In continuing our research to provide off-grid technologies for our initiatives in India, we would like to highlight companies working to develop off-grid technologies. That is how we ran across deciwatt.org.  Check out their video below and be inspired.

Have you ever wanted to do more?  I know I have.

In 2013 all of us here at Contigo will be trying to find 5 hours every quarter to donate to help a local company or non-profit in our community.  What makes the challenge unique is that we will be doing so using our specific professional skill set.  

Whether you are graphic designer and can create a new logo for a local non-profit, perform some pro-bono legal work if you are an attorney, or build a custom cabinet if you are a master carpenter, any professional can help.

We challenge you to take 5 hours in the next 3 months to volunteer your skills for the greater good.  

Social Impact is the free global app that uses the GPS feature in a iPhone, iPad or iPod touch to display retail social enterprises near you.

Many of these businesses are restaurants, coffee shops, catering services, bakeries, and ice cream stores, which create local social impact from every dollar you spend. Other listed businesses are "fair trade" stores or social enterprises with online ordering capabilities.

The app currently supports SEs in the US, Canada, UK, Ireland, Holland, Australia, Hong Kong and Vietnam. 

Several articles have been written about invisible Quick response codes developed by researchers in South Dakota developed consisting of printed nanoscale phosphor particles (using an aerosol jet printer) that could serve as an enhanced watermark to authenticate objects such as currency. The codes are invisible in ambient light, but glow green and blue when a near-infrared laser is used to excite the printed phosphors, a phenomenon known as upconversion luminescence.  The technique makes it difficult to counterfeit the codes and since they can be printed on paper, plastic, or glass, their use could extend beyond protecting currency.

Apart from currency protection we see a growing need for this kind of technology with document and signature verification as well.  Maybe someday soon or

Our new Online Store is coming soon.  Until we have it all set up, we wanted to share some of our latest products for you to look over.

Many of our clients, both here in the US and overseas think that setting up companies on international soil is the best option for them.  Many times we would not disagree, as long as they have a solid grasp of the legal, social and jurisdictional rules in all countries they will operate in.

It would be a misunderstanding to believe that logistic and profit-generating advantages offered by international corporate structures alone outweigh the liability exposure for the parent and subsidiary companies.

To illustrate this point, I wanted to share an interesting blog post written by Mauricio de la Barra of the  US-California and Mexican law firm, Martin-Sanchez & Leon de la Barra, LLP.  The post discussed Delaware's Supreme Court's judgment of $2 billion in damages against them for a breach of fiduciary duty of loyalty to one of their subsidiaries.

Although I am not familiar with all the facts of the case, I wanted to share the story nonetheless as an illustration of how sometimes, it may make sense to take a second look at the advantages of keeping your corporate structure organization at home.  The judgment and $304 million attorney billI has to hurt their bottom line here in the US.