-
The Ripple Effects of Funding Global Health Innovations: How Philanthropic Capital and Impact Investing are Shaping Markets
The Saving Lives at Birth Grand Challenge for Development has leveraged nearly $80 million dollars in investment capital over the last decade to fund over 110 innovations targeting the maternal and neonatal health sector in emerging markets. Analysts at Duke University explore the program's impact in India and Kenya, two of the fastest-growing hubs of innovation in their respective regions.
- Categories
- Health Care, Impact Assessment
-
Accessible Tourism for the Disabled: Developing a Valuable Untapped Market in Emerging Economies
The rights and wellbeing of people with disabilities is becoming a more urgent global priority. And according to Sourajit Aiyer at South Asia Fast Track Sustainability Communications, there is also a compelling business case for serving this market through accessible tourism. He explores the growth and potential of these services in emerging countries around the world.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
-
Solving the Problem of Renewable Energy Waste: A Circular Economy Approach to Sustainable Batteries
Despite its many benefits, the clean energy revolution has one notable downside: The battery-based storage systems that underpin localised renewable energy have a limited lifespan, contributing to a large and growing e-waste problem. In response, Aceleron set out to develop a more sustainable battery technology. The company's CEO, Amrit Chandan, discusses its impact.
- Categories
- Energy, Environment
-
Scaling Solar Irrigation to Fight the Global Food Crisis: Why Subsidies Could be the Solution
COVID-19 has triggered a global food emergency, as the number of people facing starvation could double to 265 million by the end of 2020. Samir Ibrahim at SunCulture explores how solar-powered irrigation systems can help smallholder farmers combat this crisis by drastically improving their yields – and discusses three reasons why smart subsidies can address the affordability barrier.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Coronavirus, Energy
-
Digital Platforms: The Virtual Classrooms That Transform India’s Youth into Productive Workers
India is one of the youngest societies in the world, with people aged 15-24 making up a third of the population. That's why the country's economic growth will depend on youth becoming productive workers, says Sreelakshmi Ramachandran at Ola Mobility Institute. As we celebrate World Youth Skills Day, she explores how digital platforms are upskilling young workers and easing their transition to employment.
- Categories
- Education, Technology
-
1 Billion People Live in Informal Settlements Worldwide: Here are Seven Key Challenges They’re Facing During COVID-19
“Stay at home” orders are part of life under COVID-19, but they're based on the assumption that one’s home provides protection against contracting and spreading the virus. As Margaret Nakunza at Intellecap points out, this isn’t always the case – at least not for the approximately 1 billion people living in informal settlements. She explores the most critical challenges facing these communities during the pandemic, and what the development sector can do to support them.
- Categories
- Coronavirus
-
The Power of Local Women: An Innovative Social Capital Model Addresses Rural Financial Inclusion in India During COVID-19
To reduce the economic impact of COVID-19, the Indian government has transferred money into women’s bank accounts. But as Prabhat Labh at Grameen Foundation India and Sourajit Aiyer at South Asia Fast Track Sustainability Communications point out, the rural population often struggles to access those funds. They explore how the Grameen Mitra model leverages a network of village-based women to get cash transfers to where they're needed most.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Finance
-
From Cauliflower to Unicorns: Five Lessons from Five Years as a Startup
As the Digital Frontiers Institute (DFI) celebrates its fifth birthday, it recently announced that it's merging with CGAP’s Gateway Academy to form a "stronger, more refined new identity at the frontier of capacity building." DFI's co-founder and CEO, Gavin Krugel, discusses five lessons the organization has learned about running a social enterprise startup.
- Categories
- Education, Finance, Social Enterprise
