Get ready folks, start your engines! We've just launched our newest OpenIDEO challenge: "How might we use social business to improve health in low-income communities?"

In this challenge, we've partnered with the Grameen Creative Lab to explore how social business can improve the health and wellness of people in Caldas, Colombia – a coffee-producing region of Colombia with a 57% poverty rate. Today, residents in Caldas face a number of serious health issues, including high rates of malnutrition, infant mortality, and sexually-transmitted diseases like HIV/AIDS. 

While the Challenge is rooted in the region of Caldas, the issues surrounding health for such communities are found across the world. Which is where YOU come in: Join us on OpenIDEO to explore how social business can be used as a vehicle to improve the health of people everywhere. 

But first, what do we mean by social business? In essence, a social business – or social enterprise as it's also called – is one that operates for the benefit of society. Unlike traditional business, a social business does not pay dividends; instead, all profits earned are reinvested in the social business, which enables it to continue operating in and supporting local communities. 

To learn more about social business, watch this introductory video on social business from Professor Muhammad Yunus, founder of the Grameen Bank. You can also learn more about the work that Grameen Creative Lab is doing in Caldas and around the world.  Feeling ready to kick into gear? Check out the challenge brief, then join our Inspiration phase to share your favorite examples of how social business is changing the world. But don't delay – with only 6 weeks for the entire challenge, we're sprinting through the Inspiration phase and will be Concepting in no time! And of course, we hope you'll share this challenge with your friends – the more, the merrier at OpenIDEO – because creativity loves company! 

Cheers, the OpenIDEO Team