Articles by Oscar Abello
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Wednesday
November 10
2010Civilizing the ’Wild West’ of Microfinance
Every emerging industry that has survived to transform the world has had to emerge from its "Wild West" phase ? a sort of testing period where ideas are thrown against the wall to see what sticks and what ends up bouncing right back in its face. After a few decades, perhaps microfinance has reached that defining moment.
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- governance, microfinance
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Wednesday
September 15
2010The “Gandhi Approach” to Better Governance
Microcredit, formal and informal loans from friends or family can get a social enterprise only so far. Larger equity investments can help a micro-enterprises over the hump and into real SME scale. This article summarizes some governance principles indispensable at this stage.
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Tuesday
December 1
2009In the Business of ’Doing Business’
When it comes to mobilizing the BoP’s $10 trillion in hidden capital and creating an enabling environment to get the most out of it, there is no magic reform recipe - but local knowledge is always a vital ingredient. International exposure and competition through the World Bank’s Doing Business Reports have pressured governments into seeking...
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Wednesday
November 11
2009Not a Formality: The Productivity of Capital
In a previous post, I described why the BoP can’t yet mobilize the $10 trillion of assets they already own. If they ever get the chance to do so, alongside other fresh and creative channels for mobilizing capital, the productivity of capital comes to mind as the next challenge for growing BoP businesses. Here’s a thought experiment to illustrate...
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Tuesday
October 27
2009Getting Assets on the Grid
It’s easy to see how the shimmering success of individual entrepreneurs can distract from surrounding structures that have long kept them from effecting change. Microfinance and the social enterprise movement have mobilized so much human capital among the BOP. Changing surrounding structures could unlock even more capital that the BOP could...
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