It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the many serious problems happening around the world. One thing that gives me hope is seeing the work of entrepreneurs supported by Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship. Their creative ideas show that businesses can play a positive role in solving social issues.
For social entrepreneurs to grow and succeed, it helps when they learn from each other. That’s why we spoke with several entrepreneurs from Miller Center’s Clean Water and Climate-Smart Agriculture program. We asked them to share their thoughts on the solutions they’ve created, the problems they’ve faced, and what they’ve learned along the way. The stories and lessons from these eight leaders can help others who are also building businesses that aim to reduce poverty and create lasting change. (You might have seen them at last fall’s SOCAP conference, where they presented their ideas to a packed room.)
These entrepreneurs are working on a variety of projects — from helping small farmers grow more and earn more, to improving access to clean water and better sanitation. Despite their different missions, they shared several common ideas, which are highlighted below.
FOCUS ON WHAT CUSTOMERS REALLY NEED
Successful entrepreneurs don’t assume that one solution fits every situation. Instead, they take time to understand the daily lives, struggles, and surroundings of the people they want to help.
Cycle Connect is a good example. They help farmers in remote areas get the tools they need to grow more food and reach markets. “We meet our clients where they are: in deep rural areas disconnected from roads, markets and connectivity,” said CEO Emmy Okkema. By being close to their clients, they learn about their farming seasons, social support systems, and financial challenges. This deep knowledge has helped Cycle Connect serve over 12,000 farmers with tools like oxen, plows, bikes, and motorbikes — all delivered with flexible loans, community-based sourcing, and training on how to use the tools effectively.
BE READY TO HANDLE NEW PROBLEMS
In emerging markets, things can change quickly. Entrepreneurs often face unexpected problems and must adjust their plans to keep moving forward.
For example, The Harvest Fund helps women farmers in Africa through training, technology, and financial support. After switching focus to tomato farming, the market price of tomatoes dropped suddenly. “We then brainstormed ways to easily process fresh tomatoes to tomato paste at farm level,” said Executive Director Michelle Kurian. Since most tomato paste in Zambia is imported, the group saw a chance to help farmers create and sell a local product.
Gravity Water, which provides safe drinking water to schools, faced a different problem. When they started work in Nepal, the country was still recovering from two major earthquakes in 2015. These disasters damaged water systems, limited electricity, and left people without the tools to fix them. In response, the company built a system that uses rainwater and gravity instead of electricity, combining water collection, storage, and filtration in a simple and low-cost way.
Miyonga Fresh Greens, which exports fresh produce from East Africa to Europe, had to deal with changing weather caused by climate change. In some areas, heavy rains ruined crops and made supply uncertain. “In 2020 Miyonga introduced innovative agro-processing technology, creating dried and powdered fruit products,” said Operations Manager Grace Njoroge. This helped farmers add value to their crops and created new products for both local and international markets.
For Sauti East Africa, the challenge was missing information. Their original idea — a platform to connect farmers with buyers — didn’t work well because there was no reliable data about local markets. “We were falling short of addressing one of the greatest needs for farmers in East Africa: finding buyers,” said CEO Lance Hadley. So, they built their own directory of buyers and sellers to connect farmers directly to opportunities.
Finding long-term funding can also be difficult. While many donors want to support clean water projects, few are willing to pay for ongoing maintenance. SaniTap came up with a creative way to fix this. “SaniTap will use the fast-emerging carbon offset market to finance the work,” said Managing Director Andrew Tanswell. They’ll earn carbon credits by maintaining clean water systems and then sell those credits to large companies working toward carbon-neutral goals.
Sometimes, even success can create new problems. AMAATI, a social enterprise in Ghana, set out to support women farmers by helping them grow fonio, a healthy grain. But after the women improved the land and started growing other crops, men began demanding the land back. CEO Salma Abdulai explained, “We then involved the men in fonio farming too.” This helped everyone benefit and encouraged men to support their wives’ continued use of the land.
BUILD STRONG RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHERS
Many of the entrepreneurs mentioned how important it is to create and grow strong connections with customers, partners, and funders.
Warc Africa, which provides farming services, made major progress by changing its business model to work more closely with suppliers and buyers. “We shifted to fairer pricing and a cash-and-carry approach, which helped more farmers access our services and saved them $100 per acre on maize inputs,” said CEO Christopher Zaw. This also allowed the company to avoid credit risks.
Cycle Connect also used relationships to overcome physical distance. “We set up six smaller branches in remote trading centers,” said CEO Emmy Okkema. “This helped us connect with more farmers and led to a 70% increase in loans. We now have a 95% repayment rate.”
At Miyonga, partnerships have been key to their success. “We’ve worked closely with farmers, institutions and development agencies,” said Grace Njoroge. “These partnerships gave us funding, knowledge, more resources, and a wider reach. They helped us grow and support more smallholder farmers.”
CONCLUSION
Listening to people. Building connections. Staying flexible. Understanding the unique needs of each community. And finding smart ways to meet those needs.
These simple but powerful ideas came up again and again in our conversations with Miller Center entrepreneurs and others around the world. They are the building blocks of any strong business — especially one that aims to create social change.
Starting and running a business is never easy, especially in places facing big challenges. But these inspiring, dedicated entrepreneurs are showing what’s possible. We all have a part to play in helping them succeed — whether by offering skills, funding, or direct support to grow their impact.
