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NextThought Monday: Why Africa is Open for Business
When I asked a group of Business School students if they’d be interested in doing business in Africa, very few raised their hands. Those who did thought their prospects were limited to NGOs or microfinance. But in the last decade, better governance and debt crisis resolution, among other factors, are radically improving the business climate.
- Categories
- Education
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Changes in the Behavior of the Brazilian BoP consumer
To understand the current state of the Brazil’s social mobility, companies need to not only understand the differences between the segments that make up the base of the pyramid, but also consider the differences between regions and age groups. After all, 72% of the population in the Northeast region fits into the lower income classes.
- Categories
- Technology
- Tags
- Base of the Pyramid, data
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An Uncommon Gathering, For a Common Agenda: Affordable Housing at the BoP
In December, Ashoka in partnership with the Hilti Foundation brought, several other organizations tackling affordable housing in various geographies and with varying approaches in Barcelona for a Summit of Global Housing Entrepreneurs. The goal: to identify a common agenda to advance affordable housing for BoP populations globally.
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- Uncategorized
- Tags
- housing
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Best Idea(s) of 2010 from the MENA region
It is not easy to pinpoint what made the biggest impression on me this past year... The MENA region has seen several major and exciting events in the development through enterprise arena.
- Categories
- Social Enterprise
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Re-thinking Accessibility: Designing a Car for Africa
Mobius Motors, an African car company in its infancy, is developing the first car targeting African buyers. But how exactly does one build a car company from scratch in one of the most notoriously difficult markets? For Mobius Founder Joel Jackson, it starts by re-imagining the car as a more "relevant," device - built around the needs of its users.
- Categories
- Transportation
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NextThought Monday: Pakistan: A Land of Misunderstood Opportunity
I want to show you the greatness of this country, and what can be done to improve it. I’m talking about a different side of Pakistan than you usually hear about, and I want to make sure you distinguish the two in your mind... As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "To be great is to be misunderstood." Pakistan is both.
- Categories
- Technology
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Local Capacity Building and Business Development at the Base of the Pyramid
This is the third post in a series of interviews with Simon Winter, TechnoServe’s Senior Vice President of Development. This interview focuses on Mr. Winter and Technoserve’s views of local capacity building.
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- Uncategorized
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NextThought Monday: Social Enterprise on the Cover of the Economist
No, not this week and probably not next week either. But in five years, it’s going to happen. The Economist, however, did recently run an article titled: "Companies Aren’t Charities," which argues that the role of a company in developing economies should be confined to pursuing profit while abiding by the rules and a solid moral compass.
- Categories
- Education, Social Enterprise