Sustainable BusinessRecent posts
Digital Innovation Expands Financing for Women-Led SMEs in Latin America and the Caribbean
Loans and disbursements approved in less than 24 hours, enabled by artificial intelligence, and early invoice payments powered by fintech solutions are transforming access to credit for MSMEs, especially those led by women.
Fixing the Broken Rung: How Data Can Help Advance Women’s Careers in Latin America and the Caribbean
In Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), the greatest disruption in women’s career progression occurs during the transition into managerial roles. A collaboration between IDB Invest and LinkedIn, within the framework of the Development Data Partnership, uses large-scale labor-market data to identify where women’s participation declines and what barriers exist across sectors and career stages.
Addressing gender-based violence from the private sector: the experience of Laboratorios Bagó
Francisco Méndez, CEO of the pharmaceutical company, shares his company's efforts and achievements in fostering an inclusive and safe work environment.
From knowledge to reality: Leveling the playing field for women
What a coincidence that during the same week, the IMF published “Women, Work and the Economy”, the Clinton Global Initiative announced numerous initiatives to empower women and the IDB hosted Jackie VanderBrug to kick off a speaker series highlighting influential professionals who promote women in the private sector. While long overdue, the issue of gender is getting the traction it deserves.
The private sector and trade: ensuring hardware and software compatibility
Like a computer, hardware and software must be compatible. The absence of one or the lack of coordination among the two can leave the whole system inoperable. When it comes to trade, Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) is making gains in “software” in the form of free trade agreements (FTAs), trade finance and customs modernization, yet more is needed to bolster integration “hardware” – infrastructure and logistics, such as roads, rails, ports, airports and broadband connections.
Measuring results and unlocking value
The more meetings and events I attend, the more results measurement is part of the conversation. What are the goals and targets? How are you going to measure results? Are those results the most meaningful?
Renewable Energy: Approaching the tipping point
Renewable Energy: Approaching the tipping point Imagine pushing a cumbersome and heavy ball up a steep incline with the goal of arriving at the top and having it roll down the other side by itself to a final destination. The initial time invested and physical strength exerted would seem worthwhile if you could just arrive at the summit – the tipping point. This is oftentimes the feeling in the renewable energy sector in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). Although there is increasing activity in renewable projects and frameworks, developers, investors, engineers and others in the relatively nascent industry in LAC seem to be trudging up a hill, sweating and hoping that the industry can soon move itself without assistance. http://vimeo.com/65930811
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Key Findings from the Base of Pyramid Week
By Elizabeth Boggs Davidsen* Last week, top executives of multinational and regional companies, leading impact investors, members of government, and international organization representatives came from around the US and the globe to learn from the IDB and each other about how business models for the base of the pyramid can launch and scale quickly and profitably. The event was organized by Opportunities for the Majority (OMJ), the IDB department in charge of spotting, nurturing and funding business models to engage base of the pyramid markets on a large scale in Latin America and the Caribbean.
How to mainstream impact investing?
We have consensus that Impact Investing is a fast growing field attracting a lot of attention. The Monitor Group estimates it could grow to $500 billion in the next 10 years, whereas others estimate this figure in the trillions. However, we still lack consensus on what exactly Impact Investing is and what is needed to bring it mainstream. In Tuesday’s Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and GIIN Forum on Impact Investing in Latin America and the Caribbean, GIIN's CEO Luther Ragin defined Impact Investing as an investment made by an investor with the express intention of 1) achieving positive social and/or environmental benefits and 2) earning a rate of return.
