Global Impact Network (aka GIN)

Founder and CEO of Global Impact Network. Born in Zimbabwe and exposed to poverty and social injustice; my desire is to make a meaningful positive impact in my community and for the world. I am honoured to be Zimbabwe’s youngest author in history through my book ‘The Lonely Tiger’ that was written and published at the age of 8 with the goal to use the profits to empower children to receive an education in my home country. My journey includes my academic background (International Relations at King's College London; Technology Entrepreneurship at Stanford University) and experiences as a member of the Global Council at the NGO World Merit and United Nations speaker (2016) for the Sustainable Development Goal 16: Peace & Justice. I am committed to Global Impact Network’s vision and mission which will continue to build bridges between technology and sustainability through collaboration, accountability and transparency with all stakeholders.

In 2015, the UN and 193 countries set 17 Global Sustainable Development Goals "SDGs" to be achieved by 2030, however, many people are still unaware of how to help and how much their actions are actually contributing to these goals because there is no way to track everyone's impact. Global Impact Network is the first of its kind social media in digital revolution for sustainable development. Our platform tracks, measures, and showcases sustainable progress to collectively understand how close we are to achieving the SDGs. We disrupt the current approach from a top down centralised government decision making to a grass roots citizen based revolution for positive change. GIN will change the status quo and disrupt the existing use of social media, where it becomes cool to do social good and harness the power of taking action to elevate humanity. GIN incentivizes, celebrates and rewards all leaders championing sustainability.

The world doesn't know how well we're doing to achieve the SDGs. No country is on track to achieve the SDGs; as of 2018 only 51 countries report some progress, in 2019 only 18 countries refer to the SDGs in their national budgets and several countries don't have SDG monitoring in place to track national progress.

Governments and Organisations aren't accountable for their actions, nor transparent with their impact data progress.

The biggest problem is

• the inability to capture real time data for monitoring action and progress despite over 3.4 billion internet users;
• a lack of shared vision and cohesive implementation mechanisms for citizen based decision making on outcome generated individual impact,
• the inability to transform social good behavioural change.
• the inability to track and measure data on global progress for SDGS where individual based impact contributes to organisational and national levels.

Citizens don’t know how to take action, they can't measure their individual impact nor is their positive impact captured towards the SDGS. For example; on SDG 4.7.1 there is no available data.

Without real time data to show global sustainable development, we don’t know how well we are performing as a global society.

GIN is the virtual door allowing everyone, anywhere, for any cause to take SDG action. We use technology to capture and measure impact, from an individual level, organisational level and then national level. Our platform lets users measure and showcase their actions through fun and achievable challenges about real-world issues.

By measuring impact and assigning action to each 17 SDGs 169 targets/indicators, we track and showcase SDG progress. We use gamification as a key feature to incentivize everyone to compete in this ‘race for good’ where users showcase their positive impact and are ranked on a global leadership board. Users can participate in daily short term and long term ‘Impact challenges’ and ‘Impact events'. We have designed a user friendly social impact network that can verify individual action. By showcasing impact, users are awarded badges and a Global Impact Score (GIS).

Whatever gets done, gets measured. Whatever gets measured, gets achieved. Whatever gets achieved, gets associated with one of the 17 SDGs. Whatever gets achieved gets rewarded. Our rewards are designed as a) psychological status and community driven b) financial; the higher your GIS the more benefits you are awarded on our sustainable marketplace through discounts with partners.

GIN serves the global online and offline population whose needs are classified by social levels of analysis or ‘customer’ segments:

GIN addresses and solves each of their needs:

Individuals: The shifting social, economic and environmental climate has enabled a plethora of humanitarian advocates and environmental activists and citizens. With GIN people can submit daily challenges, attend and/or host impact events in their local area to showcase action and receive verified and measurable impact.

Schools (Our value proposition for schools):

Nonprofits: can create impact portfolio's. With our partners POI non-profits can immediately verify their impact and have access to a pool of impact investors/ donators. They can host local impact events and find volunteers who are passionate about specific impact creation.

Businesses: are verified by their specific SDG compliance. GIN works with companies to verify sustainable impact business models, measuring their contribution to a national and international level. Corporations can also verify impact through proof points with local organizations they invest in.

Governments: work with GIN to set their own unique goals and Impact targets for their nations, showcase impact communities and capture data progress made by citizens.

While our project also relates to the 3rd dimension, in changing people’s behaviours (to positive action) and the status quo (cool to do good); it relates the most to the 2nd dimension because our vision and mission is aligned to this dimension so brilliantly.

