How the Internet of Everything can jumpstart CSR

Photo via Unsplash, Cosmo Surban The internet of everything will help address four fundamental corporate responsibility challenges.  This blog is a summary of the 2015 Davies Award winning entry on the Internet of Everything, sponsored by the Althea Foundation, Cisco and the University of Oxford Said School of Business.  Applications of the internet of everything … Continue reading How the Internet of Everything can jumpstart CSR

Three differences between social intrapreneurs and entrepreneurs that people don’t talk about

Most literature implies that the successful intrapreneur needs most of the same attitudes and tools as the entrepreneur; in other words, that the intrapreneur is just an entrepreneur who happens to work within an established company. In fact, beyond the drive to innovate, there are arguably more differences than similarities between the two. Here are … Continue reading Three differences between social intrapreneurs and entrepreneurs that people don’t talk about

Data poverty: How the rise of big data risks marginalizing the world’s poorest

Photo via Marcus Spiske, Unsplash Reframing the problems of big data: When the implications of big data are debated the problem most often presented is that of data surplus. Questions of what applications produce what data, or what companies have access to it, all rest on the assumption that a great deal of data is … Continue reading Data poverty: How the rise of big data risks marginalizing the world’s poorest

Microfranchising for development: The case of Krishi Utsho

Via Unsplash, Theodore Grout The development world has long embraced micro-finance, and there is a lot of hype about micro-entrepreneurs, but what exactly is a micro-franchise? A micro-what? Micro-franchising "has its roots in traditional franchising, which is the practice of copying a successful business and replicating it at another location by following a consistent set of … Continue reading Microfranchising for development: The case of Krishi Utsho

Hanging by a thread: Workers’ rights and lives

Photo Via Unsplash Mohammad Samir I was working in my room on the fourth floor of a hotel in Dhaka, Bangladesh's busy capital, when I saw a man hanging by a rope. To be precise, he was suspended on a fragile-looking piece of wood tied to a single swaying cord. The words emblazoned on his … Continue reading Hanging by a thread: Workers’ rights and lives

Demystifying social enterprise and inclusive business

This year’s Skoll World Forum on Social Enterprise only confirmed the accelerating levels of interest in social business. The event brought together representatives from the private, public and non-profit sectors, all of whom agreed on one point: inclusive business is the future. However, there is one point which lacked any degree of accord: namely, what … Continue reading Demystifying social enterprise and inclusive business

Will millennials change the face of corporate responsibility? One millennial weighs in.

Photo via Unsplash Daniel Thomas Everyone has something to say about millennials, the generation born from 1980 to the present, including how they will shape the future of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability.   Depending on who you ask, the coming of the millennials will mean either a new era of robust and transparent approaches … Continue reading Will millennials change the face of corporate responsibility? One millennial weighs in.

What your BOP strategy is missing: A gender lens

This blog was originally posted on Business Fights Poverty. It is based on the findings of the Strengthening the Dairy Value Chain project, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and implemented by CARE International Bangladesh and US. Debate on the possibilities at the base of the pyramid (BOP) is ubiquitous; nonetheless, too often regulated to a … Continue reading What your BOP strategy is missing: A gender lens

Two reasons to ignore the business case for sustainability- and what we can do about it

Photo Via Unsplash, Noah Muscher There is a strong business case for sustainable and inclusive business; however, advocates should acknowledge that transitioning to this model will not always come without cost.  There are three ways we can overcome these obstacles. Everyone is talking about the benefits of sustainable and inclusive business.  In a recent speech, … Continue reading Two reasons to ignore the business case for sustainability- and what we can do about it