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It’s the Ecosystem, Stupid: Exploring the “digital poverty stack” – Part 2
In the first post in this series, we proposed that donors and governments advance digital and financial inclusion by focusing more on creating public goods that enable the broader ecosystem, rather than on peripheral innovation in service delivery. In this second post, we discuss the implications of this shift and highlight some new efforts to move the fields in the right direction.
- Categories
- Social Enterprise, Technology
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The AgTech Pedestal Problem: How to Bring Innovation Down to Earth
Without the knowledge to operate it and systems to maintain it, technology is a liability rather than an asset to a farmer. It cannot work in isolation. We must be careful not to place AgTech on a pedestal; AgTech can only be successful if it is grounded in the realities of the developing world farmer. But we're already seeing several examples of that emerging from "Silicon Plateau."
- Categories
- Agriculture, Social Enterprise, Technology
- Tags
- research
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Curing Silicon Valley’s Myopia: Ross Baird, on How to Change the Narrative Around Investment and Innovation
Silicon Valley is home to some of the most brilliant innovators and deep-pocketed investors in the world. So why are they focusing so much of their time and resources on solving petty problems, while ignoring countless more pressing concerns? Village Capital's executive director Ross Baird discusses the problem and some potential solutions in this podcast.
- Categories
- Investing, Social Enterprise, Technology
- Tags
- impact investing
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Weekly Roundup: Uruguay smokes ‘Big Tobacco’, Safaricom ups the ante, critic pens a (RED) herring
Uruguay wins a major legal battle against a huge tobacco company, Safaricom ups the ante in its battle with banks in Kenya, and our editors take issue with a provocative critique of a popular "social venture" in this Roundup of the week's social business developments.
- Categories
- Health Care, Investing, Social Enterprise, Technology
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NexThought Monday: Marking a Shift at the BOP World Convention
Two years ago, in Singapore, the BOP World Convention & Expo explored cross-sector partnerships and hybrid models as potential catalysts. This year, the convention will focus on inclusive economies, what can drive them, and their implications for the BoP.
- Categories
- Education, Social Enterprise, Technology
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5 Trends Accelerating the Acceptance of STEM Professionals in Sustainable Development
STEM innovation has led to many of the biggest social impacts in recent human history: chlorinated drinking water, oral re-hydration therapy, solar energy, and many more that we often overlook or underestimate. Fortunately, as STEM professionals forge their way in the social innovation space, there are five major trends accelerating their acceptance as sustainable development practitioners.
- Categories
- Health Care, Social Enterprise, Technology
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Upending Conventional Wisdom with Bottom-Up Innovation
To accelerate the democratization of affordable and robust internet access, Microsoft this week announced 12 new partnerships with social enterprises. Paul Garnett, Director of Affordable Access Initiatives at Microsoft, writes that the partnerships will support market-based innovation through seed grants, a network of peers, mentors and resources, and commercial partnerships, in addition to engaging the communities in which they work.
- Categories
- Social Enterprise, Technology
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Mobile Data Has the Answers, But First, We Need to Ask the Right Questions
I’ve realized that when guiding social enterprises, nonprofits and international NGOs to begin using data, it’s helpful to focus on a key, sometimes obvious point: data has to actually answer a critical business or programmatic question. Mobile data collection for the sake of collecting data isn’t enough.
- Categories
- Energy, Impact Assessment, Social Enterprise, Technology
- Tags
- research
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