Three New Companies to Keep An Eye On

by Nathaniel Whittemore · 2009-12-09 11:30:00 UTC
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I run across creative social ventures all the time. Usually, I try to find ways to integrate them into larger pieces as I introduce them to this blog community. Lately though, things have been so hectic that a few great ones have passed under the radar. Here are four new companies you should keep an eye on:

1. Vittana. For shorthand, think Kiva.org for education. In some ways I'm a little late to the party on this one, as Vittana has been recently recognized as a Pop!Tech Social Innovation Fellow and HuffingtonPost #1 Game Changer in Philanthropy, still this organization which allows you to make loans to students in the developing world is the leader of what I believe will be a growing field for user supported education investments.

2.MoxyVote. When you own a share of a publicly traded company, you technically have a vote on key issues impacting the company (depending on the nature of the stock you have). This year, the Securities and Exchange Commission required that publicly traded companies allow shareholders to vote online (instead of having to attend annual meetings), but in practice, this is still complicated. MoxyVote aims to simplify that process, simplifying the process of voting for shareholders while allowing them to see the issues that are up for debate and the recommendations of various advocacy groups around those issues. This could significantly increase citizen participation in corporate governance.

3. Earth Aid. Think Mint.com for personal energy use. EarthAid gives people the ability to monitor their energy consumption, while at the same time providing easy tips for reducing energy, and even showing where companies have created cash rewards or other incentives for switching to more sustainable energy or water sources.

(Photo: darkpatator)

Nathaniel Whittemore is the founder of Assetmap. Previously he was the founding director of the Northwestern University Center for Global Engagement.
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