. However, it is amazing to combine profession and private engagement and I’m pretty aware that this is the case only for a few people in the world to combine it in this way. Many thanks to all who support it.

I will refer to external websites and external sources from time to time. However, the responsibility for those websites lies with the respective website owners/authors.

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Blog owner and writer: Manuela Pastore, Wiesbaden, Bachgasse 26, Germany

Twitter: @famina
Facebook: www.facebook.com/goindiagofuture
Email: goIndiagofuture@googlemail.com