When I was a child my mother used to say to me, “eat your dinner; there are people starving in China!” Boy, how things have changed..or have they? As this century’s development miracle, slated to become the most economically powerful nation within the next twenty to thirty years, China is no longer considered a country impoverished. But, consider this: China today has the second largest population in the world living under the poverty line. And, while the average individual income in China’s cities is about US$6 a day, in the countryside it’s only US$2. Meet 25-year-old Casey Wilson, Co-founder of Wokai, a unique microfinance institution which aims to ensure that China’s rural populace is not left behind. I had the opportunity to chat with Ms. Wilson at length about her work with Wokai, NGO transparency, and the future of microfinance in China. While Wokai stands to redefine grassroots microfinance organizations and effectively raise the quality of life for tens of thousands of families in China’s countryside, Casey Wilson- for both her brilliance and her actions- is definitely one to watch. To learn more, read on:

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Interviews china, interview, Kiva, Link Up Learn More, microfinance, Qifang, social enterprise, Wokai, Wu Hailing

(Calvin Chin, Founder of Qifang. Photo by Elliott Ng) Social enterprise has rapidly become the business model of the future, whether bundled into traditional corporate structures or formed by entrepreneurial not-for-profit organizations. At this year’s Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting, it certainly appeared that nearly every nation in the world was working to harness social [...]

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Interviews Calvin Chin, CGI, china, Clinton Global Initiative, CNReviews, Elliott Ng, interview, Link Up Learn More, Qifang

Environmental degradation is a global emergency that urgently calls for closer cooperation between East and West, inevitably transforming the way we all think about economic development and sustainable industry. As more companies shift their attention towards “green” solutions, the blended value business model of social enterprise has emerged as an approach which, as Greennovate Founder [...]

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Interviews china, environment, green, Greennovate, greentech, joinmagic.org, Link Up Learn More, Manufacturing, Mihela Hladin

China’s intensifying crackdown on media cannot be disputed; in recent months the Great Firewall has impacted the ability to access information through outlets like Twitter and Facebook while China’s government has employed new tactics in an attempt to have some control over the news. And, with instances of unrest as seen in Xinjiang and Shishou, [...]

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Interviews CPJ, Interviews, journalism, Link Up Learn More, Malcolm Moore, Shishou, Telegraph, Urumqi, Xinjiang

In today’s uncertain economic climate, China has rapidly become a land of opportunity as more Westerners leave behind their home countries to chase after the potential for success in the East. China is now a formidable world leader in technology and manufacturing, luring both talent and innovation from all points on the globe. I linked [...]

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Interviews Business, china, consulting, entrepreneur, JUCCCE, Link Up Learn More, Sam Goodman