Building Profits by Serving the Poor

from The Edge Financial Daily. Jan 11th, 2010
By Kal Joffres and Quek Sue Yian

Can you build a RM 1 billion company by helping people out of poverty? For Vikram Akula, this question is not hypothetical. Akula’s RM 1.2 billion SKS Microfinance provides micro-loans to rural entrepreneurs in India. It is part of a growing class of enterprises that combine the scalability and cost discipline of business with the pro-poor effects of charity, spanning the agriculture, telecommunications, and financial services sectors.

The base of the economic pyramid is a major opportunity for Malaysian entrepreneurs and established firms in markets such as Indonesia, China, and India. Many of these businesses are being built using a consistent process that involves ‘deep dives’ into the local context to rethink a product or service around its core function and distributing it through local partnerships.

Multinationals from GE to Citibank are sitting up and taking notice. While individual buyers in these markets have limited buying power, they make up some of the world’s largest and fastest-growing markets on the aggregate. Over 4 billion globally people are at the base of the economic pyramid, making less than RM 7,000 a year.

As these consumers come into focus, we are discovering a picture at odds with traditional expectations. Many people at the base of the pyramid pay more than their wealthier counterparts for the same goods. In the dusty Mumbai shantytown of Dharavi, people pay 53 times more for capital and 10 times more for anti-diarrhoea medication. Their purchases go far beyond food and clothing. 85% of households own a television and 75% own a pressure cooker or a mixer.

For established firms, these markets are not just about increasing revenues, but are also a matter of survival. GE worries that developing world entrepreneurs will gradually upgrade and challenge them in their home markets, following in the footsteps of the Japanese automobile industry. Developing world entrepreneurs are in a strong position to follow in those footsteps, backed by investors including US venture capitalists and strategic corporate investors.

Emerging market industries could also disrupt their developed country equivalents. In Kenya, over one million people are transferring e-money through mobile phones and a network of agents. According to C.K. Prahalad, author of The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid, RM 70 million to RM 80 million is transferred every day. The loan portfolio at Akula’s SKS Microfinance is worth RM 2.3 billion. These players are detouring banks.

For successful businesses, the process often starts with a deep dive into the consumer context. When a group of Stanford University students sought to redesign new-born incubators for developing markets, they started with a neonatal unit in Kathmandu and went to homes in rural Nepal. Every year, 20 million premature and low birth weight babies are born in developing countries. Traditional hospital incubators cost $20,000 and require continuous electricity, both beyond the reach of rural hospitals.

The team learned that the vast majority of premature babies were born in rural areas and never made it to hospitals. No amount of scaling down or adapting incubator technology could address this problem. Incubators had to go to mothers’ homes, function without electricity, and be intuitive.

Armed with a solid understanding of the user perspective, the Stanford team moved to a second stage where they fundamentally rethought the incubator by stripping it down to its core function and rebuilding it for extreme affordability. The incubator was reconceived as a baby pouch that emits body-temperature heat for up to four hours. The pouch is “recharged” by submerging a removable tab into boiling water. Their venture capital-backed start-up will offer the incubator for $25, less than 1% of the cost of a traditional incubator.

Products have been reconceived in a variety of ways for low-income markets. P&G is serving Pantene shampoo in single-serve sachets. Citibank made banking more accessible with $25-deposit accounts and voice-activated ATMs. D.light is providing safe light to hundreds of thousands of people by replacing kerosene with solar-powered lamps in partnership with microfinance organizations.

Building partnerships with local players is the third stage of the process. Base of the pyramid markets are an opportunity for entrepreneurs and major firms alike because it is too difficult to go it alone. New entrants threaten existing distribution networks unless they are co-opted or bypassed. Base of the pyramid consumers are brand conscious and communities may be suspicious of outsiders, factors that can be either boon or bane for business. As companies take interest in the base of the pyramid, nonprofits and microfinance enterprises are discovering they are sitting on valuable distribution networks. Akula’s company has built relationships of trust with village heads and beneficiaries, a privileged position that can be used either to favour or guard against new entrants.

Critics argue that profiting from the poor amounts to exploitation. However, people at the base of the pyramid inevitably purchase goods, often at a premium. These markets are served by exploitative intermediaries partly because they have been neglected by players distributing goods fairly and at reasonable prices. Socially responsible business – as much as aid – is a necessary part of the approach to alleviating poverty.

