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Microfinance Is Good for Women, but It's Only Part of the Solution

Harvard Business Review

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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It Takes a Village to Raise an Entrepreneur

Harvard Business Review

A hybrid approach is exemplified by startup Frogtek, which develops software for local shopkeepers in emerging markets to more efficiently track their inventory, leading to better purchasing decisions and greater profits. Hybrids thus risk mission drift, as they may over time start targeting wealthier and more profitable market segments.

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3 Things Driving Entrepreneurial Growth in Africa

Harvard Business Review

Firms are realizing what microfinance has known for a while: Local self-policing groups, or village headmen who police honor codes, can hedge cash flows in far-flung places. Toyota and Yamaha have found motorbike customers through such social group structures.