| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | ||
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1 | Date | Guest Speaker | Required Readings | Discussion Questions | Optional Readings | Recommended Listening | @dropdown | ||||||||||||||||||||
2 | PART 1: KEY CHALLENGES | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
3 | Tuesday | 20-Jan | 1. Introduction | • Lazarow, A. (2020). "Beyond Silicon Valley." Harvard Business Review. • Breznitz, D. (2021). Innovation in Real Places: Strategies for Prosperity in an Unforgiving World. Oxford University Press, USA. (Chapter 1: “The New Globlization of Innovation.”) • Rest of World (2023). “40 Companies That Are Beating the West.” <https://restofworld.org/2023/rest-vs-west/> | • Contrast the approaches to global innovation found in the Breznitz and Lazarow readings. Which piece resonated more with you? • Consider a city or region you know well. Is it an innovation center? Which of the four stages of innovation describes it best? • What are some of the unifying features that distinguish the environments of entrepreneurs operating in emerging economies from those in more mature economies? • Take a look at Rest of World’s list of 40 companies. What strikes you about the selections? Any unifying themes connecting the business models of the selected firms? • What global forces are likely to shift the geography of innovation in 2024 and beyond? | • Habiby, Anne S., and Deirdre M. Coyle. "The High-Intensity Entrepreneur." Harvard Business Review 88.9 (2010): 74-78. • Florida, Richard and Ian Hathaway. “How the Geography of Startups and Innovation Is Changing.” Harvard Business Review (2018). | • “How Entrepreneurs Succeed Outside Silicon Valley,” HBR IdeaCast, <https://hbr.org/podcast/2020/04/how-entrepreneurs-succeed-outside-silicon-valley> • “Silicon Valley is Not Normal — What Innovation Looks Like in the Real World,” The Essential Podcast, <https://www.spglobal.com/en/research-insights/articles/the-essential-podcast-episode-43-silicon-valley-is-not-normal-what-innovation-looks-like-in-the-real-world> | ||||||||||||||||||||
4 | Thursday | 22-Jan | 2. Ecosystems and Hubs | • “A Note on Entrepreneurial Ecosystems in Developing Economies.” Stanford GSB Case Note (2016). • Gonzalez-Uribe, Juanita, and Michael Leatherbee. "The effects of business accelerators on venture performance: Evidence from start-up Chile." The Review of Financial Studies 31.4 (2018): 1566-1603. [Please read Introduction, Discussion, & Conclusion sections and skim the rest] | • Evaluate the eight pillars framework given by the Stanford case note. Is there anything you would change, add, or subtract if you were creating your own taxonomy of an entrepreneurial ecosystem? • Do you think dynamic entrepreneurial ecosystems can be deliberately engineered by public or private actors? If yes, how? If not, why not? • Using the eight pillars, evaluate Philadelphia or another ecosystem you know well. What are the strongest and weakest aspects of the ecosystem? • How does this framework intersect with the four stages of innovation discussed in the reading from Innovation in Real Places from the previous class? Are they compatible? • Hubs and coworking spaces are an aggregate of several functions: how do they provide value to emerging firms? What do you view as the most important function? • The study of Start-Up Chile found that entrepreneurship schooling improved venture performance, but basic services like coworking space didn’t have much impact. Why do you think this might be? Do you think this generalizes to other countries and contexts? | • Ali, N., Cali, M., & Rijkers, B. (2025). Promoting Innovative Startups: Quasi-Experimental Evidence from Tunisia. Journal of Development Economics, 177, 103539. • Assenova, V. A. (2020). “Early-stage venture incubation and mentoring promote learning, scaling, and profitability among disadvantaged entrepreneurs.” Organization Science, 31(6), 1560-1578. • Fehder, D. C. (2024). Coming from a good pond: The influence of a new venture’s founding ecosystem on accelerator performance. Administrative Science Quarterly, 69(1), 1-38. • Isenberg, Daniel J. "How to Start an Entrepreneurial Revolution." Harvard Business Review 88.6 (2010): 40-50. | • “Innovation Hubs (CcHub, iHub & others),” Afrobility, <https://www.afrobility.com/episode/12-innovation-hubs-cchub-ihub-others-how-african-incubators-accelerators-co-working-spaces-are-nurturing-entrepreneurship-and-building-the-tech-ecosystem> | ||||||||||||||||||||
