A recent blogpost on Stanford Social Innovation Review discusses the unique role the private sector can play in advancing global health innovations.  Gabi Zedlmayer, a VP at Hewlett-Packard, leads a newly created business unit called the Office of Global Social Innovation.  The mere creation of a dedicated corporate branch to social innocation is indicative of HP's focus on leveraging its core business to advance social issues around the world.  While still not ubiquitous across most Fortune 500 companies, it is my hope that such business units become commonplace as the focus of social impact becomes more and more a priority for growth in the private sector.

Gabi does a nice job of outlining how the private sector can assist in working to solve global health challenges and mentions a number of current initiatives HP is leading as well.  The important focus here is that HP is not just cutting a check or shaking hands in exchange for a logo on a pamphlet or website.  The work of Gabi's office cites HP's unique expertise in technology and vast workforce as two mobilized assets to use for solving global health challenges.

It is important for companies interested in engaging in social innovation that a deep exploration of their own unique capabilities is critical in achieving the most social impact for their efforts.  Walmart's "Fighting Hunger Together" campaign is another great example of this: Walmart identifed hunger as a prime social issue they were uniquely able to work towards.  Beyond their substantial financial commitment, their expertise in supply chain management and distribution, along with thier vast workforce, has created substaintial social impact in the early portions of their campaign.  They are now even democratizing their impact by putting financial contribution allocation in the hands of voting consumers.

In order to create lasting social impact and business value, companies should leverage the core engine of thier business, not the fumes.