Concept Note...and investors, allowing us to provide our services at an affordable rate for those in developing rural communities. ABOUT US (Continued) ... • Search engine optimization

People Efficiency Relevance Impact

Concept NoteBy Thabiso Mashaba and Sagar Mahaptra (IDDS Zambia 2013 Alumni)

Approach

We will create and operate a unique online and offline social network

incubation platform. This platform will serve as an innovative ICT-based

solution to the communication failures and project gaps we have identified

in the international development sector. In addition, this platform will

provide meaningful work opportunities for youth. Two-thirds of the

world’s population is youth (aged 15-35) and seventeen percent of this

youth is currently unemployed but wish to engage in meaningful work.

We will enable these young but experienced development practitioners

and social entrepreneurs to engage in development projects through our

social network. These young people will be sourced around the world

from our Worldwide Multi-Disciplinary and Innovative Network to work

with our social inventors, social innovators, social entrepreneurs, NGO’s,

volunteers and rural communities to produce social good solutions in the

developing world. This will empower these young people to either find or

create meaningful work in the field of international development.

Mission Statement

These Hands is committed to improving the livelihoods of the poor in rural

communities of the developing world. We will achieve this through the

creation of a unique offline and online social network incubation platform

for development practitioners, social entrepreneurs, and members of rural

communities. This will help bridge communication failures and project gaps

between development practitioners and the recipients of development aid.

Vision

By 2025 we will have introduced our services in at least 10 developing

countries and supported rural communities through innovations,

partnerships and information that will improve and sustain their livelihoods.

ABOUT US

These Hands/GSSE Business Plan

General Strategy

Our pilot efforts are to develop a social network infrastructure for African

and Indian markets. This social network will connect impoverished rural

communities in Africa and India with the developed world via Unstructured

Supplementary Service Data (USSD) technology which is a protocol used

by Global System for Mobile Phones (GSM) to communicate with the

service provider’s computers or servers. This will create a social network

that includes those without internet access. This is an incredibly valuable

asset as traditional social networks have thus far failed to penetrate these

markets. Our hope is that this will attract funding from large tech firms

and investors, allowing us to provide our services at an affordable rate for

those in developing rural communities.

ABOUT US (Continued)

Technological Solution

Many development and social impact projects are constantly faced with

communication and information gaps because the recipients of development

aid are frequently excluded from providing input. Unfortunately, these

communication and information gaps mean that the recipients of development

aid and the managers of development projects are unable to fully engage with

each other, leading to failed projects. These communication gaps often occur

because it is costly for social entrepreneurs and development project managers

to reach out to these communities. These Hands aims to solve this problem by

providing a USSD platform that the recipients of development aid can use to

actively communicate with the managers of development projects. This USSD

platform allows users to access our social network and services offline, using a

regular cellphone. Our platform allows recipients of development aid to provide

input via their mobile phone. This provides the managers of development

projects with the information they need in a cost-effective manner.

SERVICES

INCUBATION (pilot phase - IDDS Botswana 2015)• Event management - providing assistance and support for

planning conferences, meetings, and fundraising events• Public relations - providing marketing and public communications

strategy• Proposal writing - providing assistance for writing and preparing

project proposals and requests for grants• Graphic design/branding - creation of logos, concept designs,

website graphics, documents and other promotional materials• Video editing - shooting, production, and editing of promotional

videos

INCUBATION (near term - starting 2018)• Provision of business formation documents - providing

assistance in filling out and properly filing the documents required to start a business, development project, or social enterprise

• Business plan advisory - providing assistance in creating a business plan

• Web Design/Development - creation of a website• Development of Mobile applications - creation of mobile

applications• Social media and digital marketing consultation - providing

advice regarding social media strategy• Search engine optimization - providing search engine

optimization

• Programming services - providing computer programming for websites and

• Econometric/statistical analysis - assist in research projects by providing statistical software, instruction, and advice

• Geographical Information System - provide GIS services• Technology consulting - provide advice regarding what types of

technology should be used to • Networking opportunities - setting up events so that our

incubates can network with public figures and other development practitioners and social entrepreneurs

• Database Management - manage databases for our incubates• Market Research - conduct market research on behalf of our

incubates

RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (long term)For These Hands Network members’ social good solutions• We will partner with our clients to source start-up capital from

our donor database.• We will connect our clients to project partners and trade

platforms.• We will partner with our clients to source Professional

Development (training) Grants that will assist them from our donor database.

