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Through Social Investing, Asia’s ‘On a Journey to Help it Help Itself’
AVPN's recent annual conference, known as “Asia’s top social investment event,” attracted representatives from 32 countries, including 18 Asian ones, reflecting the reality that activity is taking off across the region, says John-Paul Hamilton of Dasra. And it seemed fitting that the conference centered on collaboration, which is more essential than ever to ensure a progressive and suitable continuum of funding.
- Categories
- Investing, Social Enterprise
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The Dirty Secret of Social Enterprise: Scale is Overrated
Author Jonathan C. Lewis writes that for some staggering societal problems – like deaths from child poverty and modern-day slavery – scaling solutions is an urgent necessity. However, for social entrepreneurs, he says the important thing is not organizational size, geographic coverage or budget, but progress toward social justice. He urges leaders to focus less on size and more on striving to maintain balance.
- Categories
- Health Care, Impact Assessment, Social Enterprise
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The Other Capital in Impact Investing: Why Human Capital May Matter More than Money, and What Investors Can Do About It
Money is not enough for impact businesses to succeed, according to Paul Breloff of Shortlist; they need an answer to their human capital challenges to unlock their world-changing potential. Here he discusses why human capital matters, why it's being under-supported by impact investors and what it will take for more investors to see it for what it is – an area of great opportunity.
- Categories
- Investing, Social Enterprise
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How ‘Designing Under the Mango Tree’ Can Prevent Digital Solution Hiccups
Like an off-road vehicle, when you build a digital solution, you want to build with the most challenging environments in mind. Why? So the digital solution can scale with fewer hiccups, as it grows outward. Mobile services company Dimagi calls it “designing under the mango tree,” and it requires working in partnership with a variety of end users. It's hard work, Kathryn M. Clifton writes, but worth it.
- Categories
- Social Enterprise, Technology
- Tags
- data, partnerships, product design
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The Great Equalizer: How Artificial Intelligence Can Make Heart Health Care More Accessible
Cardiotrack began as a three-lead ECG machine but has evolved into a complete cardiac care platform designed to make heart health care delivery more accessible, especially in underserved areas. The firm is now using artificial intelligence analytics, Internet of Things sensors and cloud-based storage to diagnose cardiovascular disease, and even (potentially) to predict and forestall heart attacks.
- Categories
- Health Care, Social Enterprise, Technology
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From Beehive Fences to Coconut Bombs: 10 Non-Chemical Pest-Control Innovations for the Global South
Farm-raiding elephants and malarial mosquitoes are among the pests that plague the Global South. But farmers there also contend with pests that are all too familiar on farms anywhere in the world: harvest-munching rats and mice, for example. Rob Goodier at Engineering for Change lists 10 non-chemical pest-control solutions designed for any place resources are constrained.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Social Enterprise, Technology
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Africa as a Hotbed for Innovation: Technology Providing New Ways to Look at Age-Old Problems
Intellecap’s latest research explores how emerging technologies can trigger a set of big shifts in Africa over the next decade, and how innovators and enterprises there can leverage these shifts to help address the continent’s mega-challenges in a variety of sectors, including agriculture, financial services, health care, education, energy and water.
- Categories
- Social Enterprise, Technology
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Deprived or Different?: Tips for Social Entrepreneurs Working Across Cultures
Not all people value the same things. This is crucial information for social entrepreneurs working across cultures, says the author, Andrea Nelson Trice, who conducted more than 70 related interviews around the world. She offers a few tips to social entrepreneurs on how they can make sense of their customers' differing priorities and dreams, and how these might impact an enterprise’s success.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Social Enterprise
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