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Your Official SOCAP18 Conference Preview – And Last Chance Discount
SOCAP, one of the premier events centered on mobilizing capital for impactful social and environmental change, is right around the corner. Set for Oct. 23-26, 2018 in San Francisco, SOCAP18 is expected to draw thousands of participants and will feature over 500 speakers from the professional impact sphere. In a preview of what's on tap, SOCAP CEO Lindsay Smalling has details on the discussions, a reconfigured format and a special last chance discount for NextBillion readers. And NextBillion will be giving away a FREE ticket to the event to one lucky reader of our weekly e-newsletter next week - subscribe by 12:00 pm EDT Wednesday, Sept. 19 for your chance to win!
- Categories
- Investing, Social Enterprise
- Tags
- impact investing
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India’s Impact Capital Vacuum – And What to Do About It
Impact investments in India grew by double digits between 2010 and 2016, and are expected to reach US $8 billion by 2025. But the on-the-ground reality is not so rosy. Investors are flocking to financial services and larger-scale companies, while early-stage enterprises and impact sectors such as agriculture, health care and clean energy face a funding gap. While there is no secret sauce for changing this dynamic, Gagandeep Bakshi and Sameer Gaud at Intellecap offer five guiding principles to help social enterprises with successful fundraising.
- Categories
- Investing, Social Enterprise
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Collaboration for Impact: The 2018 Edition of SEEP’s Annual Conference
The SEEP Network's flagship event is less than a month away. The theme of this year's conference, "Collaboration for Impact," will highlight the importance of multi-sector changemaking and empower attendees with the insights needed to take their impact to the next level. The event will feature informative breakout sessions and prominent contributing orgs like Grameen Foundation, USAID and BRAC. Read more in this preview from SEEP program associate Mashal Amjad, including information on how you could win a free ticket from NextBillion.
- Categories
- Social Enterprise
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Fighting ‘Tech Complacency’ in Social Enterprise: Why it’s Time to Embrace Blockchain
All around us, Fortune 500 firms and VCs are embracing disruptive innovation – so why aren't more social entrepreneurs following suit? Gautam Ivatury, founder and CEO of LendLedger, says the time has come for the social sector to take some risks and get out of its comfort zone – instead of simply waiting for technologies to filter down to its target beneficiaries. With blockchain, he says, social entrepreneurs "can redraw how industries work, not just create the latest in an endless series of mission-driven service providers."
- Categories
- Finance, Social Enterprise, Technology
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Unboxing Solar: An Israeli-run Startup Works to Expand Energy Access in the Palestinian Territories
Sometimes the path to social entrepreneurship can be unexpected. Take Israeli entrepreneur Yo'Av Moshe: After an armed confrontation with Israeli soldiers, he decided to use his skills to create social change in his country. He later found the inspiration for his business after leaving Tel Aviv to build a home on wheels with its own solar power system. Moshe now runs the startup SolarBox, which provides off-grid solutions in the Palestinian territories and other areas in and around Israel. He discusses the company’s unique origin story, its struggles and its tangible impact.
- Categories
- Energy, Social Enterprise
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Power Play: Can Energy Access Entrepreneurs Survive the Relentless March of Grid Electricity in India?
Despite the dubious claims from the Modi administration that India has electrified every village in the country, the march to extend grid infrastructure continues unabated. So where does that leave energy access enterprises? Ananth Aravamudan, Renewable Energy lead at Villgro, explores how these firms can find creative new ways to stay relevant.
- Categories
- Energy, Social Enterprise
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Breaking Out of the Social Impact Conference Rut: Five Ways to Design a Truly Impactful Event
Have you ever been to a conference and felt a strange sense of déjà vu – an uncanny feeling that you've seen the sessions, read the buzzwords and heard all the stories before? Even for passionate, insightful members of the social impact community, it's easy to fall into the “same old” when planning a conference. Madhu Viswanathan at the Subsistence Marketplaces Initiative at the University of Illinois shares tips for fellow changemakers who seek to avoid this rut when organizing their own gatherings.
- Categories
- Social Enterprise, Uncategorized
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Reviving India’s Artisans: How a Hybrid Model Helped One Social Enterprise Connect Craft Makers with Consumers
Exploitation in the global garment industry is well-known. But despite the perils of the sector, social enterprise Industree Foundation sees in it an opportunity. The organization provides skills training, safe working conditions and necessary equipment to rural women in Indian villages, bringing sustainable livelihoods to remote areas and time-honored artisan craftsmanship to the wider world. As part of NextBillion's "Course Correction" series, two Industree employees share how the organization overcame challenges of scale and sustainability with a hybrid model of social business.
- Categories
- Social Enterprise
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