InclusiveBusiness.net

The platform for IB practitioners Managed by iBAN

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5

Bridging the Inclusive Business Talent Gap

How entrepreneurs, funders, educators and academics are investing in developing IB talent

In Your Words

In Your Words

Entrepreneurs share inclusive business insights

"The job of any entrepreneur is to take dreams seriously. Don't spend a year or two years in research and development, trying to build the perfect solution for a customer you probably don't understand. Get something in customer's hands right away and let them tell you what to build."

Jeff Schnurr

Jeff Schnurr, Jaza CEO

 

“As a woman entrepreneur, you think about all the people you are dealing with around you, and maybe that makes you more successful.”

Elizabeth Gikebe

Elizabeth Gikebe, Founder and CEO of Mhogo Foods

 

“I think for us we believe that when you employ the farmer, you employ the whole nation, because I think food is very much the basic core of any country.”

Moses Kimani

Moses Kimani, CEO of Lentera Africa

 

“Let’s embrace the recycling economy.”

Zablon Wekesa Wanyama

Zablon Wekesa Wanyama

 

“We were in London, planning to come to Kenya for one week, and we were debating, should we go and get bananas from Tesco? And bring them with us to Kenya? When you go to the supermarket in Kenya the bananas are shockingly bad.”

Ann Marie Ken & Nancy Karie May

Ann Marie Ken & Nancy Karie May

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Susann Tischendorf
Susann leads the Communication and Digital Innovation agenda of iBAN. She is an experienced International Development Professional and visual storyteller. Susann led and supported private sector reform projects in Europe, Africa, South America, South East Asia, and South Asia for multilateral organizations, including GIZ GmbH, the United Nations, and the World Bank Group. She is particularly passionate about using visual storytelling to help shed a light on the inspiring work of local communities and global changemakers. Her work has been awarded and exhibited internationally. She recently received the Silver Trophy at the Deauville Green Awards.
Table of contents

graphic summary

GRAPHIC SUMMARY

A visual summary of the key challenges entrepreneurs need to consider when it comes to bridging the talent gap in inclusive business. Learn more about these aspects by reading this fifth edition of the newly developed online magazine on…

editorial

UNIQUE BLEND OF SKILLS ARE NEEDED TO GROW — AND SCALE — THE INCLUSIVE BUSINESS SECTOR

Chair of the CLUED-iN Editorial Committee, Caroline Ashley, sets the stage for this issue of the online magazine by offering her perspective on the type of talent that must be developed to grow and scale the inclusive business sector.

Caroline Ashley

feature story

In the wake of system-wide underinvestment in the talent gap, IB funders and practitioners are nonetheless innovating solutions

As Caroline Ashley explains in her Editorial, we do not yet understand the size and scope of the talent gap facing the inclusive business (IB) world. We do know that to stem the tide of global climate change, environmental degradation, and mass inequality, the IB sector needs to both grow and scale. With entrepreneurs and funders citing talent challenges—in terms of recruitment, training, and development—at every level of organizational growth, we ought to be investing in solving this problem.

Dana Gulley

Entrepreneurs and funders must address talent challenges to successfully scale

The CASE at Duke’s Erin Worsham and Mercy Corps Venture’s Amanda West preview talent insights from world’s leading social enterprises ahead of the Scaling Pathways report, which will be released in May 2019.
Blog post
Entrepreneurs and funders must address talent challenges to successfully scale
Leaders of successful social enterprises share their insights for managing talent at scale
Erin Worsham

Talent challenges can inhibit growth, but solutions are possible

Talented managers are critical for small and growing businesses (SGBs), which are key actors in driving inclusive growth. However, finding and developing these managers can be especially difficult in emerging markets. Learn how the Argidius-ANDE Talent Challenge has led to real solutions.
Blog post
Talent challenges can inhibit growth, but solutions are possible
Key lessons learned from the Argidius-ANDE Talent Challenge
Caren Holzman

Freely accessible online courses can help changemakers fill their skill gaps

+Acumen is keenly aware of the hard and soft skills that changemakers need to build and scale successful social enterprises. Through online courses focused on human-centred business, systems thinking, and unit economics, for example, thousands of entrepreneurs worldwide are filling their skill gaps.
Interview
Freely accessible online courses can help changemakers fill their skill gaps
Interview with Amy Ahearn (+Acumen) by Susann Tischendorf
Inclusive Business Action Network

Entrepreneurship training is broken. Now what?

Classroom-based training has proven limited in its impact on entrepreneurs, leading African Management Initiative to partner with researchers at MIT to develop a practice-based approach that is showing early signs of being effective in helping businesses to not only survive but thrive.
Blog post
Entrepreneurship training is broken. Now what?
How a pan-African social enterprise is delivering a scalable and impact-driven model to support SMEs
Rebecca Harrison

Enterprises need tools and frameworks to support talent development in base of the pyramid markets

Ted London recognises the need to focus on talent development to scale inclusive business models in base of the pyramid (BoP) markets. According to Ted, enterprises should focus on developing talent with humility, the skills needed for co-creation with the BoP and the capacity to productively engage with the development community.
Interview
Enterprises need tools and frameworks to support talent development in base of the pyramid markets
Interview with Ted London (Ross School of Business, University of Michigan) by Carolina Zishiri
Inclusive Business Action Network

A systematic approach is needed to overcome the talent gap

Essilor has been in the vision care industry since the industry’s inception. As the company focuses its attention on inclusive business models to serve the underserved, Hans shares his team’s lessons learned for recruitment and talent development at the base of the pyramid.
Interview
A systematic approach is needed to overcome the talent gap
Interview with Anurag Hans (Essilor) by Carolina Zishiri
Inclusive Business Action Network

Diverse boardrooms mean diverse executive teams: Matching female talent with boards in Africa to address the gap

Marcia Ashong and her team have set out to overcome the systemic challenge of leadership ladders that look like pyramids for women across Africa—while women are represented well at the bottom, there are too few in leadership positions at the top.
Interview
Diverse boardrooms mean diverse executive teams: Matching female talent with boards in Africa to address the gap
Interview with Marcia Ashong (Founder, TheBoardroom Africa) by Dana S. Gulley
Inclusive Business Action Network

LGT Venture Philanthropy tackled its portfolio’s talent gap with impact fellowhip programme

After identifying that their high-impact portfolio companies were all struggling to find the right talent, LGT Venture Philanthropy developed a fellowship programme to help bridge the gap. Moser suggests that entrepreneurs who are struggling with this same challenge should find investors and partners who can provide support.
Interview
LGT Venture Philanthropy tackled its portfolio’s talent gap with impact fellowhip programme
Interview with Marc Moser (LGT Impact) by Dana S. Gulley
Inclusive Business Action Network

Innovating for global responsibility

Sommer and Hart are focussed on transforming management education to develop the next generation of globally responsible leaders—which requires first asking fundamentally different questions and second taking courageous, bold action.
Blog post
Innovating for global responsibility
The Sustainable Innovation MBA at the Grossman School of Business embodies a movement facilitated by the Globally Responsible Leadership Initiative to transform management education
Claire Sommer

In Your Words

Entrepreneurs working in African countries offer a snapshot into what drives them to use business to solve problems in local communities.
Inspiring story
In Your Words
Entrepreneurs share inclusive business insights
Susann Tischendorf

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