Innovating for financial inclusion stanford

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin From the southwest corner of Nigeria, a pioneering social enterprise called Durian is lifting rural women out of poverty to become economically self-sufficient and confident of their value in building a more sustainable world. Training women to turn local waste into sustainable livelihoods is breaking through cultural norms that have historically relegated Nigerian women to powerless second-class citizens. In doing so, Durian is building a vibrant circular economy with measurable results for thousands of women, as well as their families and entire communities. Economic independence sustains communities Located in Imafon, a rural community in Ondo state, Nigeria, Durian operates training sites and crop and livestock farms where women produce food, learn how to make crafts and furniture from bamboo and wood, turn fabric waste into fashions, create skin care items from cocoa pod husks, and process food from cassava … [Read more...] about Sustainable Business Innovation From Rural Women In Nigeria

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Hamid Farooqui is a serial entrepreneur, co-founder and CEO of experience management company Sogolytics , and CTO of K12 Insight. If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that the long-outdated “customer is king” and “the customer is always right” sentiments are back—and with a vengeance. As a consumer, I’ve come to appreciate the nearly instant delivery, free returns and highly personalized products and services available at my fingertips. As a CEO specializing in experience management, I’ve seen how investing in CX has made a difference for our clients—and how treating it as a nice-to-have can be disastrous. CX Or Bust In the past, revenue was the only metric that businesses measured. Competition wasn’t as fierce, and with limited options, loyalty was more predictable. Now, customer experience software solutions are more affordable, analysis can be conducted without tech or research degrees, and … [Read more...] about Customer Experience Is King

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin David is the cofounder & CMO of DoorLoop , a best-selling author, legal CLE speaker and real estate investor. "Web3" and "decentralization" are buzzwords that are increasingly popular in the technology industry, but what exactly do they mean? This article will delve into the concepts of Web3 and decentralization, how they relate to each other and the potential implications of these technologies for various industries. What Are Web3 And Decentralization? Web3, also known as the decentralized web or the third generation of the internet, is a vision for a new type of internet built on decentralized, open-source technologies such as the blockchain—which is a decentralized digital ledger of transactions that uses cryptography to secure and verify each transaction. Web3 aims to create a more open, transparent and secure internet where users have greater control over their data and privacy. Decentralization … [Read more...] about How Web3 And Decentralization Are Transforming The Real Estate Industry

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Boyan Ivanov is the cofounder and Chief Executive Officer at StorPool‬ since November 2011. An economic downturn can be a difficult time for any company. During a downturn, consumers tend to spend less money, resulting in downward pressure on prices, sales cycles getting longer and fiercer competition. All these developments can lead to a decrease in revenue and profitability as well as a higher risk of going out of business for many companies. However, with the right strategies in place, a company cannot only survive but flourish during such a period. Here are 10 tips that can help a company stay afloat and come out stronger on the other side. 1. Optimize your operations and P&L. One of the first things a company should do during an economic downturn is to take a hard look at its income statement and consider optimizing its operations. This can include reducing some expenses or freezing business lines … [Read more...] about Navigating Economic Turbulence: 10 Strategies For Business Success In A Downturn

The overall budgetary allocation for the agriculture ministry was increased to an estimated Rs 1.25 lakh crore for FY24 financial year, including Rs 60,000 crore for the government's ambitious PM-KISAN scheme. Small farmers will benefit from the budget, the ministry said, adding that emphasis has been laid on promoting the agriculture sector through technology. A look at what the budget offered: The Hits Technology Push Budget 2023 was largely along the lines expected by industry players. The emphasis on technology adoption in agriculture was announced at the right time, with the creation of Centres of Excellence for Artificial Intelligence. Read More Leading industry players will partner in conducting interdisciplinary research and developing cutting-edge applications and scalable problem solutions in various areas including agriculture. This is a welcome step to leapfrog to the next level with focus on ‘Industry 4.0’. Agri Credit The proposed … [Read more...] about Budget 2023: Hits and misses in the agriculture sector

