Topic: International Development

Kiva has created an online marketplace that allows ordinary citizens to help specific entrepreneurs around the world thrive with as little as $25. How did Kiva get the critical mass it needed to make its operations a go? How does it work with nonprofits, entrepreneurs, and lenders through the online format? In this talk, sponsored by the Stanford Center for Social Innovation, Kiva President Premal Shah talks about how the organization got started, how it functions, and how it plans to grow.

Neither markets nor charity alone are sufficient to help the world's poorest people. In this interview with host Sheela Sethuraman, Jacqueline Novogratz, founder of the Acumen Fund, describes how a combination of patient capital plus management support is making a difference in tackling poverty in Africa and Asia. Novogratz shares experiences and anecdotes from her recently published book, "The Blue Sweater: Bridging the Gap Between Rich and Poor in an Interconnected World."

On the one hand, biofuels offer a green substitute against petrol-based fuels such as gasoline. On the other, they are still expensive to produce and are causing a steep inflation in food prices the world over. A panel of experts debates the root causes of the increase in food prices, and the need to produce biofuels vis-a-vis the measures to tackle the economic and political side effects of its production.

Dr. Moira Gunn interviews Rohit Shukla, CEO of the LARTA Institute. He discusses how some governments are helping struggling biotech start-ups.

Asia Society President Vishakha N. Desai interviews Nobel Prize winning economist and globalization "rockstar" Joseph Stiglitz. The conversation focuses on his new concept of economics, "The Economics of Information," and his latest book, "Making Globalization Work". In this fascinating in-depth interview, Stiglitz discusses intellectual property rights, the shifting global balance of power, challenges facing Africa, and much more.

Aid organizations around the world are learning that they can solve their technology and infrastructure problems faster and cheaper together than on their own. Enabling that collaboration is NetHope, a nonprofit information technology consortium helping NGOs establish the technology "ecosystems" they need to serve constituencies in more than 150 countries. Eric Nee interviews Bill Brindley, CEO of NetHope, on how the consortium got started, how it works, and how it is expanding its mission.

Social entrepreneurs discuss how they use for-profit activities to fund their organizations' missions in this session of the Skoll World Forum. These are done in combination with, and in addition to, nonprofit activities. From profitably providing water to poor villagers to training street children to run business, and from franchising medical care to creating a transparent market place for handmade goods, these entrepreneurs show that business and nonprofit can mix well.

Do you think we can change the world by involving enterprise one hour a week? Al Jisr, and it's founder Mohammed Abbad Andaloussi, are convinced that we can. In this episode of Design for Change, host Sheela Sethuraman interviews Abbad Analoussi about his efforts to improve education in Moroccan schools by involving businesses. So far, over 100 corporations have adopted over 200 schools. They provide volunteers, support, and a real world perspective to students.

TerraNet hopes to bring cell phones to villages in developing nations. CEO Anders Carlius describes TerraNet's ad hoc GSM mesh networking technology and business model. He envisions local entrepreneurs rolling the technology out one village at a time.

Most Americans are unaware of the enormous progress Mexico has enjoyed since the peso's devastating collapse in 1994. Former Mexican President Vicente Fox highlights his country's opportunities to foster democracy, develop entrepreneurism, and promote alternative energy sources as it emerges as a world economic power. He addresses challenges, including a poor educational system, rapid population growth, and dwindling oil reserves. Sponsored by the Stanford Center for Social Innovation.