The idea behind GIN initially began during my experience at a non-profit called World Merit. In 2016 I spoke at the UN in New York and was able to glue together the knowledge I gained at university about the political, economic, social and environmental landscape in the international system. Getting a first hand grip at the practical framework I began to closely analyse and involve myself in both grassroots organisation movements and top-down policy structures. First, I realised that the international legal system was gravely flawed. Secondly, what frustrated me more was the talk of and by governments for sustainable development with not enough action. At that time there was no available data on SDG compliance. Accountability and collaboration amongst all stakeholders in the international system was missing and that's when I realised how big an opportunity I landed on.

In 2019 I attended Stanford for Technology Entrepreneurship classes with the intention of presenting my idea to a high talent pool for support and to also back the development of my vision. I persuaded professors and students at Stanford that it was worth working on and since then I have been committed to seeing that vision come to life.

A lack of transparency made me feel hopeless on where action was being done and where action was required, that fuelled my desire to make change. I want people to have the power to know how well our global population is progressing toward a sustainable future. I believe without acknowledging, recognising and rewarding where progress is made, we can’t make well calculated decisions on where to invest, work and create value and impact; if we are unable to understand the gap between existing problems, current solutions and progress for people and the planet. For me, in this fourth industrial revolution, liberation and freedom comes through having access to information. Coming from my home country of Zimbabwe I believe it is my duty to do something with the life I have been given and the unique opportunity to create real meaningful purpose driven change. It is truly what drives me when I wake up in the morning; to showcase these everyday heroes, real influencers and shapers of the future world. Humanity wants to improve, we just need the tools provided to us to empower those creating impact and connect them with those who are in need.

I have a real understanding of the historical and current conditions that have enabled a collaborative shifting social climate. I have been to many countries around the world and have forced myself to feel uncomfortable in the new environments I call my temporary home. From glaciers in Argentina to refugee camps in Lebanon to slums in India, I think like a global citizen. I can speak 3 languages which helps to mentally understand cultural themes and behavior. A Ukrainian-Zimbabwean young woman is quite an odd combination that has equipped me with the sober realities of the contrast in unequal opportunities. I am proud of my academic accomplishments; for access to knowledge in International Relations coupled with Technology Entrepreneurship has paved the ability to think up and execute on required priorities rationally and systematically by a method of objectives and key results. I like to think that my true unique position is applying theoretical underpinnings of law, economics, politics, phycology and technology to my practical experience working in the field. Working with a plethora of nonprofits, schools, businesses, activists, policy makers and ordinary citizens at a grassroots level has enabled me to truly understand the problems as well as the huge opportunities we have. I have listened for many years to the problems different levels of society are facing. I have asked necessary questions and gathered evidence on the needs. Being able to listen and privileged enough to see has enabled me to be well-positioned for this project.

Having no funding to build an MVP and caught up in COVID-19 just at the time for plans to raise capital, I had to choose to risk it all and go full in or give up. Needless to say I went full in. I had to learn the technology frameworks and architectures (front and back end) necessary for this project, adopt scrum methodology and teach myself how to build and manage a team of what initially appeared to be a land of foreigners speaking the language of code. I failed many times but I now value consistency, commitment and an appreciation of high talent more than anything else. I also value the power of negotiation, for I have saved a lot of money I probably would have spent on ‘development’ without learning the ropes myself. I am grateful for the numerous times I made the wrong decisions because they brought me to the right ones, to the world of agile, iteration and design thinking. I now really enjoy looking at problems, persuading people problems are opportunities and that anything you set your mind to you can learn; even managing the art of computer science in less than half a year.

In 2016, at age 20, I was in New York with World Merit and 24 young future adult leaders from 19 countries, to create an actionable plan for SDG16. We had two weeks to propose a solution and deliver our pitch at the UN. We didn’t know each other, were from different countries, had different political opinions, cultures and religions; we intensely debated what peace and justice issues we would focus on. Each person was passionate about their home issue eg. Thailand; human trafficking, Mexico: drug cartels, Pakistan; the issue of a lack of woman rights especially in sex abuse cases, Africa; corruption, Syria; civil war. I learned to listen, be impartial and felt it crucial for me to accept each person's point of view in order to effectively and diplomatically engage with the group and create a holistic approach. As a result I proposed a solution that encompassed everyone's voice and opinion in a way that solved everyone's problems. Specifically, our solution focused on justice issues related to NGO transparency and accountability as well as equitable public access to information. I was then elected to speak on behalf of my team and pitch our proposal at the UN headquarters.

