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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
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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
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Six Business Plan Pitfalls to Avoid When Approaching Funders: Lessons from Healthcare Enterprises in Emerging Markets
Having a good business plan is a key part of building credibility with funders. But despite its importance to an enterprise’s success, many entrepreneurs in emerging markets struggle to develop a strong business plan that instills confidence among potential funders. Paul Clyde and Ioan Cleaton-Jones at the William Davidson Institute discuss six common business plan mistakes that can undermine an entrepreneur's prospects with funders, based on their work supporting the development of business plans for hundreds of healthcare enterprises in various emerging markets.
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- Health Care, Investing
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Seven Keys to Successful Business Mentorship Programs: How Entrepreneur Support Organizations Can Maximize Their Impact
Building a business can be exciting and rewarding, but it also requires personal sacrifices that can put both an entrepreneur's well-being and their enterprise’s success in jeopardy. As Amy Gillett and Kristin Babbie Kelterborn at the William Davidson Institute explain, mentors can play a key role in helping entrepreneurs deal with these unique difficulties. They share seven insights that can help entrepreneur support organizations like accelerators, incubators and investment companies implement successful business mentorship programs.
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- Education
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Bringing a Gender Lens to Technical Assistance: New Research Reveals the Benefits and Costs of Gender-Smart TA to SMEs and Investors
There’s growing momentum behind gender lens strategies in impact investing. But according to Yaquta Kanchwala Fatehi at the William Davidson Institute and Lisa Willems and Ladé Araba at the AlphaMundi Foundation, investors tend to apply a gender lens to their investing and pipeline development activities – but not to technical assistance and other types of post-investment support. They share findings from a recent study from the Gender-Smart Enterprise Assistance Research Coalition (G-SEARCh) consortium, which explores the business case for gender-smart technical assistance for small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
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- Impact Assessment, Investing
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WDI Partners with FSB in Vietnam to Provide Management Training
William Davidson Institute (WDI) is partnering with the FPT School of Business & Technology (FSB) to provide management training in Vietnam.
- Categories
- Education
- Region
- South Asia
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Innovations in E-Mobility: An Electric Vehicle Startup Seeks to Gain Traction in Mexico
Mexico City is the fifth most populated city in the world – and the most congested city in North America. Over the years, traffic and pollution levels have spurred government efforts to improve mobility in the city. But momentum is also building in the private sector, as illustrated by the startup Zacua, Mexico's first electric vehicle brand. Diana Páez at the William Davidson Institute spoke with Nazareth Black, Zacua’s CEO and a prominent e-Mobility advocate, to learn more about the company’s efforts to accelerate the adoption of e-Mobility solutions in the country.
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- Energy, Technology, Transportation
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The Path Toward Commercialization: How Research Can Generate Business Opportunities in Low- and Middle-Income Countries
Research universities and labs are important engines of innovation that play a vital role in global business development – and commercializing these innovations can deliver real-world impact. But according to Dana Gorodetsky and Sachin Nijhawan at the William Davidson Institute, there's a lack of expertise and resources related to the commercialization of research in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). They explore the benefits of commercialization for researchers, institutions and entrepreneurs, and offer four key lessons for commercializing research in LMICs.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Energy, Technology
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