For Malaysian enterprises, this isn’t just an opportunity to help break the poverty cycle. Base of the pyramid businesses generate among the highest returns on capital employed. Local strengths in IT are critical to developing these opportunities. At SKS Microfinance, technology is central in cutting variable costs and creating distribution chain efficiencies. With over half a million borrowers, SKS is one of the world’s most successful microfinance organizations partly because it has digitised record-keeping processes most competitors still do on paper.

For now, Malaysian entrepreneurs may have a leg up on their western counterparts. They are close to base of the pyramid markets, fare well in challenging market environments, and are adept at thinking with limited resources. Success lies in combining these strengths with an understanding of large scale business and a reflex for building long-term partnerships.

And If Malaysian enterprises don’t knock at doors at the base of the pyramid, they may eventually find the base knocking at theirs.

This article is taken from http://www.tandemfund.org/content/edge2.html.

The authors Kal and Sue are based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.  They are helping to develop social enterprises in Southeast Asia through targeted social venture funding.

Q&A with the Singapore youth representatives in Copenhagen

The youth delegation from Singapore is currently in Copenhagen.  Other than posting up cool updates on their blog, the team shared a little more about themselves with A Developed World in this Q&A.

1. What is Youth for Climate Change?
Youth for Climate Change is a group under ECO, hoping to bring forward the gravity of the climate change issue. Our goal is to sensitise the Singaporean public towards climate change issues, while also contributing the perspectives of Singapore youth during the global climate change negotiations. We will be attending the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of Parties (COP 15) in Copenhagen from December 7-18 2009, as part of the Youth NGO delegation. Here we seek to be a focal point through which the perspectives of Singapore youth can be contributed to on-going global climate change negotiations.

2. How many team members are there, and how many are heading to Copenhagen?
We are a team of 15 Singaporean youth. We were selected through a competitive process consisting of an essay competition and interview sessions. These evaluated our competence in representing Singapore at an international conference, as well as our passion for the environment. The team also consists of members who have been active in the environment scene. As a multiracial group, we are also part of the global Singaporean network with several members based in the UK, US and Singapore.

3. What is the kind of groundwork you have been doing for the last couple of months towards Copenhagen?
Over the past months, we have been focusing on increasing awareness regarding the Copenhagen Conference and issues on climate change among Singaporeans and in particular, its youth. Examples of our recent outreach activities include the 350 degree tidal wave we had organized recently at the Speakers’ Corner, which had a turn up of over 400 individuals across all age groups! Another successful event was the ‘The Original Sin’ party we had organized together with Supperclub. While delivering a night of fun and entertainment, we also introduced topics on climate change and other environment issues to a new crowd.

Further to this, our delegation leader, Wilson Ang, has been nominated and voted as the Primary Focal point of the newly acknowledged Youth Constituency (also known as YOUNGO) of the UNFCCC. Other team members have been actively blogging on the ECO site on various issues regarding climate change, while also increasing awareness within their schools and work communities.

4. What is the scope of your work at Copenhagen?
The team will be attending various discussions to be held during the COP-15 conference. We will be actively providing ground level information on the meetings and areas covered via our Blog (www.unfcccecosingapore.wordpress.com), Twitter and Facebook.
In addition, our delegates are part of the UNFCCC Youth Conference which aims to educate youth delegates about the UNFCCC process, build capacity and skills in conference skills such as lobbying, campaigning and using new media. Some of us have also been active in the organization of the conference.
Our delegation will also be actively involved in drafting out the official, inaugural youth statement which will consolidate the youth position on contentious issues such as emissions reduction targets, the role of corporations and adaptation aid for developing nations.

5. What kind of outcome would you really like to see at Copenhagen?
On an idealistic stand, we would like to see a more binding agreement in cutting carbon emissions and provision of funds to protect vulnerable, under-developed states. This said, we see the conference as a stepping stone towards nations collaborating with each other towards mitigating climate change, which we hope at minimum will occur on at least a regional level.
Further to this, since much is pinned on Copenhagen, we hope that global leaders will begin regarding this issue as important as any other, and see that the international community, including the youth, are hoping for more concrete efforts to be taken by them to protect our environment.

6. What keeps the team motivated?
We see ourselves as playing a small but significant and crucial part in this global movement against climate change. Small, since we are only a few, but significant and crucial because every individual has a part to play in achieving this goal of protecting our environment.

7. What are the challenges you face?
The lack of awareness of the issue is perhaps the main challenge we face as with ignorance comes less attention towards the issue at hand. As climate change is rather intangible, the issue is not regarded as a crucial one as many of us are not directly affected by this, especially when we are based in areas where amenities are readily provided. Furthermore, there is a narrow understanding of climate change especially in the misattribution of causes, and the gravity and extent of effects.

