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Mobile Money Payments: Why It’s Time to Move From P2P to Me2Me
Mobile money providers should embrace Me2Me systems, that is, easy-to-use commitment savings platforms that help map how people think about their long-term needs and money. In the customer’s mind, each date would be associated with a purpose, such as paying off school fees, rent, farm equipment or other long-term purchases and expenses.
- Categories
- Technology, Telecommunications
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Best Ideas of 2011: 2012, the Year of Archimedean Entrepreneurs
Around 200 BC, Archimedes made a formidable dare: "Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it and I shall move the world". Two thousand years later, ‘Archimedean entrepreneurs’ are responding to this mythical challenge, moving Africa beyond the "starving-growth" paradox to address the greatest challenge facing us.
- Categories
- Social Enterprise
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Best Ideas of 2011: Understanding Three Affordable Housing X-Factors
I spent most of 2011 in Pakistan working at Ansaar Management Company on affordable housing projects in the flood-affected areas. Reflecting on the year, there are three distinct lessons that stand out. I call them X-Factors; lessons that, if understood broadly, could make a significant difference in the way in which housing is provided for all.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
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Weekly Roundup – 1/8/12: Best Ideas of 2011 Making it Hip to Help the BoP
Warby Parker sells inexpensive, highly fashionable eyewear with the promise to give a pair to a child in need for every pair sold. The company bypasses the criticism that one-for-one models can be more disruptive than helpful. In partnership with VisionSpring, it doesn’t just drop eyeglasses in the developing world, but empowers local communities.
- Categories
- Social Enterprise
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Best Ideas of 2011: Improvising at the BoP
Planning works (reasonably) well in established, stable markets. But classical "planning" is unlikely to help when innovating in the surprising complexity of BoP markets as mapped in ’Poor Economics.’ Certainly, "chaos" and "anarchy" are not the answers either. Improvisation could provide a metaphor allowing us to understand this fragile balance.
- Categories
- Social Enterprise
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Best Ideas of 2011: The Reshaping of Capitalism
As much as I can and often do criticize the Occupy Wall Street movement for its lack of focus, direction, and tangible outcomes - there is something about it that makes me extremely hopeful. Capitalism is slowly undergoing a massive transformation, a call launched by Occupy, and answered by the Social Enterprise Movement.
- Categories
- Impact Assessment, Social Enterprise
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Jane Goodall and Affordable Housing
Can we build affordable housing for all in our lifetime? The authors in this series say YES ? but. Old patterns in the housing value chain can’t continue as government action, public policy or business as usual. A new ?housing ecosystem? is needed to catalyze breakthroughs, support cross-sector collaborations and create sustainable solutions.
- Categories
- Investing, Uncategorized
- Tags
- housing
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Growing Up Fast, What the Dalberg Survey Tells Us About Successful Social Entrepreneurs
Want to find out what made the good enterprises great - and not just in anecdotal form? Dalberg Global Development Advisors clearly thought so. Working with Harvard, the consulting firm polled more than 60 social entreprenurs to find out how they lept the hurdles that every venture faces. Check out the survey and a replay of the live webinar.
- Categories
- Education, Social Enterprise
- Tags
- impact investing, research, scale
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