NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Latest

• Guest Articles

  Monday
  November 28
  2022

  Camilla Nestor / Maria Raurell / Carolyn Han

  Leaning into Resilience: Three Ways Small and Growing Agriculture Businesses Have Navigated Global Crises – And How Investors Can Support Them

  COVID-19 and other recent crises have led many investors to pause disbursements to small and growing businesses (SGBs) in emerging markets, due to the increased risk. Camilla Nestor, Maria Raurell and Carolyn Han at MCE Social Capital explain why MCE did the opposite, supporting their investees' efforts to adapt to these challenges. They share three adaptations that successful SGBs in their portfolio had in common, and explore how these approaches are likely to be incorporated into agricultural SGB business models in the long term.

  Categories

  Agriculture, Entrepreneurship, Investing

  Tags

  agribusiness, agriculture, business development, climate, digitization, impact investing, invest, SGBs, small business, smallholder farmers

• Guest Articles

  Wednesday
  November 23
  2022

  William Derban

  The Power of Trust in Digital Finance: How to Leverage Trusted Technology to Maximize Inclusion and Impact

  Trust can be a significant barrier to engagement in digital financial services among low-income users. According to William Derban at Opportunity International, that means providers must often take measures to address this trust deficit when developing digital services that target these customers — particularly women. He discusses Opportunity International's new Trusted Tech Microfinance Initiative, and shares six ways the initiative is working to build clients’ trust in the technologies Opportunity and its microfinance partners are using.

  Categories

  Finance, Technology

  Tags

  digital finance, digital identity, financial inclusion, financial services, inclusive fintech, innovation, microfinance, poverty, technology

• Guest Articles

  Monday
  November 21
  2022

  Josh Dobiac / Alana Kolundzija

  The Global Development Sector Is Focused On Gender-Based Violence: Investors Should Be Too

  In September, the U.N. adopted a resolution condemning all forms of sexual and gender-based violence (GBV), reflecting a growing recognition of the profound consequences of this global problem. But as Josh Dobiac at Milliman Financial Risk Management and Alana Kolundzija at Collective Impact argue, global development organizations aren't the only ones who should play a role in addressing GBV. They explore how investment decisions can impact GBV, and make the case for tackling this issue through socially responsible investing.

  Categories

  Impact Assessment, Investing

  Tags

  development finance, economic development, ESG investing, gender equality, gender lens, global development, Impact Assessment, impact investing, investing

• Guest Articles

  Wednesday
  November 16
  2022

  Bethany Kanten

  The Urgent Need to Address Climate Impacts on MSMEs: Recommendations for Designing Right-Fit Tools and Solutions

  Micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) provide a critical link to goods and services while generating income for millions of households around the world. But as Bethany Kanten at Mercy Corps Ventures points out, these businesses remain underserved in several areas that are limiting their resilience to key challenges – including climate change. She shares new research based on interviews with hundreds of MSMEs in Africa, which reveals the opportunity for innovators, investors and funders to positively impact these enterprises with climate solutions.

  Categories

  Entrepreneurship, Environment, Investing

  Tags

  climate change, environment, financial services, innovation, microenterprise, MSMEs, small business, startups, supply chain