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

Friday, September 16, 2016

From pioneering programs in slum housing to mobile phone banking, Santiago and Nairobi are emerging hot spots for business leaders seeking to drive social change, according to a poll of experts on the best countries for social entrepreneurs.

Berlin, London and Hong Kong were named as major hot spots for social entrepreneurs in the Thomson Reuters Foundation poll of nearly 900 experts in the 45 biggest economies.

But, more surprisingly, the capitals of Chile and Kenya were also pinpointed as two of the five most exciting places for business leaders wanting to have a social impact.

Stephanie Koczela, co-founder of Nairobi-based Penda Health, a for-profit medical clinic group, said in richer countries, like the United States, people often ignored or dismissed social issues and enterprises but poorer nations saw the impact.