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From Iowa to India: The Importance of Entrepreneurship in Promoting Human Dignity
Farmers in both developed and emerging countries are facing similar challenges, from water shortages and climate change to stagnant crop prices. With many Indian farmers abandoning their rural communities in favor of growing urban centers, Chris Owen, a University of Michigan student and 2018 WDI Global Impact Fellow, asks how cities will meet their residents’ need for food, water and gainful employment. He explores the work of Poornatha, a Madurai-based social enterprise that’s tackling these issues through entrepreneurship education.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Entrepreneurship
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Viewpoint: Impact Investors are not Funding the Patagonias of Tomorrow—and That’s a Problem
By creating a sense of shared identity, a “cool factor,” and sensitizing parka buyers to technocratic topics like supply chain transparency, Patagonia has transformed the conversation around environmentalism and made it a defining part of many people’s identity. That shift is incredibly hard to quantify and to value in dollars and cents .
- Categories
- Environment, Investing
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Why the Social Impact Sector Needs a ‘Bizarro Davos’: A Modest Proposal That Nobody Will Like
It’s that time of year again: Time to talk about the true meaning of Davos. But among all the hot takes and well-earned snark at the expense of insufferable elites, it’s worth asking if the rest of us are so different. Even those of us who work in the social impact sector don’t seem to object to high-brow conferences, and few regular folks seem willing to make the kinds of sacrifices that may be necessary to tackle the generational challenges we face. NextBillion editor James Militzer discusses this dynamic, and makes a sure-to-be-unpopular proposal.
- Categories
- Environment, NextBillion Originals
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Why you can expect to see more businesses embrace social missions in 2019
While methods and motivations can vary greatly, businesses that go this route share a common tenet: Working for social betterment is probably a good investment — financial or otherwise.
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A new lease of life: How Bempu’s innovative wristband is saving thousands of babies
A bracelet meant for infants, it monitors their temperature whereby parents get alerted with an audio-visual alarm when their baby gets dangerously cold.
- Categories
- Health Care, Technology
- Region
- South Asia
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Press release: BBOXX lands USD 31 million deal with Africa Infrastructure Investment Managers
The deal with AIIM – Africa’s largest and most experienced infrastructure-focused private equity fund manager and a member of Old Mutual Alternative Investments with USD 2.1 billion AUM – will allow BBOXX to install two million solar systems by 2022, bringing electricity to 10 million people in these African countries.
- Source
- Press release
- Categories
- Energy
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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What Was the Top NextBillion Post of 2018? Vote for Your Favorite
As 2018 comes to a close and we look back at the year's top posts, it's clear that the social sector is developing an increasingly willingness to challenge long-held assumptions – even when this leads to uncomfortable discussions and difficult course corrections. As NextBillion launches our seventh annual "Top Post of the Year" contest, we encourage you to vote for the post that influenced you most in 2018. You can vote up to once every six hours until 12:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (U.S.) on Jan. 3, and the winners will be announced on Jan. 4. Thanks for reading, and happy holidays!
- Categories
- Agriculture, Energy, Entrepreneurship, Finance, Investing, NextBillion Originals, Technology
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Power Problem in a Changing Climate: The Renewable Energy Movement is Shortchanging Women and the Poor
What happens when a movement that aims to correct a global power imbalance develops an imbalance of its own? That’s the question facing renewable energy, says Solar Sister co-founder Neha Misra – a sector dominated by “largely white, often male, founder companies with Western expatriate leadership,” in which organizations with a social focus are sidelined by investors seeking quick profits. Misra discusses these and other uncomfortable truths – and why the movement must address them.
- Categories
- Energy
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