Editors’ Note:The reborn faiV newsletter is on an every-two-week schedule. Tim Ogden wrote it for years, and it’s been Tim’s baby. But we’re here to provide another set of voices. Don’t worry, Tim will be back in 2 weeks. About us: Laura is FAI’s Deputy Director and, as she writes below, spent years writing and analyzing foreign aid policy. She now lives with her family in northern Italy. Jonathan teaches at NYU and used to write about finance as it connects to poverty. These days, he’s mainly writing about poverty as it connects to finance. - Laura Freschi and Jonathan Morduch
Read MoreViewing all posts with tag: small firms
The Not with a Bang but a Parlay Edition
Editor's Note: It’s a new year and a new faiV. I’ll try not to dwell on what precedes that famous line, nor will I spend a lot of time on explanations or apologies. I will note that the gap between this faiV and the last one is 30% smaller than the previous hiatus. But I figured there was limited time to write a few more faiVs before being replaced by Claude Code. The plan for this part of the cycle is to go to twice monthly, with me (Tim) writing once per month and Jonathan and Laura handling the other one. Also of note, we will be shifting away from Mailchimp imminently so stay tuned for details on shifting your “subscription.”
- Tim Ogden
Introducing Small Firm Diaries USA: An Innovative Study Focusing on Small Businesses in Low-Income Communities Amid a Rapidly Changing Landscape
In this webinar held on November 19 at 9am PT/12pm ET, we introduced The Small Firm Diaries USA—a new research initiative examining the daily financial realities, challenges, and resilience strategies of small firm owners and their workers. Through a discussion with expert panelists, we explored how the shifting U.S. business landscape—from policy changes to economic pressures—is affecting the smallest employer firms in low-income areas.
Read MoreThe Maybe Don't Hate Mondays Edition
Editor's Note: The next in the long series of faiV experiments—we're going to start sending it out on Mondays rather than Fridays for a bit. That gives me more time on Friday to assemble and write without it coming out well past the start of Asia/Europe weekends. We'll see how that goes on my side and on the opening/clicking side for a few weeks and then, who knows?
And just in case you need a reminder of a some good news, the cheaper of the new malaria vaccines is starting to be deployed in Ivory Coast today.
- Tim Ogden