A social enterprise is a business that, rather than just focused on making money, tries to address a social problem.
It has a double bottom line — to be financially sustainable and to have a measurable impact on a societal issues such as poverty, health and the environment.
In this podcast, Rupert Scofield explores the challenges of starting, building and running a social enterprise. Guests include other social entrepreneurs and impact investors who share their insights and experience.
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Recent Podcasts
Episode 23: Tech-Enabled Health Care for Africa’s Next Billion – Co-Founders, MDaaS Global (39:37)
Oluwasoga Oni, Genevieve Barnard Oni and Joe McCord, co-founders of MDaaS Global, speak with Rupert Scofield about tech-enabled health care for Africa’s next billion. MDaaS builds and operates modern, convenient and affordable diagnostic centers in clinically underserved communities to identify health issues earlier and more accurately for effective treatment. This episode: How did the social enterprise get started? In what ways did the business model pivot over time? What’s the vision for future growth and scale?
Episode 22: Productive Use Power for Off-Grid Communities – Andi Kleissner, Amped Innovation (42:18)
Andi Kleissner, co-founder and co-CEO of Amped Innovation, chats with Rupert Scofield about affordable energy solutions for off-grid communities. Amped Innovation is a social enterprise that designs solar-powered home energy systems and productive use appliances to help those living under $4 per day grow their wallets. This episode: How did the social enterprise get started? What is the go-to-market strategy for a hardware company? What are the unique challenges faced by a woman entrepreneur looking to raise early-stage capital?
Episode 21: Moving Smallholder Farmers into the Middle Class – Carl Jensen, Good Nature Agro (37:25)
Carl Jensen, co-founder and CEO of Good Nature Agro, chats with Rupert Scofield about agricultural solutions for smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. Good Nature Agro is a Zambian-based social enterprise that aims to grow farmer net incomes and bring smallholder families firmly into the middle class. It does so by partnering with farm families to improve their productivity through soil-enriching legume farming and links them to a high-value legume seed market. This episode: How did the social enterprise get started? What’s it like tackling the entire value chain? How do you go about developing a market?
About Rupert
Rupert Scofield is a social entrepreneur and an agricultural economist with over 40 years of experience in developing countries.
He is President, CEO and Co-founder of FINCA International, the founder and majority owner of 20 community-based microfinance institutions and banks across Africa, Eurasia, Latin America, the Middle East and South Asia. Rupert now leads FINCA International on the next leg of its journey: supporting the rise of social enterprises delivering basic service and financial innovation.
An expert on microfinance, social enterprise and impact investing, Rupert is an author, podcast presenter and frequent speaker, offering insights and guidance on market-based solutions to global poverty.
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Discover 5 new approaches to financing emerging-market SGBs in a new @DalbergTweet report for @collabfund with support from @Argidius @OmidyarNetwork @SCBDFacility & Small Foundation. The key: innovating on traditional finance models. https://t.co/3CeUfzN8Eu #inclusivegrowth
Ellie Childs and her fellow @BayAreaUUChurch congregants have been supporting @FINCA for nearly two decades. We wouldn’t be here without that kind of faith in our mission! #Microfinance
Ellie Childs and the BAUUC: Supporting FINCA's Mission for Decades | FINCA
Ellie Childs and the Bay Area Unitarian Universalist Church have been supporting FINCA‘s mission for nearly two decades. Read more.
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Operating in the solar #PAYGo space can be a financial slog. These actionable points identified by @FIBR_BFA should help providers improve repayment among customers. @jwinieck @BFAGlobal @MastercardFdn #solar #EnergyAccess
How to design PAYGo operational models to improve repayment
Demystifying customer loan repayment from an operational perspective
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#omwavu has just made up his mind! He's upgrading from using a tadooba to our #solar homesystem. Now he can light his home with 4 bright lights, charge his phone & listen to all the news about how he's trending on radio! Awakanye with #omwavuwakufa 🙌
How do you create the next generation of socially responsible young leaders? Find out on the latest episode of The Social Enterprise #Podcast, where @FINCA's @rupertscofield chats with George Tsiatis of @resolutionproj. https://t.co/c59TflUhvG #socent
