Contributor.

Rob Katz

After co-founding NextBillion.net and spending 8-plus years working at the intersection of business and international development, Rob Katz is currently pursuing a MBA at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business.

 

Prior to Stanford, Rob was Acumen Fund’s Knowledge Manager, leading Acumen’s efforts to understand where markets work –and where they don’t – in terms of solving the problems of poverty. Most recently, he co-authored From Blueprint to Scale: The Case for Philanthropy in Impact Investing(Monitor Group and Acumen Fund, 2012.) In addition to writing reports, he was responsible for applied research and writing efforts across the firm; he also oversaw Acumen’s knowledge management systems.Rob joined Acumen Fund in 2008, managing online communications as well as knowledge before shifting full time into applied research work.

 

Before Acumen Fund, Rob worked with the Markets and Enterprise Program of the World Resources Institute, where he began his career researching, writing and speaking about “base of the pyramid” business approaches to poverty alleviation. At WRI, he co-founded www.NextBillion.net, a web site and blog about enterprise and development, and co-authored The Next 4 Billion: Market Size and Business Strategy at the Base of the Pyramid (IFC and WRI, 2007).

 

Here at NextBillion, Rob is both a member of our Advisory Board and a contributor to the blog.

 

Rob earned his B.A. in Political Economy from Georgetown University.

 

Follow Rob on Twitter @robertkatz.

 

Articles by Rob Katz

  • Rob Katz

    Biofuels and the BOP

    Chris Monasterski over at the PSDBlog connects biofuels, world hunger, and The Next 4 Billion report. Wish I had thought of it! (Seriously, bravo Chris.) Check it out - biofuels are driving food costs up, which puts pressure on BOP budgets. The poor are among those most at risk from the...

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  • Rob Katz

    M-Pesa Shows Strong Demand for M-Banking

    We’ve known about Vodafone’s M-Pesa project for some time now.? The money-transfer via mobile phone service has been active in Kenya for a few months now, first as a pilot and growing steadily throughout the country. The New York Times and the Economist both have articles on M-Pesa...

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  • Rob Katz

    Nubian Cheetah and AIDG’s Haiti Project

    A quick roundup before the weekend. First, here’s a new blog to check out: Nubian Cheetah.? Its author, Nii Simmonds, is based here in DC (small world) and was recently a speaker at TED Africa.? Nii posted last week about a conversation he had with George Ayittey (also based here in DC,...

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  • Rob Katz

    Returns to Capital in Microenterprises

    What are the returns to capital when it comes to microfinance? What are the effects of demand shocks, entrepreneurial ability, and other independent variables? Many in the microfinance (and enterprise development) communities have wondered about these very questions for years, but little...

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    Education
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    academia
  • Rob Katz

    Roundup: Medicine Shoppe; A “Poor” Market

    A couple of quick reads, especially if you’re recovering from Independence Day celebrations in the United States. First, over at Acumen Fund blog, Fellow Nadaa Taiyab writes about her experiences working with Medicine Shoppe India and its new spinoff, Sehat Clinic.? The post is a...

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  • Rob Katz

    Building Broadband to Rural Sri Lanka

    In May 2007 the Synergy Strategies Group (SSG) opened the first EasySeva Centers and is on track to open a total of 25 Centers by the end of September. SSG has undertaken a new and highly innovative approach in expanding broadband rural access across Sri Lanka. This project is one of nearly 30...

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  • Rob Katz

    Aspen Institute Takes a “Closer Look” at BOP Business Education

    Pablo was kind enough to forward me the latest issue of A Closer Look, Aspen Institute’s monthly briefing on the latest in MBA education.? This month’s topic is BOP in the classroom -- check out the PDF, which is posted online via Aspen’s Business and Society Program. It’s a...

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  • Rob Katz

    A Base of the Pyramid Perspective on Poverty Alleviation

    REMINDER: This event will be held on Wednesday. Please RSVP if possible, and feel free to bring friends/colleagues.Also, it’s worth noting that early registration for September’s BOP conference, “Business With 4 Billion: Creating Mutual Value at the Base of the Pyramid,"...

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