Anita Roddick: Commerce with a Conscience

“Start with quality and truth”. Dame Anita Roddick (1942 – 2007), founder of The Body Shop, was an activist and a businesswoman. Her cosmetics company helped establish ethical consumerism, being one of the first to prohibit the use of animals and to promote fair trade. She gave this talk (just under 50 minutes) at the […]

If not us, then who? If not now, then when?

Naderev Saño, the Philippines’ lead negotiator, gives a brilliant, emotional 3 minute speech at the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Doha, on 6 November 2012. It is enormously difficult to keep your chin up as a negotiator in such a slow and tedious process. But do you always have to keep your chin up? Can’t […]

An elevator speech format

Today the PhD students and I did this exercise, among others, to prepare elevator speeches that will work with a wider audience. Step 1: Watch the presentation by Steven Johnson on his book, Where Good Ideas Come From. Then answer: How long have I been exploring this? Why is it relevant? What’s my approach/ perspective? […]

The origins of acceptance speeches

Armstrong and Miller What I’m doing with this My business English class tonight will get this video and the “Cromagnon English” text below and use it as a scaffold (Gerüst) to give a speech on something they have accomplished with their team. We give thanks to mighty warrior Ug, – Slayer of cave beast – […]