As I mentioned in a previous post, there is a huge demand for credit of around $198 billion among micro and small businesses in India which make up a hugely important section of society responsible for a significant portion of … Continue reading →
Frontier Market Scouts
Judging the Tangaza College Business Plan Competition & Striking Oil in Naro Maru
As part of my Frontier Market Scouts assignment with Eco Fuels Kenya, I am spending 20% of my time scouting new companies and partners for future Village Capital programs. The first scouting opportunity of my placement came on March 15th … Continue reading →
Accelerators and Business Plan Competitions
In my third post on social entrepreneurship in a developed country, I mentioned that there is already an extensive infrastructure in place to support general entrepreneurship in The Netherlands. This is not too surprising given that The Netherlands was ranked as the most entrepreneurial country in Europe in 2011 according to The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor […]
Back to Motherland
As I left the grand entrance of my firm’s headquarter with all my hoarded belongings over the last three years, I glanced back wondering if I would ever return. Would I miss the energetic morning greetings from the only security guard with big smiles, would I miss the ever-changing lights from Helmsley Building that cheer […]
Largest Solar Cooking System in the World – Shirdi, Maharashtra, India
The Dawn of Solar
Humankind has been mesmerized by the power of the Sun for millennia. The idea of a sun deity is pervasive across many religions, cultures & geographies including the Egyptian Sun God, Ra, the Hindu Sun God, Surya, the Greek deity … Continue reading →
Financing Playa Blanca’s Energy
Last week, Don Domingo Morales, our primary contact in Playa Blanca, asked for a proposal that included all costs required to electrify the entire village. Although we have always been clear to communicate that Lumeter’s principal goal during our time here is to test our technology, his request signaled that Jona and I should begin talking with each of the four families about paying for their renewable energy.
Solar Sunday
This past Sunday I had the privilege to meet fellow solar energy enthusiasts Catlin Powers, Co-Founder of One Earth Designs, and Colonel Varma, a retired Indian Army veteran for Sunday brunch. This was no ordinary meal however. Everything we ate … Continue reading →
Acumen+Bangalore Launch Event
What would you do with $2,300,000,000? You could buy 4500 Maybachs, a stay at Burj Al Arab for 600 years, 45 luxury yachts or 100 private jets — OR — You could improve education in 10,000 schools, give healthcare to thousands, provide power to 1,000 villages, or invest in agriculture that will impact 10,000 […]
Acumen+Bangalore Launch Event
What would you do with $2,300,000,000? You could buy 4500 Maybachs, a stay at Burj Al Arab for 600 years, 45 luxury yachts or 100 private jets — OR — You could improve education in 10,000 schools, give healthcare to thousands, provide power to 1,000 villages, or invest in agriculture that will impact 10,000 […]
Stage 3: Prepare – Putting the ‘Eco Fuels’ Pieces in Place
The past couple of weeks at Eco Fuels Kenya consisted of learning the processes of day-to-day operations, getting to know the personalities and roles of each team member, and starting to find ways to contribute as a Frontier Market Scout. … Continue reading →
Bangalore: The Garden City
Bangalore, known as the “Garden City” or the “Silicon Valley of India” is a city of about 8.5 million people and the capital of the south Indian state of Karnataka. The city is booming with the energy of an emerging … Continue reading →
searchingforimpact 2013-03-11 03:04:17
“If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito.” – Dalai Lama
Scouting a Path to an Impact Investing Career
Here is a blog I wrote for ImpactIQ, part of a startup called ImpactSpace. You can see the original posting here. (Editor’s Note: Both local and global talent is sorely needed to help the enterprising poor build businesses for scalable … Continue reading →
Startups for startups
An interesting phenomenon and testimony to the growth of the entrepreneurial sector in the Netherlands is an increasing number of Dutch startups that are creating services for other startups. These include fundraising, valuation and social measurement services introduced below. Symbid – A crowdfunding platform An alternative way for startups to gain investments from the traditional […]