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin EMCEE Studios is teaming up with buzzed about brands Dion Lee and LUAR for their New York Fashion Week Fall 2023 shows. The new creator-powered affiliate retail platform, is making its official debut over New York Fashion Week through runway partnerships with Dion Lee on February 10, the first day of the NYFW shows, and LUAR which closes the week on February 15. EMCEE is setting out to revolutionize the affiliate marketing space, promising to rewrite the rule book on traditional marketing practices for a more authentic, transparent and inclusive approach. Its social commerce model involves curated, conversion optimized showrooms for influencer creators with one simple, sharable url where followers can shop selected products. According to CEO John Aghayan, commission rates are also substantially higher than competitors. Aim is to foster relationships between brands and content creators by removing … [Read more...] about New Affiliate Platform EMCEE Is Partnering With These Buzzed About Brands For NYFW

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin The first PGA Tour $20 million tournament of the new year is drawing major-type betting interest as the 2023 Waster Management Phoenix Open plays alongside Super Bowl LVII this week in nearby Glendale, AZ. Crossover prop bets between the Phoenix Open and Super Bowl will be available to add to your betting interests from the leading online sportsbooks . A total of 18 of the top 20 golfers in the world rankings tee it up at the 7,261 yard par 71 TPC Scottsdale. The top of the golf odds board players are proven performers in the event Jon Rahm and Xander Schauffele along with last year’s Phoenix Open winner Scottie Scheffler. Oh, and world No. 1 Rory McIlroy makes his 2023 debut on the PGA Tour after winning the Dubai Desert Classic in his first start of the year. The 132 player field at the Phoenix Open will be one of the most fun tournaments to watch and wager on as betting action will be as lively as the fans … [Read more...] about Golf Odds, Picks And Props: 2023 Phoenix Open Betting Preview

India’s budget for healthcare saw a marginal increase of 13 percent in Budget 2023-24 from Rs 79,145 crore in 2022-23 to Rs 89,155 crore in 2023-24. Over the last five years of the Modi government, the sector has seen a 27 percent rise in allocations from Rs 62,659 crore in FY20 to Rs 89,155 crore in 2023-24. However, schemes such as Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission as well as the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana have seen lesser amounts being allocated to them in this budget. The allocation for one of the flagship schemes of the government — Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission, a pan-India health scheme for strengthening healthcare infrastructure — fell to Rs 645.8 crore from the previous budget estimate of Rs 978 crore. The utilisation of the fund has been even lower, with the revised FY23 estimate standing at Rs 281.6 crore. The Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana, announced with the objectives of correcting … [Read more...] about Budget 2023: Marginal hike in healthcare allocation, key schemes see cuts

What Is a Mega Backdoor Roth 401(k) Conversion? A mega backdoor Roth 401(k) conversion is a tax-shelter strategy available to employees whose employer-sponsored 401(k) retirement plans allow them to make substantial after-tax contributions in addition to their pretax deferrals and to transfer their contributions to an employer-designated Roth 401(k). The Build Back Better Act, H.R. 5376, passed by the House of Representatives on Nov. 19, 2021, contains provisions that, if enacted, would limit the ability of high-income taxpayers to accumulate extremely high-value balances in Roth 401(k)s and would eliminate backdoor Roth conversions for high-income taxpayers after Dec. 31, 2031. As of spring 2022, the Build Back Better Act remains stalled in the Senate, and these provisions may not come to pass, at least not in their current form. But mega backdoor Roth conversions remain an important issue—and a notable route to wealth for higher-income taxpayers. Key Takeaways H.R. … [Read more...] about Mega Backdoor Roth 401(k) Conversion: Overview and FAQ

As ESG becomes the core conversation in corporate boardrooms and for the allocation of capital, it is compelling brands and enterprises to improve their sustainability performance. (Source: Shutterstock) In a bid to enable 100,000 MSMEs turn ESG compliant in the next 24 months, Bizongo, a leading vendor digitization platform with embedded financing for brands and enterprises has launched Bizongo Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Scorecard. This will help bolster ESG consciousness among Indian MSMEs and larger enterprises. With this, Bizongo has also become the first B2B marketplace to offer ESG-related intelligence. Aniket Deb, Co-founder and COO, Bizongo, said, "In its essence, ESG is a framework that helps businesses build customer loyalty, attract investors, make operations sustainable, and improve financial performance. In line with this, Bizongo's ESG Scorecard will enable MSMEs on its platform assess their ESG performance and help them integrate it into their … [Read more...] about Bizongo launches ESG scorecard; aims to help one lakh MSMEs turn ESG compliant in the next 24 months