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There is currently no available specified singular commercial digital application for social impact activities designed as cohesive implementation mechanisms for citizen based decision making based on outcome generated individual impact (action), resulting in the inability to capture or harness big data opportunities to drive social good behavioural change. Currently, active sustainable impact creators are drowned in existing social networks limiting the ability to harness social good data and SDG compliance on a global scale.

Our users are categorized into 4 groups. Individuals, Businesses, Organizations (non-profits, schools/universities), and Governments. Each individual’s (student, employee, activist, etc.) positive impact contributes to the organization, business, or institution’s impact score they belong to. The organization’s impact contributes to the city/province/state’s impact score it belongs to. The city/province/state level contributes to the national/country impact.

Together as a global population we can bridge the digital divide and connect the online world to assist the other half the world's population that are offline through innovative designed impact creation capabilities. It is the first social network of its kind to effectively facilitate global positive action with an emphasis of: innovative design thinking for ease of use combined with powerful modern technology driving the big data gap on capturing sustainable progress and nudging positive social behaviour to disrupt the status quo.

Our theory of change is capturing real time individual impact and measuring global progress through a Value Chain Impact Analysis.

The structural theoretical changes are:

GIN has three steps:

1. Build a ‘home’ for a community;

2. Quantify their actions;

3. Reward their impact.

1.1: People want to change the world but don’t know where to start and feel like their actions don’t make a difference. 

An external survey found that 80 per cent of 1,000 respondents from the UK and USA are adopting sustainable lifestyle changes.

Social media platforms provide an indispensable means for the sharing of knowledge and analytical insights to inform policy and support individual and collective action for development.

"It is no surprise that social media has exploded in popularity. Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and several other sites collectively provide over a billion people with powerful social rewards on a variable schedule".

1.2:

Individuals know HOW and WHERE to make difference and THAT they make a difference.

Through our work, research and one-on-one interviews with NGOs like World Merit and SDSN Youth we found that there an estimated 500,000 potential early adopters (ages 15-25) who are 'humanitarians' or 'environmentalists' working on the SDGs in these two NGOs alone. 

The benefit for business is enormous as "US$12 trillion of market value which could be unlocked per year if the SDGs are realized by 2030, creating more than 380 million jobs in the process".

Our research with schools shows that our platform addresses their needs and provides evidence for activity outcomes.

Long term, anyone who is a stakeholder in a business that does not operate in a sustainable way will be negatively impacted by this movement. Consumers will see how companies are ranked on GIN, shifting competitive advantages for sustainable companies.

Some social media channels may also see decreased traffic as the community grows.

2.1:

Empowering citizens to access, share, and engage with data for sustainable development. It requires target audiences to be able to take ownership of these technologies in their own day-to-day decision-making processes.

2.2: 

3.1:

Our rewards are both social and financial.

3.2:

DEC 2020: 1000

DEC 2021: 500 000 

DEC 2025: 125 000 000 

We have established internal metrics based on Objectives and Key Results, coined by Intel's Andy Grove and John Doer, where we have set our first years goal to on board 500,000 users (Key Result) and within 5 years have 125 million users (Key Result) all whom will be actively participating with real impact in this global 'race for good'. 

Whilst the immediate financial needs up to Q3 2020 required to fund the MVP and initial market research and operating costs of circa $100 000 has been provided for from bootstrapping it is critical to raise further capital and funding in Q4 2020 to take GIN the next level with an intensive marketing campaign in order to realise the proven income from its customers during 2021. Seed funding would need to come into the business during 2021 to further bolster the marketing budget and efforts. The series A funding thereafter is expected to be achieved from mid 2022 and possible B series in late 2024 should the revenue model not prove to be accurate.  Once critical mass is achieved with both the number of freemium and paying customers in year 3 the revenue model becomes sustainable and self funding.

Talent recruitment of the core team especially in sales and marketing will need to begin to take place in Q4 of 2020 and as well as possible technical challenges that will exist from Q2 2021 unless in house talent is sourced incl CTO and migration is done away from the current outsourced option of 3 full time engineers by Q1 2021 with the view to on board them in house and grow the team.

The answers have been provided in the previous question. 

We work with Proof of Impact (POI), a blockchain company that connects impact investors with impact creators (grassroots organisations). Through verified proof points, investors/ donors know exactly where and by who the impact is being created. We use api integration for an easy user experience. On our platform, users can choose to make a donation to support non-profits. With an ease of use experience users select the organization. Once the donation is complete on POI users can upload a receipt on GIN for verification where we measure their impact and empower them to showcase their positive commitment to people and the planet. 

