intelligence
Beats | March 16, 2017
It’s time to step up progress on universal education
Progress toward universal education (Sustainable Development Goal №4) is the biggest driver of all the other goals as well. If everyone in the world …
carousel | March 15, 2017
Notes from Underground: Boosting livelihoods in the informal economy
Johannesburg — The vast underground economy around the world is characterized by below-the-radar flows of money, tax evasion, and poor labor conditions. Less obvious are …
Frontier and Growth Markets | March 15, 2017
Abraaj sets sights on India’s debt investments
Dubai-based Abraaj Group is the latest in a line of institutional investors making a move on India’s debt markets. The $10 billion money manager …
Climate Finance | March 15, 2017
Iran could have a completely green electricity grid by 2030
2030 A Finnish university study found that Iran could achieve a zero-emissions grid by 2030 with a capital expenditure of €167 billion ($187 …
Beats | March 14, 2017
Heron Foundation beats deadline to deploy 100 percent for mission
Traditionally, foundations have kept their investment sides separate from their giving sides. In 2012 the F.B. Heron Foundation set a goal to invest 100 …
Beats | March 14, 2017
Global Partnerships blends finance to deliver for the poor and for investors
Global Partnerships has lent $232 million to more than 100 microfinance institutions and other social enterprises in 14 countries since 2005, and hasn’t …
Climate Finance | March 14, 2017
The global middle class is emerging even faster than we thought
The “next billion” may be more like the next two billion, or more. The faster-than-expected growth of the middle class, particularly in Asia, …
Beats | March 13, 2017
For sustainable impact, think zebras, not unicorns
Startup unicorns worth more than $1 billion may capture the imagination, but zebras are for real. Startup founders Mara Zepeda and Jenn Brandel say …
2030 Finance | March 13, 2017
Elon Musk may be on the hook for battery power in Australia
Climate Finance A remarkable deal played out on Twitter in real-time yesterday as the Tesla chief promised to deliver 100-megawatts of battery power-storage …
Agrifood Tech | March 13, 2017
Behavior change is hard when it comes to wasted food
“Clean your plate — people are starving” never did work all that well in getting kids to finish their dinner. And so the U.S. throws …
africa | March 13, 2017
Network Effects: Impact Seed Funds in Africa and Latin America Share Secrets and Struggles
Early-stage investing in emerging markets is hard. A commitment to serve low-income customers makes it even more challenging. Scaling that up around the …
atomico | March 11, 2017
Skype founder looks for sustainability unicorns
What if the next Google or Facebook was a social startup? Niklas Zennström, a co-founder of Skype, has a $1 billion venture fund, Atomico, …
Climate Finance | March 11, 2017
Behind the scenes of the Seychelles debt-for-nature deal
Last year’s deal between the Seychelles government and The Nature Conservancy’s NatureVest unit was touted as a game changer for climate finance (see, …
Gender Smart | March 10, 2017
Impact investors celebrate International Women’s Day
Women Rising The reports, blog posts and announcements were flying fast and furious on International Women’s Day as impact investors celebrated women. Omidyar …
blab | March 9, 2017
U.S. entrepreneurship reality begins to catch up to hype
Entrepreneurship in the U.S. turned a corner in 2016: the number of businesses surviving at least five years hit a 20-year peak. The …
Africa | March 9, 2017
Solar lamps reduce energy poverty, but not poverty overall
2030 Solar lanterns are bringing electricity to some of the 1.2 billion people without reliable electric grids. But small-scale solar lamps have not made …
Beats | March 8, 2017
Breckinridge adopts Social Progress Index to underwrite muni credit risk
Municipal bonds are a powerful financial tool for strengthening communities (see, “These social impact bonds have an old-fashioned name: tax-free munis”). By the …
Financial Inclusion | March 8, 2017
Thank mobile money if the world meets the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals
Touted as a path to financial inclusion, mobile money directly touches at least 11 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, says GSMA, a …
Gender Smart | March 7, 2017
Asian social stock exchange founder Durreen Shahnaz seeks Trump’s support for impact investing
Women Rising Asian social stock exchange founder Durreen Shahnaz is seeking Trump’s support for impact investing. “I may have been born in Bangladesh, …
Climate Finance | March 7, 2017
India is shooting for the moon with its long-term energy goals
2030 India is shooting for the moon with its long-term energy goals. Literally. As India gears up for its first space vehicle moon …
intelligence | March 4, 2017
Silicon Valley is deep in ‘diversity debt’
You’ve heard of the diversity dividend. The flip side is the hit companies take from sexual harassment and other scandals, as Uber, Tesla …
cargill | March 4, 2017
Is Brazil’s progress against deforestation at risk?
