Category: Uncategorized
A Conversation on the Challenges and Opportunities of Bringing Energy to the Poor
Despite massive gains in global access to electricity, nearly 1.2 million people, mostly across developing countries in Asia and Africa, live with limited or no access to electricity. Historically, the government has been responsible for providing power through the grid. This is not only a slow process plagued by corruption and bureaucratic delays but also … Continued
“BURNing” The Battery
On May 26, six renowned Bay Area chefs and more than 100 guests came together for a night of food and social impact in honor of Acumen and our investee, BURN, a producer and distributor of highly-efficient, affordable cookstoves in East Africa. The event took place at The Battery, a private club located in San … Continued
Five Reasons Social Enterprises Are Applying a Gender Lens to their Businesses
There is article after article about why businesses and investors should seek new ways to be more inclusive of women in their business models. But what we’ve learned at Acumen, where we invest in business that solve problems of poverty, is that leaders of social-purpose businesses are already doing this, and perhaps there’s something we … Continued
Is Alignment Enough? Changing the Conversation to Build Stronger Partnerships Between Corporations and Social Enterprises
On April 12th, Acumen and the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship hosted a workshop in Oxford, England with representatives from large corporations and smaller social businesses from around the globe. At the workshop, entitled “Beyond Dialogue,” we asked: How can we build business models that truly serve the poor through collaboration among corporations and social … Continued
Acumen India CEO Summit 2015
GE Foundation and Acumen joined hands to accelerate the phenomenal work being done by Acumen India CEOs and their companies in tackling challenges of building sustainable enterprises to eliminate poverty. The two day Summit, organised on 29th and 30th October in Waterstones, Mumbai, set stage for exchange of ideas amidst Acumen India companies, old and … Continued