Can Doing Good be Good Business?

Many of today’s most urgent challenges, from access to healthcare and affordable insurance to resilient supply chains, financial inclusion, and last-mile connectivity, persist in contexts where traditional markets fall short. In these settings, demand is often fragmented, delivery costs are high, risks are difficult to assess, and the communities that would benefit most are often the hardest to reach.

Yet across sectors, organizations are finding new ways forward. By combining innovative partnerships, financing mechanisms, and the effective use of technology, they are creating models that can deliver both social impact and long-term financial sustainability.

Drawing on cross-sector insights, this session will examine where impact-driven initiatives succeed commercially, where they struggle, and why. Through real-world examples, expert perspectives, and interactive audience engagement, the discussion will explore how markets can be built, how innovation can improve viability, and what is required to make solutions scalable and investable across sectors.

The event will bring together voices from business, international organizations, academia, investors, and the innovation ecosystem. It will also reflect on what these lessons mean for advancing last-mile connectivity and digital inclusion.

This event, jointly organized by the Geneva Innovation Movement, the Geneva Research Lab for Digital Impact, and UNICEF's Digital Impact Division in support of Giga, is part of our Bridging the Digital Divide series, which connects academic research with real-world decision-making needs. The session is intended for representatives of the private sector, international organizations, investors, Permanent Missions, government, academia, and the wider innovation ecosystem working on impact, sustainable finance, digital development, and public–private collaboration.