• We will partner with our clients to source mobility grants that will assist them from our donor database.

CUSTOMER SEGMENTS

TheseHandshaveidentifiedthefollowingcustomergroups:• Social inventors, social innovators, social entrepreneurs, NGO’s, volunteers in rural communities of the developing world• Young but Experienced Development practitioners and social entrepreneurs across the globe.• Impact Investors with a development focus

1. Social inventors, social innovators, social entrepreneurs, NGO’s, volunteers in rural communities of the developing world.

Customer Group Their Problem/Need

NGO’s • Lack capacity and skills necessary to execute projects• Extra hands• Project Funding/Resources devel-opment• Innovation• Research• Impact • Lacks a platform to efficiently con-nect them to resources that can help with their project start

up, continuity, branding and communication.• Lack of expert advise• Lack of time and resources to do all the services we give them at varied places.• Connecting and engaging with the relevant project Donors and Partners

Social inventors, social innovators, social entrepreneurs

• Project Funding/Resources devel-opment• Project partners• Research• Impact• Lacks a platform to efficiently con-nect them to resources that can help with their project start

up, continuity, branding and communication.• Lack of expert advise• Lack of time and resources to do all the services we give them at varied places.• Connecting and engaging with the relevant project Donors and Partners


IDIN • Positioning and selling their IDIN/IDDS summit solutions and work to relevant rural communities of the developing world.

• Information and continuity gaps for their IDDS/IDIN summits projects.• On the ground capacity and presence in rural communities of the develop-ing world.• Connecting and engaging with the relevant Social inventors, social inno-vators, social

entrepreneurs, NGO’s, volunteers in rural communities of the developing world

IGO’s • They do not have implementation ca-pacity and on the ground feedback• Connecting and engaging with the relevant Social inventors, social inno-vators, social

entrepreneurs, NGO’s, volunteers in rural communities of the developing world.• Innovation• Research• Impact


Young but Experienced Development prac-titioners • Engaging and meaningful work in the international development sector

Young but experienced Social Entrepre-neurs • Rural communities that require their services and/or products as they scale up for impact


Volunteers • Engaging and meaningful work that will contribute positively to building their capacity and improving the live-lihoods of their communities

2. Young but Experienced Development practitioners and social entrepreneurs across the globe.

3. Impact Investors with a development focus

CUSTOMER SEGMENTS (Continued)


Parastatal organizations and Govt Depart-ments /Bodies

• Lack of implementation capacity and on the ground feedback• Connecting and engaging with the rele-vant Social inventors, social innovators, social

entrepreneurs, NGO’s, volunteers in rural communities of their respective jurisdiction.• Extra hands• Innovation• Research• Impact

Private Companies • They do not have implementation ca-pacity and on the ground feedback• Connecting and engaging with the relevant Social inventors, social inno-vators, social

entrepreneurs, NGO’s, volunteers in rural communities of the developing world.• Fresh Ideas• Innovation• Research• Return on Investment• Tax Rebates• Corporate Social Responsibility pro-jects• Impact

These Hands’ platform provides the following solution for our customer groups’ problems:

• A strong international development donor/ partner database.• Our team mostly comprises of experienced youth that have time on their hands to offer our services to rural communities.• An offline platform to create lines of communication for those who do not have reliable access to internet.• An online platform to create a global network of development-oriented people.• USSD platform to facilitate communication between stakeholders in development projects• One stop shop for all their needs.