5 | Tuesday | 27-Jan | 3. Talent | • “Andela: Africa's AWS for Talent.” Harvard Business School Case (2021). • Carranza, E., & McKenzie, D. (2024). Job training and job search assistance policies in developing countries. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 38(1), 221-244. | • Discuss some shifting forces in the global talent landscape over the past decade. • What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of high-investment internal training programs? • How does risk tolerance impact the ability of founders to recruit talent? • What have been some of the challenges encountered by labor market intermediation programs? • Are there any talent “arbitrage” opportunities that you think are underexploited? | • Kempner, Randall. “Help Wanted: Solving the Talent Challenge for Emerging Market Entrepreneurs.” Financial Times (2015). • Chutel, Lynsey. “One Year in the Infuriating and Humiliating Search for a Job in South Africa.” The New York Times (2023). | • “Smart People Should Build Things – On Recruiting and the Global Competition for Top Talent,” The Flip, <https://theflip.africa/podcast/s2e10/> • “Investing in Future Africa with Iyinoluwa Aboyeji,” Glocal Citizens, <https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5maXJlc2lkZS5mbS9nbG9jYWxjaXRpemVucy9yc3M/episode/YzZiMjU5NTEtYzQ5Yi00NDc2LWFlZmItNmUxMWM1MzZkYWNk> | ||||||||||||||||||||
6 | Thursday | 29-Jan | 4. Economic and Social Institutions | • “Entrepreneurship in a Harsh Business Climate: Reform-Era Vietnam.” Stanford GSB Case (2003). • Hoang, K. K. (2018). “Risky investments: How local and foreign investors finesse corruption-rife emerging markets.” American Sociological Review, 83(4), 657-685. [Please read Findings section, pp. 666-679, you may skim the rest] | • How did the three Vietnamese entrepreneurs in the case navigate the market reform transition period? • Dispute resolution is a key theme in each of the three entrepreneurs’ stories. How do they approach disputes in the absence of reliable courts? • How do intermediaries and credibility-enhancing organizations impact the trust environment in a given market? • How does economic inequality within a country interact with its institutional environment? | • Campos, F., Goldstein, M., & McKenzie, D. J. (2018). “How should the government bring small firms into the formal system? Experimental evidence from Malawi.” World Bank Policy Research Working Paper, (8601). • Levy, Brian, et al. "South Africa: When Strong Institutions and Massive Inequalities Collide." (2021). Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. <https://carnegieendowment.org/2021/03/18/south-africa-when-strong-institutions-and-massive-inequalities-collide-pub-84063>. | • “The Story of Vietnam’s Economic Revolution,” Dollar & Sense, <https://www.brookings.edu/podcast-episode/the-story-of-vietnams-economic-revolution/> | ||||||||||||||||||||
7 | Tuesday | 3-Feb | 5. Geopolitics and Political Risk | Jihyo Lee, FADU | • [listen or read] Patel, Nilay. “Inside the Global Battle Over Chip Manufacturing.” <https://www.theverge.com/23578430/chip-war-chris-miller-asml-intel-apple-samsung-us-china-decoder> • Lerner, Josh, et al. "China’s rise reshaped global entrepreneurship and expanded the benefits of innovation." VoxDev research summary (2024). <https://voxdev.org/topic/technology-innovation/chinas-rise-reshaped-global-entrepreneurship-and-expanded-benefits> | • How can firms prepare differently for local political risk (e.g. the Arab Spring) versus global political risk (e.g. the 2008 crisis)? • Discuss the importance of on-the-ground knowledge with respect to