Omar Yaqub, Canadian Social Enterpreneur - (now Director of Operations at Socialenterprisefund.ca) - Interviewed Originally September 2007-

Original Interview done September 2007

This interview was completed after Omar had just returned from Africa. It was there that he used product placement in Nollywood (the world’s third biggest film industry) to generate publicity, help normalize use, promote brand, and create positive associations with a stigmatized but highly beneficial product, mosquito nets. He secured PermaNet® product placement in 20 high profile movies and two hugely popular soap operas. This was the first attempt ever to use Nigeria’s film industry for adult education.


Interview with Omar Yaqub

Question 1: What is your definition of Social Entrepreneurship and/or a Social Entrepreneur?

Omar: For me social entrepreneurship is working across the spectrum of philanthropy, business, and innovation to achieve measurable results in the citizen sector. This can be conducted by big business, small entrepreneurs, NGOs, or government, the key thing is measurable, sustainable results.

Question 2: Why have you been defined (labeled) a Social Entrepreneur?

Omar:Hmmm, isn’t this a question you should be answering?

Seriously, I think I’ve had the opportunity to work in some pretty interesting environments, and been lucky enough to take some rather whimsical ideas and make them into something tangible.

My work with MBAs Without Borders and Vestergaard Frandsen allowed me to try some new things, like using product placement in the worlds third largest film industry, Nollywood, to help combat negative attitudes towards mosquito nets, the best tool toward preventing malaria. It was an immense opportunity to combine business marketing acumen with the larger goal of combating needless human suffering.

Previously I worked in rural Tanzania and had a chance to work with 30+ NGOs Private enterprises, and charities. I managed to bring some of these disparate groups together to form a simple tech co-operative that was later incorporated into the workings of GTZ (German Development). This experience allowed me to learn about what makes effective development, and solidified my resolve to make meaningful change.

Question 3: Provide a brief description of your work that led to your recognition as a Social Entrepreneur. Explain business model, ups and downs, partner organizations, final achievements, metrics used for success, sustainability model.

While working with Vestergaard Frandsen and MBAs Without Borders I recognized that a key barrier preventing people from using life saving long lasting mosquito nets was the perception that nets were unsightly, ‘old school,’ backwards vestments. People didn’t want to use nets, even people who were highly educated, because they thought they looked ugly. So I repurposed a tool, product placement, and found partners in Nollywood (Third to Hollywood, and Bollywood) to showcase nets in a new and more aesthetically pleasing way.

Nollywood was an effective partner because it has tremendous reach throughout the continent, and the actors have tremendous sway with the general population. It offered us an opportunity to cut through the barrage of public service announcements in a an environment that is as media saturated as time square.

Marketing via Nollywood was only one component of the work. Marketing along can’t solve a problem. We also worked to redesign the product. My initial assumption was that we needed to add lots of ‘bling bling,’ and bring in fancy designers to generate the buzz we needed and change perceptions. However, I was wrong, after criss crossing the country our research showed that we could achieve dramatic results by simply altering the colour, pink nets had tremendous appeal in the north of the country, blue in the east, green in the west. Simple changes had a dramatic result.

My work in Nigeria is probably the most compelling and sensational, but I’m also the Director of Innovation at MBAs Without Borders, an organization that connects those with high level business acumen to those in emerging economies who need the skills to grow their organizations. We work in five main areas Healthcare, Agriculture, Financial, Income-Generation and Climate Change.

I also keep in touch with some of the organizations I worked with in Tanzania, and in 2006 together with a dozen other like minded youths we held a fund raiser to outfit mobile eye camps that operated throughout Tanzania.

Question 4: Tell us a little about you. Who are you? Where were you born, raised, academic experience, travels, personal passions, greats goals achieved in life and what will be the next chapters in your life?

Omar: I’m a proud Canadian. I was born in Edmonton, and always miss the open skies when I’m away from home. I cherish my South Asian roots, and the fact that Canada allows me to enjoy a wealth of cultures simultaneously. I completed my undergraduate in Computing Science with a minor in mathematical science, and a MBA with a specialization in technology commercialization at the University of Alberta. I deeply enjoying working on hard problems, that require a muti-disciplinary approach.

