In the past few weeks, we’ve witnessed the implosion of many massive financial institutions–such as Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, AIG, Morgan Stanley, Merill Lynch, and Lehman.
I’m not going to look at the financial and accounting issues that have driven these events. Let’s set aside discussions of mark-to-market valuation. However, there’s an interesting social capital element [...]

A friend of mine, Dan Hawthorne, tells the following story of his grandmother.
She’d lived a long life, giving generously to those in her family and to her community. She was well loved. When she became ill with cancer, she was surrounded by those same friends and family. She’d deeply invested in relationships with many people [...]

What are You Working On?
Yesterday, LinkedIn created an opportunity for me to solve a challenge for a good friend of mine. Here’s the story.
In May 2008, LinkedIn added a “status update” feature. On your LinkedIn page, there’s a question that asks “What are you working on.” When you answer this question, it appears on your [...]

Recently, I spoke with Joseph Porcelli about his efforts to develop social capital within neighborhood communities. Joseph combines a zeal for social capital with an amazing sense of humor.
In his day-job, Joseph works as a civilian coordinator for the Boston Police Department’s Neighborhood Watch Unit. He currently incorporates community-building and new-technology initiatives into the [...]