NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

In a 2018 article in Harvard Business Review, John Elkington, Chairman of Volans, writes: “How often are management concepts subjected to recalls by the people who invented them? It is hard to think of a single case. With this in mind, I’m volunteering to carry out a management concept recall: with 2019 marking the 25th anniversary of the “triple bottom line,” a term I coined in 1994, I propose a strategic recall to do some fine tuning.”

Elkington adds, “So why recall it now? The Triple Bottom Line has failed to bury the single bottom line paradigm. From the outset, the goal was system change — pushing toward the transformation of capitalism. It was never supposed to be just an accounting system. It was originally intended as a genetic code, a triple helix of change for tomorrow’s capitalism, with a focus on breakthrough change, disruption, asymmetric growth (with unsustainable sectors actively sidelined), and the scaling of next-generation market solutions.”

In this live, virtual fireside chat, Impact Entrepreneur’s Laurie Lane-Zucker discusses with Elkington the motivations behind his coining of the TBL concept, his perceived failure of the concept to achieve its intended ends, and how the concept can be updated to effectively leverage the kinds of system change necessary to transform business and contribute to the building of an authentically sustainable impact economy.

International NGOs have been working with volunteers for as long as the development sector has existed, but the means through which volunteers contribute to development objectives have evolved over time. This webinar is designed to examine how skilled volunteers can contribute to market systems development outcomes. The presenters will discuss recent innovations through a number of concrete examples. Evidence will be shared on skills-based volunteering as a means to bring new talent into market systems programs and to tap into a steady pipeline of advisors, facilitators, and investors. We will also focus on the planning, training, and monitoring required to make the best use of volunteers in market systems programming, and demonstrate how volunteers can contribute to sustainable impact at scale.

This webinar will:

• Address commonly held misconceptions about volunteer programming
• Share successful models and lessons learned related to engaging volunteers
• Highlight examples of how skilled volunteers have contributed to tangible results and impacts
• Identify opportunities for funders, organizations, and professionals to harness volunteer expertise

The three speakers and their respective organizations each bring many years of experience designing, implementing, and evaluating international volunteer programs.

Blockchain Summit Hong Kong is the leading blockchain for business event in Asia.

Connecting over 200 industry leaders, business decision makers and tech innovators, Blockchain Summit Hong Kong is a one-day conference and exhibition dedicated to the business of blockchain and distributed ledger technology (DLT).

Based on unrivalled content, 60 visionary speakers and exceptional networking opportunities, Blockchain Summit Hong Kong is a must-attend event to understand the challenges and opportunities of our blockchain future.

Nest is excited to announce the third edition of the #WhatsGood series- a thought leadership and education series, facilitating thought-provoking panel using deep learning techniques such as case studies and curated in-depth presentations.

This event will be geared towards answering the question ‘How do you make money from the Bottom of the Pyramid (BoP)’ Sub-topics include:

• Strategies to reduce the costs of last mile distribution in rural areas.
• Strategic partnerships to reach and service customers.
• Marketing strategies to differentiate and spread awareness in areas where internet penetration is low and customer education is low.

The panelists include:

1. Claire Mongeau– Founder & CEO, M-Shule

2.  Stephen Njenga– Agribusiness Expert, BoP Innovation Center

3.  Lindsay Stradley– Co-Founder, Sanergy

4.  Irene Hu– Associate Partner, Open Capital Advisors

5. Benjamin Njenga– Co-Founder, Apollo Agriculture

The conversation will be moderated by Arman Moussavi who is the Head of Business Development, Azuri Technologies.

Sustainable Innovation 2019 will provide a platform to discuss future visions of how sustainability will impact on business models, products, services, technologies, innovation and design in 2030. Sustainable Innovation 2019 will include invited and refereed papers from academics, consultants, entrepreneurs, technology providers, designers, and innovation and sustainability directors. The international conference will create a unique space for learning, networking and thinking. Delegates will come globally from large companies, SMEs and start-ups, as well as academia, government and non-governmental organizations.

Every business in every industry must think and act like a technology company to compete in today’s global economy. Exponential technologies–including artificial intelligence, blockchain and quantum computing–coupled with political uncertainty, make leading a business today no easy feat and the stakes are high. Adding to that, backlash against the tech titans has overshadowed technology’s potential to create value by giving a dystopian future most of the spotlight.

The 2019 edition of the Innovation Summit will dive into the role of technology in shaping profit and progress, answering questions such as:

• Can companies ensure that they have longterm strategies despite the uncertainty, and can technology set them up for a positive and profitable growth?
• Which technologies are going to make the most impact to corporations’ bottom lines the soonest?
• Is the fear that the tech titans will use their power to protect and extend their own dominance to the detriment of consumers justified?
• How can policymakers restrain the giants without unduly stifling innovation? And what ought to be the role of the governments in curbing tech monopolies and propelling competition?

The debates and discussions at the summit will offer a robust geopolitical context while dissecting and analysing the trends that promise to follow Moore’s Law patterns of exponential growth.

Join The Economist editors, top thinkers, Fortune 500 leaders, policymakers, academics and disruptive entrepreneurs to share insights on how every company can leverage exponential technologies to shape progress, even during a time when technology’s getting a bad rap.

Register your interest for the Innovation Summit to learn more about the event.

In places where people live on a few dollars a day, where you’re lucky to have access to the resources you need to survive … it goes without saying that women face abysmal odds.

As you know, women’s empowerment is core to FINCA’s mission. So in honor of International Women’s Day, please join FINCA on Thursday, March 7th from 2:00-3:00 PM (EST) for a conversation with Ami Dalal about some of our newest initiatives aimed at women. Ami is the Managing Director of FINCA Ventures, and she will shed light on how we’re using innovative partnerships to create a new movement to empower women through finance, farming and clean energy.

And, as always, there will be a chance for you to ask questions.

To Join:

On March 7, 2019, at 2:00 PM EDT, dial 1-877-229-8493, passcode 113100.

Do you want to explore unlocking capital or deploying capital to benefit women and girls? Are you excited about the power of women to make markets? Do you want to contribute materially to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals around women and girls? Are you ready to get beyond the talk and get to the strategies and tactics of action?

This new 2-day intensive course is designed to help you navigate the emerging world of gender smart investing so that you can develop tangible strategies and practice to more easily and quickly integrate gender smart investing as part of an overall investing practice.  Two of the top globally recognized pioneers in gender lens and impact investing will lead the training, sharing their insights and working with you on the key practices of gender lens investing.

NextBillion readers can get a $200 discount with code NEXTBILLION200, if they register by December 31.