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Author: Elmira Bayrasli
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Tag Archives: entrepreneur
In Egypt, give ‘em entrepreneurship
In the frenzy to understand, analyze and predict the historic events unfolding in Egypt, many rightly have focused on the Egyptian economy. Here are some interesting data points: A year ago, Egypt’s government released figures on the country’s poverty. It showed that it had reached 23.4 percent, “up from 20 percent the previous year.” In [...]
Pakistan postcard part four: Smell
Part four of my five-part postcard of impressions of my Pakistan visit… smell…. Smell It brought tears to my eyes. As soon as the astringent yet sugary scent that wafted through the Marriott Karachi hit my nose, my stomach tightened: someone was cooking onions. I hate onions. There’s no real explanation for it. I just [...]
Pakistan postcard part two: Sound
Part two of my five-part postcard of impressions of my Pakistan visit is what I heard…. Sound Pakistan hums with machinery. It is a powerful hum that, in certain instances, drowns out all other sounds. One barely notices the cacophony of Pakistani families who travel in packs, or hears the ‘Allahu akabar’ of the azan, [...]
Pakistan postcard part one: Sight
A week ago, I visited what is supposedly one of the most dangerous places in the world: Pakistan. While I do believe the country has serious security concerns, the only threat I came up against was traffic. And that, compared to New York or Istanbul, wasn’t all that bad. Here is the first of my [...]
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged aid, Ataturk, culture, development, economic growth, entrepreneurship, Jinnah, Muslim entrepreneur, Pakistan, Turgut Ozal 6 Comments
It’s the markets, stupid
The take-away from day two of CGI is that development has moved on from the question of whether it’s okay to profit from the poor. Today’s CGI nugget: embrace the market. That’s where the opportunity, as Bono has declared, to “Make Poverty History” lies. Or, to put it in Clintonian terms: It’s the markets, stupid. Read [...]
Inside the poverty puzzle: a plug for slum tours
A year ago today, I landed in Mumbai, India’s bustling business capital. I traveled there to spend time with 1298, a for-profit ambulance company that set up operations in response to the city’s lack of emergency care. That’s right, India’s largest commercial center doesn’t have ambulances. Mumbai simply lacks the capacity and resources for such [...]
Be careful what you wish for
The Turkish-based charity Insani Yardim Vakifi, known by the initials IHH, has come under heavy scrutiny since Israeli commandoes attacked the Gaza-bound Mavi Marmara last week. It was IHH funds that bankrolled the Mavi Marmara’s “humanitarian” voyage to deliver relief supplies to Palestinians in Gaza. Was there more to it? Israelis believe so. “The IHH..is [...]
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged entrepreneurship philanthropy, flotilla, IHH, Mavi Marmara, Muslim entrepreneur, Turkey 2 Comments
Goldman Sachs 0, White House 1
Day two at the Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship. Here’s what I wrote for Portfolio.com about one of the themes that came out of the day’s discussion: government v. business. And while poor Lloyd Blankfein slugged it out with Carl “I don’t trust you” Levin, the 250 plus Muslim entrepreneurs, investors and business leaders gathered for [...]
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged business, entrepreneurship, Fadi Ghandour, Goldman Sachs, government, Mo Ibrahim, President Obama Summit on Entrepreneurship Leave a comment
There’s no such thing as a “Muslim” entrepreneur
From ash clouds to Foggy Bottom. This week I’m hanging out in our nation’s capital, attending the Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship. You can read my thoughts and impressions on www.portfolio.com. Here’s my first one, talking about how surprised I am that the conference isn’t “business as usual.”
In Egypt, entrepreneurship isn’t all business