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A Future Beyond Short-Term Profit: A Movement Builds for Mission-First Business Structures
Business as usual is not working to solve major world problems—in many cases it’s actually causing them, due to flaws built into the foundation of conventional business and investing structures. Jasper van Brakel of RSF Social Finance discusses how this realization is sparking a grassroots global movement behind mission-first business, rooted in stakeholder governance and seeking profit as an engine for creating social, cultural and ecological good.
- Categories
- Entrepreneurship
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Climbing the Tech Adoption Mountain: Seven Ways Nonprofits and Social Enterprises Can Leverage Technology for Greater Social Impact
Nonprofits and for-profit social enterprises now benefit from a vast array of technological innovations – but they often struggle to implement them. Devon Ferreira at Originate shares insights from some of the leading minds in the nonprofit and social enterprise world, about how impact-focused organizations can adapt to the challenges – and leverage the opportunities – of new technologies.
- Categories
- Entrepreneurship, Technology
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Solar Energy Storage Faces a Battery of Challenges – How to Overpower Them
Diesel electricity generation is expensive, unsustainable and harmful to users' health and the environment. But it still dominates the energy mix in emerging markets. Why? According to Alec Macklis at Gridspan Energy, one reason is that solar energy is intermittent by nature, making it hard to incorporate into a reliable energy system. But though this problem can be solved by better energy storage, solar + storage solutions haven't gained major traction. He explores the reasons for this, and presents an innovative energy storage approach that could help.
- Categories
- Energy
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The Power of Individuals: Why Formal Institutions Aren’t the Only Ones Driving Africa’s Innovation and Fintech Space
There’s a lot of attention on the businesses, NGOs and other institutions reshaping Africa’s fintech ecosystem. But there are equally important efforts underway – conducted not by institutions themselves, but by the individuals working within them – to build bridges between organizations, and create support networks for entrepreneurs and innovators. In this Q&A, Zianah Muddu, General Secretary of the Africa Fintech Network, discusses the pivotal – often overlooked – impact of this work.
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- Finance
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‘It’s Not About Subsidies’ – And Five Other Myths About Blended Finance
The excitement around blended finance is growing – but so are the misconceptions about it. Bjoern Struewer at Roots of Impact highlights five myths about the approach, and argues that investors and public funders should admit – and embrace – one inconvenient truth: By providing catalytic capital to mobilize commercial investment, blended finance is subsidizing private investors' returns.
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- Entrepreneurship, Investing
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Off-Grid Solar Is Entering a New Era of Growth: GOGLA’s Off-Grid Solar Forum Explores Why
As the off-grid solar sector enters its second decade as a significant energy source, it's facing a host of new challenges, opportunities and growing pains. These dynamic changes will take center stage at the Global Off-Grid Solar Forum Expo, jointly organized by GOGLA (the global association for the off-grid solar energy industry) and the World Bank Group’s Lighting Global initiative next month in Nairobi, Kenya. GOGLA Executive Director Koen Peters shares why this conference won't be about rosy forecasts, but the real work of building the sector.
- Categories
- Energy
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Full, Yet Undernourished? How India Can Move from Food Security to Nutrition Security
India now produces enough food for its population – but recurring famines plagued the country for decades. In response, the government strengthened the distribution system to bring essential food grains to marginalized households. But as analysts at MSC point out, improving access to food is not the same as ensuring optimal nutrition. They explore solutions that could help India move from food security to nutrition security – and how the private sector can play a role.
- Categories
- Agriculture
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Philanthropy is Shortchanging Climate Change: Here Are Three Ways It Can Boost Its Impact
Climate change is a hot topic in global development, but unfortunately, philanthropy hasn’t followed suit. Despite some notable gifts, climate lags behind other issues when it comes to charitable giving — less than 2% of philanthropic dollars went to climate-related issues in 2015. Nicole Systrom at Sutro Energy Group discusses the reasons for this inertia, and how philanthropists and foundations can turn things around.
- Categories
- Environment, Technology
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