“The Social Good Summit is a three-day conference where big ideas meet new media to create innovative solutions. Held during UN Week from September 22-24, the Social Good Summit unites a dynamic community of global leaders to discuss a big idea: the power of innovative thinking and technology to solve our greatest challenges. The most innovative technologists, influential minds and passionate activists will come together with one shared goal: to unlock the potential of new media and technology to make the world a better place, and then to translate that potential into action.” -Mashable.com/sgs

I was thrilled to be able to catch a glimpse of the Social Good Summit held in New York City this past week.   I  came away feeling hopeful and inspired by both the content being presented, and the amazing people so passionately involved in making the world a better place.  I only wished for more time to attend all of the fascinating panels and talks, but was happy to be there even briefly to soak in the collaborative energy that comes of so many people with common goals gathering in one spot. The summit was sponsored by Mashable, the U.N. Foundation, The Gates Foundation, Ericsson, UNDP and the 92nd street Y where it was held.  A range of global issues were highlighted along with the way in which social media can play a role.  The Social Good Summit ran concurrently with The Clinton Global Initiative and U.N. Week, bringing NYC even more than its usual buzz of  humanitarians, activists, media and diplomats.

My colleagues from World Moms Blog, founder Jennifer Burden and World Voice Editor Nicole Melancon had pre-registered for press passes into the Clinton Global Initiative as well where they were able to live tweet and blog about the speeches given by the entire Clinton family, Mitt Romney, and Barak Obama!  The first thing I did upon arrival was head to mid-town to try to get a walk on Documama press pass to the Clinton Global Initiative.  I was not granted access, and it totally felt like being denied at the velvet rope, but was so worth the try!  The Social Good Summit had a line-up of powerhouses in their own right, like Jane Goodall, Nick Kristof, Anthony Lake of UNICEF and Gabriel Jaramillo of the Global Fund, among many other great names.  Although I was unable to view all of the speakers,  they were all live streamed by Mashable.com so that anyone who wished to hear them could .  On site, such revolutionary speakers addressing the audience charged the rooms at the 92nd street Y with excitement and hope.

As a prelude to the upcoming ONEMoms trip to Ethiopia a group of  ONEMoms members and community partners in town for the summit got together for dinner at Red Rooster Harlem .   ONEMoms blogger, philanthropist and model, Maya Haile Samuelsson, will be traveling to Ethiopia with ONEMoms in October. Her husband Marcus Samuelsson is the Chef and Owner of Red Rooster, so it was a natural choice, but it also happens to be one of the hippest spots in the city. We dined on Red Rooster favorites such as Helga’s Meatballs, and dessert of decadent Sweet Potato Doughnuts. Our favorite cocktail was called the “Yes, Chef” and takes its’ name from Marcus Samuelssons’ recently released memoir titled “Yes, Chef”. (which I had read and loved!)

Next year I plan to make it a point to set aside time to attend the entire Social Good Summit, in the mean time I am filtering through the plethora of innovative ideas and exciting programs being executed by presenters and attendees of the conference.  A couple of cool programs that debuted this week were the Shot@Life  Moments Matter mobile App and the Half the Sky Facebook game.  The Shot @ Life Moments Matter Mobile App helps you track your childs’ milestones from ages 0-5 through your photos and entries, while building awareness about the Shot@Life campaign that helps to give children around the world a shot at a healthy life. The Half The Sky Facebook Game  is a compelling way to do global good by helping to empower women by unlocking real world donations while playing the game.  These are great examples of ways in which social media can be harnessed and put to good use.  The three way live global chat at the Social Good Summit between Nairobi, Beijing and New york highlighted how technology can bring the world together. We need to keep developing new ways to use social media to bring the world together for the greater good of mankind, and for me the 2012 Social Good Summit was a great place to start.