-
Building Smarter Data Practices in Entrepreneurship Support Ecosystems: How Entrepreneurs, Investors and Other Stakeholders Can Drive Systemic Change
Entrepreneurship support ecosystems include a diverse range of actors, from incubators and accelerators to policymakers, impact investors and other funders. But though strengthening these ecosystems is a growing priority in emerging markets, monitoring, evaluation and learning remains a persistent challenge, due in part to a lack of data sharing. Heather Esper at the William Davidson Institute and Keith Obade and Moses Waweru at Villgro Africa explore the reasons various stakeholders collect data, the obstacles that keep this data fragmented and underutilized, and the ways these ecosystems can improve their data practices.
- Categories
- Investing, Social Enterprise
-
Disrupting Waste Management in Emerging Markets: Four Lessons for Strengthening Businesses While Empowering Women and Communities
Early-stage companies in emerging markets whose workforces and value chains are dependent on women face several common challenges. According to Yaquta Fatehi at the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan and John F. Akwetey, these issues are especially relevant in the waste management sector. They share insights from a study of waste management businesses and practices in Kenya, which show the impacts of treating women’s empowerment and community engagement as integral elements of business strategies rather than peripheral concerns.
-
WDI Names Rajat Chabba Senior Director of Innovation, Partnerships
Our parent organization, the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan (WDI), has named Rajat Chabba as Senior Director of Innovation and Partnerships, a new position for the Institute.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Education, Energy, Environment, Finance, Health Care, Investing, Social Enterprise, Technology, Transportation
- Region
- Global
-
The Gender Aspect of the E-Mobility Transition: An Innovative Collaboration in Kenya Highlights New Ways to Bring Women into the Sector
The transition to electric mobility (e-mobility) represents a massive shift for consumers, businesses and other stakeholders. But as Dana Gorodetsky at the William Davidson Institute argues, it also creates an opportunity to engage women as electric vehicle (EV) entrepreneurs, designers, producers and drivers — and to design mobility solutions with women's needs in mind. She explores how Kenya is leading the way in ensuring a just and inclusive e-mobility transition, highlighting two companies that are working to boost women’s involvement in the EV value chain.
- Categories
- Energy, Environment, Transportation
-
The Implications of Global Health Equity: Why Pursuing Equity May Actually Harm the Poor
The concept of global health equity has gained traction in universities, governments, global health organizations and even some businesses. But Paul Clyde at the William Davidson Institute argues that it's important to think carefully about the implications of this goal before pursuing it. He explains how improvements to healthcare in poor populations often begin with improvements in wealthier populations, and how actions taken or discouraged in the name of equity can do more harm than good in poor communities.
- Categories
- Health Care
-
Lean Thinking isn’t Just for Large Manufacturing Businesses: A Roadmap for Applying it to Small and Medium Enterprises
Toyota developed lean thinking — a rigorous, data-centric approach that aims to optimize business processes by empowering staff to identify and solve problems — in the 1950s. But as Yaquta Fatehi and Heather Esper at the William Davidson Institute explain, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are increasingly using lean methodologies to reduce costs, increase efficiency and boost customer satisfaction and profits. They define key concepts and standard practices in lean thinking, and propose a roadmap for applying these approaches to SMEs' operations.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
-
Making a Successful Business Pivot During the Energy Transition: Three Lessons from an Auto Supplier Diversifying into Renewables
As efforts to decarbonize the world’s energy systems accelerate, many industries and companies face both new challenges and tremendous opportunity — and the automotive industry is a highly visible proving ground for this shift. Diana Páez and Dana Gorodetsky at the William Davidson Institute explore how Bosal, a global automotive supplier, is leveraging its expertise with internal combustion engine-related products to expand into the renewable energy market, and share some lessons from its evolution that can be valuable to other companies affected by the energy transition.
- Categories
- Energy, Technology, Transportation
-
Preparing Young Leaders to Solve the World’s Energy Challenges: Insights From Nine Business Case Studies Highlight Paths to a Sustainable Future
Confronting the world’s vast energy and climate challenges can be daunting, but a new generation of innovative entrepreneurs are developing the skills to tackle this threat head-on. Sandra Draheim at the William Davidson Institute (WDI) argues that business case studies are a key teaching tool for these young leaders. She shares nine energy and climate-related case studies from WDI Publishing (available at 50% off through March 31), and invites readers to take part in WDI's Energy Innovation in Low- and Middle-Income Countries Global Case Writing Competition, which offers cash prizes ranging from $1,000 to $3,000 to the three winners.
- Categories
- Education, Energy, Environment, Transportation
Subscribe to Our 'Business in Global Development' Newsletter!
Our new weekly LinkedIn newsletter features NextBillion's latest original articles, along with curated news, jobs, bizdev opportunities and events from our recent coverage of impact-focused business in emerging markets.
We respect your privacy. Your information is safe and will never be shared.
Don't miss out. Subscribe today.