assessing local political risk. • In what ways do geopolitical tensions, like those between the U.S. and China, influence the global semiconductor industry? How should global companies navigate these tensions? • Discuss the ethical and economic considerations involved in restricting technology exports to certain countries, as seen in the case of the U.S. pressuring the Netherlands to limit exports to China. | • Miller, C. (2022). Chip War: The Fight for the World's Most Critical Technology. Simon and Schuster. • Bounds, Andy. “Entrepreneurs Weigh Effects of Geopolitical Upheaval.” Financial Times (2019). | • “What Global Political Risk Consulting is All About w/ Ian Bremmer, Eurasia Group,” Time4Coffee, <https://time4coffee.org/339-what-global-political-risk-consulting-is-all-about-w-ian-bremmer-eurasia-group/> | |||||||||||||||||||
8 | Thursday | 5-Feb | 6. Early-Stage Financing | • Zaccaria, L. (2023). "Are family and friends the wrong investors? Evidence from US start-ups." Journal of Corporate Finance, 79, 102368. [Please read Introduction, you may skim the rest] • Wright, N. L., Koning, R., & Khanna, T. (2023). Judging foreign startups. Strategic Management Journal, 44(9), 2195-2225. [Please read Introduction, you may skim the rest] | • Discuss some of the benefits and drawbacks of bootstrapping in the early stages of growth. • Zaccaria (2023) shows that in the U.S., informal financing can reduce the likelihood of future fundraising. Do you think this finding would extend to emerging markets? Why or why not? • How do legal regimes and country of incorporation affect a firm’s ability to raise funding? | • Mason, C., Botelho, T., & Harrison, R. (2019). "The changing nature of angel investing: some research implications." Venture Capital, 21(2-3), 177-194. • “A Note on Financing Entrepreneurial Ventures in Developing Economies.” Stanford GSB Case Note (2020). • Arditti, Guillaume. “How to Close Africa’s Financing Gap.” World Economic Forum (2019). <https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2019/02/closing-africa-s-financing-gap> | • “Yele Bademosi – On people, startups and funding in Africa, pt 1,” Building the Future, <https://drdotun.com/yele-bademosi-on-people-startups-and-funding-in-africa-pt-1/> • “Seedstars World in Asia with Karen Mok,” Analyze Asia, <https://analyse.asia/2015/12/20/episode-82-seedstars-world-in-asia-with-karen-mok/> | ||||||||||||||||||||
9 | Tuesday | 10-Feb | 7. Venture Capital | • “Scaling ALLVP in Latin America.” Stanford GSB Case (2020). • [Please read Introduction and Section III ("The Engineering Problem")] Gilson, Ronald J. "Engineering a Venture Capital Market: Lessons from the American Experience." Stanford Law Review 55 (2002): 1067. | • What makes it difficult for the government or other players to engineer a dynamic venture capital market? • How does staged financing assist in managing uncertainty? • Is traditional venture capital investment the best funding structure for firms in developing and emerging economies? What aspects could be changed to better suit these contexts? • Are you sold on the “fixer-upper” strategy described in the Alvarez-Garrido paper? Why or why not? | • Alvarez-Garrido, E. (2023). “Move-in Ready or Fixer-Upper? VC Specialization and Start-up Innovation.” Strategy Science, 8(3), 368-386 • Guler, I., & Guillén, M. F. (2010). "Institutions and the internationalization of US venture capital firms." Journal of International Business Studies, 41, 185-205. • Lerner, Josh, and Joacim Tåg. "Institutions and Venture Capital." Industrial and Corporate Change 22.1 (2013): 153-182.. | • “A Vision of Venture Capital in Latin America Amid the Pandemic,” Latin America News, <https://labsnews.com/en/news/technology/a-vision-of-venture-capital-in-latin-america-amid-the-pandemic/> • “VC Investment Booming in Africa,” The Moneypot, <https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-15-vc-investment-booming-in-africa/id1475500357?i=1000468170264> • “Building at VC Scale in Southeast Asia,” The AWS Startup Podcast, <https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/building-at-vc-scale-in-southeast-asia/id1482058988?i=1000488074126> • “Becoming the youngest female VC partner in LatAm: Antonia Rojas, ALLVP,” Latitud Podcast, <https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5idXp6c3Byb3V0LmNvbS85OTU3MjIucnNz/episode/QnV6enNwcm91dC05MDU3MjAy> | ||||||||||||||||||||
