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Lusia Kiroyan: Empowering female inmates through batik-wearing dolls
Since setting up the Cinderella from Indonesia Center (CFIC) foundation in 2012, she has empowered over 740 female inmates at two penitentiaries in Riau Islands and one in Jakarta to make dolls with dresses made of used batik attire or fabrics.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- Asia Pacific
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Why is Asia lukewarm to sustainable investing?
Investors in Asia, a region made up of numerous emerging markets that have made economic growth a priority, typically take a shorter-term view on investments. Coupled with a lack of government initiatives to drive sustainable investing, Asian investors and their fund managers have lagged far behind their western counterparts in embracing “ESG investing” – the inclusion of companies’ environmental, social and governance performance as criteria in fund allocation decisions.
- Categories
- Investing
- Region
- Asia Pacific
- Tags
- ESG, impact investing
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Mongolia’s Untapped Lending Market Has Earned This Japanese-Backed Fintech Startup A $30M Valuation
In Mongolia, where the average monthly income is $390, informal loans between friends or family members are commonplace as credit and small bank loans are hard to get. On the other hand, small informal loans are almost expected to not be paid back.
- Categories
- Finance
- Region
- Asia Pacific
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Accelerating fintech in China
In 2016, investment in mainland Chinese and Hong Kong fintech ventures totaled $10.2 billion, exceeding North America’s $9.2 billion. Many domestic financial services and e-commerce conglomerates are supporting Chinese fintech startups.
- Categories
- Finance
- Region
- Asia Pacific
- Tags
- fintech, startups, venture capital
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Chinese money dominates bitcoin, now its companies are gunning for blockchain tech
I meet Jack Liao, who runs a bitcoin mining firm called Lightning Asic. He leads me through a dark hutong, coming to a set of carved wooden double-doors. Pushing them open, we enter into the courtyard of a palatially renovated villa. This is my first look at the elusive “bitcoin club.”
- Categories
- Finance
- Region
- Asia Pacific
- Tags
- blockchain, cryptocurrency, fintech
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Press release: Top entrepreneurs of 2017 SVC Asia set to make social impact targeting educational, healthcare, agricultural and environmental sectors
Eight teams took home a total of S$180,000 in cash prizes from the 2017 DBS-NUS Social Venture Challenge Asia (SVC Asia) - the highest amount ever presented within the competition’s four-year history. SVC Asia is an Asia-wide competition for social enterprises. It identifies and supports innovative ideas and social ventures that demonstrate positive, scalable and sustainable social impact within the region.
- Source
- Press release
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- Asia Pacific
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New Forests: Path clears for ethical investors
Timberland investor New Forests is encouraging Singapore to become Asia’s hub for impact investing, while solving the region’s annual pollution problem.
- Categories
- Environment, Investing
- Region
- Asia Pacific
- Tags
- ESG, forests, impact investing
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Viewpoint: Is China ready to reshape global agriculture?
China's aspirations to play a more active role in global affairs should be taken seriously by business and government leaders in food and agricultural spheres. However, its promises to overhaul agriculture in other countries may be premature in view of the ongoing overhaul of China's own farming sector that is still in its initial stages.
- Categories
- Agriculture
- Region
- Asia Pacific