8. What kind of support would you expect from the general public? How can the public keep updated about your activities?
We hope to generate higher feedback from the general public regarding the events to be held at the conference. Being part of the Singapore youth delegation, we would like to channel these views during our interaction with leaders. Live updates can be viewed at: www.unfcccecosingapore.wordpress.com. This blog will have constant coverage on the issues covered at Copenhagen and our experiences. It will also be a site for viewers to air their opinions, hopes and ideas.

Youths Against Climate Change!

A delegation of young Singaporeans are headed for Copenhagen this coming week for the United Nations Framework for Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC) 2009.   They will be joined by youths from around the world to take part in the landmark event that will chart the course for the global fight against climate change.

Eleina Ailmchandani, one of the youth delegates from ECO Singapore, shared this with us:

“My teammates and I represent Singaporean youths from all races and walks of life who aspire to be at the forefront of the global fight against climate change. To this end, we will be playing leading roles in organising the international Conference of Youth (COY) to be held at the sidelines of COP 15 from 5-6 Dec 2009. We will also be involved in consultations with eminent international leaders, NGOs and business associations to promote the conclusion of a fair and ambitious climate treaty. On top of these efforts, our delegation is taking the lead role in drafting the official, inaugural youth statement which will consolidate the youth position on contentious issues such as emissions reduction targets, the role of corporations and adaptation and mitigation financing for developing nations.

Our main aim is to increase awareness on climate change and encourage participation among other in pushing for more environmentally friendly practice and green policies. It is our future at stake and we must have a louder say in charting its course.”

Eleina and her team will be blogging about their experiences at http://unfcccecosingapore.wordpress.com.

Do give them your support and encouragement!

Hello!

I am so excited to be writing at A Developed World!

I am incredibly hopeful for the impact socially focused enterprises can have and I hope my writing can make you think, wonder and act on your ideas to make a difference. I would love your feedback and comments, do post or mail in at sarayu.natarajan@gmail.com. Speak up! This space is really about conversation and I would love to hear from you.

Since this is the first post, I thought it best to set context - I would like to lay out what I want to talk about, where I come from and give you a sense of the context in which I write.

***

Before I begin – a little bit about myself. After earning a degree in law from the National Law School of India University at Bangalore, I worked with McKinsey and Company at Bombay for a couple of years as a consultant. Subsequently, I worked with Unitus, a non-profit, as a Relationship manager for Unitus’ India portfolio. Unitus aims to accelerate small microfinance companies to become self-sustainable organizations. Since mid-2008, I have been with the Unitus Equity Fund, a for-profit fund focused on investing in microfinance institutions and other social enterprises.

***

Through this blog, I hope to connect with that part of you that believes that all people, irrespective of race, gender or nationality, should live a life of dignity, though there may always be relative wealth and poverty.

I am in no doubt that everyone has the willingness and ability to elevate onself, and therefore I strongly favour the provision of opportunities to so. In many countries, and especially in India, poverty has been dealt with in mainstream conversation as something the government takes care of or is addressed by charity. Many also assumed that the poor are in need of our beneficence. That has changed now and there is belief that poor are willing to take responsibility to pull themselves out of poverty, and the problem really is one of access to systems for empowerment. What is the difference between you, reader, and a poor woman in rural India? Just that you probably have access to all the ‘systems’ needed to be empowered, and you are now in a virtuous cycle out of which you can choose to step out. The poor woman is trapped in a vicious cycle of poverty and oppression, which is impossible to step out of without external enablement.

Through my posts about social enterprises, and their viability in alleviating poverty, I will ask myself, and sometimes the entrepreneur – is this something that provides access to empowerment for someone who doesn’t have it?

***

It is a cliché to express it, but it is a cliché because it is true. India is a vast country, with so many languages, cultures, people, geographic conditions, religions – any indicator of difference in a human being that could possibly be exists in India. Yet, a few discernible trends are emerging in the social enterprise space:

First, the use of ‘business’ principles to manage ‘socially focused’ organizations such foundations or charities. Besides pushing for operational performance and strategic tools like large, privately held companies, these organizations are also starting to pay attractive salaries to attract good, motivated talent. Besides bringing in professionalism, this has made ‘social enterprise’ a viable career option.

