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Doing Business In Post-Conflict Zones: Why SMEs Are Key
Given all the benefits of private sector investment in postconflict zones, entrepreneurship is emerging as part of the next generation of solutions for many development issues. However, too often investments—particularly from aid organizations—create dependency and are unable to sustain long-term economic growth. Building local business capacity and supporting homegrown entrepreneurs can help curb this risk.
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- Uncategorized
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- governance
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NexThought Monday: Approach with Caution – Why Buffett, Gates, and the Giving Pledge Members Should Be Wary of Impact Investing
Many billionaires have signed on to the Giving Pledge, a pact pushed by software tycoon Bill Gates and value investor Warren Buffett for the super-rich to donate much of their wealth. Many are now turning their attention to impact investing. But large, individual investors have at least three reasons to approach the phenomenon of impact investing with caution.
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- Uncategorized
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The Energy Access Crunch: Exploring Public-Private Solutions for Getting Power to the People
The lack of energy access is a drag on human development around the world, and it will take an increase in funding as well as the public and private sectors working together to solve this problem. That was one of the conclusions at the workshop, “Fairness and Transparency in Climate Funding: Taking into account the Needs of the Poorest Populations” on May 11 in Bangkok.
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- Energy
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Lighting a Pathway for Solar in Rural Uganda
Mercy Corps didn’t give out a single solar lantern. It didn’t give out any grants to buy solar panels. But, what the international nonprofit did do was bring solar to rural Uganda.How? Market facilitation. It’s a mouthful, but it’s kind of like matchmaking, and it’s a key role nonprofits can play to boost local economies.
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- Energy
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- solar, supply chains
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SOCAP: Designing the Future – New Ways of Thinking to Fix Problems from Old Ways of Thinking
Göran Carstedt, chairman of The Natural Step and former executive at Volvo and Ikea, shared his perspective on how to re-engineer capitalism during the SOCAP: Designing the Future, in Malmö, Sweden earlier this month.
"We need a new way of thinking to solve the problems caused by the old way of thinking." This was the case for many ventures presenting at the European forum.- Categories
- Environment
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- impact investing
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Insights on Impact Investing from the US SIF Conference
Just how big is the socially responsible investing industry? One powerful example can be found in the development of the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) whose signatories – with assets over $30 trillion – are now estimated to represent 20 percent of the estimated total value of global capital markets. This growing influence of SRI was a major theme at The Forum for Sustainable and Responsible Investment.
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- Uncategorized
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- impact investing
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Avina’s Evolution: After 16 Years, the Foundation Focuses on Building Multiple Bridges
Fundación Avina describes itself as a “broker, co-investor and facilitator” across many countries in Latin America. Indeed, the organization is often working behind the scenes, building both consensus and bridges between multinational companies, governments and microenterprises, often with the goal of bringing marginalized workers into the formal economy. It’s a strategy aimed not merely at reducing poverty in the short term, but breaking the cycle for future generations.
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- Agriculture, Environment
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Technology & Savings: Competing for Kenya’s Base of the Pyramid
Last year alone, mobile phones transferred over US $10 billion representing almost 30 percent of the Kenya’s GDP. Our new research study examines how Kenya’s rapidly evolving market has opened up to a wide range of new and dynamic players and looks at what this means for savings products available at the bottom of the pyramid.
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- Education
