As I looked over the Social Capitalist Award winners (again) this morning, I couldn't help thinking about the Fast 50 Awards - also done by Fast Company.

While the Social Capitalist Awards include NGOs and charities that are using business strategies to make the world better, the Fast 50's are a bit more stringent. No charities need apply - just businesses. We've written about this opportunity before, but I'll urge anyone who's working with or for a possible nominee to get their information submitted before December 1. The FC web site describes what they're looking for:

We're looking for profit-driven problem solvers--people and companies out to address the planet's woes and make money at the same time. Tell us about yourself, someone you admire, or someone you work with. But make sure your nominee is using new strategies, new ideas, or new technologies to tackle issues like global warming, pollution, sustainability, access to healthcare, poverty, trade impact, child labor, and other concerns. No charities, please. We believe that business--capitalist business--is a profound force for positive change. Help us prove it.

I first reported on Village: The Game – think SimCity meets social entrepreneurship – back in August.  At the time, the game's web site featured little more than a proposal and the passionate musings of its creator, Darian Hickman.  I checked back in on Village: The Game today, and much has happened since August:

...we are targeting January 2007 to release an alpha of Village and get some real world feedback. Game demo design is complete. The first round of 2D concept art for buildings is complete, but we can change to make sure it matches well with other level art.

Darian and his team are hiring engineers/artists/designers to help them stylize the characters, buildings, terrain, and the rest of the game play environment.  His latest blog post notes that he's hacked the Warcraft II map editor to put together his pre-alpha version.

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