Second, the growth of businesses focused on serving the needs of the poor. Their focus on being profitable has naturally led them to be efficient and businesslike, besides enabling the entry of commercial capital. Now, this has allowed these organisations to grow rapidly and have widespread impact, besides providing attractive financial returns. The best example for this is perhaps microfinance, where microfinance institutions such as SKS and Spandana have managed to reach out to millions spurred by commercial capital.

Now, that is not to imply that all social enterprises are already large or highly impactful. They are actually in various stages of experimentation, and I can see some trends. More in my next post!

The many definitions of social enterprise…

Over the past few years, the idea and popularity of social enterprise seems to have taken off exponentially. Business schools now have classes on social entrepreneurship, there is a growing body of literature on the subject, there are numerous groups focused on the development of social enterprise, and above all there are an increasing number of social entrepreneurs out there. And yet, for as much as social enterprise is now a common term and a common idea, I still often get the question, “So, what exactly is a social enterprise?”

Currently I see social enterprise as an umbrella for a variety of businesses and schools of thoughts. There are businesses that have a social purpose in that their product or service helps a social need (Ecotact). There are businesses that specifically hire from underserved communities, building job training programs and the like into their business plan (Goodwill). There are the non-profits that utilize earned income strategies (Haley House), educational groups that seek to bring business strategy into the non-profit world (New Sector Alliance), for-profits that donate all of their profits to a related non-profit (Windfall Winery), and inevitably linked in with the idea of social enterprise, someone will mention corporate social responsibility (Timberland) and cause marketing (Cone Inc).

The variety of models is what makes social enterprise so exciting, but also creates a host of issues that must be dealt with, especially in regards to policy, which I’ll get more into next month.

But for the moment, I’ll leave you with this…How do we build policy or frameworks that support social enterprise if the various models of social enterprise are so varied? Should we be redefining social enterprise, splitting it apart by cause or by business model? Or is the greatest strength of social enterprise the wide swath that it cuts across sectors and models?

Harvard’s Social Enterprise Conference 2009

I flew into Boston from Toronto to attend Harvard’s Social Enterprise Conference. It is entirely run by students from Harvard Kennedy School and Harvard Business School. The fact that it was rated as one of the Top 12 conferences of 2009 along with the World Economic Forum and TED was a compelling enough reason to fly down to Boston for 2 days to attend the event. http://www.socialenterpriseclub.com/conference/

Boy was that worth the while!

Some Highlights:

a) I had a chance to watch a panel discussion with Bill Drayton, Founder of Ashoka, David Gergen, Professor at Harvard Kennedy School, Jonathan Greenblatt, Co-Founder of Ethos Water and Clara Miller, President of the Non Profit Fund.

b) Chatted with Robert Chatwani and Priya Haji, co-founders of Ebay’s worldofgood.com. This is what it says on their website ‘Worldofgood.com is the first online marketplace to convene thousands of eco positive and people positive sellers of products in one place, empowering customers like us to shop for products that align with our values’. A marketplace for socially responsible buys to be able to buy products from artisans around the world at fair trade prices. This exemplifies the power of social enterprise and its commitment to its mission of preserving all that is beautiful and natural in our world. We will be writing a story on worldofgood in our April issue, so watch out for it!

Enjoy some pictures from the conference

Voices from the team on ADW’s one year anniversary

Its been one year since we started and what a year it’s been!

The voices of the team in celebration of our one year anniversary:

What are your experiences with ADW? What drew you to the work we do at ADW?  What do you hope and aspire to do by being involved with A Developed World?

Shashank: I was inspired not once, but four times, by Dr Mohammad Yunus, to step into the world of social entrepreneurship. Each time I met him, I’d go home totally energized about changing the world the next day. But the next day never came. I saw this as a hidden opportunity. Many of us let our inspirations fade away as we go to bed each day. The idea behind A Developed World is to not just inspire people through stories of social entrepreneurs, but also inspire action. A Developed World makes it easy for individual readers to take action to improve the society. And this is exactly what we aim to do.

Though achieving ADW’s vision is my primary driving force, I’m also delighted to be working with a group of immensly talented individuals everyday, who form part of the core team here at A Developed World. The best part is that we’re spread all over the world, in Boston, Mexico City, Singapore and Toronto! And together, we’re making this project a success.

Dee: My passion for independent media and use of enterprise for sustainability came together perfectly in the form of social enterprise. What better way than to combine technical business skills and entrepreneurial training to empower people to build a successful sustainable life for themselves. I am very excited about the idea of using an independent media channel like our online publication- A Developed World, to raise awareness about the growing and thriving field of social enterprise. Media has a crucial responsibility: to educate and and  these aspects of our independent media publication and blog to build awareness of social enterprise energizes my passion to work with ADW.