CUSTOMER SEGMENTS (Continued)

COMPETITOR ANALYSIS

Alternative / Competitor Describe product/service Pricing Strength Weaknesses

Consultants/Agents Consulting and training • Retainers with production cost mark-up

• Retainer with flat rate• Commission on total cost• Flat rate and commission

Years of experience • Lack on the ground experience,

• Not youth driven, not innovative/creative driven

Employees already hired for projects

Policy Development and Implementation

Salary Academic Qualification and Organizational Experience

• Not exposed to innovative solutions

Conference / Workshops Policy development and implementation and Training

High Consultancy fees Years of Experience • No Continuity, No Innovation, Imperfect Information

Regional/ National Chapters of Parastatal organizations and Govt Departments /Bodies

Policy development and implementation and Training

Project Costs/Nothing/Salary On the ground experience • Lack Research, Validation, Support Skills and Knowledge

Affiliates of NGO’s Parastatal organizations and Govt Departments /Bodies

Policy development and implementation and Training

Project Costs/Nothing/Salary Academic Qualification and On the ground experience

• Lack Research, Validation, Support Skills and Knowledge

The Human Centered Development online platform (HCD)

Connecting Innovators to resources

A small fee Well established • Offline platform• USSD platform• Developed world focus

Facebook and Twitter Connecting Innovators to resource pages

Free Well established • USSD platform available but not being used for our intended purposes.

• Low Facebook penetration in the developing world

• Lots of distractions to ensure project continuity.

VALUE PROPOSITION

• We offer a strong developing world rural community’s database. This provides our members with a single

place to easily find information regarding development initiatives and market research in particular rural

communities.

• We offer a strong international development donor/partner database, allowing our members to easily find

sources of funding and partners to work with.

• We offer an offline and online platform that will directly connect our members to developing rural

communities. This platform is the first of its kind to integrate developing communities without internet

access with those in the developed work on a single network.

• We offer a USSD platform that allows anyone in the developing world with a GSM phone to access our

network. Our USSD platform will allow people who do not have access to internet or a smart phone or

computer to access our network and to participate in international development projects. This we believe

will bridge the current information and project continuity gap.

• We offer a platform that IGO’s, NGOs, businesses, parastatals and governments can use to communicate

with employees who are in the field and lack access to traditional methods of communication (i.e.

internet).

• We are a one stop shop for holistic business/technology development or advisory for social innovators,

inventers, volunteers and NGO’s in rural communities of the developing world.

• We will ensure further project continuity and sustainability through both partnership creation and trade

platforms for our members or through sourcing small start-up capital grants, training grants and mobility

grants.

PRICING

These Hands Pricing (Description of Services described above in “Services” Section)

Short-term (Pilot Phase)

• Event management – A price quote will be given to the clients after a free consultation discussing the goals and requirements for the management and planning of the event.

• Public relations – A one hour consultation of marketing and public communications strategy session will be priced at approximately $10. A full ownership of the marketing tasks transferred from the company to “These Hands” will be priced at $35 per month plus cost of materials and any other additional services.

• Proposal writing – guidance, assistance, and editing of grant requests will be priced at 10$ per hour, or a complete grant request can be written up by “These Hands” for the client at a fixed cost of $50.

• Graphic design/branding – a price quote will be given to the clients after a free consultation discussing the graphic design and branding goals of the client. The approximate price range is $40-$100 depending on work load.

• Video editing – complete editing of a video submitted to the client will be priced at $80.

Pricing in the short-run (through the pilot phase) will act to cover our operational costs. Currently these operational costs are approximately US$600 per year, plus a fixed fee of US$80 per job for video editing services. Our pricing schedule will serve to cover these costs.

Long-term (2018 and Beyond)

• Membership and use of the offline, online and USSD platform is going to be completely free to all users.• After successfully funding a “These Hands Network” incubation member’s project through an external source, “These Hands” will

charge a 1-3% fee. If demand is high and funding is being acquired regularly on the platform, the fee can potentially rise up to a maximum of 5%.

• Ideally, all of our services will be free of charge in the long-run in order to empower those working on development in areas of need, and encourage use of the social network. If operational costs are too high and cannot be covered by funding connection fees, an updated price schedule similar to above can be set charging for our services.

• It is a distinct possibility that the venture can be profitable through external funding from private investors. The social network can create a valuable asset that can attract the attention of a large and well–established tech firm. This large tech firm may acquire our social network infrastructure which can provide the appropriate funding necessary for success in our social mission.

