http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wamc/local-wamc-950760.mp3
Albany, NY – It might seem counterintuitive, but experts say that a recession is often the catalyst for a boom in new business startups. It makes sense if you think about it. If big companies are downsizing, out of work aspiring entrepreneurs might decide to strike off on their own. And if those small businesses succeed, they'll create new jobs. But first, they need capital to get started. Investors Circle is an unusual group of venture capitalists - they invest in companies that promote positive change and innovation. Suzanne Biegel is CEO of Investors Circle.
9:30 Investors Circle I Biegel Barnett
We're talking with Suzanne Biegel, CEO of Investors Circle. It's a global group of investors who make money by investing in businesses that do good. She says the businesses most likely to succeed are the ones with owners who are already business savvy. But some of the businesses they invest in are more experienced in the non-profit sector.
4:53 Investors Circle II Biegel Barnett
Suzanne Biegel is CEO of Investors Circle. Want to find out more? Go to investorscircle.net.
From West Africa, we have a story of exactly the kind of business that would interest Investors Circle. All across West Africa, you can buy water on the street. It comes in little plastic baggies. In Ghana, a business called, "Trashy Bags" transforms those disposable baggies into sturdy products to use again and again. Anna Boiko-Weyrauch has the story from the World Vision Report's Stuff That Works series.
2:36 Trashy Bags
Many women go into business simply because they have no other choice. And for some, that means defying tradition. That's a particularly brave thing to do if you're a Muslim girl fishing to support your family in Gaza - and you're the only woman on the shore. Daniel Estren of the World Vision Report filed this story.
4:57 Gaza Fisherwoman