Africa Social Enterprise Forum 2009
 
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Our Featured Morning Keynote, Craig Newmark, Founder of Craigslist, has been the subject of an interesting in-depth Wired article criticizing Craigslist and concluding that Craig has created amongst the most-impressive start-ups online. 

Read Wired's Why Craigslist Is Such a Mess here and check out a review of the article here by A VC Blogger Fred Wilson.

 
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Multi-media Guru Michael Trainer to collaborate with the Africa Social Enterprise Forum. Learn more about Michael's pattern-breaking work at his website. Please click this link.

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Samasource connects women, youth and refugees in Africa to economic opportunity and life-changing computer skills through an innovative business model.  We are excited to have Leila join ASEF as a speaker.  You can read more about Samasource's work through Leila's Social Edge blog

 
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So, what do you think?  Surely Kibera Slum Tours will generate profit for someone, but isn't there something of an irony about making money by highlighting poverty?  There are similar tours of Soweto--which has historic landmarks such as the only street in the world (Vilakazi Street) that has been home to two Nobel laureates (Mandela&Tutu).  How does Kibera Slum Tours fit into the Social Enterprise landscape?

 
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Earlier this year, I was lucky enough to listen to Cheryl Dorsey speak at NYU through the Reynolds Speaker Series.  I was not only stimulated intellectually (Cheryl self-identifies as a closet academic), but quite moved by Cheryl's story of transcending and cross-interpreting different cultures and socio-economic categories as a social entrepreneur.  Cheryl spoke about her experience attending one of the world's most elite medical institutions--Harvard Medical School--and being only steps away from among the highest infant mortality rates in the country. What struck me is that she was not just a casual observer, but someone who decided to Do Something.  She established the Family Van, a mobile clinic in inner-city Boston that helped make basic healthcare accessible to low-income households living around the corner from elite institutions such as Harvard Medical School.

Download a PodCast of Cheryl Dorsey speaking at NYU Reynolds Here