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Social enterprises need to adapt to disruptions in economy, says Singaporean president
"To stay relevant, social enterprises need to switch business practices or adopt new technologies quickly to respond to the changing dynamics of business today," said President Halimah Yacob
- Region
- Asia Pacific
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Three Ways Inclusive Businesses Can Become More Customer-Centric
In any successful business, the customer always comes first. However, impact-focused enterprises often paint customers at the base of the pyramid with wide brush strokes, overlooking nuances in culture, location and literacy. Christian Jahn, Executive Director of the Inclusive Business Action Network, understands the desire to "help" poor people – but notes well-intended social entrepreneurs risk ignoring what their customers really want. Instead, Jahn recommends businesses develop a holistic view of customer needs, viewing them through a realistic lens for more meaningful impact.
- Categories
- Entrepreneurship
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Finding the Right Financial Partner: Lessons Learned from One Startup’s Success in the Funding World
Kinnos was founded during the Ebola outbreak of 2014, marketing an innovative chemical product that allows even untrained workers to apply disinfectant correctly. Its founders (then students at Columbia University) quickly received more than $750,000 in grants and prizes. But as their company grew, they had to learn to navigate the risky landscape of startup investment. According to Christina Tamer at VentureWell, the Kinnos team's success in this area—they have raised $1 million in venture funding from angel investors—offers a number of key lessons for other entrepreneurs.
- Categories
- Entrepreneurship, Health Care, Investing
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Social Entrepreneurs Are Opening New Pathways To Transform The Apparel Industry
Innovation in the fashion industry is finding new meaning in the 21st century -- meaning focused first and foremost on economic development, environmental sustainability, and empowerment of workers.
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- Entrepreneurship
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Cracking the Nut: How a Cashew Enterprise Empowers Women in Rural Bali
Each day, East Bali Cashews (EBC) processes about 800 pounds of raw cashews, preparing them for snack production. The Indonesian company was launched about five years ago after a health care volunteer saw the impoverished conditions many agricultural workers face, and it now employs 400. But the statistic that most impresses Nadia Putri, an MBA candidate at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, is that more than 80 percent are women. After interning there this summer, Putri details how EBC works to advance women by providing training in everything from English to Excel.
- Categories
- Entrepreneurship
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These are Africa’s most genius companies of 2018
According to the Times Magazine, these companies are driving progress and creating a creative solution to a problem - and those solutions sometimes change the world.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Oxford Expands Support For Social Entrepreneurs
Oxford University has announced it will be launching new support programmes for social enterprises in an effort to expand the impact of startups incubated at the University.
- Categories
- Education
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The Benefits of Conflict: Why the Tension Between Profit and Purpose is Actually Good for Social Enterprise
Social entrepreneurship is on the rise, yet many entrepreneurs still struggle to convince investors that they can turn a profit while advancing their missions. In researching several social enterprises, Eli Etzioni found that this conflict between profit and purpose is often an obstacle. But his studies also revealed some surprising ways it can lead to “moments of balance, creativity and ingenuity.” He explores how three entrepreneurs leveraged the tension between money and mission for the benefit of their businesses.
- Categories
- Entrepreneurship
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