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It’s the Ecosystem, Stupid – Exploring the ‘Digital Poverty Stack,’ Part 1
Donor investments to leverage technology have largely failed to achieve their imagined potential, often producing sub-scale pilot projects which do not solve a real problem. Instead, donors should focus on building a “digital poverty stack,” a set of interoperable and reusable digital tools that can be built into a large number of applications.
- Categories
- Technology
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Weekly Roundup: Dubious Controversy, Outrageous Pricing and Angels in South Africa
Among the week's highlights (and lowlights): Grameen Foundation and Muhammad Yunus make an unwelcome entrance into U.S. presidential politics, Mylan Pharmaceuticals defends itself from price-gouging accusations, and a business angel network launches in South Africa.
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- Education, Health Care, Investing, Social Enterprise
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Creating ‘Solavores’ By Thinking Inside the Box
Solavore, launched last year, sells solar ovens in the developed world and uses the profits to subsidize clean-cooking technology for the 2.7 billion people in the developing world for whom wood fire is the only cooking option, with the inevitable result: lung damage.
- Categories
- Energy, Health Care, Social Enterprise
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- climate health, solar
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Curing Silicon Valley’s Myopia: Ross Baird, on How to Change the Narrative Around Investment and Innovation
Silicon Valley is home to some of the most brilliant innovators and deep-pocketed investors in the world. So why are they focusing so much of their time and resources on solving petty problems, while ignoring countless more pressing concerns? Village Capital's executive director Ross Baird discusses the problem and some potential solutions in this podcast.
- Categories
- Investing, Social Enterprise, Technology
- Tags
- impact investing
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Marshaling Digital Cash for Humanitarian Challenges: Uniting Private, Public and Nonprofit
In addressing humanitarian crises, what unites us—a desire to save and improve lives—is greater than what divides us—outdated perceptions of the roles of aid vs. the private sector. By recognizing this, we can use digital preparedness to set building blocks on the road to resilience.
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- Uncategorized
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Beyond ‘Africa Rising’ – The Emergence of the Not-Quite-Middle Class
The past five years or so have seen exuberant studies and predictions that Africa’s rapid growth was creating a new middle class that would transform governance and politics – the optimistic story of “Africa Rising.” But what we really see is not a rising middle class but rather a new group that lives on the cusp of poverty, getting by on $2 to $5 a day, and lacking the kinds of assets, job security, purchasing power and stability we associate with middle-class livelihoods.
- Categories
- Social Enterprise
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Weekly Roundup: Foundation Under Fire, Hartigan Remembered and Blockchain Unchained
NB's editors pay their respects to social entrepreneurship pioneer Pamela Hartigan, ponder the future of the Clinton Foundation, discuss blockchain technology's march toward the development sector mainstream, opine on Michael Bloomberg's new role with the World Health Organization, and wonder why, if everyone's talking about "rigorous research," no one is using it?
- Categories
- Health Care, Technology
- Tags
- blockchain, research
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A Bridge Too Far? Bridge International Academies Responds to Ugandan Government’s Allegations and Closure Plans
The Ugandan government recently announced plans to close Bridge International Academies, the celebrated for-profit school company operating in Africa. Uganda's education minister claims that the schools “showed poor hygiene and sanitation which put the life and safety of the school children in danger.” Bridge vehemently denies these charges, and we talked to the company about where things stand.
- Categories
- Education, Social Enterprise
- Tags
- regulations
