We’re Caribou Digital
We are Caribou Digital, a research and advisory firm that helps clients change the world through building inclusive and ethical digital economies.
Our team of experts work across a range of sectors and businesses, from startup financing to data analytics, to financial inclusion and the use of space for development, to ensure our clients lead the field in the use of technology to deliver equitable and sustainable development.
Our team is experienced, empathetic, pragmatic and direct. We look to the central role startups and large companies alike play in ensuring that digital products, services, and markets unlock human capabilities and drive sustainable growth.
Our experience doesn’t stop at one sector because the shift to digital doesn’t stop at one sector.
Our Philosophy
The world is rapidly shifting to digital. No market sector, no country, no part of human life will be left untouched by this shift.
We believe that everyone should be included in the digital economy and that by helping build and shape ethical, respectful systems, we can reach that goal.
To bring about a world that is simultaneously prosperous, sustainable, and just, efforts must be taken immediately to protect and promote human agency and inclusion in the emerging global information economy. We believe addressing these challenges requires original thinking and original ways of working. Explore our updates below to see how we apply these themes to our work.
Updates
When ID works for women: on online workers and ID in Bangladesh
What’s the role of an ID for women who do online work in Bangladesh?
Savita Bailur
Jun 28
When ID works for women: on garment factory workers and ID in Bangladesh
An ID means access to better or formal work in the context of factory work, but ID standards are still being set, leading to workarounds.
Savita Bailur
Jun 20
When ID works for women: on domestic workers and ID in Bangladesh
Our work in Bangladesh offers insight into an ID’s role in domestic workers’ lives.
Savita Bailur
Jun 12
Featured Advisor: Marissa Dean
Marissa leads Caribou Digital Investments and contributes to the Mastercard Foundation FiDA Partnership on fintechs and other digital financial services institutions, digital commerce, and ecosystems for digital financial services. Her recent research projects have included the use of big data and analytics by FSPs in Kenya and Tanzania, the implications of the platformisation of the internet on economic inclusion, and a toolkit for entrepreneurship ecosystem development diagnostics, with a particular focus on women's entrepreneurship. Marissa has an MBA and a Certificate in Global Business from the Haas School of Business and a BSc from the College of Chemistry, all from the University of California at Berkeley, and an MSc in Public Policy with merit from the University of London, SOAS. Marissa works from Lake Tahoe, US and travels frequently to South Africa.
Can big data shape financial services in East Africa?
How do Fintechs, MNOs, and financial institutions in East Africa leverage big data? The FiDA Partnership interviewed 30 organizations in the region to learn about how they use big data, the marketplace for this type of data, and its potential and limitations in the digital finance space.