Balpreet: I have always believed in the power of communities/social media, and how a group of people can join hands and go out there and make a difference. I got excited by this very idea of social entrepreneurship when I met Dr. Mohammad Yunus in Boston. Shashank had this idea of an online portal which would inspire people by telling stories about social entrepreneurs. We started talking over it and thats when ADW was born. Its been a year, and it been a very exciting journey for me. Getting to know and read about these people who have sacrificed so much to make this world a better place has been very inspiring for me. Moreover, its been fun and such a learning experience for me working with and listening to ideas from our amazing team. I have mostly been an all out tech guy. And I want to use technology and power of social media to give our venture a new direction.

Karina: Even though I had planned to meet Shashank while both of us were doing our internships in India, we didn´t end up meeting up until I started my masters program in Boston. Shashank´s energy and enthusiasm is contagious and when he shared the A Developed World idea after the Mohammud Yunus talk we both attended, I knew that this would be an amazing tool to spread the word about social enterpreneurs. While organizing the International Bridge Builders Conference at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, I couldn´t think of a better way to let the world know about these inspiring social leaders than have their faces, voices and stories featured on A Developed World. My participation in A Developed World has been increasing gradually-the more involved I get, the more passionate I become about our mission. I derive inspiration from our international and talented team who is dedicated, encouraging and driven to make A Developed World a success.

The moment when I knew that A Developed World is making a real difference was when I interviewed and wrote an article about Foundation Ale that promotes organ donation and transplants, founded by a courageous woman after the death of her three year old son. After we featured the article, Adriana Castro sent us a note saying that as she read the article she could feel the presence of her son which filled her with hope that real change can happen. As we move forward with our exciting 2009 plans, I am so privileged to be part of this initiative, to draw wisdom and knowledge from the team and to have an opportunity to contribute in a small way to make this world a better place.

Shu Ting:

I got involved in A Developed World to help rally a global online community around social causes and changemakers. Being part of the ADW team allows me to take part in a movement to harness the powers of information technology to generate creative solutions for problems faced by the world today. I enjoy discovering new and innovative ideas coming from the most unlikely sources, and sharing them through my writing.  I have had the pleasure of meeting and interviewing many amazing individuals in the past year.  It has been a great honor to tell their stories.  We learn from their successes as much as we learn from their failures. I hope that these lessons will help aspiring social entreprenuers (including ourselves) to become effective agents of change.

It is a wonderful challenge to work on ADW and to see it grow from strength to strength.  A number of new initiatives will be launched in the exciting year ahead. Our diverse team come from different backgrounds and have passions for different social causes, but we hope to have your support as we seek to fulfill our common dream of A Developed World.

Paige: I stumbled upon A Developed World by luck and by chance as I was asked to speak with Shashank about the StartingBloc Institute on Social Innovation.  While preparing for the meeting I realized that ADW combined many of my passions - writing, telling stories, and social entrepreneurship.  As a result, most of my initial meeting was about ADW rather than about StartingBloc!

I’m very excited to become a part of the team at ADW and to begin to contribute stories and interviews.  As an analyst (in my day job), I know that data is important, but more often than not, it is the stories not the data that bring people together, what can inspire people, and at the end of the day are what people remember.  At the end of the day, many brilliant stories are left untold, inspirational moments are lost.  Imagine what we can do with the written word.  A story about an entrepreneur in India can inspire another entrepreneur to begin a similar enterprise in Africa.  Through the Make It Happen portion of the site, someone in a small town in the American mid-west can connect and work with a social entrepreneur in South America.  Stories inspire action.  ADW tells those stories and perhaps in our own small way, will inspire action of our own.

Welcome to Mexico!

I chose to move to Mexico to work for a capacity building non-profit because I wanted to contribute and learn from the incipient but growing non-profit sector in a country undergoing democratic consolidation. I wanted to explore the diversity of civil society organizations and explore the role of social entrepreneurs in breaking away from the norm to create systemic change. I knew that there is much more to Mexico than the sensational news headlines: illegal immigration, drug trafficking and constant kidnappings! Mexico´s slow yet solid democratic transition coupled with unprecedented economic growth did not ameliorate the high level of poverty and social inequality.

So what are the poverty and social inequality indicators?