10 | Thursday | 12-Feb | 8. Boundary of the Firm and Professional Services | • “Polymath Ventures: Building an International Incubator.” USC Marshall Case SCG-521 (2016). • Anderson, S. J., & McKenzie, D. (2021). “What Prevents More Small Firms from Using Professional Business Services? An Information and Quality-Rating Experiment in Nigeria.” World Bank Working Paper. [Please read Introduction, Section 4.5, and Conclusion] | • Discuss when and why a start-up might prefer to use professional services versus building a capability in-house. What are some of the considerations that go into these decisions? • What are some of the particular challenges faced in emerging markets with respect to business services? • What do you think about Polymath’s dilemma with respect to shared services? Should they spin them off, dissolve them, or keep them in house? • Discuss the results of the Anderson and McKenzie (2023) experiment in Nigeria. Why do you think they found what they did? | • “Empowering businesses and the middle class of Latin America: Wenyi Cai, Polymath,” Latitud Podcast, <https://www.latitud.com/podcast/127-empowering-businesses-and-the-middle-class-of-latin-america-wenyi-cai-polymath> | |||||||||||||||||||||
11 | Tuesday | 17-Feb | 9. Impact | • Addy, Chris, et al. "Calculating the Value of Impact Investing: An Evidence-Based Way to Estimate Social and Environmental Returns." Harvard Business Review 97.1 (2019): 102-109. • Aisbett, Emma, et al. “Do Multinational Corporations Exploit Foreign Workers?” JHC Fritz Foley, Global Goliaths: Multinational Corporations in the 21st Century Economy (2021): 259-300. <https://haas.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/Global_Goliaths_7_Aisbett-Harrison-Levine-Scorse-Silver_2p_hc.pdf> | • How can investors estimate the value of social or environmental returns? What are some of the associated practical and moral issues? • What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of trying to simultaneously maximize financial and social returns (i.e., the double- or triple-bottom line approach)? • How should entrepreneurs in emerging markets think about approaching an impact investor versus a more traditional funding source? • How does a firm’s legal status affect its ability to raise funding? | • Chen, Jane. “Should Your Business Be Nonprofit or For-Profit?” Harvard Business Review (2013). • Simons, Bright. “A Short Story of Transmediary Platforms.” Breakthrough, Chapter 11. Brookings Institution Press (2022). | • “Jane Chen – Embrace the Entrepreneurial Journey,” Stanford eCorner, <https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5zb3VuZGNsb3VkLmNvbS91c2Vycy9zb3VuZGNsb3VkOnVzZXJzOjIwMTg2ODAvc291bmRzLnJzcw/episode/dGFnOnNvdW5kY2xvdWQsMjAxMDp0cmFja3MvMjkwMDgyNzE1> | ||||||||||||||||||||
12 | Thursday | 19-Feb | 10. Context-Specific Innovation | • “ZipDial: Reaching the Next Three Billion Consumers.” Stanford GSB Case IDE07. | • What role does experimentation play in the development of products for local markets? • Discuss some of the ways that ZipDial leveraged understanding of local consumer behavior in designing their campaigns. • What is the value in being able to connect offline to online behaviors? | • Christensen, Clayton M., Efosa Ojomo, and Karen Dillon. "Cracking Frontier Markets." Harvard Business Review (2019). • Netessine, Serguei and Ioana Popescu. “A Lean Startup Approach to International Development.” Harvard Business Review (2014). | • “Sanjay Swamy, Prime Venture Partners,” 100x Entrepreneur, <https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/sanjay-swamy-prime-venture-partners/id1457308560?i=1000463718137> | ||||||||||||||||||||
