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PopTech: On Failure, Jedi Knights and the Edge of Social Change
I recently sat down with Executive Director and Curator Andrew Zolli, and PopTech President Leetha Filderman for a candid conversation on a broad spectrum of topics, from impact investing to the importance of failure, to the pace of social innovation and how PopTech sees its role as an accelerant. While best known for its leave-your-head-spinning conferences, it appears that what’s actually popping at PopTech is a lot quieter, slower and more fundamental than may initially meet the eye.
- Categories
- Education, Impact Assessment
- Tags
- failure, incubators
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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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From Occupy Wall St. to Impact Investing, 2 Visions of Markets at Net Impact 2011
As the Occupy Wall Street protesters continued their encampment in Portland near the Net Impact 2011 venue last weekend, it became difficult to reconcile two visions of international markets. Still, speakers posited that concepts of global development and markets were merging fast, and offered the best solution to reducing economic inequality.
- Categories
- Impact Assessment, Social Enterprise
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What Global Development Needs to Make an iPhone? Start With Storytelling
Esther Duflo. Abhijit Bhanerjee. Dean Karlan. These are household names in global development thanks to their leadership for more evidence-based project design and implementation. Here’s another name: Marc Maxson, a consultant with GlobalGiving who helped create and implement its Storytelling Project, which goes beyond eliminating selection bias.
- Categories
- Impact Assessment, Social Enterprise
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NextThought Monday: New Modes of Mobility for the Poor
Disabilities perpetuate a poverty trap and push the poor further from access to education, employment and healthcare. Most policies, programs and entrepreneurial initiatives in India have focused on providing employment. Little attention has been paid to helping the disabled - in particular, the poor - become more mobile themselves.
- Categories
- Impact Assessment, Transportation
- Tags
- transportation
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SOCAP11: Village Capital and the Value of peer-based Evaluation
What if microfinance and angel investing had a baby? Essentially, Village Capital is that offspring, using a peer-to-peer evaluation, learning and investment model where fellow entrepreneurs in the program decide who gets the allocated funding. From SOCAP11’s "People Powered Capital" we heard from several ventures using the Village Capital process.
- Categories
- Impact Assessment
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Striking a Balance: GIIN Leader On Impact Investment’s Role, Critics and Future
Not every investment is an impact investment; not every enterprise can (or should) be funded by impact investors. In our interview, Amit Bouri, Director of Strategy and Development at the Global Impact Investing Network, defines impact investing, discusses its role in the sector, responds to recent criticism of the field and charts a path forward.
- Categories
- Impact Assessment, Social Enterprise
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Taking the Plunge: ’Journeys for Change’ Dive Into India’s Social Enterprise World
Journeys for Change is no hectic commercial tour. Rather, it’s more of a pilgrimage. Over the course of nine days, Journeys for Change connects you with real people implementing real change with well-functioning models. You will slow down, reflect, and become more grounded in the realities of the field-and the possibilities in store.
- Categories
- Impact Assessment, Social Enterprise