Santa Clara University

GSBI - The GSBI Sector Strategy

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Sector Strategy

 
"What technologies, supplier network partners, business models, and financing mechanisms can lead to large-scale breakout solutions to the crisis in access to safe drinking water?  These are the issues that our sector strategy seeks to address.”  Jim Koch - Executive Director
 
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Environmental Planning Group Ltd, India

In 2008, the GSBI™ began sector-based research in collaboration with the World Resources Institute, Acumen Fund, Ashoka, and Water for People.  This effort is spearheaded by Dr. Allen Hammond, a Senior Entrepreneur at Ashoka and a Senior Research Fellow at Santa Clara's CSTS.  This effort integrates sector research with the experience of social entrepreneurs in an effort to create insights that benefit a whole class of enterprises. 

Using a cluster approach to community-based clean water, we hope to accelerate the scaling impact of social enterprises while inspiring replication and further innovation to resolve this global crisis.  Geographic distribution challenges appropriate technologies, financing mechanisms, and hybrid models are essential components of this effort. 
The vertical sector strategy began with a cluster of four community-scale water treatment enterprises who took part in the 2008 GSBI™.
The four water-based social enterprises are:

The initial results of this analysis have been shared through NextBillion, the most widely accessed website for knowledge sharing on 'bottom of the pyramid' solutions.  As this initiative progresses, we intend to develop case studies, peer-reviewed academic articles, and a practice development book chapter.  
View the White Paper on the Water Sector Initiative (pdf)

We hope the sector strategy catalyzes innovation, positively impacting water-sector social entrepreneurs, investor/communities, and their beneficiaries.  In the future we hope to expand to include off-grid power, communications, trade, and more.
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