Spring 2017 PROJECTS
Below is a list of our ongoing student-led consulting projects. Each team consists of three to five CU graduate students who provide pro-bono consulting for an impact investing firm or social enterprise. This is a unique CI3 program that allows students to directly engage with and acquire experience in the field of social impact.
The project scope and final deliverable are agreed upon prior with CI3 in a detailed TOR, and the team reports to both the client and CI3 board members throughout the semester.
For more information regarding:
1) previous projects and deliverables, or
2) to be considered as a potential client, please reach out!
Below is a list of our ongoing student-led consulting projects. Each team consists of three to five CU graduate students who provide pro-bono consulting for an impact investing firm or social enterprise. This is a unique CI3 program that allows students to directly engage with and acquire experience in the field of social impact.
The project scope and final deliverable are agreed upon prior with CI3 in a detailed TOR, and the team reports to both the client and CI3 board members throughout the semester.
For more information regarding:
1) previous projects and deliverables, or
2) to be considered as a potential client, please reach out!
Chancel Corp.
Chancel Corp. is a socially focused enterprise with a hybrid business model whose mission is workforce development and charitable giving with a focus on Haiti. Chancel has partnered with One Egg, which addresses poverty and hunger by providing children one egg a day for their daily nutrition.
Chancel is building a model poultry farm in Haiti which will serve as a training ground for small local farmers who wish to start smaller poultry farms. Chancel would like to offer access to credit via a micro-lending fund specifically for the farmers.
Project objective:
• Design a loan product for small poultry farmers based on asset lending
• Incorporate recommendations for fin-tech for digital transactions
Chancel is building a model poultry farm in Haiti which will serve as a training ground for small local farmers who wish to start smaller poultry farms. Chancel would like to offer access to credit via a micro-lending fund specifically for the farmers.
Project objective:
• Design a loan product for small poultry farmers based on asset lending
• Incorporate recommendations for fin-tech for digital transactions
Centre for Science of Student Learning (CSSL)
CSSL’s is a social enterprise in India with a mission to improve the way children learn by building
capacity to measure learning through high quality assessments and research into the science of
student learning. CSSL is a hybrid institute of learning, research and implementation.
Project Objective:
• Use primary data on learning outcomes and other background variables for almost 650 public
rural schools
• Analyze patterns and novel relationships between different variables of interest.
• Formulate solutions for the policy makers to effectively improve learning levels in the state.
• Suggest avenues where further data collection can lead to better insights.
capacity to measure learning through high quality assessments and research into the science of
student learning. CSSL is a hybrid institute of learning, research and implementation.
Project Objective:
• Use primary data on learning outcomes and other background variables for almost 650 public
rural schools
• Analyze patterns and novel relationships between different variables of interest.
• Formulate solutions for the policy makers to effectively improve learning levels in the state.
• Suggest avenues where further data collection can lead to better insights.
Value For Women and ANDE: Project #1
Value for Women is a UK-based social enterprise focusing on enhancing gender and social inclusion by designing tools and strategies with partners working in the SME and entrepreneurship sector broadly, and providing capacity-building expertise to impact investors, banks, multinational companies, and NGOs. This study will focus on testing and systematizing the effectiveness of a rural-focused psychometric scoring tool, designed and piloted during 2016 as an alternative credit risk assessment process for rural Mexican borrowers.
Project Objective:
• Literature Review of psychometric testing used by others for financial inclusion of women
• Data analysis of 3600 applications for credit, and drawing out findings on gender
• Create a case study from findings about loan portfolio performance, desegregated by gender
• Prepare a report and a presentation of findings, to be presented to Value for Women, ANDE and other stakeholders and advisory committee members
Project Objective:
• Literature Review of psychometric testing used by others for financial inclusion of women
• Data analysis of 3600 applications for credit, and drawing out findings on gender
• Create a case study from findings about loan portfolio performance, desegregated by gender
• Prepare a report and a presentation of findings, to be presented to Value for Women, ANDE and other stakeholders and advisory committee members
RESOLUTION PROJECT (2)
Value for Women is a UK-based social enterprise focusing on enhancing gender and social inclusion by designing tools and strategies with partners working in the SME and entrepreneurship sector broadly, and providing capacity-building expertise to impact investors, banks, multinational companies, and NGOs. This project will be implemented by Value for Women and the Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs in DC and in Mexico. It examines the opportunity to support the inclusion of women in agriculture supply chains in Mexico.
