Posts by Jennifer Sturdy
$850 matters: How opaque transactions affect SMEs
When I started working in Rwanda in 2005, it was hard for me to internalize how challenging it was to access cash when I needed it. I was used to walking up to an ATM and taking out what I needed or putting down my credit card. It took about […]
Event Recap: Investing in Ownership Economy
Over the summer, the Institute for Business & Social Impact (IBSI) announced its Shared Ownership Initiative including staff across multiple Haas Centers such as the Center for Responsible Business (CRB), and Sustainable & Impact Finance (SAIF), Center for Social Sector Leadership (CSSL). Th…
Innovation, inclusion, and impact: IBSI launches collaborations in Latin America
In 2025, Haas’s Institute for Business & Social Impact (IBSI) launched several new collaborations in Latin America. Our objective is to strengthen our research, broaden our global reach, and deepen our commitment to innovation and inclusion. Here are some of the collaborations we’re excited …
Designing for Accessibility: Reimagining fintech for the visually-impaired
At IBSI, we love it when Berkeley students combine their technical skills with entrepreneurial spirits to make the world better for all. “It’s meaningful to design experiences that genuinely make life more independent and fairer for all people” – Sejin Kim and Jessie Deng In an i…
Beyond the Classroom: Learning from research on Digital Collateral
In some of the world’s fastest-growing economies, hard-working individuals and families remain shut out of traditional banking and loan systems. Historically, lending in high and medium-income countries is secured by assets, while lower-income markets often feel structurally unfair, excluding …
Delivering entrepreneurship training: Berkeley Business Academy for Youth (B-BAY) continues to thrive
Since 2009, the UC Berkeley Haas School of Business has delivered the Berkeley Business Academy for Youth (B-BAY). The mission: to nurture, grow, and inspire the next generation of responsible business leaders. B-BAY’s intensive two-week program brings young talents to the UC Berkeley campus, wher…
Bridging financial and mental health at work
Financial stress shows up everywhere — at work, at home, and even in our sleep. Money and finances have been a top stressor for the American people for almost a decade. (American Psychological Association Survey Shows Money Stress Weighing on Americans’ Health Nationwide) Yet these two issues—…
Prioritizing mental health in the workplace
Mental health is now a workplace imperative, not just a personal one. Whether you’re navigating hybrid work as an office manager, experiencing burnout as a frontline worker, or tasked with supporting employee well-being as a leader, the state of workplace mental health affects all of us. Let’s b…
Challenging the status quo on ownership
IBSI’s mission – to build a more equitable, sustainable, and inclusive society – guides everything we do. While we are not diving into our Why today, our How is constantly evolving in response to our changing world. And it’s what we ask ourselves when we come to work every day: [&hel…
California’s push for financial health through personal finance education
IBSI has been home to the Lab for Inclusive FinTech (LIFT) since 2020. Through LIFT’s investments in faculty-driven research, student innovations and collaborations, and convenings with major partners, we learn what it takes to make financial services more inclusive. One key insight we’ve ga…