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Introducing iuMAP, a Resource to Track Social Enterprise Globally
We’re excited to introduce iuMAP, the largest publicly available directory of market-based solutions to poverty challenges. Let us share a bit about the rationale behind launching iuMAP and what can be expected in the weeks and months to come.
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Solar Energy for the BoP: Katherine Lucey of Solar Sister
As part of our series on clean energy, we interviewed Katherine Lucey, the founder of Solar Sister, a Uganda-based social enterprise that is currently in its pilot phase. Solar Sister focuses on employing and empowering local women to act as Avon-type, commissioned saleswomen for solar lanterns. Lucey shares some insights from the field.
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The Unsung Heroes of Microfinance
Like many microfinance loan officers, Justiniano has a background that is very similar to the clients that he serves. He grew up in a poor, rural community: His parents were small farmers, working a tiny plot of land with a few animals. An agronomist by training, he has served as a loan officer with CRECER for 11 years. He is on the frontline.
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Mapping and Analyzing Actors in the Space of Small and Growing Businesses
The Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE) has begun to tackle the issue of macro-level SGB support by commissioning a report that maps activities of three camps of actors engaged in this space. This report provides steps to improve the interrelationships of these actors and ultimately the efficiency and effectiveness of SGB support.
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Stories from Sarvajal’s Turf
This summer I have been working in Sarvajal’s franchise business development (FBD) team. My journeys took me to remotest corners of Gujarat, where I traveled extensively in the outback and lived with the franchisee as a member of his family. Sarvajal believes what they are doing is creating soft IP in rural marketing through their FBD teams.
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The Akilah Institute: Empowering Women in Rwanda
The Akilah Institute for Women is an example of an organization that is focused on unlocking the talent of those who have already completed secondary school. Recently, I had the opportunity to catch up with Elizabeth Dearborn Davis, the founder of Akilah.
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Targeting the Ultra Poor: When Microcredit Isn’t the First Step
The microfinance movement has had great success in reaching over 150 million poor and low-income households worldwide. Yet, for nearly 1 billion people living under $1/day, microcredit is not the best first step. Are these people bankable? If not, can we design interventions to get these people in to the cash economy?
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Moving On But Staying Close to Home
Over the past six months, I have had the privilege to work with Rob Katz and Francisco Noguera in managing NextBillion.net in my role at the William Davidson Institute. Starting today, however, I will have to step down as a managing editor as I am leaving the WDI to join the Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Michigan full time.
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