The next chapter of my life will be a tug of war between trying to achieve positive social change and trying to do all those other important life things.


Question 5: What can other Canadians learn from your social entrepreneurial work? Can “Canadian social entrepreneurship” work not only globally but locally? Why is it working globally?

Omar: Canadians have a tremendous gift, a huge opportunity to have a positive impact on the world. We’re so incredibly privileged here, it’s really incumbent upon us to share our good fortune. Not only for altruisms sake, but also because it is a tremendous learning opportunity that will have a positive impact in your everyday life.

I’d encourage people to try an overseas placement if they can. If they’re not able to do that try to make a positive impact in the community you’re in. Don’t wait for a great idea to come to you before you act, start volunteering and working now, the great ideas come by listening and observing.

Question 6: Is Social Entrepreneurship and Social Enterprise (as sector) developing in Canada? If so how? If not, why do you think it is not?

Omar:Yes, but we’re still quite a few years behind the states. This is due primarily to our smaller size, but the flip side is that we have a lot of successful examples we can learn from, and there are lots of opportunities in front of us.

Question 7: How can Universities, Governments, Organizations like CSEF/Ashoka continue to grow the field of Social Entrepreneurship in Canada?

Omar: Continue to scour and support good ideas. Promote social entrepreneurship through all mediums possible. And, most importantly be systematic in the way they document and measure results. Businesses have some really concrete ways of showing success we need to develop similar metrics to show progress, and make it easier for people to discuss and comment on social entrepreneurship. This isn’t an easy task.

Question 8: Are you interested in being a judge for CSEF’s online social ventures competition in the coming months?

Omar:I’d love too.

The site is beautiful!

Thanks to Omar for us time! To keep track of Omar's latest ventures please follow him on his blog: http://omar.yaqub.org/

Update: Omar is currently Director of Operations for the newly created www.socialenterprisefund.ca



Background on Omar Yaqub

Omar received a lot of media attention for his work in Africa. Here is some information about his work in Nigeria.


Omar Yaqub
Project Co-ordinator (2006–2007)
Vestergaard Frandsen Nigeria

Problem: How do you combat malaria, and build a new company in highly challenging market?

Solutions:
1. Innovative adult education and brand building…

I used product placement in Nollywood (the world’s third biggest film industry) to generate publicity, help normalize use, promote brand, and create positive associations with a stigmatized but highly beneficial product, mosquito nets. I secured PermaNet® product placement in 20 high profile movies and two hugely popular soap operas. This was the first attempt ever to use Nigeria’s film industry for adult education.

Required: Convincing management and coworkers to embrace an unconventional marketing approach, establishing strong relationships with the film industry in a foreign country, educating partners, product evangelizing, creating marketing guidelines, brand management, and plenty of follow-up.
2. Designing a better product…

We recognized that the barriers preventing people from embracing nets weren’t only finances and education, but also convenience and aesthetics; so I evaluated, commissioned, and tested prototypes throughout the country and found cost effective solutions to increase consumer appeal of mosquito nets and promote use.

Required: Building productive partnerships with designers both globally and locally. Conducting and analyzing market research, evaluating production costs, and making sound financial forecasts.
3. Consumer research, advertising, and performing ordinary tasks with enthusiasm and panache…

I led the market research projects for both a new vector control product, and the redesign of our main product. I evaluated and helped to select an advertising agency to promote our product, helped in the creation of POS promotions, and radio/TV/print campaigns. I also created the technology plan for our office and provided technical support for my co-workers. Most importantly, I ensured the continuity of my projects by working with (not against) colleagues, ensuring buy-in, documenting my actions, and training a successor.

Required: Coordinating people and resources across four continents and six time zones. Co-operating with NGOs and government to gain access to prior research and new opportunities. Digesting large amounts of information, conducting field research. Creating promotional materials. As well as keeping current with technology, and local global events.

Other achievements: Introduced multitudes of Nigerian children to skipping rope and rock, paper, scissors.