Poverty: (CONEVAL 2007)

In a country of 107 million people:

13.2% of the population lives in extreme poverty, which means that they do not have sufficient resources to obtain a basic food basket.

20.7% of the population lives in poverty of capacities which means that they can afford to buy a basic food basket but do not have sufficient resources to invest in health or education.

42.6% of the population lives in general poverty, which means that they have access to a basic food basket, education and health but do not have a minimally aceptable standard of living such as adequate clothing and transport for all members of the household.

Social inequality: (CONEVAL 2007)

Mexico has the highest income inequality out of all countries in Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

The médium income of the poorest 10% of the population is 1,000 dollars which is lowest than in any other developed country.

10% of the richest population holds 39.3% of nation´s wealth

The poverty and social inequality statistics are stark and difficult to process. How can a country with the richest man in the world have such high levels of marginalization, poverty and inequality? How can a country slowly emerging out of a soft dictatorship tackle these challenges? How can Mexico´s government transform its public institutions to meet the development challenges? What role do civil society organizations and social enterpreneurs play to tackle these challenges?  These are just some of the questions that are on my mind.

Mexican social entepreneurs: check out our February issue!

When I began to explore social entrepreneurs in Mexico, I went straight to the organization that has been supporting social entrepreneurs all over the world, Ashoka.  I would like to thank Armando Laborde and Lourdes Padilla for their help in identifying and coordinating interviews with four of the five social entrepreneurs featured in our February issue. Ashoka provides exceptional social entrepreneurs with capital, a network to exchange ideas and experiences and access to key human resources.

In our interviews with Ashoka fellows, it was evident how Ashoka´s network has made a significant impact. Adriana Castro de Alverde, the founder of Foundation Ale and winner of Ashoka and UBS Visionary Prize, stated that “I feel very fortunate to be winner of this prize, it has opened many opportunities and windows for me. We have been contacted thanks to Ashoka´s network, this recognition has brought a benefit of opening new paths, and meeting new people willing to help and people who become part of Foundation Ale.” Guadalupe Barrios, founder of Collective Tepeu and an Ashoka Youth Venture fellow,  has benefitted tremendously from the recognition as a social entrepreneur and the seed capital provided for Collective Tepeu. Guadalupe said “The recognition by Ashoka has provided me with self-esteem and necessary tools to keep working on Collective Tepeu, even in the midst of difficult moments.” She defines social entrepreneur as someone who believes in people, who will never be able to stop seeing their reality and who will never deter from pursuing their dream.

In my interviews with three out of the five social entepreneurs for our february issue, I became very inspired by their tenacity, creativity and resilience. Whether turning a personal tragegy into life´s mission, preserving Mexico´s national heritage or providing a space for youth empowerment, these social entepreneurs broke unchartered paths, tapped into all available resources and made personal sacrifices for the larger common good. Learn about them in our February issue, become inspired and turn your inspiration into action.

Boom De Ya Da

I never thought I would say this- an advertisement that makes me giddy and clap my hands in glee everytime I watch it! I am referring to Discovery channel’s new commercial.

The snapshots of the beauty of this planet all captured in the one jingle- reinforces why I have an undying belief in the power of social enterprise to generate sustainable solutions to make this glorious planet a better place for its people of all stripes.  Enough said- Watch it!

The Audacity of Hope

The blog for A Developed World is an extension to our online publication www.adevelopedworld.com, where we tell stories of social entrepreneurs. ADW’s blog has been created to continue dialogue between social entrepreneurs around the globe with respect to a diverse variety of issues in social finance, social innovation, sustainability, media for social enterprise, emerging business models relevant to social enterprise, use of open source platforms and other learning and collaboration tools – which meld together to form unique models that can allow social enterprises across the globe to scale in size.

The field of social enterprise is growing and there is a need to talk about the growth, the trends, the aspirations and the visions because dialogue creates awareness and awareness creates action and action creates hope and scope for a sustainable planet. So lets start these conversations!

In months to come we will try to turn this blog into a space that reports, analyses, discusses and builds on established ideas in the field of social enterprise. This blog isn’t meant only for social entrepreneurs, its meant for every global citizen that cares enough to inform him/herself on what our planet needs and wants to know how they can get involved in their own capacity to take action and inspire change at a grassroots level. This is our planet- we own it, we live in it, we breathe it, we enjoy it, it’s time to give back to it!

Its bold, its audacious, its definitely in style to declare responsibility for taking the reins of sustainability and move ahead full throttle.

Cheers

Dee Guttikonda