A “necessity entrepreneur” is an individual who starts a business not because they recognize an opportunity to make money, but because there is no other option to make a living. Sadly, billions of people in the developing world with little access to education or reliable jobs are in this position. Their microbusinesses are often simple.
The Center on Business and Poverty sponsors an Annual Business & Poverty Conference. This is a transcript of a past conference we had in 2016 which should give you a good idea what type of topics are included in a typical annual meeting. Not all speakers’ comments are included in this transcript. This is because of
Throughout the developed world, the rise of cell phones as a way to communicate and stay connected has been a potent force in economic and social change. New devices and more connectivity have changed not only the business landscape, but also the way we interact with our friends, families, and relations. While many assume this change has been limited to
The human instinct for trade has deep historical roots, but its economic, social and political importance has risen in recent times due to industrialisation, technological advance and globalisation. In fact, there is evidence that our Cro-Magnon ancestors engaged in trade and moved from barter for their immediate use to trade for resale. The shift by
Len Greenhalgh is a senior management professor at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth in Hanover, New Hampshire. He is also faculty director of Tuck’s extensive programs for minorities, entrepreneurial women and Native Americans. Dartmouth College was founded in 1769 with a royal charter to serve Native Americans and European settlers in New England.
The last season of “Downton Abbey” has just finished airing the U.S., and a significant portion of the populace is once again caught up in the fortunes and misfortunes of the Earl of Grantham and his household, both above- and below-stairs. Why are we so interested?
To give it its due, the cast is phenomenal, the production values are
The private sector of the economy is an important component in helping individuals climb out of poverty. In the last forty years, we have seen dramatic examples of the power of the private sector. China’s recent emergence as a world economic power has helped lift millions of its citizens out of poverty. In order to
Dr. Theodore Roosevelt Malloch’s biography, “Davos, Aspen and Yale,” tells part of the story that unfolds each year at this time in a town high in the Swiss Alps. But who is Ted Malloch? We are talking about someone who has been a high-ranking officer at the United Nations and the World Economic Forum, member
Finding opportunities and sorting them out from grand possibilities is what Mo Ibrahim has done throughout his lifetime. However, in attempting to change the perceptions of an entire continent, Ibrahim has elevated the scale of his ambitions to a different realm altogether.
On Dec. 10, 1948, the United Nations General Assembly passed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that created a vision of peace and prosperity for the world. As part of that vision, the Universal Declaration sought to achieve elementary education everywhere.
Though first set forth more than 65 years ago, after multiple reassessments and delays, today
Uber’s takeover of the “I need a ride” industry can be compared to Amazon’s takeover of the “I want to buy something” industry. Some love it, some hate it, but like it or not, it’s happening. Uber’s success is indicative of a new employment movement sweeping the globe: the sharing economy. Take a look at
The private sector of the economy is an important component in helping individuals climb out of poverty. In the last 40 years, we have seen dramatic examples of the power of the private sector. China’s recent emergence as a world economic power has helped lift millions of its citizens out of poverty. In order to
For hundreds of years, many societies have delegated the responsibility to care for the underprivileged to governments and charities. However, the past two decades have seen a surge in the number of businesses taking interest in providing opportunities and resources to disadvantaged individuals, families and communities. Perhaps the most striking examples have come from developing
The beacon of development often conjures up images of radical innovations, disruptive models and leapfrog technologies. And yet, as nations attempt to embrace the promises of development, there is often a colossal failure of both imagination and execution in providing for even the most basic of human needs. Measurable social change, ensuring a degree of
Worldwide, over 1 billion people live in extreme poverty. That is, they make less than $1.25 a day. Moreover, until recently, about 3 billion people, who represented about half the world population, lived on less than $2.50 a day. These World Bank figures speak volumes about how big the poverty problem is. The size of
In 2008, Timothy Geithner was nominated for U.S. secretary of the Treasury. He was voted in by the U.S. Senate, and served from 2009 to 2013 under President Barack Obama. It was later discovered that, even as a trained economist and monetary expert, he had underpaid his taxes in the previous decade by $34,000. This
For hundreds of millions of people in rural India, living life without a toilet used to be quite common. However, thanks to the Indian government’s toilet building program, millions of people now have regular access to toilets for the first time. Although this sounds like a tremendous success, there’s still one more thing to be
In economics, individuals or entities act based on the hope that the benefits of their actions will outweigh the costs. The economic value of an action is measured by the benefit it provides.
A current hot topic in news media is the potential agreement between the United States and Iran. Economically speaking, what would the value
The current predicaments of Greece and Puerto Rico have been a long time in the making. No single policy or economic agreement is to blame, but the difficulties involved in both situations are likely to negatively impact many people, creditors and debtors alike. Unfortunately, regardless of the resolutions, it is probable that the poor will
Explore the UN’s SDG website: Act Now
In September 2015, at the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit in New York, new Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) were adopted. These SDG’s address a comprehensive range of issues, from poverty, health and hunger, to gender equality, climate