Our business model is premised on the conversion of social fabric of doing good in a sustainable and lasting way that when measured and showcased as impact will properly provide the total indicator required to ‘know’ just how we are doing as a global community in achieving the SGDs. Our aim is to provide a social network to users on desktop and mobile devices where they can log in to create an account and then measure and showcase their actions through fun and achievable challenges about real-world issues.

The users will include Individuals, Businesses, Organizations (non-profits, schools/universities), and Governments. All action and impact is cumulative and can be measured against each SDG. 

For all individuals it's free. For business, schools and non-profits we offer a freemium subcription model and we will engage the public sector (NGOs, UN and Governments) to provide innovation and transparency at the core of what we do. We also have a strategy for advertisements, sponsorships by media (like snapchat but fact checking media outlets) and governments. Our strategy for our marketplace includes a commission/transaction based model. The operating model will make sure the continued operations are commercially viable. Our operating strategy is based on the successful functionality and performance of the software and the value it brings to our users and the resource strategy is both the revenue model and people on board who will deliver the results.

Without the revenue (output) to back up the social cause (the input) the model will not be sustainable and for that reason we have targeted that revenue will initially come from businesses and organisations as a subscription fee and in the future from the advertising and marketplace offered to individuals.  

 In the early start up of bootstrapping (family and friends) have assisted to get a team in place to build out the MVP and do market research and marketing. Several strategic members of the founding team have been incentivised with equity and volunteers and students on attachment have come forward. It is planned to get an injection in the form of a grant ($150k to $300k) to take us to the seed round expected between Q2 and Q3 2021. Revenue is expected to start to prove real in Q4 2020 after the beta testing of the MVP and sales becoming more aggressive in 2021 leading up to substantial results in Q3 which would put the company in a break even position. Certainly by year 3 the revenue is expected to exceed expenses and generate a profit. The sky is the limit for the 10 year plan with a billion users targeted for the network.

Initial funding of approx $50k has been deployed for set up costs, Research and Development, Marketing and Sales of the MVP. This has  been provided for by a soft family loan (with a possible option to be a convertible note or safe). A further $50k has been allocated for use to carry the company and operations into Q1 2021 for when further funding is required. 

It is planned to get an injection in the form of a grant ($150k to $300k) to take us to the seed round expected between Q2 and Q3 2021. The next round of Series A would follow 12-18 months later.

The budgeted expenses for 2020 have been broken down in three parts namely; actual of $26 810 up to end of June 2020 (because this is complete), projected proven expenses of $41 780 up to the end of Q3 2020 and the completed MVP and MVS when we will start beta testing (expected to begin in early September 2020) and then rising estimated expenses of $121160 ($100,000 allocated for customer acquisition) for December 2020. We have also calculated the 2021 probable expenses as well as a guesstimate of the expenses through to 5 years out especially the salaries and direct labor costs which will make up the bulk of the company expenses as well as the advertising and marketing cost which we have put into the financial model as a variable monthly cost as well as put sales commission of 2% as a fixed cost of sales as opposed to a monthly overhead. We have a spreadsheet to back up our numbers which can be summarised as follows for the 2020 period:

Advertising & Marketing

8,000

Bank Charges & Fees

300

Customer acquisition costs

125,000

Internet (High speed)

2,100

Legal & Professional Services

7,900

Seminar/ Shows/ Trade fairs

3,500

Shipping/ DHL/ Fedex

400

Software Development 

72,570

Subscriptions

1,400

Telephone/ Mobile 

1,200

Training

2,500

Travel Air

7,800

Travel Auto

2,300

Travel Meals

2,700

Travel Accommodation

21,500

Websites and related 

800

Total Expenses

259,970

As mentioned previously the Elevate Prize both in terms of money (Approx 300k) as well as resources (talent recruitment and marketing) support is exactly what we need to accelerate the operational effectiveness of our model. We are confident to release the Beta version by Q3 2020 and have initial market testing and early adopters using the product with first customer acquisitions being done in Q4 of 2020 and Q1 of 2021. To have a ‘home base’ so to speak on the East Coast as opposed to the West Coast is not a disadvantage because; 1. We have associates and advisors based permanently in Silicon Valley and 2. The time zone advantage to tap into our initial European markets is better suited to being in Boston. Having the office, admin and other support available through this prize is exactly what we need at this stage of our cycle.

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UNDP; Universities including, MIT, Columbia, Stanford and Harvard; B-Corp. 

Partnering up with companies like B-Corp will help us verify sustainable companies. Strategic partnerships with the UN (UNDP) will help us with network, influence and credibility for the use and implementation of the SDGs. Partnering with the above universities will help us empower these institutions to showcase their impact and on board the students who are making positive change.