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Weekly Roundup: Dubious Controversy, Outrageous Pricing and Angels in South Africa
Among the week's highlights (and lowlights): Grameen Foundation and Muhammad Yunus make an unwelcome entrance into U.S. presidential politics, Mylan Pharmaceuticals defends itself from price-gouging accusations, and a business angel network launches in South Africa.
- Categories
- Education, Health Care, Investing, Social Enterprise
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Creating ‘Solavores’ By Thinking Inside the Box
Solavore, launched last year, sells solar ovens in the developed world and uses the profits to subsidize clean-cooking technology for the 2.7 billion people in the developing world for whom wood fire is the only cooking option, with the inevitable result: lung damage.
- Categories
- Energy, Health Care, Social Enterprise
- Tags
- climate health, solar
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Curing Silicon Valley’s Myopia: Ross Baird, on How to Change the Narrative Around Investment and Innovation
Silicon Valley is home to some of the most brilliant innovators and deep-pocketed investors in the world. So why are they focusing so much of their time and resources on solving petty problems, while ignoring countless more pressing concerns? Village Capital's executive director Ross Baird discusses the problem and some potential solutions in this podcast.
- Categories
- Investing, Social Enterprise, Technology
- Tags
- impact investing
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Beyond ‘Africa Rising’ – The Emergence of the Not-Quite-Middle Class
The past five years or so have seen exuberant studies and predictions that Africa’s rapid growth was creating a new middle class that would transform governance and politics – the optimistic story of “Africa Rising.” But what we really see is not a rising middle class but rather a new group that lives on the cusp of poverty, getting by on $2 to $5 a day, and lacking the kinds of assets, job security, purchasing power and stability we associate with middle-class livelihoods.
- Categories
- Social Enterprise
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A Bridge Too Far? Bridge International Academies Responds to Ugandan Government’s Allegations and Closure Plans
The Ugandan government recently announced plans to close Bridge International Academies, the celebrated for-profit school company operating in Africa. Uganda's education minister claims that the schools “showed poor hygiene and sanitation which put the life and safety of the school children in danger.” Bridge vehemently denies these charges, and we talked to the company about where things stand.
- Categories
- Education, Social Enterprise
- Tags
- regulations
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Is Ultra Poverty Graduation Working?
The graduation approach centers on creating effective pathways for the ultra-poor living at the bottom of the poverty pyramid. In countries like Bangladesh, India, Ethiopia, Peru, Ghana and Pakistan, studies have documented the approach's impact in causing (yes, causing) broad and lasting economic impacts and improvements in psychosocial well-being.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Education
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A Demographic Time Bomb: The Urgent Need to Prepare Undocumented Hispanic Immigrants for Retirement
The United States is home to some 11.3 million undocumented immigrants, mostly Latin American. These immigrants are aging, and whether they stay in the U.S. or return to their home countries, many are woefully underprepared for the financial burdens of retirement. The consequences of ignoring their retirement savings needs are significant – but so are the opportunities to reach them with financial products.
- Categories
- Investing
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Impact Investing Comes of Age: ImpactAlpha Rounds up Nine Stories Shaping the Marketplace
Impact investments represent some of the greatest wealth generating opportunities of our time, from the trillions needed to build a clean global energy grid, to the opportunities in delivering essential services to the emerging middle class. Here are nine recent developments that highlight the sector's growing significance, part of ImpactAlpha's ongoing collaboration with NextBillion.
- Categories
- Investing, Social Enterprise
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