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.

Microfinance 13

Microfinance IPO Bottom-up Finance 13

Harvard Business Review

AUGUST 1, 2013

Although she was poor in resources, she possessed the innovation mindset shared by many game changers: they see and act on opportunities , use "and" thinking to resolve tough dilemmas and break through compromises, and employ their resourcefulness to power through obstacles. Hopeless as her situation was, Shantha engaged in "and" thinking.

Microfinance 8

Microfinance Innovation Committee Banking 8

Harvard Business Review

MAY 18, 2016

Not many would associate innovation with large, service-oriented nonprofits with decades of history. Based on this insight, Habitat sought to address the deficit in more systemic ways. A critical part was adapting a proven model in a related field: microfinance. Using Models Proven Elsewhere.

Microfinance 9

Microfinance Strategic Planning Finance Globalization 9

Harvard Business Review

JANUARY 11, 2013

When presented with a surprising idea, smart organizations will bravely listen, because what comes next might just be game-changing innovation. 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.

Microfinance 8

Microfinance Rogers Tourism Engineering 8

Harvard Business Review

JANUARY 18, 2013

Following Abed's twist on Schumacher — "small may be beautiful, but big is necessary" — it now touches the lives of an estimated 126 million people with healthcare, education, enterprise development, microfinance and a slew of other programs. Size inevitability leads to hierarchy, to rigidities in the system, and bureaucracy.

Microfinance 8

Microfinance Follow-up Bureaucracy Self-aware 8

Harvard Business Review

MAY 24, 2012

Social entrepreneurship has evolved a great deal since the late 1980s, when pioneers like City Year 's Alan Khazei and Teach for America 's Wendy Kopp took great risks to prove that innovative organizations could produce transformative social change.

Entrepreneur 15

Entrepreneur Microfinance Market Segmentation Incubator 15

Harvard Business Review

OCTOBER 13, 2011

A better understanding of the drivers of behavior is needed for both banks and consumers to understand risk, and for the financial system to provide timely and targeted interventions. These concepts may be particularly useful for learning about new entrants into the financial system — from young people to the unbanked.

Banking 10

Banking Pharmaceuticals Microfinance Risk Management 10