Mighty Earth, an environmental watchdog, used drones and satellite imagery to monitor the impact of farmers who supply Burger King, one of the …
active-sts | March 4, 2017
These social impact bonds have an old-fashioned name: tax-free munis
Washington D.C. (green infrastructure), Seattle (affordable housing) and Philadelphia (low-income housing repairs) are all issuing bonds to fund quality-of-life improvements that could drive …
Good Jobs | March 4, 2017
Asian countries in 2030 will be divided between the worker-rich and the worker-poor
The highly restrictive “Asian model” of migration makes it “hard to fill jobs in many countries where they are needed, despite a surplus …
Gender Smart | March 3, 2017
Jean Case previews map of emerging impact data ecosystem
Women Rising Jean Case is bullish on impact investing. Writing in Stanford Social Innovation Review, the former AOL executive and head of the …
Beats | March 3, 2017
Millennial investors are seeking social impact through disease prevention and cure
Healthcare was the issue that mattered most in American Century Investments’ survey of the investment habits of more than 1000 adults, which found …
Innovative Finance | March 3, 2017
Bahrain wants to be the next fintech hub
Bahrain wants to be the next fintech hub. The small Persian Gulf country is emulating Singapore, which is positioning itself as the center of …
Beats | March 3, 2017
Reversing the rising tide of ocean plastic
Each year, eight million tons of plastic ends up in the ocean. Without a shift in consumer and commercial behavior, by 2050 there …
2030 Finance | March 2, 2017
New Products Attract Investors to the Conservation Finance Marketplace
Climate Finance https://medium.com/media/d220e332a6a971fb81a90d8d6c00c739/href “Our clients are looking for these opportunities, and we are learning from and are encouraged by the innovation and measurable …
Beats | March 2, 2017
Civic tech goes local to boost community problem-solving
From new positions at City Hall (think: Chief Technology Officers) and public-service fellowships to innovation units in the Mayor’s office, civic engagement is …
charter-schools | March 2, 2017
The best alternative to public schools? Nonprofit public charter schools
Not all school choices are equal. Policymakers are considering vouchers and other ways to encourage alternatives to traditional public schools. They should note research that …
Beats | March 2, 2017
Can corporates turn consumer marketing power against malnutrition?
Low- and middle-income countries confront a “double burden”: both underweight and overweight populations. Extreme hunger has been reduced in recent years, but more …
Beats | March 1, 2017
Recycling more plastics could generate up to $120 billion in revenues
Perhaps the famous career advice in “The Graduate” should have been two words: recycled plastics. Only 14 percent of the plastic packaging in …
2030 Finance | March 1, 2017
Saudi Aramco’s stranded assets
2030 When Saudi Arabia’s oil giant announced plans last year to sell five percent of its shares in an initial public offering, a …
Climate Finance | March 1, 2017
Blowing through renewable portfolio standards, ahead of schedule
2030 Renewable energy has bipartisan support, at least at the U.S. state level. Take Minnesota. A decade ago, a nearly-unanimous legislature and Republican Gov. …
2030 Finance | March 1, 2017
Can South Africa provide energy for all?
Climate Finance South Africa produces half of sub-Saharan Africa’s energy and ranks highest on the continent for energy access. Still, 60 percent of rural …
africa | March 1, 2017
Africa 2030: Youth, mega-cities and infrastructure that works
Today’s challenges represent Africa’s best opportunities for inclusive growth and development. Imagine Africa 2030, presented this week at the Sankalp Africa Summit, identifies …
Billionaires | February 28, 2017
Sage of Omaha Extols America’s ‘Tide of Immigrants’
Human ingenuity. Market system. Rule of law. To the list of drivers of America’s economic dynamism, Warren Buffett added a fourth in his …
edtech | February 25, 2017
Does for-profit edtech serve the students that need it most?
Does for-profit edtech serve the students that need it most? Venture capitalists have poured $2.3 billion into education technology startups since 2010. But most of …
Climate Finance | February 25, 2017
Two degrees of consequence. What will your city look like in 2030?
2030 What will your city look like if the world fails to keep global warming below the two-degree Celsius increase agreed upon in …
Beats | February 25, 2017
The Brief Quiz (№3): How High is Your Impact IQ?
It was a short editorial week because of President’s Day here in America. But short week shouldn’t equate with short memory: there’s no …
Beats | February 24, 2017
Seeing and Raising Mark Zuckerberg’s Big Bet on ‘Global Community’
Let’s give him the benefit of the doubt and acknowledge that Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg took a big swing with last week’s 5,700-word …
2030 Finance | February 24, 2017
Solar is hot, but some industry sectors are hotter than others
Climate Finance The 28 solar startup deals in the fourth quarter of 2016 represented a two-year high, driven by declining prices and national …
Beats | February 24, 2017
Food giants start to act like VCs to find healthy-food startups
Recognizing the shift in consumer eating habits, food titans like General Mills and Kellogg are launching venture capital funds to invest in startups …
Gender Smart | February 23, 2017
South Korean women will live longer in 2030. American men, not so much
Women Rising Improvements in maternal and child health, as well as adult health, will drive increases in life expectancy in industrialized nations by 2030. …