Ted Talks Daily – How business can drive solutions to social problems | Carlos Rodríguez-Pastor

Intro

In this episode of Ted Talks Daily, Carlos Rodríguez-Pastor shares his experience of using business strategies to drive solutions to social problems in Peru. He discusses the challenges faced by Peru in improving its education and healthcare systems and how his company, Grupo Intercorp, has played a crucial role in addressing these issues. Rodríguez-Pastor emphasizes the importance of private sector involvement in solving challenging problems and encourages listeners to get involved in making a difference in their communities.

Main Takeaways

Educational Transformation in Peru

• Carlos Rodriguez-Pastor built affordable schools, maternity health care clinics, and infrastructure in Peru
• Peru is a middle-income country with a poverty rate that went down from 55% to 25%
• Despite economic growth, Peru had a real issue improving its education system
• Public schools had low attendance, low engagement, and poor quality, leading to the rise of informal private schools
• A system was co-designed to change education in Peru, targeting 1.6 million K-12 students
• The system had to be affordable, have academic excellence, be scalable, and sustainable/profitable
• Profitability is important for sustainability and expansion of the project to other countries
• Trade-offs were made to reach profitability, such as shared tablets and no swimming pools

Revolutionizing Healthcare in Peru

• Healthcare system in Peru is broken and needs improvement, with 8 million informal workers having universal healthcare
• Grupo Intercorp bought a small chain of pharmacies with 2,300 locations throughout Peru, including remote areas in the Amazon, to provide good quality healthcare to the emerging middle class.
• Aviva clinic was developed, with 40 to 60 beds in each clinic, focusing on birth as the most important part of life.
• Private-public partnerships can work, as shown by the bridge built in Aidekipa with a $100 million tax investment from Grupo Intercorp and other companies.

Private Sector’s Role in Social Problem Solving

• Grupo Intercorp focuses on the middle class as it was low-hanging fruit, with a lot of services unmet and a way to scale fast.
• The government wasn’t delivering, so Grupo Intercorp got involved in areas like education and healthcare to make a difference.
• Private sector has an important role in solving challenging problems in the country
• Education takes a long time to solve, private sector has more staying power
• Grupo Intercorp partners with the government to make a better country

Engaging in Community Problem Solving

• Find out the most challenging problems in your community and get involved
• Make the pie bigger for your country, and you’ll do well yourself
• “C-pedal” mindset to overcome excuses and challenges

Additional Information

• Hosts of a new podcast called Fixable, helping leaders solve workplace problems in one session

Summary

Educational Transformation in Peru

Carlos Rodriguez-Pastor recognized the challenges faced by Peru in improving its education system. Public schools had low attendance, low engagement, and poor quality, leading to the rise of informal private schools. To address this issue, a co-designed system was implemented to target 1.6 million K-12 students. The system aimed to provide affordable education with academic excellence, scalability, and profitability. Trade-offs were made to ensure profitability, such as shared tablets and no swimming pools. This approach has been crucial in transforming education in Peru and making it accessible to a larger population.

Revolutionizing Healthcare in Peru

The healthcare system in Peru faced significant challenges, with 8 million informal workers having universal healthcare. Grupo Intercorp took the initiative to improve healthcare by acquiring a small chain of pharmacies with 2,300 locations across Peru, including remote areas in the Amazon. This enabled them to provide good quality healthcare to the emerging middle class. Additionally, Aviva clinics were established, focusing on birth as a crucial part of life. Private-public partnerships, such as the bridge built in Aidekipa, have demonstrated the effectiveness of collaboration in addressing healthcare issues.

Private Sector’s Role in Social Problem Solving

Grupo Intercorp recognized the limitations of the government in delivering effective solutions, leading them to get involved in areas like education and healthcare. They focused on the middle class, which presented an opportunity for scalable impact. The private sector has an important role to play in solving challenging problems in the country, as they have more staying power and can drive sustainable change. Grupo Intercorp actively partners with the government to create a better country for all.

Engaging in Community Problem Solving

Carlos Rodriguez-Pastor encourages listeners to identify the most challenging problems in their communities and get involved in finding solutions. By actively engaging in community problem-solving, individuals can contribute to making their country better. He emphasizes the importance of adopting a “C-pedal” mindset, which involves overcoming excuses and challenges to drive positive change. Additionally, the podcast hosts a new show called Fixable, which helps leaders solve workplace problems in one session.

Conclusion

Carlos Rodriguez-Pastor’s talk highlights the power of business acumen in driving solutions to social problems. Through his company, Grupo Intercorp, he has successfully transformed education and healthcare in Peru. His experiences demonstrate the importance of private sector involvement in addressing challenging issues and the need for collaboration with the government. Listeners are encouraged to take an active role in solving problems in their communities and contribute to making their country a better place.