Understanding the strategy of Google.org, one of the leaders in the emerging financing of social entrepreneurship, has been challenging, largely because it was still in development throughout 2007.
Kevin Jones at Xigi recently pointed out Google.org’s visionary leader Larry Brilliant’s piece in Slate.com that outlines their strategy, providing some much-needed signal to those interested in doing good while doing well:
Members of our global-development team initially proposed investing money in funds that would finance small and medium-sized enterprises in the developing world, a terribly underfunded sector that has great potential for creating jobs. The reaction? “Think bigger.” The initiative now includes stimulating financing to small and medium-sized enterprises by finding ways to lower transaction costs, deepen capital markets, and catalyze the flow of other money along with our own.
Good news for the work of the Entrepreneurial Standards Forum and Business Catapult (disclosure: I am a principal in these companies), which are both focused on bringing new efficiencies to the entrepreneur, both in accelerating development and democratising access to capital.
Don’t miss Brilliant’s four additional pillars of Google.org strategic vision in Slate.
18 February 2008 at 10:33 am
greg, would love to talk to you about our event. don’t have your email.