In 2014 BRAC launched its microfinance operations in Myanmar – one of the last countries in the world to open up its economy and simultaneously the country with one of the poorest and most unbanked populations. Within three years BRAC has grown to serve over 40,000 women. Read about its journey in a country full

In my last post, I argued that there is a case for social investment in microcredit under the status quo, since delivering microcredit is, on average, so cheap. That discussion presumed evaluating microcredit on the terms that the industry was built on: raising the income, investment and consumption of clients. It’s on those measures that

I believe there’s a strong case for social investment in microcredit, but that the best case is built on new theories of change. Historically the standard microcredit theory of change has been that many (if not most) households are eager to start their own microenterprise but are stymied by a lack of access to credit,

Why does microfinance matter? It’s not a panacea solution. It doesn’t build global multinationals. It won’t singlehandedly dissolve poverty. But let’s talk for a second about what it is, what it does, what it can do. Microfinance is about people. It boldly proclaims, “I see where you are today, but I believe in where you

What do change-makers do? We sit with the world, see it as it is, and imagine it differently. We imagine it better. More just and livable. More democratic, humane, and beautiful. We imagine projects that blue the skies, ventures that wildflower the landscapes, and start-ups that cleanse the oceans of plastics. We imagine enterprises that expand access to education,