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June 9, 2022

Decentralizing Data Management Across ESG and Impact Investing: How Blockchain Innovation Can Address the Data Gap – And the Ratings Controversy

ESG and impact investing have gone mainstream, with US $53 trillion – one-third of global assets under management – projected to be classified as ESG investments by 2025. But as Miriam Davidovic at RAZ Finance points out, investors can't direct their capital toward sustainable businesses without reliable data – and there are growing questions about whether current ESG data and ratings practices are capturing real impact. She argues that a decentralized approach to ESG and impact data management is needed, and explores several blockchain-based innovations that empower individuals to provide trustworthy, transparent, anonymous impact data.

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June 6, 2022

Expanding Financial Opportunity to All: Kiva CEO Chris Tsakalakis Discusses the Pioneering Lending Platform’s Evolving Focus

In April of last year, Chris Tsakalakis was named CEO of the San Francisco-based microlending nonprofit Kiva, after successful leadership stints at Vivino, the world’s largest online wine marketplace, and StubHub, the world’s largest online ticket marketplace. We caught up with Tsakalakis roughly one year into his tenure at Kiva, to discuss his vision and priorities for the organization, the lessons he’s learned in his time at the helm, and his thoughts on the challenges and opportunities facing Kiva and the broader microfinance sector in the coming years.

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June 2, 2022

The Virtuous Cycle of Representation: Why Global Health Boards Must Include the People They Serve

Much of the global health sector’s work is concentrated in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). However, a new report from Global Health 50/50 reveals that just a quarter of board seats at global health organizations are held by nationals of these countries, and women from LMICs hold a shameful 1% of all seats. Anuradha Gupta at Gavi explores the decades-long, system-wide failure to ensure diversity in global health decision-making, and urges these influential bodies to do a better job of representing the communities whose health they are aiming to improve.

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Health Care

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May 31, 2022

Resolving the Core Tension of Impact-Focused Fintech: A Viable Model for Reaching Rural Women with Digital Financial Services

Reaching last-mile communities is challenging for a business that also has to attend to its own bottom line. Claudia Sosa Lazo at IDEO.org discusses a partnership between IDEO.org, BRAC, bKash and the Busara Center for Behavioral Economics that is seeking profitable ways to bring digital financial services to rural women in Bangladesh. She explains how the partnership provides a model for other businesses and NGOs that hope to unlock both profit and social impact, while bringing beneficial products to the world’s most excluded communities.

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May 26, 2022

Business Solutions to a Humanitarian Crisis: Nine Things Companies Must Understand to Support Refugees from Ukraine – And Around the World

As war rages in Ukraine, humanitarian efforts have struggled to keep pace with the needs of the refugees displaced by the conflict. According to Betsy Alley, an independent researcher and analyst with expertise in refugee business investment, enlisting the private sector could help. But how can businesses best contribute to something that has traditionally been a humanitarian affair? She shares nine learnings from the refugee crises of recent years, which show how enterprises and their employees can serve and empower refugees while also benefiting host communities – and their own businesses.

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Investing

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May 24, 2022

How Global Corporations Can Boost Local Renewable Energy Production: The Transformative Potential of D-RECs in Emerging Markets

If the world hopes to address climate change, large corporations must transition away from fossil fuels for their power needs. To that end, corporations can buy renewable energy certificates, allowing them to claim renewable energy use and meet their climate commitments, while providing needed funding to renewable projects. But as Beatrice Kennedy at Powertrust points out, emerging markets generally lack access to this solution. She explores how distributed renewable energy certificates (D-RECs) can address this gap, connecting global corporations to energy developers in emerging markets and creating a global marketplace for distributed renewable energy.

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May 19, 2022

Redefining ‘Business as Usual’: Three Ways to Overcome Barriers to ESG and Climate Finance

Climate change imposes significant costs on the economy, and addressing the crisis is key to businesses’ long-term success and viability. But as Roger-Mark De Souza at Pact explains, despite the growing urgency of the need, the business case for moving toward sustainability – and the fact that up to 80-90% of investors want to invest in socially and environmentally friendly ways – actual green investing hovers at just 10%. He explores the reasons for the gap between investor interest and action, and proposes three ways to address it.

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May 17, 2022

In Defense of Wealth Creators: Why Globalization, Outsourcing – And Rich People – Are a Good Thing for Developed and Emerging Economies

International trade breaks down borders and provides societal and economic advancements in countries around the world. But as Derek Bullen at S.i. Systems points out, despite these benefits, there's a widespread perception that the businesses and individuals that drive this globalized, free market system only bring wealth to themselves. He argues that criticisms of globalization – and the outsourcing and wealth concentration it involves – are fundamentally flawed, and explains how wealthy individuals and their businesses benefit both affluent and emerging economies.

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Uncategorized

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Guest Articles.

Decentralizing Data Management Across ESG and Impact Investing: How Blockchain Innovation Can Address the Data Gap – And the Ratings Controversy

The Virtuous Cycle of Representation: Why Global Health Boards Must Include the People They Serve

Resolving the Core Tension of Impact-Focused Fintech: A Viable Model for Reaching Rural Women with Digital Financial Services

Business Solutions to a Humanitarian Crisis: Nine Things Companies Must Understand to Support Refugees from Ukraine – And Around the World

How Global Corporations Can Boost Local Renewable Energy Production: The Transformative Potential of D-RECs in Emerging Markets

Redefining ‘Business as Usual’: Three Ways to Overcome Barriers to ESG and Climate Finance

In Defense of Wealth Creators: Why Globalization, Outsourcing – And Rich People – Are a Good Thing for Developed and Emerging Economies

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