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How to Trick People Into Saving Money

Rob Walker

May 01, 2017 |

The Atlantic |

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Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Salem, Illinois

A large number of Americans are "unbanked or underbanked"—meaning they are not tied to traditional financial institutions to manage their money—which makes saving difficult. Walmart has managed to serve this population with a debit card program called MoneyCard that provides financial incentives to users to regularly put aside money into a "vault." This approach effectively takes into account behavioral economics in terms of how humans approach short- versus long-term rewards. Launching in August 2016, the program's membership had grown more than 130% and savings increased by 38% by December 2016.

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A private sector 'productivity tool' to eliminate poverty is catching on around the world

Kelli Rogers

April 27, 2017 |

Devex |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: Paraguay, Asunción

Fundación Paraguaya is helping drastically redefine the way that poverty is identified, defined, and addressed. Through a simple, interactive, mobile-based survey called "Poverty Spotlight", workers can self-assess their level of poverty. They are then paired with microfinance agents to develop a plan to tackle their own unique challenges, with assistance in the form of training, technology, or small loans.

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Terms of Service: Rethink Kitchen

Haley Hamilton

April 25, 2017 |

DigBoston |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Boston, Massachusetts

One restaurant's profit-sharing business model has removed tips entirely from their establishment, replacing it with benefits and business training. Giving employees a stake in the success of the restaurant has reduced staff turnover, created a better working environment, increased morale, and made employees more financially and emotionally invested in the success of the business. Employees are paid a baseline hourly rate in addition to splitting quarterly profits.

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Passionate Parents Prompt 1st Flame-Retardant-Free Car Seat

Julie Watts

April 23, 2017 |

KPIX-TV |

Multi-Media |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, San Francisco, California

Prompted by parents concerned about chemicals in car seats a Massachusetts company created an infant seat that is naturally flame-resistant. It's something that most manufacturers have said they cannot do and still comply with federal regulations. Advocates and manufacturers say that for such solutions to become more widespread there must be changes in regulations and federal officials are conducting a study to evaluate potential improvements to the flammability standard for car seats.

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Kansas' Idea to Keep Businesses (and Small Towns) Alive When Owners Retire

Kaela Bamberger

April 04, 2017 |

Naked Capitalism |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Concordia, Kansas

RedTire is a program operating in Kansas that helps coordinate the selling and buying of businesses. The service has proven critical in rural areas that often only have a single key entity, like a pharmacy, and would suffer greatly if it were to shut down. RedTire serves as a "matchmaking" service to assist these communities in finding new owners to take over at a fair price.

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What selling drugs taught him about running a supermarket

Jane M. Von Bergen

March 20, 2017 |

The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia Media Network) |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

A former drug dealer who made massive amounts of cash finds his skills adapt well to the job he found after prison in a supermarket. Luckily the manager at this particular store recognized that fact and gave Louis Rivera a chance when we begged for a job right after his release. It was difficult for Rivera to adjust to making so much less money, but he has applied his business skills to move up into management and tries to help others following in his footsteps.

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Wonderfruit: A 'social movement' making sustainability sexy

Jessica Cheam

March 16, 2017 |

Eco-Business |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Thailand, Pattaya City

Large festivals are notorious culprits of mass waste generation, and the general mentality of many Western cultures is that eco-friendliness requires extra effort and is often unobtainable. But the founders of Wonderfruit, Asia's most popular music festival, are determined to prove that the festival format is actually the perfect platform to raise awareness of issues such as climate change, resource use, and sustainability through innovative efforts such as self-sorting trash bins on-site and phone charging stations powered by renewable energy.

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How to Fight a Soaring Drug Price: Innovate

Shefali Luthra

February 28, 2017 |

The New York Times |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Milbridge, Maine

Throughout the country, issues of health care exclusivity and rising drug prices are being addressed with creative solutions. Innovating new medicines and medicine deliver systems, such as an alternative EpiPen, is proving to be a helpful way to work around these surging prices.

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Shampoo bottle made from ocean plastics hailed as ‘technological breakthrough'

Olivia Boyd

January 25, 2017 |

The Guardian |

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Under 800 Words

Response Location: France

P&G, the manufacturer of popular shampoo Head & Shoulders, is teaming up with a recycling business and waste management company to turn discarded plastic found on the beaches of France into special edition shampoo bottles. Although the impact is small in terms of bottles produced, the amount of recycled content is a "technological breakthrough" compared to what other companies have achieved.

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Why Some Companies Are Trying to Hire More People on the Autism Spectrum

Bourree Lam

December 28, 2016 |

The Atlantic |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The unemployment rate for individuals diagnosed on the autism spectrum is a whopping 58%, but a number of pilot programs at big companies are working to increase what is being called "neurodiversity" in the workplace. Inspired by the success of a Dutch organization that helps place autistic workers, firms like EY and Microsoft are finding that employing individuals with unique cognitive abilities benefits not just people, but the company's bottom line.

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