Harvard Business Review
AUGUST 1, 2011
Microfinance has come under fire in the past 18 months, triggered in part by SKS Microfinance's IPO. Critics complain that the institutions supporting microfinance have become too greedy, and many are using this as an argument to deeply regulate or, even more, cut support to microfinance operations. I hope not.
Harvard Business Review
NOVEMBER 27, 2012
Career paths are not one-size-fits-all, yet in emerging markets, it's often assumed that microfinance — the use of small loans to foster self-reliant small businesses in a community setting — is the only path for women seeking economic opportunity. Microfinance was one issue that we considered.
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Harvard Business Review
JANUARY 11, 2013
Six years ago, David and Donna Allman approached Opportunity with an idea that fell outside our traditional microfinance model: to build a Community Economic Development (CED) program in Nicaragua. On a recent trip, he briefed me on his business plan and on the school's operations with the maturity and confidence of a seasoned entrepreneur.
Harvard Business Review
DECEMBER 2, 2010
Its aim is to target an important segment of the labor force, young people who have not received adequate education and training due to various external and internal factors. This challenge is not easy because we are not discussing high school or college graduates, but youth that may not have received any formal education.
Harvard Business Review
MAY 24, 2012
These hybrids pursue a social mission while engaging in commercial activities that generate revenues that help them sustain their operations. Frogtek and many other hybrids sell goods and services, and rely on revenues to sustain and scale their operations. Take, for example, the issue of economic development.
Harvard Business Review
SEPTEMBER 7, 2016
We wanted to create an immersive experience wherein we could introduce potential customers to our vision of energy everywhere, a place where highly trained and enthusiastic staff could entertain, educate, and entice visitors to the unique benefits of the HomeStove. Experiment #5: Microfinance Institutions.
Harvard Business Review
JANUARY 21, 2013
One way to tell the story of mothers2mothers' growth is as follows: since 2001, the organization has expanded its operations to nine countries with an approximately $20 million operating budget. Successful examples of this approach are still rare; most people point to microfinance.
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