innovation

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Financial Inclusion

Poor and unbanked in India? The government has 12 digits for you

India is the first nation aiming to achieve greater financial inclusion for its citizens by issuing biometrically verified personal ID numbers.

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Social Enterprise

Avon in Uganda? How microfranchises create small, low-risk jobs

A door-to-door sales company in Uganda is giving a shot at entrepreneurship to would-be entrepreneurs who don’t want to risk everything.

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Social Enterprise

Geeks to the rescue: How to save the world in 54 hours

A new tech event in Portland is promising to turn local entrepreneurs into global problem-solvers.

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Youth Skills

Gaza Sky Geeks: Supporting tech entrepreneurs in the Gaza Strip

In the isolated Gaza Strip, economic instability is a constant. But Gaza Sky Geeks Laboratory is helping the region capitalize on one of its biggest assets: its technical graduates. We interview its co-founder, Reem Omran.

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Youth Skills

As the developing world booms, old multinationals quake

In the next 15 years, the number of people in the consuming class will double and, for the first time ever, emerging markets will have more purchasing power than developed economies combined.

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Social Enterprise

From Assiut to Zacatecas, do-gooders swarm startup competitions

Social enterprise is popping up in startup competitions around the developed world, but tech-savvy social entrepreneurs from developing countries are scoring wins and turning heads as well.

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Social Enterprise

New ideas about social entrepreneurship: Yes, they still exist

Social enterprise is so new that many aspiring entrepreneurs don’t know where to begin. They can now find their way thanks to a new guide stocked with advice from the field.

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An interview with Global Envision's founder on our 10th anniversary

When many youth and NGOs protested the World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference in Seattle in 1999, Global Envision’s founder Bill Early saw an opportunity to create a dialogue about how globalization and capitalism could help lift people out of poverty. This idea eventually became Global Envision.

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Social Enterprise

Social impact bonds: 5 lessons from a smart new report

Impact investing just got a boost from the San Francisco Fed after the Community Development Investment Review dedicated its latest issue to exploring the recent hype over social impact bonds.

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Social Enterprise

Changing the world, McDonalds style: 5 great social franchises

Social franchising is a big deal, recently called the future of social enterprise and even "the solution for U.K. unemployment." Here's a look at our five favorites.

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Social Enterprise

How to sell Big Macs in India: A lesson for social entrepreneurs

Social enterprises often takes their cues from venture capital, but a recent article at Co.Exist claims there is a lot to learn from the big, bad transnational corporations as well.

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Value Chains

Two companies making trade fairer without 'fair trade'

When fair trade farming didn’t pay enough for one farmer to make ends meet, he started a new coffee company to take control of the production process and boost profits.

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Social Enterprise

TOMS Shoes and conscious consumerism’s 3 biggest sins

Many social enterprises exist to improve the lives of the poor, but if your business requires an endless supply of poor people, it might be time to rethink your strategy.

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Financial Inclusion

Unleashing Ugandan farmers’ potential through mobile phones

A powerful new mobile platform combining agriculture information and financial services specifically designed for farmers in Uganda is going live, helping them plow even more value from each acre.