On a Cambodian vacation in 2001, business consultant Jeremy Hockenstein was struck by the glaring disconnect between the country's severe poverty and recent increase in emerging technology. The country offered computer training through various schools, but there seemed to be little or no opportunity for those students once they graduated. Discouraged by this disparity, Hockenstein decided to make a difference. He created Digital Divide Data (DDD) as a sustainable fair trade outsourcing model. Two years later, Mai Siriphongphan, an experienced entrepreneur, joined the DDD team and helped foster its success in providing Southeast Asia the opportunity to contribute high-quality technology services to the global market. Now with over 550 employees that receive educational benefits and superb wages, DDD has given more than 1,200 young people the skills and positions necessary for the country to reap the benefits of increased employment. For its social impact, DDD was given the Skoll Foundation's Social Entrepeneur award in 2008 as well awards from the World Bank Development Marketplace, the IFC Grassroots Business Initiative, and the Global Knowledge Partnership. Through strategic targeting of the underprivileged and responsible planning in sustainability, Jeremy Hockentstein and Mai Siriphongphan have helped Southeast Asia to minimize the divide between poverty and progress.

Quotations

"Once you've seen the difference that social entrepreneurship can make, you want to do it over and over again." - Jeremy Hockenstein

Business, Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Corporate Responsibility, Environment, Sustainability,