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

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NextBillion Series.

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  • Friday
    February 15
    2019

    Accelerating Inclusive Fintech

    Since 2016, Catalyst Fund has been accelerating fintech startups targeting the bottom of the pyramid, bringing to bear BFA’s deep expertise in the financial behaviors and needs of low-income customers in emerging markets. This series, sponsored by BFA, explores the initiative's work and impact.

  • Tuesday
    February 12
    2019

    Digitization and Financial Services

    FIBR is an initiative of BFA in partnership with Mastercard Foundation to create new ways to connect low-income populations to financial services that meet their needs. This series, sponsored by BFA, explores key learnings from the initiative.

  • Sunday
    February 10
    2019

    Improving Customer Financial Health

    BFA and MetLife Foundation created OPTIX (Optimizing Performance Through Improved Cross(X)-Sell) to support financial institutions in building better portfolios of products for their low-income customers. This series, sponsored by BFA, shares insights from the project.

  • Friday
    February 8
    2019

    RegTech for Regulators

    The RegTech for Regulators Accelerator (R2A) partners with leading financial sector authorities to pioneer the next generation of tools and techniques for regulation, market supervision, and policy analysis. This series, sponsored by BFA, explores these issues.

  • Sunday
    May 6
    2018

    Survival Guide for Raising Capital

    Social entrepreneurs and impact investors often speak different languages – and their divergent priorities can lead to misunderstandings and mutual frustration. This series will explore the kinds of support entrepreneurs most need from investors – and the things investors wish more entrepreneurs understood.

  • Thursday
    April 12
    2018

    Course Corrections

    Sometimes big dreams don’t translate to big profits. Other times, profits outstrip social impact – and new products or strategies lead to unexpected consequences for an enterprise or its customers. When does it make sense to compromise your social mission, change your business model or strategy, sell out to a bigger company – or shift from for-profit to nonprofit (or vice versa)? Whatever the reason, this series will feature candid stories of social enterprise transitions – and useful insights on how to execute them successfully.

  • Tuesday
    March 20
    2018

    High Tech Buzzwords

    There’s been a lot of attention in the global development sector on a number of buzz-worthy innovations – from artificial intelligence and robotics, to drones, blockchain and the sharing economy. What will be the true impact of these innovations on low-income communities in emerging markets and beyond, and how are they currently being put to use on the ground? This series explores these questions in detail.

  • Tuesday
    March 20
    2018

    Offline Innovation

    We all love digital innovation, but we’ve noticed a tendency, on and off NextBillion, to make “innovation” synonymous with “the latest app” – and this leaves out an intriguing array of advances happening offline. This series will feature these developments – from water pumps and cold chain storage, to new applications for 3D printing and feats of ingenious engineering.

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Thematically linked posts providing in-depth coverage on some of NextBillion’s core topics.

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