MARKETING STRATEGY

2. Engage development practitioners and social entrepreneurs in the

developedworld:

• Run a content marketing campaign: Place articles in well-known

development and technology blogs and online magazines.

• Targets: SciDev.net, CGDev.org, the Guardian Global Development

Blog, TechCrunch.com, VentureBeat.com, TheNextWeb.com, Recode.

net and Wired Magazine etc.

• Tech and Sustainable Development Conferences: Attend technology

and sustainable development conferences to garner additional

attention for These Hands.

The success of These Hands depends on its ability to provide a social

network that includes people from developing countries. As a result, our

priority is to establish our social network in developing countries. We will

start by establishing our network in Botswana and India. However, we

have plans to eventually expand to other countries in sub-Saharan Africa

and South-east Asia. Once this network is established, our focus will

switch to attracting people from developed countries to our network. The

specifics of our marketing strategy are outlined as follows:

1. Engage social inventors, social innovators, social entrepreneurs, NGO’s,

volunteersandruralcommunitiesinthedevelopingworld:

• Network with our current connections (Global MDP Association, IDIN,

Selco Incubation Centre, Cultural Economics Network, LOPN, Arterial

Network, DITLOU etc.) in Africa and India to bring them into the These

Hands network.

• Bring recipients of development aid into the These Hands network via

USSD technology.


GOALS & IMPLEMENTATION PLAN

Goal Deadline Description

Initial Market Research/IDDS D’Kar Preparation January 2015 CCB training, market research, and problem framing (to be carried out by MIT D-Lab students)

Website Development August 2015 Design, Programming and Functionality

Further Website Domain Registration August 2015 Payment for extra 2 years

Database and Website Server and Technical Support August 2015 To request Microsoft Innovation Center through the Botswana Innovation Hub’s First Steps Venture Center to partner with us and host all our data and our website.

USSD coding, development and hosting August 2015 To request Microsoft Innovation Center through the Botswana Innovation Hub’s First Steps Venture Center to partner with us and code + host our data.

Website launch July 2015 BOTSWANA INNOVATION HUB

1st Rural Community Introduction and registration to our platform

August 2015 To add rural community members/participants to our database and further test website and USSD functionality and server performance at IDDS D’kar 2015.

Host IDDS D’Kar to pilot our services August 2015 • Event management• Public relations• Proposal writing• Graphic design/branding• Video editing

2nd Rural Community Introduction and registration to our platform.

August 2016 Botswana, Zambia, Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, Ghana, Tanzania and India through our already existing and established networks.

2nd Rural Community Introduction and registration to our platform.

August 2016 Botswana, Zambia, Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, Ghana, Tanzania and India through our already existing and established networks.

Development Practitioner and Social Entrepreneur 1st introduction and registration to our platform.

August 2017 Global MDP, IDIN, Arterial Network, ICCI fellows, DITLOU etc

1st Donor introduction and registration to our platform.

August 2018 International Development Sector Donor Database.

NECESSARY SUPPORT

• Analytics/Big Data: We would like to receive support in business

analytics. Currently we have the ability to use Google Analytics.

However, this business will require much more sophisticated

business analytics in order to succeed. As a result, we would like

to receive advice about the types of business analytics available to

us. In addition, we would need assistance in implementing business

analytics and training so that we can independently implement these

techniques. We would also like some support with using Hadoop.

• Computers and Internet support for IDDS Dkar (Pilot Phase).The

computers are to be used by the R Labs Botswana Instructor to help

those participants without emails to set them up etc. The computers

and internet are also to be used by the participants and organisers at

the summit.

Necessary Support from International Development Innovation Network

(IDIN)

• Microgrant to cover prototyping costs - Web prototype hosting and

development, Website Domain Registration and Graphic Designs for

the pilot phase.

Necessary Support (Botswana Innovation Hub and Microsoft)

• USSD Programming: Need help with the programming that will allow

us to integrate USSD technology into These Hands. Our programmers

at Blaster Web Services have some knowledge of USSD programming

but have never done this on an actual project yet. Blaster Web Services

is willing to work with Microsoft to do the necessary programming.

