Mapping the SMME Ecosystem in informal markets: Learnings from Alexandra

Our previous post on informal entrepreneurship in Alexandra focused on the typical challenges encountered by mainly informal entrepreneurs and microbusiness owners. This second post will focus on the supporting entrepreneurial ecosystem: Who are the key role players, and what kind of support is available to a typical entrepreneur in Alex? Does this ecosystem provide what…

Understanding the key challenges of entrepreneurs in informal markets: Learnings from Alexandra

This is the first article of a 3-part series on informal entrepreneurship in emerging markets, based on empirical research conducted in the township of Alexandra in Johannesburg, South Africa. Elizabeth Mogale* (not her real name), a 48-year old mother of four, grills chickens on the pavement of 12th avenue in Alexandra, one of Johannesburg’s most…

Results-based Financing for Clean Energy Access: Lessons from a Randomized Controlled Trial in Rural India

“Voices of the Village” a collaboration between Dharma Life, Siriti and the Wheeler Institute for Business Development The Voice of the Village is a series of conversations on issues that affect those living in rural communities in India – inviting a wide breadth of stakeholders to collaborate and build solutions together. The session focused on…

Voice of the Village: Results-based Financing for Clean Energy Access

The global drive to replace traditional energy sources with renewable energy will require significant investments in addressing market failures. These investments would need to promote substantially higher use of renewable energy products among consumers households and among businesses. Could results-based financing help achieve these outcomes? Join us the Wheeler Institute in collaboration with Dharma Life…

Understanding how to scale gender impact through fintech

Scale Series Expert Q&A with Katherine Owens, Head of Labs (R&D) at M-KOPA. Read our previous Q&A with with Ruby Nimkar, Principal at Greenhouse Capital. As part of a series of expert interviews, the Wheeler Institute’s Science of Scale research team interviewed experts including practitioners, policymakers and investors to understand practicalities and perspectives on scaling digital…

When business makes a difference: India, COVID-19 and why it matters to us all

In a conversation hosted by Rajesh Chandy, on behalf of the Wheeler Institute for Business and Development, and moderated by Kimberly Brown, Head of Mobile for Humanitarian Innovation at GSMA, our panelists discussed the role of business in responding to the unique social and economic challenges created by COVID-19, what works in partnerships between public…

BMBW Forum: Economic and Social Empowerment

*Register for our upcoming forum on 28 July on Prosocial Giving. The second of four forums hosted by Better Marketing for a Better World, in conjunction with the Wheeler Institute, featured three articles from the Special Issue addressing Economic & Social Empowerment. In the first hour, the authors discussed their inspiration for their research, the…