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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Excited to join this upcoming @FINCAImpact webinar focusing on the economic impact of #COVID19 on #microfinance customers in emerging markets. Thursday, July 16. Register here:
The Economic Impact of COVID-19: Results of a Global Survey of Microfinance Customers - FINCA Microfinance Global Services LLC
The Economic Impact of COVID-19: Results of a Global Survey of Microfinance Customers We are pleased to invite you to join us for a free webinar to sh...
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Looking to incorporate new tech into your #nonprofit, despite cost and other obstacles? Make sure you have a tech team with great credibility and be prepared to defend them and their strategy. Read this and other tips in new @ForbesNonprofit article here: https://bit.ly/3dOeyNd
Learn how Tanzanian #agritech startup @EAFruits plans to scale after $3.1m Series A round, here: . This #FINCAVentures portfolio company addresses food distribution challenges in the farm-to-market sector via a B2B #ecommerce platform.
How Tanzanian agri-tech startup East Africa Fruits plans to scale after $3.1m Series A round - Disrupt Africa
Tanzanian agri-tech startup East Africa Fruits hopes to with more than 10,000 farmers and 15,000 businesses, and expand into new verticals, after rais...
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#Kenya’s first floating solar power plant will be constructed in the rift valley region. Once completed, this plant will save up to 68 tons of CO2 emissions per year. Learn more about the project @ConstrucReview
Kenya‘s first ever floating solar power plant to be constructed
Kenya‘s first-ever floating solar power plant is set to be constructed in the rift valley region. The 69 kW power infrastructure will be commiss...
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The Female Foot Soldiers defeating community transmission: In #Africa, health workers are doing key work to save lives during #COVID19. These #women serve their local communities by teaching residents how to protect themselves from the virus. @TRF_Stories
Africa's unsung army of women wage war on COVID-19
Community health workers are the foot soldiers – mostly female – who are known in the neighbourhood and trusted to save lives
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