The Americas Business Council Foundation (abc*) announced they will invest significant financial, advisory and media resources with three Ashoka social entrepreneurs through a two-year partnership based on the impact abc*’s resources can have in scaling and replicating their projects. These three initiatives were selected from 21 which presented their work at the recently completed third annual abc* Continuity Forum in Miami, which also featured global thought leaders including Larry Summers, David Axelrod, Jane Goodall, Arianna Huffington, and Dr. Thomas Lovejoy.
“Following our method of applying a business approach to philanthropy, abc* chose to invest its resources in these projects based on their capacity to grow and sustain a larger impact in their communities, while complementing each other’s work in social and environmental development,” said Camilo Galvis, Executive Director of the abc* Foundation.
• The Open Technology Institute’s (OTI) Commotion Wireless Project based in the United States, works to provide free, ubiquitous and safe communications across the globe using mobile phones and Wi-Fi enabled devices to connect poor, rural and other underserved communities. abc*’s objective is to implement their technology in various communities in the Americas and supports OTI as it looks to build a for-profit arm to enhance the research and development and overall work of the non-profit project. Watch their presentation at the Continuity Forum here.
• The Development Reality Institute (DRI), based in Zimbabwe, utilizes new media and information and communications technology to empower youth addressing the greatest challenges from climate change through the Climate Change Virtual School Programme. The project has already directly impacted 2,000 youths starting their own initiatives. abc* seeks to support DRI in launching the much anticipated Portuguese and French versions of the Virtual School along with the development of the Spanish version for communities in the Americas. abc* also looks to strengthen the organization’s technical capacities with updated servers. Watch their presentation at the Continuity Forum here.
• Echale a Tu Casa, based in Mexico, uses innovations in construction technology and finance to enable marginalized communities to build homes for themselves with proper materials. Once the basic need of housing is met, Echale encourages community participation to create further development that is economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable. To date, Echale has reached over 180,000 families over the last 25 years and 7,000 alone in 2012. abc* aims to expand Echale’s work by replicating the model globally. Watch their presentation at the Continuity Forum here.