Global X interviews Martin Fisher, CEO of Kickstart, a nonprofit social enterprise that addresses a major market failure by manufacturing irrigation pumps such as the Super MoneyMaker to help small farmers in the developing world.

"They have only one asset --a small plot of land. And one basic skills: farming. So let's think big, and let's tackle the biggest problems!" says Martin Fisher in this short interview.

Listen to his take on poverty: "The number one need of a poor person anywhere in the world is to have a way to make more money. It's not about education, heath care, or clean water, because if you find the way to make more money, you can afford to buy all these things."
 

Global X interviews Laila Iskandar, the chairperson of CID Consulting, a for-profit/non-profit hybrid organization based in Cairo, where she has worked with garbage collectors for the past 15 years.

Listen to her as she tells the moving story of a young woman who used to be a recycling girl, as they sat down in a Cairo restaurant while waiting for a visa to go to France and speak at UNESCO. The young woman told Laila Iskandar: "I know this place. When I was four, I used to collect garbage with my dad." Laila Iskandar adds: "I almost cried."

Her advice to fellow social entrepreneurs: "Challenge the definition of entrepreneurship and look at the well being of people around us. Social entrepreneurship is a transition phase. Examine the whole concept of business and profit: if it's not social, then it's bad business."

Global X interviews Geoff Davis, president and CEO of Unitus, a "microfinance accelerator" with a hybrid model combining best practices from investment banking, consulting and venture capitalism.

A business entrepreneur turned social entrepreneur (he launched a web company, worked in biotechnology and was part of a translation agency), Geoff Davis discovered "the power of microfinance to harness market principles and apply them to social issues."

The Unitus portfolio of microfinance institutions now serves three million families, 140% more than last year. Geoff Davis explains his success: "It starts with a vision for a better future, and a strong culture based on values and principles."

And it takes talent: "It's a people business! The Unitus team left corporate positions at National Geographic, Goldman Sachs, Microsoft and McKinsey, and they now apply their business skills to solve social problems."

His advice: "Think big! Think grand! Be audacious! Be bold, and powerful forces will come to support you. You will be able to attract top notch talent."

Yes, it's all about the talent: "Do anything you can to get the best people you can. There is nothing more expensive than a quick, medium hire. And there is nothing better or more powerful than an amazingly talented hire even if you have to take time and leave the position open to get it."

Global X interviews Edgardo Salomón, a Mexican professional banker who discontinued his banking career in 2003 to work for social impact. He launched a micro-finance institution, FINSOL, which now serves 250,000 clients in Mexico and just opened a branch in Brazil.

Edgardo Salomón's secret to success? Hiring both NGO social workers and commercial bankers to work together in his management team.

"The most important challenge is access to managerial talent. The reason we launched new operations in Brazil is not only because there is high demand there, but also because there is access to very good talent." He adds: "Capital is always available for good projects. The main problem is talent."

Another priority: "There is no success without scale, and that's why networking is so important and that's where Unitus can help us."

A final piece of advice: don't rely on consultants! Edgardo Salomón initially hired a team of expensive international advisors. "Then we decided to do just the contrary to what they advised us to do!"  Instead, Edgardo Salomón simply asked a lady working on a street corner what kind of financial services would help her, and that's how he found out what FINSOL had to do.

Watch this short interview then read the Unitus case study.

¡En español!

Julian Costabile tells Global X that he launched FIS in Argentina after reading Muhammad Yunus's book. He loved the ideal of putting the money behind the people. "A very powerful idea!"

Launched in 2002, FIS now has 4,000 clients and is the second largest MFI in Argentina. In addition to loans, it provides solar panels to families living in zones where there is no commercial electricity. "Yes, there are people in 2007 who have never had access to electricity," explains Julian Costabile.

Listen to his advice to fellow social entrepreneurs: "Find a couple of mentors or advisors compatible with your mission who have 20 or 30 years more of experience and who can help you go through the entrepreneurial phase in a better way."

Watch this short interview then read the Unitus case study.

¡En español!