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Between Multinational Buyers and Small Farmers, Root Capital Looks to Manage Growth
Willie Foote, founder and CEO of the social investment fund Root Capital, said it is poised for significant growth in the next five years. The challenge, he said, will be in managing that growth.Root expects to triple its portfolio in the next five years to $170 million and build credit up so that it can disburse $284 million in one year.
- Categories
- Agriculture
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A Responsibility and a Market: Why Danone May Represent the Future of BoP Business
Eric Soubeiran leads the company’s BOP business efforts as head of Danone’s newly launched BOP Business Unit based in Gurgaon, India. In our recent conversation, Soubeiran described in detail Danone’s trajectory related to BOP markets beginning with the launch of Fundooz, a yogurt product for kids in India.
- Categories
- Health Care
- Tags
- nutrition
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Climate, Poverty, Gender, and the Spaces in Between
This past week in Nairobi, PopTech convened a diverse and illustrious group of innovators from technology, gender analysis, development, micro-insurance, mobile, water, agriculture and funding to have a conversation about community-based adaptation to climate change in rural Africa.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Environment
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NexThought Monday, Guest Post: Facing the Challenges of BoP Housing in Brazil
Despite a commendable 50 percent reduction in extreme poverty levels since 2003, a cohesive low income housing strategy to eliminate an officially defined deficit of 6.7 million is severely lagging. We believe the Fez Tá Pronto Construction System presents a genuine and very necessary globally applicable paradigm shift.
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- Uncategorized
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Weekly Roundup: 2-12-12 – ROI (Return on Impact)
Credit Suisse Research Institute, in collaboration with the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship, recently released “Investing for Impact: How social entrepreneurship is redefining the meaning of return." It’s a detailed yet eminently readable report on the state of play.
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- Uncategorized
- Tags
- impact investing, scale
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Lighting Up Bihar, An Update on Husk Power
I just got back from a three day trip to Bihar, India where I was visiting Acumen Fund Global Fellow, Neha Kale, as part of my work on leadership at Acumen Fund. Neha is currently working for Husk Power System (HPS), an Acumen Fund investment that uses rice husks to electrify rural villages in India. Husk has set up 84 plants so far serving nearly 200,000 people.
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- Energy
- Tags
- renewable energy
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The FOUND Middle Series: Root Change
Guillermo Rivero, managing partner with Root Change, a capacity development provider that works in Africa, Asia and Latin America, discusses the importance of technical assistance to help businesses succeed. He also stresses the need to bring in outside input and ideas to help an organization evolve.
- Categories
- Investing
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Welcoming NextBillion’s Content Partners
Each of these organizations are recognized leaders in their arenas, from enterprise development to financial inclusion and education, from micro and small business lending to patient capital partnerships. While they may have differing missions, they all contribute financial support, expertise, and mind share - and usually combinations of all three - to the cause of poverty alleviation through enterprise.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Investing
