Off to India

Will be spending the next two weeks in London, Amsterdam, and (mostly) India. Conference in London for the EU launch of the Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE). Interesting embership group that works to bring three groups together:

• Social investors -- such as The Gates Foundation, Lemelson Foundation, Omidyar Network, The Rockefeller Foundation, The Skoll Foundation, the Shell Foundation, and others.
• Intermediaries -- such as Acumen Fund, Agora Partners, Dahlberg, E&Co, Root Capital, SEAF, TechnoServe, WDI (of course), and a few others
  
• with small and medium size businesses in developing countries.
  

The idea is that SMEs can drive development more effectively than micro enterprises, and the group is looking to promote that.

From there, on to Delhi, Hyderabad, Mumbai (Bombay) and back to Delhi for some student work. We have a set of interesting MBA projects this year -- with Drishtee, Acumen Fund, and a skills development initiative by Perot Systems.

I will also be doing the song and dance routine for two Ross School alumni clubs -- in Delhi and Mumbai. Actually, these events are a lot of fun. Well connected people. Looking to engage with the school. And really excited about cutting edge work.

So, great trip coming up. The only downside is that I'll be staying in eight different hotels over the next 11 nights. Ugh!!

Blogging will continue, but will likely be at strange times (India is 9 1/2 hours ahead of the east coast). In the meatime, Lou will hold down the fort.

Back from Africa, now in catch up mode

Returned from a productive week in Rwanda. Was there working with the School for Finance and Banking (where WDI has a capacity building engagement) and for the graduation of the first group of women from the Goldman Sachs Entrepreneurship program.

It was a great trip on several levels:

1. The school is really starting to make some progress with the curriculum and improving the faculty. Also, wifi now available on campus, which will have a profound effect on the learning process.

2. The Goldman Sachs program was great. GS funded, and we worked with the SFB to deliver, a six month entrepreneurship training program for poor women in Rwanda. They received eight one-week-long training modules, had school faculty visit their businesses, and wrote a business plan for expansion. The last three days were devoted to a business plan competition, which was incredibly impressive.

3. Goldman Sachs sent a partner (James Garvey) from the London office to participate in the BP competition and the graduation. Things went great. He saw what we are doing, bonded with the women, etc.

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Only downside was that I caught a nasty stomach virus somewhere near the end of the trip and am just now recovering. Will try to catch up with the latest offshoring news (thanks Lou!!) over the next day or two. Sorry for the slow posting of late.