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In Guatemala, Alterna Aims to Harness Entrepreneurial Spirit
According to the 2009 Global Entrepreneurship Monitor report, Guatemala has the second highest rate of entrepreneurship worldwide. Since most enterprises develop out of necessity, there is a large gap in training and technical assistance. Launched in 2010, Alterna, an incubator and mentor to social and environmental ventures, aims to fill that gap.
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ViewChange Film Friday: ’With My Own Two Wheels’
For most Americans, the bicycle is a choice. It is a toy, a recreational tool, or an eco-conscious form of transportation. In 2010, 3 mountain biking buddies from Santa Barbara set off on a round-the-world journey to film the stories of individuals for whom the bicycle is not a choice, but a machine that opens new economic opportunity and purpose.
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Apply Now for the Acumen Fund Global Fellows Class of 2012-2013
Our Fellows come from all walks of life, are diverse socioeconomically, hail from countries all over the world, and represent many different sectors. But what they all share in common is an unwavering commitment to creating positive and sustainable social change.
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- Education
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The Age of Big Data
Where should we build the next road? Can we predict where disease will spread to next? Many disciplines tackle these issues in their own, disparate ways. But according to Nathan Eagle, featured speaker at Columbia Social Enterprise Conference, we’ve entered a new era where that might not always be the case - all thanks to mobile phone data.
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- Technology
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Creating Demand With Social Marketing: ColaLife’s Approach
Too often ventures forget they need endeavor to create demand for the products they offer in BoP markets. ColaLife is a rare example, as it thought this through this early in the design phase. Fitting into the unused spaced between crated bottles, ColaLife’s "AidPods" contain Anti-Diarrhea Kits (ADKs) for home use by mothers and caregivers.
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- Health Care, Social Enterprise
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Beyond Four Walls
A house is more than a roof overhead - it gives a sense of security, empowerment, and hope. This is a core belief that drives Ashoka’s Housing for All (HFA) program - along with the principle that the affordable housing market is ripe for market-based solutions. I learned this at the start of my summer internship with HFA’s India team this year.
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What Global Development Needs to Make an iPhone? Start With Storytelling
Esther Duflo. Abhijit Bhanerjee. Dean Karlan. These are household names in global development thanks to their leadership for more evidence-based project design and implementation. Here’s another name: Marc Maxson, a consultant with GlobalGiving who helped create and implement its Storytelling Project, which goes beyond eliminating selection bias.
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- Impact Assessment, Social Enterprise
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Enabling Safety in Self-Construction Practices: The Value Proposition for Technical Assistance
Sadly, the debate on housing in India lacks the vision of creating inclusive cities through urban design and planning. Highly subsidized government programs are not going to solve the problem and private efforts only work where land is extremely cheap. We founded micro Home Solutions on 3 principles: community, sustainable design and affordability.
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