Rescue Mission Can American entrepreneurs help solve social ills?

Trained as an eye doctor, Jordan Kassalow had worked in morethan 40 countries, helping treat river blindness and otherailments. "For [each person] who needed sophisticated eyecare, there were 30 people who needed basic reading glasses,"says Kassalow, 43. "There was a huge market failure, and ahuge market opportunity to sell cheap reading glasses."

Kassalow believed entrepreneurs were best positioned to fillthis niche. "Smaller companies can take cost margins [sellingto the poor] that larger companies may be unwilling totake."

Along with partner Scott Berrie, 39, Kassalow launched ScojoFoundation, a nonprofit organization that identifies entrepreneursin El Salvador, Guatemala, India and other poor countries; trainsthem to sell reading glasses; and helps them find small loans tostart eyeglass-selling businesses in their villages. ScojoFoundation plans to help sell reading glasses to over 350,000Indians within the next three years and has been recognized by theWorld Bank as an innovation leader.