Fw: New Tripbods in South Africa, Moldova, Lithuania, Prague, Seychelles, Porto... and more!
 "When you do the common things in life in an uncommon way, you will command the attention of the world." George Washington CarverWhat is Social Entrepreneurship?Statement of FaithYou can find other "Market with Meaning" but you definitely want to see "Profit with Purpose". I personally "Believe in Kingdom Transformation" because I know there is only ONE "Life for Significant". --- 2010年3月31日 星期三，Tripbod <info@tripbod.com> 寫道﹕
|
posted by hou777 at 11:44 PM
1 comments
We are inviting our supporters to join other high profile companies including Wates Group Ltd, Apax Foundation, Vitabiotics and Winterflood Securities to invest in the East London Bond which will transform lives by creating a sustainable legacy in East London. To date, with their generous support and others, £1.6m has been pledged to the Bond but there's further to go. 
Ex London Welsh rugby player Tom Audley is swapping scrums, mouth guards and drop kicks for a punishing 26 mile run through London to raise funds for the Centre. 
Seven potential new Social Enterpreneurs came face to face with the Bromley by Bow Centre Dragon's Den selection panel on Thursday 25th March. The panel was made up of members from Investec, Poplar HARCA, East London Small Business Centre and a locally established Social Enterprise - Fluid IT. 
2010 marks Root Capital’s 10-year anniversary as a pioneer of finance for small and growing businesses in developing countries. And what a decade it’s been! Turns out my daughter, Charlotte, is also ten years old. How gratifying to note that since she was born, Root Capital has empowered hundreds of thousands of farmers and a new generation of agricultural entrepreneurs who are helping to move rural populations out of poverty across Latin America and sub-Saharan Africa. It’s a simple formula. Our capital and financial training propel the growth of their grassroots businesses. Their hope and hard work inspire our optimism and social entrepreneurship – and we transform livelihoods together. This newsletter provides snapshots of such partnership. In “postcards from the field,” you will get a chance to join us on a recent trip to Liberia to visit one of Root Capital’s newest clients, The Liberian Women’s Sewing Project (LWSP). Women who led the country’s peace movement are creating a “Made in Liberia” sustainable apparel line, building a brand new supply chain that’s Fair Trade and organic “from dirt to shirt,” as they say. You will also visit villages in northern Ghana where groups of women are hard at work producing shea butter, a sustainable tree crop that’s also known as “women’s gold.” These shea trees are found in the parched dry lands on the edge of the Sahara Desert, near Ghana’s border with Burkina Faso. These are two examples of how our work has the potential to transform and empower women-centered businesses in some of the world’s poorest countries. From Liberia and Ghana to my trip last week in the central highlands of Peru (we’re visiting smallholder producers of artichokes, jalapeño peppers, cocoa, and coffee), I am endlessly inspired by the businesses and rural communities we support. Traveling with Root Capital’s local staff, I am also honored to witness the transformation of our team’s passion into a mission that’s deeply rooted in a global community of grassroots clients, partners, and supporters. I am forever grateful for this and beyond excited to continue on this journey with you as we enter our next phase of growth – i.e., scaling current operations that have proven successful, and leveraging our core competencies to launch new products and innovations that continue our efforts to rescue the lost art of agricultural lending. Root Capital stands on fertile ground. Our rapid growth and strong track record demonstrate the impact we’re already having on economic development and environmental sustainability in the communities we serve. Since our founding in 1999, we have: 
Last month, Root Capital Founder and CEO Willy Foote traveled to western Africa with Senior Vice President of Business Development Liam Brody, Africa Regional Director Nate Schaffran, and Investment Officer Bamba Fall. While in Liberia, the team visited the Liberian Women’s Sewing Project, a sustainable apparel manufacturer part-owned and operated by Liberian women. The organization directs 75% of its profits toward community development projects including a health clinic, a vocational sewing school, and a girl’s scholarship fund. The remaining 25% of profits remain within the enterprise, allowing each worker to build equity over time. In Ghana, the Root Capital team visited producers of shea butter, a product Root Capital has financed since 2007. The shea tree is unique to Africa and forms part of the "Green Belt," a forested area that helps stem the southward creep of the Sahara Desert. Traditionally, the activity of collecting shea nuts and processing butter has been done exclusively by women, and the income earned from shea butter goes to and is controlled by women. By financing shea butter producers, Root Capital is working to close the circle between economically marginalized women and their communities, and the preservation of arable land. 
In January, Root Capital's Headquarters in Cambridge, MA moved to its new home at 955 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge MA, 02139. Although it is right down the street from our old location, the space has tripled in size due to our fast growth. Throughout the design and build-out of the Root Capital space, all efforts were made to provide an environmentally responsible workspace. These efforts were directed toward the layout and design, physical construction, and energy impact of the space. We love visitors and welcome you to stop by and see our new office!
Social entrepreneurs have a knack for fetishizing scale. We hear it all the time: "That's a great idea, but can it scale?" Social investors value enterprises based on their ability to scale. Sure they also have other evaluation criteria - is the enterprise socially relevant and commercially viable? Or, in the case of 
