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Best Practices in Mobile Finance: Four fundamental service features that can have a positive impact on people’s lives
There is a growing amount of evidence on how best to provide financial services to the poor. The Gates Foundation’s Jake Kendall and Rodger Voorhies highlight some emerging trends from the research that they think constitute “best practices” for the field.
- Categories
- Finance, Telecommunications
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(With Video) Beyond the Prototype: Wello’s CEO on product design, understanding customers and advice for social entrepreneurs
Cynthia Koenig, CEO of Wello, whose flagship product is a rolling water tank, advises against getting too reliant on a series of check boxes when it comes to measuring impact. In a video interview with NB, she talks about prototyping the next generation of the device, designed for BoP customers.
- Categories
- Education, Impact Assessment, Social Enterprise
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Why Insurers are Partnering with Telcos to Bring Microinsurance to the BoP: CGAP report explores the status of this young industry
Recent growth in microinsurance has come mostly in Africa and mainly in low-income countries, according to a recent report from CGAP. These products are small-scale insurance policies reliant on mobile phones for some combination of sign-up, payment and administration. Providers have been experimenting to learn what works and why.
- Categories
- Technology
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NexThought Monday – China’s Social Enterprise Movement Set to Blast Off: The country is urging a bigger role for social enterprise in society and the economy
China is urging a bigger role for social enterprise in society and the economy. In response, socially-minded businesses are taking off. Given China’s energy and strong entrepreneurial spirit, as the social enterprise movement grows and flourishes, the world’s second largest economy could soon be poised to make a significant global impact.
- Categories
- Impact Assessment, Social Enterprise
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Weekly Roundup – 3/15/14: What it might take to change the mind of ‘vaccine truthers’
What if affluent "vaccine truthers" saw firsthand the reality of life in the developing world, where death and debilitating illnesses are the daily result of infectious diseases for which the prevention has been known for decades?
- Categories
- Education, Health Care
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The 5th Annual Impact Conference at Sustainatopia: One of the world’s largest impact investing conferences to be held in Miami, April 16-18, 2014
Sustainatopia is one of the world’s largest events for social, financial, and environmental sustainability, drawing over 350 speakers and hundreds of attendees from 40 countries. Its Impact Conference will feature some of the top names in impact investing and social enterprise. As a media partner, NextBillion will provide extensive coverage and interviews with several key speakers.
- Categories
- Environment, Impact Assessment, Investing, Social Enterprise
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Investing In Women: An inside look at Merck’s $3 million commitment to India’s largest maternity care franchise
Merck for Mothers Executive Director Dr. Priya Agrawal explains why her organization is investing $3 million in the scale-up of MerryGold Health Network: "Because India has more maternal deaths than any country in the world."
- Categories
- Environment, Health Care
- Tags
- scale
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Know Thy Hospital: Engineers and entrepreneurs are rethinking medical device design, and the world could be healthier as a result
Well-meaning individuals and organizations from high-income countries often donate medical equipment – mostly used – to hospitals in low-resource settings. But it often fails because it isn’t designed for the "predictable unpredictability" of these settings. Mike Miesen argues that we need innovative devices designed for the needs of the customer, not the donor.
- Categories
- Environment, Health Care, Social Enterprise
- Tags
- product design
