There is a growing interest in a new kind of business that is now being referred to as a “social business” or “social enterprise” (I am going to use the former terminology.) I’d like to explain and unpackage this idea a bit and contrast different definitions/perspectives. The key difference between a social business and a… Continue reading Social business model
Creating a World Without Poverty: How Social Businesses Can Transform Our Lives by Muhammad Yunus Muhammad Yunus, 2006 Nobel Peace Prize recipient, has recently released his second book, Creating a World Without Poverty. The centerpiece of this book is Yunus proposal for a new kind of institution called a “social business” which is a for-profit… Continue reading Creating a World Without Poverty book review
I just ordered two laptop computers … for a total of $399 plus $25 shipping. One gets shipped to me and one gets delivered to an impoverished child. NOTE: This is a special offer which started today and goes through Nov 26th only. So, if you’re interested in seeing (and supporting) what is an amazing… Continue reading One Laptop per Child offer
On Tuesday, I participated in a dinner event sponsored by the Seattle International Foundation featuring Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus, founder of Grameen Bank and author of Banker to the Poor. Professor Yunus shared a number of updates and answered questions. Here are some of my notes… On Grameen Bank in Bangladesh: Now serving 7.5 million… Continue reading Grameen update
I heard about 6 months ago about the ingenious idea of Muhammad Yunus, founder of Grameen Bank and recent Nobel Peace Prize winner, to build a new yogurt business in Bangladesh. The first factory just opened near Dhaka as part of a new venture called Grameen Danone Foods. The mini-factory produces a yogurt called Shakti-da… Continue reading The world’s smallest yogurt factory
Scojo Vision is a social enterprise. They sell hip reading glasses at first-world prices in developed countries and more basic versions at very low cost through a micro-franchise type network in developing countries. Scojo Foundation was recently recognized as a Fast Company 2006 Social Capitalist finalist (good overview of what they do and how they… Continue reading Getting reading glasses to the poor
In a previous post on for-profit microfinance, I summarized some of the benefits that I see for the poor in the trend for microfinance institutions (MFIs) to become for-profit entities rather than the traditional non-profit entity model. One of the key aspects of a for-profit entity is the ability to sell ownership shares to investors… Continue reading Why Equity Matters to Microfinance
One interesting (at least to me) emerging idea for defeating poverty is to make it easier for a poor person to start a very small (micro) business. Does microfinance have a limited market? Some of the critics of microfinance have argued that most humans (including the poor) don’t have what it takes to be an… Continue reading MicroFranchising — Another Income Generating Tool?
There is a major positive change starting to ripple through the microfinance industry … the trend towards running microfinance institutions (MFIs) as for-profit businesses rather than non-profit charities. Today, The Wall Street Journal ran a front page article on this trend highlighting a for-profit Indian MFI, SKS, which I have visited in Hyderabad last October.… Continue reading For-profit microfinance
KickStart, a non-profit based out of Kenya and San Francisco, is taking an innovative approach to fighting poverty by inventing tools optimized for delivering productivity for the world’s poor. I met KickStart’s CEO and Co-Founder, Martin Fisher, a few months back at an education event sponsored by Seattle Social Venture Partners. Martin has spent most… Continue reading Productivity tools designed for the poor
