This article is a summary of thoughts that have been pinging around in my head – there are holes and gaps and maybe this conversation needs to be reframed, but I thought I’d put it out there. By no means am I claiming that I have an answer or a solution, but I’m curious to see what you all think? …
This article was originally posted in Harvard Kennedy School Review The origin story of microfinance began with Muhammad Yunus, a Professor of Economics who returned from the US to teach in his native Bangladesh. Amid high poverty rates, he found himself questioning how economic theory could address the immediate needs of the poor around him. He started experimenting with lending …
Dear friends and supporters, I want to take this opportunity to wish you a magical and blessed 2019 💫 I’ve spent the past four years building the foundation for UpEffect in both a part and full-time capacity and I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for the consistent love and encouragement you’ve shown since our launch in 2016. We’ve …
Though an early-stage social enterprise should prioritise bootstrapping as its means of financial sustenance, for some, this is not always a viable option. Converting some ideas into businesses can be capital-intensive, particularly those dependent on expensive production, research and development. This is why crowdfunding is becoming the go-to option for so many entrepreneurs, including those launching a social enterprise. Traditionally, …
Congratulations. You’ve decided to take matters into your own hands and form a social enterprise. You saw a problem and you have enough insight and tenacity to make an attempt at a solution. Creating a company that works for the betterment of humanity is a noble cause and no small feat. You have the idea, you believe in it, and …
When it comes to starting and funding a social enterprise, crowdfunding has become a game changer. It has propelled the innovative business model to new heights, and in turn allowed for thousands of ideas that wouldn’t have otherwise had the opportunity, to become reality. Crowdfunding began as a way for people to finance businesses and projects they believed in. This …
There has never been a better time to launch a business as a female entrepreneur. Investments in startup and growing businesses isn’t just for men clad in dark suits at the top of flashy financial institution buildings any longer. Many people, not just friends and family, want to help entrepreneurs solve problems, innovate, and create jobs. This is particular of …
Before Marketing to Social Entrepreneurs, Crowdfunding Platforms Should Understand Social Enterprise
There is an old adage about the benefits of teaching a man how to fish, rather than giving him the fish. But what happens if you simply give the man a fishing rod and walk away? Technically a service has been provided, but without any guarantee of long-term success. Most large Crowdfunding companies knowingly or unknowingly, operate on this principle. Crowdfunding …
Exciting news! The UpEffect team recently implemented several new features that not only make our platform an equal player with industry giants like Kickstarter and Indiegogo, but in fact exceed these platforms’ capabilities. According to the World Bank, initiatives to modernize payments are crucial in efforts to meet the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals by 2020. UpEffect is the first crowdfunding platform to not …
Over the past 10 years, the crowdfunding industry has become more than a side project happening on the borders of the established circuit of banking and financing. This change became more evident as people grew tired of standing on the sidelines of business. Everyday, small entrepreneurs with great ideas bravely decided to put them forth and consumers responded accordingly – …