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Lessons in Growth From Vindhya’s En-ABLED Staff : 90% of the BPO company’s workers are physically disabled
In March 2011, Accion’s Frontier Investments Group and Michael & Susan Dell Foundation invested in Vindhya, which services a customer base of mainly IT and microfinance companies with data management and processing solutions from its state-of-the-art center in Bangalore. Vindhya’s first client was Wipro, one of India’s largest companies, and it’s still a mainstay. What makes Vindhya different, is its differently abled work force.
- Categories
- Impact Assessment, Social Enterprise
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Runa Tea’s Low-Calorie, High-Impact Model: With revenues reaching $1M Runa is generating income for 2,000 farming families.
A great-tasting, caffeine-containing, calorie-conscious tea WITH a sustainable environmental impact? I didn’t think such a product could exist until I looked into Runa Tea, one of the latest brands in the business with social impact space. Currently, Runa has revenues hovering around $1,000,000 annually and in turn is generating over $100,000 of direct income per year for 2,000 farming families. Founder Tyler Gage shares the inspiration behind the company.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Health Care, Social Enterprise
- Tags
- nutrition
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Aligning Strategy to Maximize Impact: Reflections from Columbia’s Social Enterprise Conference 2012
At this year’s Columbia Business School Social Enterprise Conference, Aligning Strategy to Maximize Impact, the themes of technology and business model innovation, partnerships and capital mobilization featured prominently. Almost in direct contrast to last year’s back-to-basics themes of connection, and the network, this year’s conference was decidedly forward looking, covering a smattering of emerging strategies and sectors experiencing rapid redefinition.
- Categories
- Social Enterprise
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Another Online Hub? Here’s Why We Tried Something Different : The Business Innovation Facility and IAP database is a one-stop-shop for social entrepreneurs
A new Database of Financial and Technical Support for Inclusive Business aims to reduce the time and challenge involved. Produced by the Business Innovation Facility (BIF) and Innovations Against Poverty (IAP), it’s a step towards a ‘one-stop shop’ for IB entrepreneurs.
- Categories
- Education, Social Enterprise, Technology
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Tackling food waste through a social enterprise model
The founder of social enterprise Rubies in the Rubble, proves that you can run a company with a business head and a charitable heart
- Categories
- Health Care, Impact Assessment, Social Enterprise
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16 Stories:A New Book, ‘Llenando Espacios’ (Filling Spaces), Reveals Colombia’s Social Enterprise Prowess
As part of the forum “Social Entrepreneurship: A new look at the development of Colombia” last month at Bogota at the College of Higher Studies in Administration (CESA), Juan David Aristizabal presented his new book (written in Spanish) Filling Spaces: A Book about Social Entrepreneurs.
I had the chance to chat with him about his new book, which tells the storyies of 16 Colombian social entrepreneurs across multiple sectors.- Categories
- Education, Social Enterprise
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Why South Asia is a Hub for Social Entrepreneurship
An April 2012 study of the social entrepreneurship landscape in India found that the sector has really taken off since 2005. But while social entrepreneurs are excited to consider next steps, they clearly have a lot of learning to do—and must do a lot more to prove positive outcomes, financial and social. But, if they can, India could become a hotspot and global test ground for impact investing.
- Categories
- Education, Social Enterprise
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The Art of ‘Nice,’ Putting ‘Care’ In African Healthcare
What’s the secret to attracting 300 patients a month to a brand new, three-room health clinic in a sprawling industrial area? It might be the free manicure/pedicure women receiver after paying for a full “head-to-toe” checkup, but more likely, it’s the value of Penda. In Swahili, Penda means love, and that’s the key to Penda Health Clinics, a new chain of low-cost health facilities in Kenya that puts “care” at the center of their business model.
- Categories
- Health Care, Social Enterprise
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