Project Outline:
• Gather benchmarks or case studies on how to improve participation of women in agricultural supply chains in Mexico and globally
• Prepare a presentation of preliminary findings and present to Value for Women, ANDE and other stakeholders and advisory committee members at the end of the project period
Project Outline:
• Gather benchmarks or case studies on how to improve participation of women in agricultural supply chains in Mexico and globally
• Prepare a presentation of preliminary findings and present to Value for Women, ANDE and other stakeholders and advisory committee members at the end of the project period
Folia Water
Folia Water is a Pittsburgh based social enterprise that developed and manufactures nano silver-infused water filter papers that can provide safe drinking water for billions at the cost of less than a penny a day. Each of Folia Water’s silver-nanoparticle filter papers can purify 100 liter of water, 2 weeks of water for a family, and can be produced for pennies on standard paper machinery with its patent-pending process.
Project Objective:
• Conduct a review of the impact investing space by geography and approach.
• Review and understand the materials presented to different types of impact investors, along the archetypal lines uncovered in objective 1.
• Review Folia Water’s new business plan in the context of research conducted throughout the project.
Project Objective:
• Conduct a review of the impact investing space by geography and approach.
• Review and understand the materials presented to different types of impact investors, along the archetypal lines uncovered in objective 1.
• Review Folia Water’s new business plan in the context of research conducted throughout the project.
Poupa Certo
Poupa Certo is a mobile app for unbanked and underbanked consumers in Brazil that uses gamification and behavioral change theory to organize their budget, track spending, define and track savings goals, achieve those goals through motivational and tangible rewards, and access formal financial services tailored to our users' profiles.
Project Outline:
• Use, organize, and model current company's information to help us refine their impact investment strategy to reach impact investors to boost Poupa Certo's growth in the next 12 months
• Narrow the indicators found above to a successful list that impact investors are most willing to look at when deciding to invest in a fin-tech start-up on the field of personal finances in the social impact ecosystem.
Project Outline:
• Use, organize, and model current company's information to help us refine their impact investment strategy to reach impact investors to boost Poupa Certo's growth in the next 12 months
• Narrow the indicators found above to a successful list that impact investors are most willing to look at when deciding to invest in a fin-tech start-up on the field of personal finances in the social impact ecosystem.
Duma Works
Founded in Nairobi in 2012, Duma Works is a human centered, technology driven recruitment platform that helps growing companies in Sub-Saharan Africa recruit top talent. With 80,000+ users, over 400 small and medium enterprises across sub-Saharan Africa have used Duma Works to find top talent and grow their organizations, leveraging customized soft and technical skill screening. Duma Works is also launching a suite of HR services.
Project Outline:
• Review Duma Works’ business model, including company overview, products and services, the market, and operational plan
• Develop a financial model, relevant to Duma Works new service offerings and their current working model with ongoing service offerings.
Project Outline:
• Review Duma Works’ business model, including company overview, products and services, the market, and operational plan
• Develop a financial model, relevant to Duma Works new service offerings and their current working model with ongoing service offerings.
EduSim
EduSim is a NYC-based Ed Tech Startup building a chat/bot-based learning platform for English language learning in Brazil and elsewhere. Comprising computer scientists and psychologists with a passion for building innovative education formats based on the latest mobile technologies and deliver them to underserved populations, EduSim focuses on English language learning in Brazil, and is exploring a big opportunity and need for guidance counseling students with talent and ambitions who are stuck in unsupportive und under-resourced public school systems across the developing world.
Project Outline:
• Research models of college and life counseling in different geographical contexts that can be scaled for use as part of Edusim's service.
• Using a design-thinking framework, develop a plan for how mentoring can be scaled through Edusim.
Project Outline:
• Research models of college and life counseling in different geographical contexts that can be scaled for use as part of Edusim's service.
• Using a design-thinking framework, develop a plan for how mentoring can be scaled through Edusim.
Fundacion Chile
Fundacion Chile is a private non-profit organization that fosters innovation by developing local and international networks, delivering high impact solutions in areas such as sustainability, human capital development, education, aquaculture, entrepreneurship, and foods. A self-proclaimed “do-tank,” FC has created more than 65 companies in diverse industries, partnering with more than 160 international organizations–companies, governments and technological centers, among others—in 35 countries.
Project Outline:
• Assist Fundacion Chile with ongoing and new projects across education, biotechnology and
sustainability.
Project Outline:
• Assist Fundacion Chile with ongoing and new projects across education, biotechnology and
sustainability.
