2010 San Diego Microfinance Summit

April 28th, 2010

8:30am-4:30pm

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The San Diego Microfinance Summit will bring together students, business owners, members of the community, microlenders, bankers, and many others to learn, network, and become more involved in microfinance. The summit will highlight both international microfinance issues as well as teach about the local micro-lending climate. Participants will get to hear from both microfinance professionals and clients in addition to enjoying lunch and a marketplace that is provided by local clients, all financed by local microfinance organizations. The afternoon mixer will provide an opportunity for to network with students, microfinance professionals, microfinance clients and more.

The Keynote address will be given by Yeardley Smith, Emmy award-winning actor, novelist and playwright who is best known as the voice of Lisa Simpson on the Emmy award winning television series The Simpsons. She is passionate about microfinance. As a donor and volunteer, she is partnering with Grameen Foundation on a special initiative geared toward expanding microcredit and related services to those living on less than a dollar a day. Yeardley will share her perspectives and experiences visiting with women in Haiti, both pre- and post-earthquake and address the impact of microfinance.

Attendees will also spend the latter part of the morning hearing from a panel of professionals that work in international microfinance organizations. Afternoon break-out sessions will provide the opportunity to learn about various aspects of microfinance in a bit more depth. Two different hour-long sessions will allow for attendees to choose from the following break-out sessions.

1. Students In Microfinance - Learn about opportunities to become more involved in microfinance from students and alumni of San Diego Univervisities. Learn about potential internships, job opportunities, and University Microfinance Clubs.

2. Microfinance In Academia - The Microfinance in Academia session seeks to provide an overview of the developments in microfinance as it pertains to research, curriculum, and community outreach endeavors in academia. Panelists from four major academic institutions in the San Diego region (Point Loma Nazarene University; San Diego State University; University of California, San Diego; and University of San Diego) will provide their perspectives and will outline the activities taking place in their respective institutions with respect to microfinance and allied areas. The objective of this session is to stimulate conversations and to forge partnerships among institutions, practitioners, and the community.

3. Group Lending In San Diego - While many are familiar with Grameen Bank’s village banking model, rarely has it been successfully replicated in the United States. Chris Nayve, Associate Director of The Center For Community Learning at the University of San Diego will team up with Elena Cruz of La Maestra to talk about the partnerhsip they have established and how providing $250 loans are changing the lives of women in San Diego. Hear from several borrowers as they share their personal story and tell first-hand how the business training and microloan from La Maestra has empowered them in their communities.

4. San Diego Microlenders - Panelists from four local Microfinance Organizations will share about the work they are doing in San Diego, how they collaborate to work together, and some strategic partnerships they have formed. Two clients that have been served by these organizations will present about their businesses, how they utilized funding from several programs, and how the local network of MF Organizations helped them to grow their business. This session will be an interactive panel with plenty of time for Q&A and discussion with the clients.

5. Investing In Microfinance: Pro-Poor or Pro-Profit? - As microfinance continues to evolve and mature as a financial industry, more public and private dollars are becoming available to microfinance institutions (MFI’s). Some invest in order to help reduce poverty, others simply for a return on investment. Persons and institutions interested in ensuring that microcredit continues to serve the poor need to be careful about where they place their investments and financial support. In this break-out session, Terry Provance, Executive Director of Oikocredit, USA will examine current trends in microfinance, social impact and responsible investing.

A final networking hour will give all attendees a chance to enjoy drinks, light appetizers, and interact with other students, business owners, microlenders, and members of the community.

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To see press coverage from the last year’s summit, click here.