-
Social Entrepreneurship Coming Full Circle, at Columbia’s Social Enterprise Conference
This year’s Columbia Social Enterprise Conference, on the topic of "Social Innovation in a Networked WorId," left me almost certain that the social entrepreneurship movement is currently witnessing such a full circle moment on several fronts, most notably, when it comes to our collective understanding of what a "networked world" means.
- Categories
- Social Enterprise
-
Technology Plus Humanity – An Equation for Social Collaboration
At the 2011 Columbia Social Enterprise Conference panel last week, 3 social enterprise managers pondered technology’s role in the social sector today and how it advances philanthropy. A theme throughout the panel was the importance of incorporating the human experience into the technology, a potential key to unlocking a surge in donor activity.
- Categories
- Social Enterprise, Technology
-
Reaching the Next Billion Through Mobile
As a preview to this week?s Columbia Social Enterprise Conference, I had the pleasure of speaking with mobile technology innovator Nathan Eagle, co-founder and CEO of Jana. Currently generating revenue in over 50 countries, Jana (Sanskrit for ?people?) enables global organizations to directly engage with BoP consumers through mobile phones.
- Categories
- Social Enterprise, Technology
-
Columbia Social Enterprise Conference Preview: Investing in Social Innovation
KL Felicitas Foundation began in 2000 with a vision to scale social innovation through impact investing and support social enterprises everywhere along the spectrum from the seed stage to start-ups that are rapidly expanding. The co-founders will be on the panel "Impact Investors Spreading Social Innovation"at the conference this Friday.
- Categories
- Social Enterprise
- Tags
- impact investing
-
Calling Africa’s Social Entrepreneurs
Africa may seem to be a bit lost on the inclusive-market-social-entrepreneurship-map. Most big MFI funds have only small portfolios in the area, and the BIG success stories cited are often from India. But there’s a LOT going on. A team from Queen’s University has set out to find out how much, what, and where - and will make their insights public.
- Categories
- Social Enterprise
-
Taking Stock of IRIS
There is no EBITDA equivalent for social impact. The Global Impact Investing Network’s Impact Reporting and Investment Standards is one solution, but there are still questions. One potential breakthrough case study examining the framework in action will try to answer those questions at the 2011 Social Enterprise Conference at Columbia University.
- Categories
- Social Enterprise
-
Microfinance at a Crossroads: Balancing Good Intentions with Critical Industry Structuring
As the microfinance industry matures, the cracks in the model have become more apparent. When an idea built from good intentions scales, hidden costs begin to grow and the call for more structure becomes louder. These cracks are not just on one side of the equation, and need to be addressed through collective effort by borrowers and lenders.
- Categories
- Social Enterprise
-
Why Should a Mainstream For-Profit Company Pursue an In-Kind BoP Partnership?
Many entrepreneurs and funders at SOCAP11 are skeptical about partnerships - and rightly so. But sometimes all the work to make partnerships click pays off. In the case of an ongoing partnership between UNICEF and for-profit Frog Design, the impact results in Malawi and Zambia include a 30% increase in early diagnosis of HIV/AIDS in children.
- Categories
- Social Enterprise
Subscribe to Our 'Business in Global Development' Newsletter!
Our new weekly LinkedIn newsletter features NextBillion's latest original articles, along with curated news, jobs, bizdev opportunities and events from our recent coverage of impact-focused business in emerging markets.
We respect your privacy. Your information is safe and will never be shared.
Don't miss out. Subscribe today.