Reading Time: 12 minutesMajor sporting events can bring huge crowds and investment to host cities, but how much of that opportunity reaches local businesses?
Category: Regions
Beyond buffaloes: Building a social enterprise in Laos
Reading Time: 4 minutesIn rural Laos, Laos Buffalo Dairy rents pregnant buffaloes from farmers, supporting rural families while producing milk commercially, sustaining livelihoods without disrupting traditional local farming practices. But can shared value be a lasting business model?
Putting people at the heart of Ukraine’s recovery
Reading Time: 5 minutesIn Ivano-Frankivsk, Promprylad Foundation retrains displaced people, veterans and women for in-demand local jobs, supporting 30,000+ people and 600+ new jobs since 2022. Can community-led models like this reshape how we think about post-war economic recovery?
Can MENA’s digital finance boom close the gender gap?
Reading Time: 4 minutesAsk whether digital finance is helping women entrepreneurs in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) overcome old barriers and the honest answer is: both, at the same time. But is access enough to drive real growth?
COGITO Talks… The attraction factor: People, visitors and investment
Reading Time: 3 minutesWhat makes a region attractive? Sometimes, it’s the ability to reinvent itself, and Newcastle, Australia, is a powerful example: competitive regions are not just places that grow, they are places that adapt.
Beyond registration: Why does formalisation matter for Somalia’s small businesses?
Reading Time: 3 minutesFor small businesses, formalisation should not feel like another administrative burden. Done well, it can become a route to trust, finance and growth. In Somalia, informal shops and traders keep economies alive daily; so, are we formalising for paperwork, or to really help entrepreneurs succeed?
Making gender equality investable: How capital markets can unlock women’s entrepreneurship
Reading Time: 4 minutesDiscussions on women’s entrepreneurship frequently revolve around one issue: access to finance. But the world doesn’t lack capital. If investors move on measured risks, how can gender equality be turned into an investment opportunity?
Retaining talent in your region
Reading Time: 5 minutesAcross much of Europe, regions are facing a growing challenge: how to attract, develop, and retain talent in an increasingly competitive labour market. How can young people’s horizons be broadened to improve their employment prospects?