Root Capital Makes Money By Investing Where Wall Street Won't

Fast Company profiles Root Capital, discussing its strategy to make impact investments in businesses that mainstream investors find too risky.

From original article:

"Small money, big change. That, in essence, is what William Foote was banking on when he ditched Harvard Business School to start what is now Root Capital, a "nonprofit social investment fund" that lends to small and medium rural businesses in developing countries.

"Root Capital's business model is to go where other banks will not - the agricultural sector of poor countries - and loan rural businesses as much as $500,000 to expand or improve their operations. The strategy is posting enviable numbers: Borrowers repaid 99 percent of the $300 million lent to them across Latin America and Africa since 2000 (investors reportedly enjoyed a 100 percent repayment rate)."