13 | Tuesday | 24-Feb | 11. Artificial Intelligence | • “Sama: Building an Ethical AI Business.” INSEAD Case (2022). • Ahmad, Tauseef, and Raina, Sajid. “ChatGPT is huge in India. These locally focused startups found a way to compete.” Rest of World (2025). <https://restofworld.org/2025/chatgpt-india-alternative-ai-llms/> | • How is the rise of generative AI tools reshaping the global outsourcing industry? Discuss the implications for businesses in industrialized nations that rely on outsourced labor. • What are the ethical considerations for businesses when replacing human labor with AI-generated content or services? • Considering that many outsourced workers are in developing countries, what could be the economic impact of AI on these regions? How might this affect the global economic balance? • What strategies can freelancers and contract workers employ to adapt to the increasing use of AI in their fields? | • Wang, Xiaofei, et al. "ChatGPT: promise and challenges for deployment in low-and middle-income countries." The Lancet Regional Health–Western Pacific 41 (2023). | • “Technology Solving the ‘Prosperity Paradox’ - Guest: Wendy Gonzalez, CEO of Sama”, CIO Exchange Podcast, <https://muckrack.com/podcast/cio-exchange-podcast/episodes/technology-solving-the-prosperity-paradox-guest-we/> | ||||||||||||||||||||
14 | Thursday | 26-Feb | 12. Mini-Lecture Sharing Session | No assigned readings for this class! Those who have not signed up to share their mini-lecture live on a specific date will bring their slides to class, to share in an interactive session with classmates. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
15 | SPRING BREAK: HAVE FUN AND GET SOME REST! | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
16 | PART 2: AREAS OF INNOVATION | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
17 | Tuesday | 17-Mar | 13. Internal Networking / Share Your Syllabus | No assigned readings for this class! In this session, we will: • Reconnect with classmates to ease in after break • Share the content of your personal syllabus to pitch to classmates for the final reading group and salon • If you haven’t already formed a reading group, this is a great opportunity to search for others with related interests! | |||||||||||||||||||||||
18 | Thursday | 19-Mar | 14. FinTech 1: Mobile Money & Payments | • Suri, T., & Jack, W. (2016). “The long-run poverty and gender impacts of mobile money.” Science, 354(6317), 1288-1292. • Lashitew, A. A., van Tulder, R., & Liasse, Y. (2019). “Mobile phones for financial inclusion: What explains the diffusion of mobile money innovations?” Research Policy, 48(5), 1201-1215. [Please read Introduction, Discussion, & Conclusion sections and skim the rest] | • What factors contribute to the varying adoption rates of mobile money services across different countries? Discuss the role of institutional and economic factors in this context. • How did M-Pesa become one of the world's most successful mobile money services? Analyze the interplay of regulatory, institutional, and private sector factors in its success. • Despite the apparent suitability of mobile money for developing countries, its success has been uneven. What are the potential barriers or challenges that hinder the widespread adoption of mobile money services? • Compare the development and diffusion of mobile money services in different regions (e.g., Sub-Saharan Africa vs. Southeast Asia). What lessons can be learned from these comparisons? | • Wieser, C., Bruhn, M., Kinzinger, J. P., Ruckteschler, C. S., & Heitmann, S. (2019). “The impact of mobile money on poor rural households: Experimental evidence from Uganda.” World Bank Policy Research Working Paper, (8913). • Piper, Kelsey. “What Kenya can teach its neighbors — and the US — about improving the lives of the ‘unbanked’”. Vox (2020). • Srouji, J. (2020). "Digital payments, the cashless economy, and financial inclusion in the United Arab Emirates: Why is everyone still transacting in cash?." Journal of Risk and Financial Management, 13(11), 260. | • “Amadou Sy: Fintech Breaking Down Barriers in Africa,” IMF Podcasts, <https://www.imf.org/en/News/Podcasts/All-Podcasts/2019/02/13/fintech-amadou-sy> | ||||||||||||||||||||
