In Brazil, a group of mothers were unable to work regular hours because their children had cancer and required special care. They decided to turn their culinary skills into a catering venture, but struggled to turn a profit. In Vietnam, a group of young programmers were frustrated at past failures to commercialize their hospital administration software. And in Ghana, four university graduates with a passion for children’s education and animation started a business, but immediately encountered roadblocks ranging from finding affordable office space to weekly power outages.
All are first-time entrepreneurs. They are also clients of business incubators––centers providing a range of services to fledgling businesses––supported by the Information for Development Program (infoDev), a partnership of international development agencies promoting the effective use of information and communication technologies. For more on the World Bank Group-based infoDev and its support for innovators in emerging markets, click here.
What are your thoughts on the Kiva.org venture that raises money for entrepreneurs?
Posted by: Development Crossing | February 02, 2007 at 07:52 AM