-
Where Free, Profitable, Impact and Scale Intersect: Insights From the Story of Aravind
Aravind Eye Care is a self-sustaining and profitable organization that treats most of its patients for free or at a deeply subsidized rate. A new book, "Infinite Vision," provides insights into the man who put Aravind into motion, and chronicles the strategic decisions, growing pains, innovations and efficiencies behind this BoP success story.
- Categories
- Health Care, Social Enterprise
-
Guest Post: Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund’s Competitions Focusing on Agribusiness, Climate Change
The Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund, which invests in businesses seeking commercially viable and high development impact projects in Africa, has launched three new competitions. Two will focus on agribusiness development in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Sudan, and renewable energy to help small farmers in East Africa to adapt to climate change.
- Categories
- Environment, Investing
- Tags
- venture capital
-
The 2012 ‘Doing Business’ Report: A Traveler’s Guide
Access to credit, reliable electricity, reasonable tax codes and other factors key to a business’s long-term success?for better or worse?often lies with a country?s government. The World Bank ranks these factors in its annual Doing Business Report. This year?s survey also provided intriguing insights for developing world entrepreneurs.
- Categories
- Education
-
From Chile, Building Social Entrepreneurship in a ’Space of Spaces’
The second Social Entrepreneurship Month 2011 (MES2011): "Social Innovation + Education" launched in Chile last month, and continues through this week. MES Co-Founder Gianncarlo Dur?n told NextBillion in Spanish that social entrepreneurship concepts "are coming to Chile but with "great intensity."
- Categories
- Social Enterprise
-
NextThought Monday: The FOUND Middle, Women Entrepreneurs in Nigeria
In honor of Global Entrepreneurship Week, we share with you the next video in our continuing series, which features Nneka Okekearu, Centre Manager for the Enterprise Development Center (EDC) at the Pan African University in Nigeria. EDC focuses on the business development and provision of support services to small and growing businesses in Nigeria.
- Categories
- Social Enterprise
-
Weekly Roundup – 11-13-11: Technology’s Equalizing Impact
The need for inclusive health programs has been an active part of the development conversation for years. Daniella Ballou-Aares, the founder of the Global Health Practice group at the strategic consulting firm Dalberg points out, the means to do so on a large-scale has been elusive. However, technology has become the great equalizer.
- Categories
- Health Care, Social Enterprise, Technology
-
Farming to Invest in the Future
Recently, we surveyed more than 150 farmers in our cotton program to better understand the impact that TechnoServe’s work has on their lives and livelihoods. I wanted numbers - and I got them - but what stuck with me were not the facts and figures, but the deeply personal stories that those facts and figures told.
- Categories
- Agriculture
-
The Missing Middle; and the Growth of Social Enterprises
But behind all the feel-good energy and promises that impact investing will be a $50 billion industry by 2020, there are gaps in the story line and challenges that we must confront as a community. Rather than seeing ROI financiers, social impact advocates and foundations as adversaries, there is an opportunity to see them as allies.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Tags
- impact investing










