Mongolia – It’s a Wrap!

Well, that was exciting! Mark and I just spent an amazing month on the ground, networking and digging in with some of Mongolia’s best and brightest. A few days ago we concluded our first Frontier Markets Meet Up in Ulanbaataar, the capital city. To say that it was a success

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Predatory Capitalism and Market Perception

Mark and I are heading into our second week on the ground here in Mongolia, enjoying the beautiful summer weather. In the last few days we’ve met with a young American who recently launched a forex operation, travelled out to the countryside to do preliminary due diligence on a small

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To Entrepreneur – Or Not..?

I haven’t kept very close track, but Mark and I have now been running this website for nearly 2 years. For readers who’ve been with us for any length of time it should be clear what we do with our spare time. OK, scrap that, it should be clear what

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Why Some Places Are Thriving While Others Are Blowing Up!

In December 2010 a jobless Tunisian graduate burnt himself to death. Having been forcibly prevented from the dangerous and criminal act of selling vegetables from a cart without the proper “license”, he took drastic action. The chain reaction which followed, now affectionately referred to as the “Arab Spring”, likely would

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The Risks of (Not) Investing in Frontier Markets – Central Asia

Today we’ll conclude our conversation about Central Asia with Clemente Cappello from Sturgeon Capital. Corporate governance, transparency and management are three things you need to focus on when doing your due diligence, but that’s just the beginning. ——– Chris: Corporate governance is always an issue in frontier markets. How do

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A Beginner’s Guide to the “Stans”

This is part two of our discussion with Clemente Cappello from Sturgeon Capital… We’re discussing Central Asia. Yesterday Clemente shared the 3 Things you Need to Know About Central Asian Frontier Markets with us. Today we’ll talk more about banking, business and liquidity flows in Frontier Markets, like Kazakhstan. ——–

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3 Things you Need to Know About Central Asian Frontier Markets

Some time back I had the fortune of meeting with some interesting guys who are involved in Central Asia. Like some of you, I have read the stories of stupendous, life-changing growth and opportunities. I’ve even met a good number of investors who have placed what amounted to a grubstake

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Pushing Against the Mainstream

I was a rebel while in school. I wasn’t the ill-mannered brute beating up smaller kids, and I wasn’t the obnoxious snot-nosed brat who swore at teachers because Daddy and Mommy hadn’t taught any manners, I was simply the type who challenged authority. Of course my tantrums made no logical sense, and I had

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