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Yunus Speaks on Social Business: Impact without Profit
Microfinance guru Muhammad Yunus recently spoke about his new book on social business. Social business, as defined by Yunus, is a venture whose sole mission is to create a positive impact on society through its good or service, and is thoroughly sustainable, but has no profit. Is profit necessary for a business to scale up quickly and efficiently?
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Step 1: Create an Enabling Environment for Markets
We often use this web space to discuss factors that impact private sector growth such as access to finance or market linkages. Today, however, I want to take a moment to discuss something even more fundamental: by treating violence as one would treat disease, CeaseFire is addressing this first step for creation of a true enabling environment.
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The Top 5 List: Best New BoP Teaching Cases
Learn more about some of the best new base of the pyramid cases that have been released the past few years through the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan.
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Arab World Social Innovation Forum – Roll Up Your Sleeves!
A week ago, Ashoka Arab World convened more than 250 practitioners from civil society, the public and private sectors, academics, as well as social entrepreneurs from more than 20 countries at the Arab World Social Innovation Forum in bustling Cairo. The two days of keynotes, round table discussions and networking were filled with a lot of energy!
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Subsistence Marketplaces at the University of Illinois
Our path to bringing the Base of the Pyramid (BoP) or subsistence marketplaces into the classroom at the University of Illinois begins with a year-long, interdisciplinary graduate level course entitled Sustainable Product and Market Development for Subsistence Marketplaces.
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Professor Ted London on Bringing the BoP into the Classroom
To enhance student learning in the classroom, Professor London has developed a series of unique case studies. I recently interviewed Professor London to talk about these materials as well as his experiences teaching the subject.
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Look No Further Than Detroit for the BoP
Poor public infrastructure. Government corruption. Lack of access to food. Poor education systems. People living in poverty. Think I’m describing the developing world? Nope. It’s Detroit. My own backyard
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Looking for Killer Apps at Lighting Africa 2010
At the World Bank/IFC Lighting Africa Conference in Nairobi, some numbers are looking good for a change. There are still 1.6 billion people without access to electricity, but solar lantern distribution is projected to grow at 25-40% rates over the next 5 years in Africa.
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