Modern-day slavery: a flourishing business at $90 for a human life
“You may choose to look the other way. But you can never say again that you did not know.” – William Wilberforce If you think slavery was abolished 150 years ago, you are wrong. Just like I was a few … Continued
The real corporate tax scandal
Western governments have finally begun to pay close attention to tax avoidance by multinational corporations in rich countries. But where does that leave poor countries, where the effect is arguably much more devastating? In the midst of last month’s investigation … Continued
The tragedy of global youth unemployment
The stark numbers In December 2014, 21.4% of the European people under 25 that were able to work, and were actively looking for work, remained unemployed[1]. The gravity of the youth’s problem becomes particularly clear when we compare this number … Continued
Force for good: can profit and social change mix?
I’ve been reflecting on an interesting seminar on social ventures by Cambridge Judge Business School’s Centre for Social Innovation I recently attended. Neil Stott and Paul Tracey argued that the legal construct of a venture should be irrelevant, and that … Continued
Clones and bad ideas
The Play-Doh factory Remember Play-Doh? If not, Play-Doh is a children’s modelling clay used for arts and crafts projects. It is composed of flour, water, salt, boric acid and mineral oil. First manufactured in Cincinnati, Ohio USA in the 1930s, … Continued
Look before you leap
Some early steps to make your great idea for a development project even better. An adviser recently asked one of my project teams how many NGOs we thought were operating in Kenya. The answer? 29,200. There are a lot of … Continued
Catalysts for change
Working with young women as they enter their teenage years, in any society, is of paramount importance and key to impacting on wider issues such as economic development. Young women often have the least access to education, the lowest self-esteem … Continued
“From darkness into light”: the mAcrocredit model
‘Business.’ What does that even mean? I’m not sure what it means to you. But for us, it’s our door – our gate – to a better life. Not for our individuals’ lives. I mean for the lives of our … Continued
B Corp power!
What started as a way to formalise social enterprise in the United States has become a global movement. It’s a model where business is used a vehicle to “Be the Change.” I’m referring to the B Corp model. B Corps … Continued
Incubating social ventures in Cambridge
Cambridge Social Ventures was launched in spring 2014 and ran two Social Venture Weekends at the Cambridge Judge Business School which attracted 120 delegates and 25 ventures were selected to receive up to a further 12 months support. Solving social … Continued