TAKATAKA SOLUTIONS;
Company Overview
Description
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbzBz2XMSbYMANUELA MULLER
About:EDGE
In
partnership with AIESEC, Potencia Ventures and Artemisia, edge attracts
and develops talent for impactful business across emerging markets.
Description
A
new kind of business is gaining strength in emerging markets: one that
seeks to improve the quality of life of low income people. Such
businesses need talent that is prepared for the demands of the field and
that will help it to grow.Edge attracts and prepares the next generation of managers and entrepreneurs to build their careers in this field, ensuring that they add value wherever they work. We draw on a pool of top young talent with both leadership experience and a desire to make a difference, and we offer them the possibility to explore new business models.
Together we aim to uncover new business opportunities that can one day meet the needs of millions or even billions of low income consumers.
Basic Info
| Founded | 2004 |
|---|---|
| Products | • International work placements in Brazil, Colombia, Mexico and India (6 - 12 months) • Business Design Competition • 'Plugged In' Summits in Latin America and Asia • Virtual learning environment • Local activities, workshops and placements |
Contact Info
| Website | http://www.edgetalents.net |
|---|
BIJU MOHANDAS-Director Acumen Fund
MUTEMBEI KARIUKI-Acumen Fund
ABOUT :ACUMEN FUND
Changing the way the world tackles poverty
Our mission is to create a world beyond poverty by investing in social enterprises, emerging leaders, and breakthrough ideas.Our vision is that one day every human being will have access to the critical goods and services they need – including affordable health, water, housing, energy, agricultural inputs and services – so that they can make decisions and choices for themselves and unleash their full human potential. This is where dignity starts – not just for the poor but for everyone on earth.
The Challenge
Tremendous wealth is being created in the world today thanks to globalization and the power of technology and markets. Yet there is a growing gap between rich and poor. Something must be done to extend the benefits of the global economy to the majority of the world’s population that lives on less than four dollars a day.Why Charity Alone isn’t the Answer
Poor people seek dignity, not dependence. Traditional charity often meets immediate needs but too often fails to enable people to solve their own problems over the long term. Market-based approaches have the potential to grow when charitable dollars run out, and they must be a part of the solution to the big problem of poverty.Why the Marketplace Alone isn’t the Answer
Very low-income people are too often invisible to businesses and society. Businesses see no significant market opportunity and governments view low-income areas as having insufficient tax revenues to pay for basic services like clean water, healthcare, housing and energy. Building new models that provide these critical services at affordable price – in the face of high costs, poor distribution systems, dispersed customers, limited financing options and, at times, corruption – requires imaginative business solutions and partnerships supported by investors willing to take on a risk/return profile that is unacceptable to traditional financiers.Changing the Development Paradigm
We believe that pioneering entrepreneurs will ultimately find the solutions to poverty. The entrepreneurs Acumen Fund supports are focused on offering critical services – water, health, housing, and energy – at affordable prices to people earning less than four dollars a day.The key is patient capital. We use philanthropic capital to make disciplined investments – loans or equity, not grants – that yield both financial and social returns. Any financial returns we receive are recycled into new investments. Over time, we have refined the Acumen Fund investment model, built a world-class global team with offices in four countries, and learned what does and does not work in growing businesses that serve low-income people.
Contacts: fellows@acumenfund.org.
GHALIB HAFIZ
About:Juhudi Kilimo
Juhudi Kilimo is changing the way farmers do business. We finance targeted agricultural assets for smallholder farmers and rural enterprises across Kenya. Operating exclusively in very rural areas, we give smallholder farmers access to the tools they need to scale up and succeed.Our Mission
To provide market driven, wealth-creating financial services that empower smallholder farmers and rural enterprises to create sustainable agri-businesses and improve their livelihoods.Our Vision
To reach 100,000 farmers by 2015 with superior financial services for agri-business.Asset Financing and Insurance
Unlike traditional microfinance, which primarily provides loans for working capital to informal businesses, Juhudi finances specific agricultural assets that offer immediate and sustainable income for farmers. The assets act as an alternative form of collateral in case of default, reducing the farmers’ risk of greater poverty through indebtedness, and assets are insured to protect clients from harsh business losses. This comprehensive approach creates long-term gains in productivity and local engines of economic growth.Training and Technology
Juhudi maximizes the benefit of asset financing by providing both technical assistance and business training. Prior to each loan, officers visit the client’s farm to perform a business assessment and advise on improvements. The first four meetings of a new group are then devoted to training clients on basic finance and business. After a loan is approved officers give continued support, working with partners and local government ministries to offer targeted technical assistance on assets. To best serve rural clients, Juhudi also uses mobile technology to collect payments and feedback and reduce the burden on clients and loan officers in these remote areas.Solidarity Loan Groups
Juhudi’s clients support each other through solidarity loan groups, and co-guarantee their loans. Led by client representatives, groups function independently but with strong support and oversight from loan officers. Loan groups serve as a central meeting place for farmers to share ideas and encouragement, learn about new products and services, and organize for access to better pricing and markets.info@juhudikilimo.com
PATRICIA JUMI
Managing director and co-founder
Growth Africa
For contacts to GrowthAfrica
Email info@growthafrica.com or
Call +254 20-2501777 or
Visit us at Cape Office Park, Ring Road Kilimani, Nairobi
Call +254 20-2501777 or
Visit us at Cape Office Park, Ring Road Kilimani, Nairobi