19 | Tuesday | 24-Mar | 15. FinTech 2: Lending, Insurance, and Other Financial Products | • Berg, T., Fuster, A., & Puri, M. (2022). “Fintech Lending.” Annual Review of Financial Economics, 14, 187-207. • Di Maggio, M., Ratnadiwakara, D., & Carmichael, D. (2022). "Invisible primes: Fintech lending with alternative data." National Bureau of Economic Research. [Introduction only] | • What are the key regulatory challenges faced by fintech lending and insurance companies in developing countries? • What strategies do fintech companies employ to manage credit risk, especially in markets with limited credit history data? • Compare and contrast the roles of microfinance institutions and fintech lending platforms in providing financial services to underserved populations. • How do fintech lending and insurance platforms ensure consumer protection and build trust among users, especially in regions with high skepticism towards non-traditional financial services? | • Ben-David, I., Johnson, M. J., & Stulz, R. M. (2021). “Why did small business Fintech lending dry up during March 2020?.” National Bureau of Economic Research. • Lin, L., & Chen, C. (2020). "The promise and perils of InsurTech." Singapore Journal of Legal Studies, (Mar 2020), 115-142. | • “African FinTech lending - How consumer loan platforms are providing credit across Africa,” Afrobility Podcast, <https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/32-african-fintech-lending-how-consumer-loan-platforms/id1518673025?i=1000527436864> | ||||||||||||||||||||
20 | Thursday | 26-Mar | 16. Healthcare | • Koning, Rembrand, and Namrata Arora. "mPharma (A) and (B)." Harvard Business School Case, March 2022. | • What are some of the unique challenges inherent in the provision of healthcare versus other types of goods? • What are some of the ways in which healthcare innovations can piggyback on existing technology and infrastructure to lower costs? • Discuss the potential risks and rewards associated with a private company like mPharma taking over the management of a struggling state medicines distribution agency in a developing country. • How has the Covid-19 pandemic shifted the global landscape of healthcare innovation? | • Khanna, Tarun. Trust: Creating the Foundation for Entrepreneurship in Developing Countries. Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2018. (Chapter 2: “The Mindset Change.”) • Botti-Lodovico, Y., & Sabeti, P. “Breakthrough technologies for pandemic preparedness.” Breakthrough, Chapter 2. Brookings Institution Press (2022). | • “High Tech Health”, Disrupt Podcast, <https://soundcloud.com/disruptafricapodcast/dp-5-high-tech-health-nnena-nkongho-and-corporates-offer-startups-a-helping-hand> | ||||||||||||||||||||
21 | Tuesday | 31-Mar | 17. Energy | • Grimm, Michael, et al. "A first step up the energy ladder? Low cost solar kits and household’s welfare in rural Rwanda." The World Bank Economic Review 31.3 (2017): 631-649. [Please read Introduction, Background & Conclusion sections and skim the rest] • Mensah, Justice Tei. "Jobs! Electricity shortages and unemployment in Africa." Journal of Development Economics 167 (2024): 103231. [Please read Introduction, Discussion & Conclusion sections and skim the rest]. | • What are some of the infrastructure challenges inherent to electrifying rural areas in developing countries? • Discuss the centrality of pay-as-you-go (PAYG) systems to solar offerings like M-Kopa. • Discuss the mechanisms through which hotter temperatures might exacerbate poverty. | • Modi, Vijay. “Too Cheap to Meter: The Promise of Unstored Solar Power.” Breakthrough, Chapter 4. Brookings Institution Press (2022). | • “Unpacking Africa's Solar Power Revolution With Chad Larson Of M-KOPA Solar,” African Tech Roundup, <https://soundcloud.com/african-tech-round-up/89-unpacking-africas-solar-power-revolution-with-chad-larson-of-m-kopa-solar> | ||||||||||||||||||||
