Three years ago this week, the Barefoot MBA began as but an idea. Since then we’ve come a long way.

2009 in review:

• First U.S. adaptation, by the Capital Good Fund in Rhode Island, whose version is also the first “green” adaptation, supporting the growing concern for and awareness of environmental impact of human activities
• First independent adaptation, by a partner in India
• Adaptations and a train-the-trainers workshop in the Philippines that culminated in teaching villagers and laid groundwork for future Filipino adaptations
• Continued rollout at Thailand’s Population and Community Development Association, our original partner
• Partnership discussions with a range of organizations in the U.S. and abroad, including Frogtek (Latin America), Wokai (China) and the Grassroots Business Fund (Latin America, Africa, India, Southeast Asia)
• Increased awareness, of the Barefoot MBA specifically and social causes and the benefits of financial education broadly. Established organizations like Goldman Sachs and Deloitte recently introduced related initiatives, adding credibility to an emerging field
• Entrance into social media: Facebook (become a fan!) and Twitter

And in the spirit of New Year’s resolutions, some for the Barefoot MBA:

• Expand to other countries and continents, notably Africa, Eastern Europe and the Middle East
• Solidify presence in existing geographies, including the United States
• Update our website (we’re trying! can you help?)
• Measure results of existing adaptations, especially in Thailand and the Philippines

Happy new year!