About Us
“We have built over the last two years the world’s best and largest experiential learning program in early-stage impact investing at the frontier. Early-stage social enterprises are key to poverty alleviation and sustainable development in the developing world. They also offer opportunities for the world to rethink and refine capitalism as we know of today.”
- Dr. Yuwei Shi, PhD. Dean and Professor of Strategic Management, Graduate School of International Policy and Management, Monterey Institute of International Studies.
ORIGIN The Frontier Markets Scouts program was envisioned by Sabiha Rumani Malik, Yuwei Shi of the Monterey Institute of International Studies and Ross Baird of Village Capital.
RECOGNITION In 2013 the Frontier Market Scouts program won the Ashoka U-Cordes Award for Impact, Innovation and Potential for Replicability.
WHAT WE DO Our Frontier Market Scouts program directly addresses poverty worldwide whilst developing a new generation of leaders who put people first.
The Frontier Market Scouts (FMS) fellowship program turns compassionate and capable young professionals into talent scouts and investment managers serving local entrepreneurs and social-minded investors in low-income and capital-weak regions of the world. Fellows complete a certificate program in impact investing and social enterprise management before departing on two to six month-long field assignments. The pre-deployment training is delivered by leading practitioners in social enterprise management and impact investing.
WHO WE DO IT WITH With our partners, the Monterey Institute of International Studies and Village Capital and a constantly expanding network of business practitioners, impact investors and like-minded organizations. To date, our FMS program has worked with around 45 in-country program partners.
WHERE WE DO IT International Placements We run 2 Frontier Market Scouts trainings a year at the Monterey Institute of International Studies in California and place Scouts in Brazil, China, Colombia, Ecuador, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Lebanon, Mexico, Peru, South Africa, Turkey, the United States and Venezuela. We are expecting 45 Frontier Market Scouts to complete our certificate training in social entrepreneurship and impact investing this May-June 2013 in Monterey, California followed by 2-6 month international field placements July-December 2013.
United States Placements This month we have launched the first US-based Scout placements in partnership with the Sorenson Center for Global Impact Investing, at the University of Utah. After a two-week training at the Sorenson Centre, approximately 15 FMS-Utah participants will complete 3-6 month field assignments with US-based social enterprises starting this July.
Europe Trainings In January 2014 we are launching trainings at the de Baak Management Centre in Amsterdam, thus bringing our Frontier Market Scouts trainings closer to Europe and the Middle East.
OUR PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS The program attracts students from elite universities as well as junior professionals from top employers such as Goldman Sachs, Deloitte, TD Investment, and Cambridge Associates. Some managers have taken sabbatical leaves, or even resigned from these firms to take part as Scouts in the FMS program.
OUR RESULTS Since its launch in January 2011, our FMS program has trained 87 participants in impact investing and social enterprise management and placed 56 Fellows with 63 small and growing businesses in Brazil, China, Colombia, Ecuador, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Lebanon, Mexico, Peru, South Africa, Turkey, the United States, and Venezuela. Sanghata Global alongside its partner Village Capital has launched world-changing initiatives in poverty alleviation, including the Frontier Market Scouts program. Read More
For insights into the impact of our Scouts work Read More