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TEDxBYU - Willy Foote - Root Capital: Pioneering Rural Finance for the Missing Middle

2,004 views · Published 12 April 2011 · 16:11 · Indexed 26 September 2026

Channel: TEDx Talks · 2011 · Nonprofits & Activism

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Willy Foote, Founder and CEO of Root Capital, describes the challenges faced by small and growing businesses (SGBs) in remote rural areas. These businesses support the livelihoods of millions of smallholder farmers and artisans in developing countries. By providing capital and financial training to these grassroots businesses, Root Capital helps SGBs realize their potential to address global poverty and transform rural communities in Africa and Latin America. Willy's speech focuses on both his personal reflections as a social entrepreneur and Root Capital's growth as a force for change.

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TED has created a program called TEDx. TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. Our event is called TEDxBYU, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events, including ours, are self-organized.

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