Mission: Possible – Innovating for the World’s Most Marginalized

Description What happens when clean water becomes both a human right and a business puzzle? In this episode, we dive into Project Maji—a nonprofit social enterprise that builds solar-powered water kiosks across rural communities in Sub-Saharan Africa, starting in Ghana and Kenya. We follow founder Sunil Lalvani’s journey from witnessing a broken hand pump to designing a modular “Maji Cube” that de...

Description Across sub-Saharan Africa, hundreds of millions of people still live without reliable electricity. For many families, the night is lit only by candles or kerosene lamps—dangerous, unhealthy, and costly sources of light. In this episode, we explore how a Chinese social enterprise is working to change that reality. Shenzhen Power Solution (SPS), founded by entrepreneur Susan Li, has deve...

Description In this episode, we dive into the AFEX case—an African commodities exchange that set out to “help Africa feed itself” by connecting smallholder farmers and agribusinesses to transparent markets and finance. Starting in Nigeria, AFEX learned that building a world-class trading platform wasn’t enough: without solving last-mile problems like storage, grading, logistics, and trust, there w...

Description What does it take to deliver safe drinking water to communities where infrastructure is limited and traditional water systems don’t reach? In this episode, we explore the work of the Waterkiosk Foundation and its innovative approach to sustainable water access. Through decentralized water kiosks, the foundation combines solar-powered technology, community participation, and sustainable...

Description What if cleaning up a city could also put money in people’s pockets? This episode explores the inspiring case of Wecyclers, a Lagos-based social enterprise that uses incentives to change behavior, create jobs, and build a circular economy in one of Africa’s largest megacities. Founded in 2012, Wecyclers was born out of Lagos’s dual crisis of unmanaged waste and urban poverty—and a simp...

Description What happens when thousands of qualified women doctors are pushed out of the workforce—while millions of patients remain without access to care? In this episode, we explore the inspiring journey of Sehat Kahani, a pioneering digital health startup founded by Dr. Sara Saeed Khurram and Dr. Iffat Zafar Aga. Born out of the deeply rooted “doctor-bride” phenomenon in Pakistan, Sehat Kahani...

Description When nearly 60% of a city isn’t connected to sewers, what happens to the waste? This episode examines the rise of Bangalore’s honeysuckers—informal vacuum truck operators who emerged to manage fecal sludge in a city where municipal sanitation systems failed to keep pace with rapid urban growth. Operating in regulatory grey zones, these small private entrepreneurs stepped in to provide...

Description In a country where safe drinking water remains out of reach for millions, innovation is flowing far beyond pipes and pumps. This episode explores how off-grid and decentralized water services are reshaping access to safe drinking water in Haiti. With limited public infrastructure and recurring political and economic crises, private enterprises, social innovators, and NGOs have stepped...

Description What if access to safe drinking water could scale the same way small businesses do? In this episode, we explore the case of SwissFreshWater, a Switzerland-based social enterprise that delivers affordable, high-quality drinking water to underserved communities through a franchise-based kiosk model. Instead of relying solely on public utilities or aid-driven projects, SwissFreshWater emp...

Description How does a nonprofit grow from delivering school meals to transforming entire food systems? This episode explores the remarkable journey of Naandi Foundation, one of India’s most influential social innovation organizations. Founded in 1998, Naandi set out to prove that poverty eradication could be tackled at scale through professional management, community participation, and cross-sect...

Description In this episode, we explore how Bühler Group, a 160-year-old Swiss engineering company, redefined what innovation looks like in the food and grain industry. From the heart of Switzerland to fast-growing markets in Asia and Africa, Bühler has tackled one of food’s toughest challenges: how to modernize staple food production without losing tradition, quality, or nutrition. We dive into B...

Description In this episode, we explore the journey of Logy. AI, a healthtech startup redefining how oral healthcare is accessed, screened, and delivered—especially in underserved communities. Founded in India, Logy. AI uses artificial intelligence and smartphone technology to turn everyday photos of the mouth into instant oral health screenings. Through WhatsApp chatbots, web apps, and API integr...

