Do we need another Fellows program?  That was my initial thought when I first heard of the Legatum Center for Development and Entrepreneurship and its related Legatum Fellows program.  After all, there are so many programs dedicated to identifying and supporting existing or budding social entrepreneurs - Skoll, TED, Ashoka, GSBI, Agora, Echoing Green, Pop!Tech, Acumen Fund - the list goes on.  Would Legatum be able to add any real value alongside these existing programs?

The answer, I think, is yes.  Legatum just formally launched its program yesterday, but in reviewing their materials and speaking with their Managing Director, I am more than cautiously optimistic that Legatum is going to make a significant impact in the base of the pyramid space.

Why am I optimistic?  First of all, look no further than yesterday's event.  It featured the largest-ever public gathering of Nobel laureates in Economics:

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