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The Role of Skills-based Volunteering in Global Development
In 2014, MovingWorlds placed 79 "Experteers" in 32 countries, donating nearly 7,200 hours (or 899 work days) of their professional time, writes co-founder Derk Norde. By fostering more connections and knowledge exchange between social impact organizations and professionals looking to donate their skills abroad, he says, it’s possible to truly accelerate global development.
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Building Corridors for Shared Prosperity: Seven lessons from Intellecap, IFC on ‘what works’ in international expansion of inclusive businesses
IFC, in partnership with Intellecap, released a new report “Corridors for Shared Prosperity” at the Sankalp Africa Summit in Nairobi last week. The report is a repository of knowledge about “what works” in successful replication of businesses and presents a framework for systematic transfer. Eleven businesses across agriculture, health care and renewable energy that expanded from India to South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa were identified for analysis.
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- Education
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When Awards and Idealism Aren’t Enough: My social enterprise earned a ton of public acclaim – but it was missing something even more important
In her early 20s, Leticia Gasca launched a social enterprise to help some of Mexico’s poorest people. Powered by idealism and some promising early results, the company garnered both national and international acclaim. But behind the scenes, it was struggling with the harsh realities of doing business. Gasca shares the story in this frank post, the first in our series with F*ckUp Nights on failure in social enterprise.
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- Social Enterprise
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How to Get 30 Fintech CEOs to Open Up About Financial Inclusion: Lessons from Accion’s inaugural CEO Forum
Who exactly are financial inclusion entrepreneurs, and what do they do on a day-to-day basis? The leaders at Accion’s recent CEO Forum represented diverse enterprises ranging in size from three employees to 200. Through discussions around regulation, talent, growth, financing and more, the event showed a lot about what drives – and what worries – these entrepreneurs and their businesses.
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‘We Can’t Be the Only Ones’ (Part 2): Jaundice-fighting D-Rev gives its views on markets and success
Before introducing its phototherapy units in a market, D-Rev looks beyond need to barriers to entry. Krista Donaldson, CEO, says that includes factors such as: How present is the aid industry and how does that skew the market? Are products being donated throughout the market? What are the registration costs? Regulatory requirements?
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- Health Care
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With Sales Up, D-Rev Doubles Down (Part 1): Launch of upgraded phototherapy unit brings hopes of expanded market
D-Rev sold more Brilliance Classic lights in December than ever before. But the nonprofit’s hoping an upgraded unit, which has manufacturing advantages and builds in two years of feedback from the field, will sell even better.
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- Health Care
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A Delicate Balance for Ruby Cup: Improving public health, keeping girls in school through menstrual hygiene management
The Ruby Cup represents a low-cost, sustainable solution to the problem of menstrual hygiene management in the developing world. But the company that makes the cups found profitability only after shifting focus and changing its target market from the BoP to high-end customers and a buy-one/give-one business model.
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- Education, Health Care
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Serving SMEs in a Tough Neighborhood: Part two of our Q&A with the CEO and Managing Director of the Middle East Investment Initiative
The Middle East Investment Initiative is a U.S.-based non-profit whose mission is to develop innovative finance tools for SMEs in the Middle East and North Africa, including the Palestinian Territories. Its CEO and Managing Director discuss the challenges it faces - from attitudes toward women to political instability - working in this volatile region.
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