Description What does refrigeration look like when designed not for luxury, but for real life at the base of the pyramid? In this episode, we explore ChotuKool, the radically affordable, portable refrigerator developed by Godrej & Boyce to serve millions of Indian households that had never owned a fridge. Created for rural and low-income consumers facing unreliable electricity, tight living sp...

Description In this episode, we explore the inspiring story of Water Access To All (W.A.T.A.), a young nonprofit proving that solving the global water crisis doesn’t always require massive infrastructure—sometimes it starts with people, backpacks, and the right partnerships. Founded in 2024, W.A.T.A. focuses on delivering immediate access to safe drinking water through simple, durable household fi...

Descriptions What happens when a cement company decides to tackle poverty, not just sell products? In this episode, we dive into the story of Patrimonio Hoy—an award-winning social innovation launched by CEMEX in Mexico that revolutionized how low-income families build their homes. Facing a housing deficit, financial exclusion, and the inefficiencies of informal construction, Patrimonio Hoy create...

Description In this episode, we explore how Devergy is reimagining rural electrification in East Africa through smart technology and an innovative Energy-as-a-Service model. Founded in Tanzania, Devergy set out to solve a persistent challenge: how to deliver affordable, reliable electricity to off-grid communities where traditional grid expansion is slow, costly, or uncertain. Instead of selling s...

Description In this episode, we explore how M-KOPA transformed access to energy—and financial inclusion—for millions of low-income households across Africa. Founded in Kenya, M-KOPA pioneered a pay-as-you-go (PAYG) model that allows customers to purchase solar home systems and other essential assets through small, flexible mobile payments. By combining clean energy technology with mobile money and...

Description In this episode, we dive into the groundbreaking sanitation work of SOIL (Sustainable Organic Integrated Livelihoods), a nonprofit that is redefining what safe, dignified sanitation looks like in dense urban communities. Operating in Haiti, where traditional sewer systems are often impractical or nonexistent, SOIL pioneered a container-based sanitation model that provides households wi...

Description In this episode, we explore Project Shakti, one of the most influential inclusive business initiatives ever launched by Unilever. What began in rural India in 2001 as an experiment in last-mile distribution has grown into a massive network of women micro-entrepreneurs—transforming both how products reach remote villages and how economic power is shared. Facing stagnation in urban marke...

Description In this episode, we explore the story behind Hippo Roller, one of the most iconic examples of frugal innovation in global development. Born in rural South Africa, the Hippo Roller tackles a fundamental challenge faced by millions of people worldwide: the daily burden of collecting water. Instead of carrying heavy buckets on their heads, women and children can roll up to 90 liters of wa...

Description In this episode, we unpack how The Coca-Cola Company solved one of the toughest problems in emerging markets: reaching millions of small, informal retailers where trucks can’t go and infrastructure is limited. Born in Ethiopia in the late 1990s, Coca-Cola’s Micro-Distribution Center (MDC) model flipped traditional logistics on its head. Instead of relying on large-scale distributors, C...

Description What does it take to bring reliable electricity to rural communities that the grid may never reach? In this episode, we explore the rise, impact, and hard-earned lessons of Mobisol, a pioneering off-grid solar company that helped shape the pay-as-you-go (PAYG) energy model in East Africa. Founded in Germany and scaled across Tanzania, Rwanda, and Kenya, Mobisol provided solar home syst...

Description For millions of low-income families, a safe and dignified home is the foundation for health, security, and opportunity—but traditional housing markets often leave them behind. In this episode, we explore the work of MIA (Mejoramiento Integral Asistido), a Mexican social enterprise that has transformed how affordable housing is built and financed for rural and peri-urban communities. Fo...

Description For nearly three billion people worldwide, cooking still means open fires or inefficient stoves—exposing families to toxic smoke, accelerating deforestation, and consuming hours of unpaid labor every day. In this episode, we explore the impact of Eco Cookstoves and the broader clean cooking movement, focusing on how affordable, fuel-efficient cookstoves are reshaping daily life in low-...

Description What if agricultural waste could power entire villages—and unlock economic opportunity for millions? In this episode, we explore the journey of Husk Power Systems, a pioneering renewable energy company that began by turning rice husks into electricity for off-grid villages in India and evolved into a global leader in solar hybrid mini-grids. Founded in Bihar, one of India’s most energy...