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From Talk to Action: The Pressing Need for a Guiding Framework in Impact Investing
As the impact sector grows, a clear need has emerged for a common set of principles that help define what impact investing is – and what it isn’t – as well as how social impact should be measured. At the recent Alpbach Forum, a forum of 40 thought leaders explored these questions, charting a path forward for investors, particularly in emerging markets. Julians Amboko and Julio De Souza of StratLink Africa break down the top takeaways from the forum.
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- Investing
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Impact Investing Impasse: The Case for 4-Hour Due Diligence
Impact investors are often guilty of stringing along social entrepreneurs with needlessly long due diligence processes, "abusing their power and privilege," says Andy Lower at investing firm A Different Approach to Poverty. Weeks can easily turn to months – a delay that's unfair to entrepreneurs, and unacceptable in other industries. In response, his firm has devised a four-hour due diligence process, which has sparked interest – and a fair amount of push-back – in the sector. Lower discusses the approach in this provocative Q&A.
- Categories
- Investing, Social Enterprise
- Tags
- impact investing
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Education Without Borders: Helping Promising International Students Gain Access to U.S. Universities
Access to American higher education should not be determined by where someone was born, but rather by their merit and potential, argues Joel Frisch of Prodigy Finance. However, financing still hinges on an applicant’s assets and home country – creating barriers for many students in emerging markets. With a model based on impact investing, Frisch describes how Prodigy is helping students get a U.S. education, while helping investors get both social and financial returns.
- Categories
- Education
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A Generational Challenge: What We’ve Learned About Addressing Youth Unemployment
Youth unemployment is a pressing issue in developed countries, but in emerging economies, the situation is even more dire. Unemployment rates of 20 percent or higher are common, with some countries reaching as high as 50 percent. Effective solutions will require an urgent, concentrated and collaborative effort, say Emily Coppel of BRAC USA and Patricia Langan of Save the Children. They outline three key lessons for addressing this challenge, previewing a Sept. 24 forum where some of the top development organizations, research institutes and donors will discuss a path forward.
- Categories
- Impact Assessment
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Refrigeration Off the Grid: An Innovative Solution to Food Spoilage for the Billions Without Electricity
Home refrigerators, essential appliances in much of the world, remain out of reach to over one billion people who, as social entrepreneur Quang Truong puts it, must plan their lives around eating rather than vice versa. Without access to reliable grid energy, families are not just inconvenienced – they’re also contributing to climate change as their rotting foods emit greenhouse gasses. In this post, part of our “Offline Innovation” series, Truong puts the spotlight on his Fenik Yuma cooler, which solves this dilemma through low-tech evaporative cooling.
- Categories
- Energy, Social Enterprise, Technology
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The Blockchain Experiments Have Begun: Here’s What They Could Yield for Business and Development
The buzz around blockchain is loud. But despite the widespread attention the tech has generated, it has yet to live up to its potential to make a major impact in low- and middle-income countries, according to Akhtar Badshah of Catalytic Innovators Group. Badshah profiles blockchain success stories from the for-profit, social enterprise and development sectors alike, arguing that if more organizations would give the tech a chance, they (and their beneficiaries) could tap into its great potential.
- Categories
- Technology
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Your Official SOCAP18 Conference Preview – And Last Chance Discount
SOCAP, one of the premier events centered on mobilizing capital for impactful social and environmental change, is right around the corner. Set for Oct. 23-26, 2018 in San Francisco, SOCAP18 is expected to draw thousands of participants and will feature over 500 speakers from the professional impact sphere. In a preview of what's on tap, SOCAP CEO Lindsay Smalling has details on the discussions, a reconfigured format and a special last chance discount for NextBillion readers. And NextBillion will be giving away a FREE ticket to the event to one lucky reader of our weekly e-newsletter next week - subscribe by 12:00 pm EDT Wednesday, Sept. 19 for your chance to win!
- Categories
- Investing, Social Enterprise
- Tags
- impact investing
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A C-Section Should Not Be a Privilege: Expanding Access to Life-Saving Maternal Care
For every 100,000 live births, 814 women die in Nigeria, 725 die in Liberia, and 443 die in Zimbabwe. (For comparison, the U.S. has the highest maternal mortality rates in the developed world at 26.4). One major reason is limited access to C-sections – a persistent problem in low-resource settings, where health systems often lack the people, supplies and infrastructure to perform the procedure safely. Erin Barringer and Erastus Maina at Safe Surgery 2020 discuss this challenge, and how their partnership is successfully addressing it in remote parts of Ethiopia and Tanzania.
- Categories
- Health Care
