Notas del episodio
What does innovation look like when the problem isn’t a new technology or product, but a system that affects the lives of children and families?
In this episode of Fort Worth Innovates, host Cameron Cushman sits down with Dan Vogel, founder and CEO of Flourish Fund, a philanthropic collaborative working to catalyze large-scale social innovation.
Dan brings a unique perspective to innovation, with a career spanning government, management consulting, global development, philanthropy, and social impact. He shares how those experiences shaped his approach to solving complex problems and why he believes meaningful innovation often starts by listening closely to the people closest to them.
A major focus of the conversation is Flourish Fund’s work to reimagine foster care in the United States, with Fort Worth serving as one of four pilot cities where the organization is testing new approaches that could eventually be replicated across the country.
Dan explains why Fort Worth stood out from more than 30 cities they considered, pointing to the city's combination of resources, strong nonprofit and government organizations, and a collaborative culture that makes it possible for people to work together and get things done.
The conversation also explores Flourish Fund’s Fort Worth Innovation Challenge, which is supporting new approaches to strengthening families and supporting kinship families like relatives and other trusted adults who step in to care for children who might otherwise enter foster care.
Throughout the episode, Dan challenges the traditional definition of innovation and makes the case for more experimentation in the social sector while recognizing the responsibility that comes with experimenting on systems that affect real people's lives.
Learn more about Flourish Fund here: https://www.flourishfund.org/
Learn more about the Fort Worth Tarrant County Innovation Partnership here: https://fwtc-innovate.com/
About Fort Worth Innovates
Fort Worth Innovates explores the people, ideas, research, businesses, and technologies shaping the future of Fort Worth and North Texas.
The podcast is produced by Kendel Rogers and sponsored by the Fort Worth Tarrant County Innovation Partnership, which is helping build the Switchyard Innovation District—where technology and research combine to build the future in Fort Worth.
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