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New Platforms, New Voices: NextBillion’s Evolving Social Media Strategy
In recent weeks, NextBillion has begun to shift our social media strategy. Our goal in making these changes is to bring our content to the attention of more entrepreneurs, investors, researchers and others, while promoting more open engagement with other thought leaders and organizations. Under this new approach, we’ll strive to maintain a balance between sharing our own content, and highlighting posts and discussions from other voices across the sectors we cover. This article briefly summarizes the site's evolving strategy.
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- Telecommunications
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Innovating in Impact Measurement: A Tech-Driven Platform Aims to Simplify Data Collection and Reporting
Studies indicate that around 65% of social enterprises engage in some form of social impact measurement. However, as Hana Stelzerova at Impactso points out, the depth and rigor of these measurements can vary significantly, and many organizations and initiatives struggle to implement more thorough and standardized evaluation methods. She discusses the challenges of measuring impact, and explores how innovative technologies can be leveraged to revolutionize the process for organizations across the sector.
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- Social Enterprise, Technology
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Revitalizing Off-Grid Solar: Why Africa’s PAYGo Sector is Ready for a New Dawn
Africa's off-grid solar sector, particularly pay-as-you-go (PAYGo) solar, has passed through a period of disillusionment among investors, as profitability has remained elusive. But as Chris Emmott at Acumen, Audrey Desiderato at Mirova and Bankole Cardoso at Delta40 Venture Studio argue, the sector nevertheless stands on the cusp of becoming a mature industry with real and sustainable impact. They explain why they remain optimistic about the future of PAYGo solar as impact investors, and why it's time for honest conversations and compromise from all stakeholders — including companies and their investors — about how the industry can move into the next stage of its development.
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- Energy, Environment, Finance, Investing, Technology
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Gender Incentives in Climate Finance: Doubling Down on Proven Approaches During Uncertain Times
With the endpoint of the SDGs just five years away, multiple factors have combined to undercut gender and climate-focused funding in several key global economies. Edward T. Jackson, Yiagadeesen Samy and Katie Turner argue that gender incentives in climate finance offer an effective solution to this dual challenge. They explore how these incentives can boost the supply of affordable, renewable energy, while improving wages and economic autonomy for women workers — and they argue that if there were ever a time to double down on this approach, it is now.
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- Energy, Environment, Investing
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Navigating the Crisis in Global Development: Job Boards, Career and Entrepreneurship Guidance and Other Resources
Drastic cuts at USAID and other key funders have sparked turmoil in the global development and social impact sectors. But they have also generated a large and growing response from individuals and organizations, who are working hard to ramp up their own funding and other programs, help newly unemployed workers find new jobs and careers, and provide other forms of support to those affected by the crisis. NextBillion has created this page to aggregate as many of these resources and opportunities as possible. We will continue to update it regularly with new links as the response to this crisis progresses.
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- Energy, Environment, Social Enterprise, Technology
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The Global Aid Industry is Repeating the Mistakes that Caused the 2008 Financial Crisis: A Warning from a Former Leader at Lehman Brothers
In 2008, the failure of a single institution, Lehman Brothers, triggered a global financial crisis — not because of Lehman alone, but because of the unseen interdependencies that held the world’s financial system together. According to David Davies at AgUnity, a leader at Lehman Brothers during the 2008 crisis, America is in the process of making the same catastrophic mistake in global aid. He explains why the collapse of USAID threatens to bring down the deeply interconnected global aid system, impacting hundreds of millions of people — and urges private foundations, philanthropists and impact investors to step up.
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Seeking Partnership Closer to Home: How South-South Cooperation Empowers Businesses in Developing Markets
While all businesses worldwide face challenges, businesses in the Global South must navigate additional complexities ranging from economic volatility to infrastructure constraints. As Martin Burt at Fundación Paraguaya argues, this creates a need for greater South-South cooperation — i.e., the exchange of technologies, knowledge and other resources between entities in the developing world. He explains the benefits of this practice, exploring how it can enable businesses and entrepreneurs in the Global South to work together to foster innovation and build resilient economic systems tailored to their unique circumstances.
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- Social Enterprise, Technology
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Disrupting Waste Management in Emerging Markets: Four Lessons for Strengthening Businesses While Empowering Women and Communities
Early-stage companies in emerging markets whose workforces and value chains are dependent on women face several common challenges. According to Yaquta Fatehi at the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan and John F. Akwetey, these issues are especially relevant in the waste management sector. They share insights from a study of waste management businesses and practices in Kenya, which show the impacts of treating women’s empowerment and community engagement as integral elements of business strategies rather than peripheral concerns.
