John Frankfurt

"The salvation of this human world lies nowhere else than in the human heart, in the human power to reflect, in human meekness and human responsibility." - Vaclav Havel

This is Peter Clayton with a special Innovation Channel Podcast on TotalPicture Radio. As you know, the former Czech President Václav Havel died this month, 22 years after leading the peaceful Velvet Revolution that ended Communist rule over Czechoslovakia. As well as steering the country to democracy, the dissident playwright also oversaw its peaceful division into the Czech Republic and Slovakia in 1993.

In the fall of 2006, President Havel was in residency at Columbia University for seven weeks. His visit to Columbia focused on an exploration of the connection between art and citizenship. In addition to the events with President Havel, the Arts Initiative organized a series of symposia on specific art forms (theatre, music, architecture, art, film, literature) and citizenship. Each of these were moderated by Columbians; several were presented in partnership with some of New York's leading cultural institutions.

At the time, I had an opportunity to interview John Frankfurt, Educational Technologist for Columbia University Center for New Media Teaching and Learning. John had lead an initiative to create an amazing interactive website dedicated to president Havel's residency, the artist, and the citizen. The website is still online, incuding numerous video clips highlighting his residency at Columbia. I thought it would be appropriate to re-publish the interview.

How much time have you wasted working for companies or clients that suck?

Michael Port's "Red Velvet Rope Policy" allows in "only the most ideal clients, the ones who energize and inspire you."

Michael Port is the author of four bestselling books including Book Yourself Solid, Beyond Booked Solid, The Contrarian Effect, and The Think Big Manifesto.

Michael blogs for the Huffington Post and has written monthly columns on sales and marketing for Entrepreneur Magazine and American Express Open Forum. Currently he is developing marketing and productivity software programs based on the ideas and strategies in his books.

Chris Grams

Welcome to a special Innovation Channel Podcast on TotalPicture Radio, with Peter Clayton reporting. At the HCI Engagement and Retention Conference in Chicago next month, Chris Grams, the Management Innovation Exchange Community Guide, will lead Gary Hamel’s M-Prize 2011 winners in a panel discussion showcasing their award-winning creative ideas:

This year’s award is focused on enabling communities of passion in our organizations.

Joining me today to discuss the the conference and the award is Chris Grams, president an Kind.

Michael Paolucci

Solvate makes it easy for businesses to quickly find and hire the contract talent they need and to work confidently in the cloud.

This is Peter Clayton reporting, joining me today for a special Innovation and Talent Acquisition Channel podcast on TotalPicture Radio is Michael Paolucci the Co-Founder and CEO of Solvate, based in New York City.

Michael was customer number one at Solvate—he started with just two assistants who supported his other business operations while he was crossing the Atlantic and Mediterranean over 80 days on a small sailboat with a 56k sat phone. No one knew he was even out of the office and he was sure they were on to something that every business operator could use.

"Solvate is a venture backed technology company based in New York City. Solvate’s mission is to make it easy for people to work productively together in the cloud. Our dream is to make the American labor economy more efficient. We believe that you build trust through transparency and accountability, that time is precious--make the most of every hour, and that autonomy gives rise to great work."

Erik Vonk

 "The number of independent contractors, freelancers and solopreneurs has more than tripled since 1980, creating a new workforce reality." Erik Vonk

Welcome to a Innovation Channel podcast on TotalPicture Radio. This is Peter Clayton reporting. According to their Web site,  Back Of The House, (which uses acronym BOTH), the company transforms self-employment into a "professionally configured and completely supported company of one, providing a resource that fully integrates the key components of running your own business simply and cost-effectively."

Joining me today to tell us about BOTH is the company's founder and CEO Erik Vonk.

"Our model is based on the fusion of the employer and employee roles and has been designed for anyone who works independently as a freelancer, independent contractor, solopreneur, or as an independent, in some way or fashion, to contract for work as a professionally established business, but without any of the burdens of business ownership."