• Microsoft Azure: We would like to receive a free Microsoft Azure

account. This will provide us with cloud-based servers and would give

us many options for adding features to the site.

• Microsoft Sharepoint: We would like to receive a free Microsoft

Sharepoint account to serve ßas a content management system for

These Hands.

• Statistical Packages/Software: We request statistical packages/

software (preferably Stata or SPSS). We plan on conducting

marketing research and need to conduct statistical analysis on our

data. Statistical software will also allow us to do small-scale business

analytics until we develop the capacity to make use of big data.


WEBSITE PROTOTYPE

Home Page About Us

WEBSITE PROTOTYPE (Continued)

Partners Services 1 Services 2


Projects 1 Projects 2 Downlaods


Dashboard

Click here or copy and paste this link to your web browser to visit our live prototype

www.cardinalsur.com.ar/proyecto/these-hands

Scan QR code to visit our website

Visit us on social media

These Hands GSSE @TheseHandsGSSE

www.these-hands.org

FINANCIALS (Variable Costs)

Item Description

Website Hosting Cost of hosting the website on the servers of Blaster Web Services for prototype development

Graphic Design Cost of graphic design, branding work, logo design, and document design from The Brilliant Idea Factory.

Further Website Domain Registration Annual cost of registering the domain name for These Hands. We plan on purchasing additional domain names in the future to obtain a more user-friendly domain name. In addition, we will purchase similar do-main names to protect our brand by preventing others from using a URL that is similar to our name. As a result, this cost will likely in-crease in the future.

Branded Emails* Cost of branded emails for each C-suite officer. This is subject to in-crease as more employees join the company.

Internet Services Cost of internet that will be used to pilot These Hands in rural com-munities at IDDS 2015 in D’Kar, Botswana.

Travel (air and ground) and Accommodation to sites

Cost of traveling and accommodation for business purposes.

Financials for pilot phase (see Excel sheet for exact costs and equity schedule)


OUR TEAM MEMBERS

1. Thabiso Mashaba

Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer (BOTSWANA)

Thabiso is double major degree holder in Economics and Accounting from

the University of Botswana. He is a completing global master’s degree in

development practice programme (MDP) student under the prestigious

Socio-Economic Development, Botswana Insurance Holdings Limited

Trust Professor Thomas Tlou scholarship, with the same institution.

Thabiso is also a strategist, cultural economist, arts trainer and policy

maker. He sits on the Botswana Confederation of Commerce, Industry

and Manpower Youth in Business Sector High Level Consultative

Council. He is the Interim Chairperson of the Arterial Network Botswana

Chapter, Brand Ambassador of the Botswana Creative Industries Focus

Group and he also sits on the National Human Resource Development

Council’s Cultural and Creative Industry Sector Committee as a member

representing Private Sector. Thabiso is Co-Founder and Chief Executive

Officer of the fast growing IDIN Micro Grant Funded These Hands Global,

Social and Sustainable Enterprise (THESE HANDS NETWORK). He is an

IDDS Zambia 2013 Alumnus and Facilitator of the UNDP and Botswana

Innovation Hub‘s annual Social Good Summit.

2. Sagar Mahapatra

Co-founder and Chief Operations Officer (INDIA)

Sagar has a Post Graduate certificate in management (livelihood and

microfinance) from the Human Development School of Management,

Bhubaneswar, India. His is currently a Liaison Officer at Selco Incubation

Centre in Bangalore, India. He has more than two years working

experience with tribal, government officials and schemes, NGOs, PRIs,

and community based institutions in different parts India. He has worked

as a project executive on the livelihoods programme of Odisha at Harsha

Trust. As ICICI Fellow he has also led projects for organisations such

as the Regional Centre for Development Corporation in Odisha, India,

Avina in Uttarakahand, India and the Foundation for Ecological Security

in Gujarat, India. Sagar brings a vast knowledge in helping communities

develop and setup their business ventures and models. Sagar is also an

IDDS Zambia 2013 Alumnus, Co-Founder and Chief Operations Officer of

the fast growing These Hands Global, Social and Sustainable Enterprise.


