Social Innovator of the Year Award Given to Journalist

Dean Gary Cornia, left, and Ballard Center Director Todd Manwaring, right, present the Social Innovator of the Year Award to journalist and author David Bornstein. PROVO, Utah – Apr 18, 2012 – The Ballard Center for Economic Self-Reliance recently presented the Social Innovator of the Year award to David Bornstein, an author and New York Times journalist who reports on high impact solutions for social problems around the world.

"David deserves to be recognized as a prominent social innovator because of his great work in the field of solutions journalism," says Todd Manwaring, managing director of the Ballard Center. "We feel privileged that he came to visit campus and to educate our students through lectures and interactions."

Since 2001 the Ballard Center has been honoring outstanding individuals who have shown their dedication to social innovation by participating in and committing to finding solutions to social problems. With an extensive journalism background and an impressive writing career, Bornstein received the distinguished award as well as $15,000 to benefit an organization of his choice.

"As a journalist, you're taught to be behind the scenes. The field of solutions journalism is not something that has awards right now," Bornstein says. "I am very moved to receive this; it's an unexpected surprise."

At a banquet in his honor, David Bornstein speaks to the audience after he received the Social Innovator of the Year award from the Ballard Center for Economic Self-Reliance. Through his articles and books, which continue to influence thousands around the world, a wide-ranging audience is informed about genuine solutions to the world's greatest problems. Bornstein explores the rare and valuable ideas he has found in his books, "How to Change the World: Social Entrepreneurs and the Power of New Ideas" and "Social Entrepreneurship: What Everyone Needs to Know." This theme carries into Dowser.org, a website he created that specializes in solutions journalism, and his regular column in The New York Times.

He continues to build a network of support and tools for the social innovation realm as a key member of many organizations such as Civic Ventures, VisionSpring and Clinton Global Initiative.

"How we imagine the world is largely influenced by the media," Bornstein says. "If people could see the stories out there, with the extraordinary number of really competent, smart people and the potential to build upon these solutions — I think it would influence the choices that people make."

Past SIOY award winners include Jim Fruchterman, founder of Benetech, a nonprofit technology company; Martin Burt, founder and CEO of Fundación Paraguaya, a social company that develops solutions to poverty and unemployment; and last year's recipient Willy Foote, founder and CEP of Root Capital, where capital and training is provided to small and growing businesses.

"Our students were able work with and learn from David while he was on campus," Manwaring says. "It's an incredible opportunity for them to interact with remarkable and impressive people, like David, who are changing the world."

The Marriott School is located at Brigham Young University, the largest privately owned, church-sponsored university in the United States. The school has nationally recognized programs in accounting, business management, public management, information systems and entrepreneurship. The school's mission is to prepare men and women of faith, character and professional ability for positions of leadership throughout the world. Approximately 3,000 students are enrolled in the Marriott School's graduate and undergraduate programs.