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The (Business) Case for Confidence: Why Unlocking Women’s Self-Confidence Should be a Major Development Priority
Evidence shows that building self-confidence is important: It affects how we interact with colleagues, how we present ourselves to new people, and how we perceive ourselves and our capabilities. That's why, according to Megan Madeira At Resonate, women's self-confidence is something the social business and development sectors must address. She discusses how Resonate's workshops help build women's confidence, amplifying the impact of development programs and boosting the effectiveness of businesses in the process.
- Categories
- Education, Social Enterprise
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Employee Engagement, Investor Value: Why the Time has Come for Inclusive Employee Ownership in Emerging Markets
Employee ownership programs are increasingly common in developed countries, but in emerging markets, there are few companies that give equity to all employees. Solar home system provider Fenix International decided to buck that trend in Uganda, on the request of their local employees. Fenix CEO Lyndsay Handler discusses the transformative changes sparked by that decision – and advocates for a similar approach in other companies in Africa and beyond.
- Categories
- Energy, Social Enterprise
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Spinning Off a Tech Firm from a Nonprofit: How to Solve the ‘Innovator’s Dilemma’
Social impact technology startups capture a lot of media attention – leading to the impression that, on the whole, most are successful. In reality, failure rates are high. Brent Chism, CEO of TaroWorks, discusses the reasons why these businesses often falter. He also shares how his company and its parent organization, Grameen Foundation, were able to sidestep common pitfalls through smart funding strategies, well-timed adjustments and wise managerial choices.
- Categories
- Social Enterprise, Technology
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‘Results’ Don’t Equal ‘Impact’: What the Social Business Sector Can Learn from Non-Profits’ Approach to Impact Measurement
It’s common knowledge that non-profits are often beholden to data-hungry donors - hence their focus on long-term impact assessment. But how those organizations measure impact has implications for the rest of the social sector - including for-profits, which often lack a clear assessment strategy. Sarah Sterling of Pomona Impact ponders how impact measurement can be improved across the sector, and discusses a simple tool used by non-profits that could be extremely useful for social business.
- Categories
- Impact Assessment, Social Enterprise
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Stop Looking for the Next ‘Uber for X’ and Start Changing the World
The paradigm of the Silicon Valley "tech bro" pioneering the next "Uber for (whatever)" has become a cliché. Its ubiquity is a distraction, says Alex Amouyel of MIT Solve – one that excludes social innovators from much-needed funding and keeps those with capital from making real change through their investments. Instead of looking for the next unicorn and quick exit, she argues, investors should expand their definition of “venture-backable” entrepreneurs to include those driving transformative, mission-driven impact.
- Categories
- Social Enterprise, Technology
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Low Tech, High Impact: An Affordable, Hand-Powered Innovation Aims to Boost Food Production in Africa
For many global development players, high-tech innovations are the go-to solution for challenges in emerging markets. But according to Taylor Quinn of JUST, Inc., low-tech approaches can be even smarter. He discusses the promising potential of locally made and hand-powered machines in emerging economy value chains, and explores how JUST is using one such device to improve food security, increase access to quality nutrition and promote entrepreneurship in Liberia.
- Categories
- Social Enterprise, Technology
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Turning Intentions into Action: How to Boldly Implement Gender Lens Investing
There is strong evidence around the business case for investing in women, yet many asset managers and impact investors remain unsure about how to integrate a gender lens into their organization’s investment strategy. Though the process can take time to implement effectively, and will differ from institution to institution, David Venn offers several key questions that can help investors take the first step.
- Categories
- Investing, Social Enterprise
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Home Solar + Microfinance: Mitigating Risks and Maximizing Rewards
The social impact of home solar systems in off-grid villages has shown itself to be broader than initially thought. But while social enterprises continue to roll out new forms of solar, financing their purchase can put these innovations out of reach for the low-income households that need them most. Mark Roesink of Oikocredit shares how weaving responsible microlending into the solar industry could generate greater impact for energy access in emerging markets like India and Kenya.
- Categories
- Energy, Social Enterprise
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