From the Base (of the Pyramid) to the Top (of the Ivory Tower)

Rarely do I get excited about academic journals. They conjure up memories of researching my undergrad political economy thesis (on political conditionality and microfinance). So when the inaugural issue of Innovations crossed my desk, I was naturally skeptical. Well, consider me converted – Innovations is a must-read for anyone interested in creative, local solutions to the world’s problems. Its content bridges the gap between ‘whatever works’ BOP practice and rigorous academic analysis. Not only that - all the articles in the current issue are available for free!

My first clue that this was not a standard (read: boring, niche) academic journal was the list of authors for Issue 1. Stuart Hart and Erik Simanis, Bill Drayton, Martin Fisher, Jean Lanjouw, Zoltan Acs (and more) all show up here. The editors of Innovations are Philip Auerswald (GMU’s Center for Science and Technology Policy) and Iqbal Quadir (Harvard’s Center for Business and Government; founder of Grameen Phone). This list is a who’s who of base of the pyramid, social entrepreneurship, and innovation for development. I’m excited (yes, this stuff excites me).