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Bottom-up Solutions to the Climate Emergency: Three Innovative, Eco-Inclusive Enterprises Take a Local Approach
We just reached the end of the hottest decade on record, and local communities – particularly in the Global South – are bearing the brunt of the impact. As climate change disrupts development efforts and worsens global food crises, population displacement and water scarcity, there's a growing need for more resilient communities. The SEED Awards highlight eco-inclusive enterprises that are addressing this challenge – authors at SEED discuss some promising examples.
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- Agriculture, Energy, Entrepreneurship, Environment
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Waiting Game: Where is All the Investment in Solar-Powered Productive Use Appliances?
The solar industry has helped over 360 million people in off-grid communities gain access to basic electricity – and the sector is moving beyond just lighting. Many companies now offer household appliances and, increasingly, “productive-use” appliances that support income-generating activities. However, investment in companies deploying these technologies remains minimal. Leslie Labruto at Acumen and Jeff Stottlemyer at CLASP explore the problem, and some potential solutions.
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- Energy, Entrepreneurship
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Africa’s Tech Startup ‘Investment Frenzy’: Fact, Fantasy – or a Wakeup Call for Better Investing Strategies?
Are Africa's tech startups really facing an "investment frenzy" that's driving excessive valuations, growth-at-all-cost business models and unrealistic investor expectations? That was impact investor Lauren Cochran's argument in a much-discussed NextBillion article. But according to Marsha Wulff at LoftyInc Capital Management, the problem isn't an excess of funding – it's "group-think" among foreign investors who don't see the true value of local, African-led startups.
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- Entrepreneurship, Investing
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A Future Beyond Short-Term Profit: A Movement Builds for Mission-First Business Structures
Business as usual is not working to solve major world problems—in many cases it’s actually causing them, due to flaws built into the foundation of conventional business and investing structures. Jasper van Brakel of RSF Social Finance discusses how this realization is sparking a grassroots global movement behind mission-first business, rooted in stakeholder governance and seeking profit as an engine for creating social, cultural and ecological good.
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- Entrepreneurship
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Climbing the Tech Adoption Mountain: Seven Ways Nonprofits and Social Enterprises Can Leverage Technology for Greater Social Impact
Nonprofits and for-profit social enterprises now benefit from a vast array of technological innovations – but they often struggle to implement them. Devon Ferreira at Originate shares insights from some of the leading minds in the nonprofit and social enterprise world, about how impact-focused organizations can adapt to the challenges – and leverage the opportunities – of new technologies.
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- Entrepreneurship, Technology
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‘It’s Not About Subsidies’ – And Five Other Myths About Blended Finance
The excitement around blended finance is growing – but so are the misconceptions about it. Bjoern Struewer at Roots of Impact highlights five myths about the approach, and argues that investors and public funders should admit – and embrace – one inconvenient truth: By providing catalytic capital to mobilize commercial investment, blended finance is subsidizing private investors' returns.
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- Entrepreneurship, Investing
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Tackling Africa’s Youth Employment Challenge: Can Social Enterprise Play a Role?
Social enterprise is becoming an increasingly popular business model in Africa – a clear sign that the continent is gradually shifting from aid-led solutions to enterprise-led solutions. Yet despite their potential, social enterprise markets and ecosystems remain in their infancy, says Stephen Hunt at the Challenges Group. He explores how social enterprise can address one of Africa’s key development challenges: employment and job creation for young people.
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- Entrepreneurship
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The Hidden Value of Untapped Ideas: Three Development Sector Approaches that Deserve a Second Look
The development challenges facing African countries – from income inequality to crippling infrastructure gaps – are huge and growing. But while tackling these issues will require innovative responses, “innovative” may not necessarily mean “new.” Aubrey Hruby at the Atlantic Council’s Africa Center explores three ideas that the development sector discarded – or never considered in the first place – which may hold the key to solving some of Africa’s biggest challenges.
- Categories
- Entrepreneurship
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