22 | Thursday | 2-Apr | 18. Agribusiness | • Goh, Lesly. “How AgriTech Is Transforming Traditional Agriculture in Emerging Markets.” Breakthrough, Chapter 7. Brookings Institution Press (2022). • Fabregas, Raissa, Michael Kremer, and Frank Schilbach. "Realizing the potential of digital development: The case of agricultural advice." Science 366, no. 6471 (2019) | • How do digital technologies like AI, IoT, and mobile platforms transform traditional agricultural practices in emerging markets? What are the key benefits and potential drawbacks of this transformation? • What are the main challenges in scaling AgriTech solutions in emerging markets? How can these challenges be overcome, and what opportunities do they present? • Analyze the proposed role of Agriculture Innovation Hubs in countries like Indonesia. How can these hubs facilitate the growth and development of the agribusiness sector? | • “Scaling Agritech at the Last Mile: Converging Efforts for Farmers’ Prosperity.” World Economic Forum Insight Report (2023). | • “African AgriTech - Early opportunities for technology to scale Agriculture across Africa,” Afrobility Podcast, <https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/26-african-agritech-early-opportunities-for-technology/id1518673025?i=1000516058767> | ||||||||||||||||||||
23 | Tuesday | 7-Apr | 19. Logistics | • Twilley, Nicola. "The Cold Rush." The New Yorker (2022). • Iacovone, L., & McKenzie, D. (2022). “Shortening supply chains: Experimental evidence from fruit and vegetable vendors in Bogota.” Economic Development and Cultural Change, 71(1), 111-149. [Please read Introduction & Conclusion sections and skim the rest] | • How would you map out the landscape of logistics innovation? What do you see as some of the most promising subareas for entrepreneurial firms? • Discuss the difficulties in maintaining the cold chain in regions like rural Rwanda. • How do efforts to digitize global supply chains intersect with decarbonization goals? • Evaluate the role of technology in solving coordination issues among small retailers. | • Boudreau, L., Cajal-Grossi, J., & Macchiavello, R. (2023). Global value chains in developing countries: a relational perspective from coffee and garments. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 37(3), 59-86. • Georgiadis, Philip. “Distribution Groups Grapple to Reduce their Carbon Footprints.” Financial Times (2021). • “A Flotilla of Startups Wants to Streamline Global Supply Chains.” The Economist (2022). | • “Bridging Gaps In Food and Market Security Across Africa ft. Caine Wanjau,” Tech For Granted (2021). <https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/musings-and-monologues-episode-5-bridging-gaps-in/id1459643488?i=1000536509165> | ||||||||||||||||||||
24 | PART 3: REGIONAL SPOTLIGHTS | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
25 | Thursday | 9-Apr | 20. Africa | • Tafese, T. (2022). “Digital Africa: How Big Tech and African Startups Are Reshaping the Continent.” Hamburg: German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA) -Leibniz-Institut für Globale und Regionale Studien, Institut für Afrika-Studien. • Leke, Acha, and Saf Yeboah-Amankwah. "Africa: A Crucible for Creativity." Harvard Business Review (2018): 116-126. | • Discuss some of the challenges and opportunities related to manufacturing and food production on the African continent. • Consider the commonly cited hubs for innovation on the continent – e.g., Lagos, Nairobi, Johannesburg – and write about some of the advantages and disadvantages of these ecosystems. • What are some of the differences and barriers between Anglophone and Francophone Africa? • Discuss the complexities and importance of the Sino-African relationship. | • Albert, Eleanor. “Backgrounder: China in Africa.” Council on Foreign Relations <https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/china-africa> • Hersman, Erik. "Mobilizing Tech Entrepreneurs in Africa." Innovations: Technology, Governance, Globalization 7.4 (2012): 59-67 | • “Acha Leke: Chairman of McKinsey & Co Africa,” Africa State of Mind, <https://omny.fm/shows/life-podcasts/acha-leke-chairman-of-mckinsey-co-africa> | ||||||||||||||||||||