OUR TEAM MEMBERS

3. Bryan Lee

Co-Founder and Chief Marketing Officer (USA)

Bryan Lee is the Chief Marketing Officer and a Co-Founder of These Hands

Global, Social and Sustainable Enterprise. He is currently pursuing his

Masters of Development Practice at Trinity College Dublin and University

College Dublin. Before that, he studied Economics and Philosophy at

the University of California, Santa Barbara, graduating magna cum laude.

Bryan was also awarded the Academic Excellence Award and the Sean S.

Weld Memorial Scholarship during his time as an undergraduate. Bryan

has had diverse professional experience in public service, web design, and

international development and currently sits on the organizing committee

for the International Conference for Sustainable Development Practice. He

has also engaged in conservation research in northern Rwanda. Bryan

has a deep interest in international development and wishes to use his

talents to improve the human condition.

4. Ivan Camponogara

Co-Founder and Chief Financial Officer (USA)

Ivan earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Princeton

University in 2013. After graduation, he joined M&T Bank as a credit analyst

in their Management Development Program. Throughout his experience at

the bank, he focused on business banking credit analysis, for businesses

seeking credit within the $3 million to $10 million dollar range. He also

spent time working in the Core Compliance Group and the M&T Securities

Audit Team. As part of the management development program, he

spearheaded the best practices development of the bank’s social media

sites, which have been utilized in the design of today’s Facebook, Twitter,

and LinkedIn accounts for M&T Bank. Additionally, Ivan is a co-founder of

Caritas Travel, a hotel and travel reservation booking website that donates

a percentage of its proceeds to partner charities. Ivan is a Co-founder and

Chief Financial Officer of These Hands Global, Social and Sustainable

Enterprise.


OUR TEAM MEMBERS

5. Dave Cornblum

Chief Technical Officer (USA)

Dave is the founder, owner, and web developer at Blaster Web Services

and Chief Technical Officer at These Hands Global, Social and Sustainable

Enterprise. During that time, Blaster Web Services has had the great

fortune to develop websites for businesses and groups like the Seal

Beach Animal Care Center, Omalley’s, Mac-Fusion, Cold Stone Catering,

Tropical Juice, Joie de Vivres, The Angel Store, The Seal Beach Community

Performing Arts Association and Miss Seal Beach! Before starting Blaster

Web, Dave worked for the top 500 Inc. company Everything Furniture with

its web department. Before that Dave was a school teacher. Dave has been

a part of the local Chamber of Commerce for 2 years and has served in the

positions on the Mixer Committee and the Membership committee. Dave

is also involved in music.

6. Kenneth Middleton

Chief Creative Officer (BOTSWANA)

Ken is founder, owner and graphic designer at The BIF. The Brilliant Idea

Factory is creative design agency where brilliant ideas are manufactured

at machine efficiency.

As a graphic designer Ken has helped many companies achieve visual

impact. He has 4 years’ experience in the industry, both as a freelancer

and with 3 big local advertising agencies. He believes in creativity and he

aims to affect the world through effective visual communication. Being a

right brainier he has been accused of being dreamy but he believes and

has always been able to show that the end justifies the means.

At The Brilliant Idea Factory they believe in liberating the creative process

by applying “no box” thinking to their projects. Not only by thinking out the

box but by extending the boundaries beyond infinity.


OUR TEAM MEMBERS

7. Creative Hub Films

Film and Photography (BOTSWANA)

Creative Hub Films is a film and photography production house that is

constantly searching for more innovative, more ground breaking ways

to use film and photography to communicate, educate, inform, entertain

or showcase anything that will add value to the human experience! Their

mission is to push the boundaries of creativity in Botswana Film industry

and beyond. It is owned and founded by three University of Botswana

Bachelor of Media Studies graduates in Mr Katso Morapedi, Ms Botlhe

Lesetedi and Mr Tafadzwa Ranganai.


Concept Note...and investors, allowing us to provide our services at an affordable rate for those in developing rural communities. ABOUT US (Continued) ... • Search engine optimization

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