At the GlobalTED 2009 conference, Michael Pritchard gave a demonstration of the remarkable ability and potential for a product he invented called the Lifesaver Water-purification Bottle. The water bottle (also available as a Jerrycan) uses a “non-chemical nano-filtration hollow fiber membrane” with the smallest pores (15 nanometers) in the industry (smallest virus is about 25 [...]

Here’s your Daily Brief for August 5th: Paul Farmer out for USAID? (via Foreign Policy) – It appears as if Paul Farmer, the man recently rumored to be appointed head of USAID, is no longer in the running. The culprit seems to be the daunting vetting process itself, including a form requiring the candidate to [...]

Here’s your Daily Brief for August 4th: Investment Into Rwanda to Rise 10% in 2009 (via Reuters) – Hat tip to @whitakergroup for this gem: A more positive outlook than the NYT piece; This Reuters article reports a 10% increase in investment to Rwanda. The growth is attributed to an honest and disciplined government, though [...]

Here’s your Daily Brief for August 3rd: US Africa Trade on Exhibition at 8th Annual AGOA Forum (via Africa Business Source) – A nice overview of this weeks AGOA forum. Makes the good point that the issue needing MOST focus is no longer market access, but rather building up the competitiveness of African Countries by [...]

I met Alex Michel, one of the founding members of The Hub, back in March at the Global Engagement Summit. Alex describes The Hub as a “habitat” where ideas can be turned into solutions; a place where innovators can go to gain access to motivating and inspiring people, information, and just the right environment they [...]

Here’s your Daily Brief for July 30th: Video of The Philanthropist Debate (via Tactical Philanthropy) – Sean posted video on his blog of a debate held recently in Washington, DC over the TV show “The Philanthropist” Kenyan Gov’t Promises Reforms on Private Sector – President Kibaki has promised reforms on the private sector (particularly SMEs) [...]

I’ve been meaning to write this post for some time now, however the launch of Transparency Solutions has been quite time consuming. So with no further ado, per the request of a reader: A look at B-Corporations! I was first introduced to B-Corporation (B standing for benefit, and B-Corp for short) a few months ago [...]

CNBC recently aired a special program on investment in Africa called “Dollars and Danger: Africa, the Final Investing Frontier”. Reporter Erin Burnett traveled from New York to China with stops in Libya, South Africa, Nigeria, and DRC (and more). She interviews government leaders, local entrepreneurs, and major foreign firms operating on the continent in an [...]