26 | Tuesday | 14-Apr | 21. Latin America | • “Nubank: Democratizing Financial Services.” HBS Case (2021). | • Discuss Nubank’s founding team. How did their prior experience prime theme for Nubank’s development? What complementarities exist between the founders? • What do you view as Nubank’s most promising pathways for expansion, both geographically in Latin America and into different financial products? • How can “missing middles” hold back the productivity of a region? • Discuss some of the challenges of expanding throughout the Latin American region, based upon the country of origin. | • Webber, Jude and Federica Cocco. “Latin America Tested by Lack of Medium Companies and Middle Class.” Financial Times (2019). • Pooler, Michael. “Brazil counts success with Pix payments tool.” Financial Times (2023). | • “Fueling innovation and filling gaps in Latin America,” McKinsey on Startups Podcast, <https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/technology-media-and-telecommunications/our-insights/fueling-innovation-and-filling-gaps-in-latin-america> • (for Spanish speakers): episodes of En Contxto <https://contxto.com/en/en-contxto/> | ||||||||||||||||||||
27 | Thursday | 16-Apr | 22. South Asia | • Carriere-Swallow, M. Y., Haksar, M. V., & Patnam, M. (2021). “Stacking Up Financial Inclusion Gains in India.” International Monetary Fund. <https://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/fandd/2021/07/india-stack-financial-access-and-digital-inclusion.htm> • Parkin, Benjamin, John Reed, and Jyotsna Singh. “The India Stack: Opening the Digital Marketplace to the Masses.” Financial Times, April 20, 2023. <https://www.ft.com/content/cf75a136-c6c7-49d0-8c1c-89e046b8a170> | • What are the key components of the India Stack, and how do they collectively contribute to the transformation of the financial sector in India? • How does India's approach to open banking and financial inclusion compare with similar initiatives in other countries? What lessons can be learned from these comparisons? • How do the economic and political dynamics of the South Asian region influence the adoption and effectiveness of digital banking and financial inclusion strategies? • What role can regional organizations (like SAARC) play in promoting and harmonizing digital banking and financial inclusion efforts across South Asia? | • Dang, Geetika. “Sustainable and Inclusive Growth in South Asia.” Brookings (2019). <https://www.brookings.edu/blog/up-front/2019/11/25/sustainable-and-inclusive-growth-in-south-asia/>. • Basu, Kaushik. “Why is Bangladesh Booming?” Brookings (2018). <https://www.brookings.edu/opinions/why-is-bangladesh-booming/>. | • “Nandan Nilekani - Building the India Stack: UPI, Aadhar and Data Empowerment,” Return on India Podcast, <https://www.joincolossus.com/episodes/86607830/nilekani-inspiring-the-next-generation> | ||||||||||||||||||||
28 | Tuesday | 21-Apr | 23. Southeast Asia | • “Grab vs. Uber vs. Go-Jek: Digital Platform-based International Competition in South East Asia.” INSEAD Case (2018). • “Can Grab and GoTo forge a South-East Asian tech champion?" The Economist (July 2025). | • What is unique about the market in Southeast Asia, and what are some of the factors that have led to the rise of “super-apps” like the ones we see in the case? o Do you think we will see a continued retreat in the super-app approach? Why or why not? • What role do large investors like SoftBank play in shaping competition between major regional players in a nascent industry like ridesharing? • Discuss some of the ways in which Grab and Go-Jek instituted a tailored or “hyperlocal” strategy. | • Rumengan, Joan Aurelia. “A traveler’s dream: Cash-free payment systems link up across Southeast Asia.” Rest of World (2023). | • “Gojek vs Grab - Dawn of the Super App with Jon Russell,” Analyze Asia with Bernard Leong, <https://analyse.asia/2019/05/10/episode-297-gojek-vs-grab-dawn-of-the-super-app-with-jon-russell/> | ||||||||||||||||||||
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