University of San Diego

2014 San Diego Microfinance Summit

San Diego Microfinance - , , , , , , , , , -

Expanding Horizons of Microfinance

The 6th Annual San Diego Microfinance Summit will be held Tuesday, April 8th at the University of San Diego’s Joan B. Kroc Institute of Peace and Justice. Come learn new microfinance concepts, converse with like minded people, and participate in supporting local microfinance clients.

The 2014 San Diego Microfinance Summit will bring together leading microfinance practitioners, social entrepreneurs, students and members of the general public to explore the expanding horizons of the microfinance industry. Larry Reed, the Director of the Microcredit Summit Campaign, will be the keynote speaker. The event will also highlight speakers from innovative organizations such as Kiva, GiveDirectly, Edify and Puddle. Panels and presentations throughout the day will center on discussions about new ways to expand the reach and impact of microfinance by bringing vital financing to under-served markets. At the end of the day we will host a tremendous networking mixer with a million dollar view.

Register Now

 

Pre-Summit Networking Mixer
Ritual Tavern (a microfinance-funded establishment)
Monday, April 7th; 6:00 - 8:00pm
Cost: $12, including appetizers and one drink
www.ritualtavern.com

San Diego Microfinance Summit
University of San Diego
Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace & Justice
Tuesday, April 8th; 9:00am - 5:00pm

Summit Tickets*:
General: $50.00
Student: $25.00 (for current students with a valid student identification)

*Ticket price includes breakfast, lunch and reception, as well as a free voucher worth $10 to be applied to any purchase in the Artisan Client Marketplace. You’re encouraged to shop and support the vendors (no cash back value).

2014 San Diego Microfinance Summit Agenda

8:15 – 9:00 am Registration, Breakfast & Networking

9:00 – 9:30 am Welcome - USD Director Stephen Conroy, Dean Paula Cordeiro

9:30 –10:15 am Keynote Speaker - Larry Reed

10:15 – 10:25 am Break

10:25 – 11:30 am Plenary Session - Innovations In Finance
Jonny Price, Kiva; Jean Claude Rodriguez, Puddle; Paul Niehaus, GiveDirectly; Moderator: Craig McIntosh (UCSD)

11:30 – 11:45 am Microfinance CLIENT Success Story: Angela Maweu

11:45 –1:00 pm Lunch and Marketplace

1:00 – 2:00 pm Breakout Sessions- Concurrent
1) The Changing Horizon of Local Micro Lending: Impact, Innovation and Advocacy
2) Emerging Models: Returning to Traditional Ways of Saving and Sharing

2:10 – 3:10 pm Plenary Session: Education & Microfinance
Larry Reed, Microcredit Summit Campaign; Chris Crane, Edify; Moderator: Paula Cordeiro, USD

3:10 – 4:30 pm Networking Reception

Keynote Speaker - Larry Reed is the director of the Microcredit Summit Campaign. He has worked for more than 25 years in designing, supporting and leading activities and organizations that empower poor people to transform their lives and their communities. For most of that time Larry worked with Opportunity International, including five years as their Africa regional director and eight years as the first CEO of the Opportunity International Network. During his time with Opportunity, Larry helped to implement a strategy for developing full-service banks that served the very poor while mobilizing hundreds of millions of dollars in savings deposits and investments. Under his leadership, Opportunity developed the first micro-insurance brokerage, which now serves hundreds of millions of people around the world. Larry has taught at the Boulder Institute of Microfinance for 15 years, served as the chair of the SEEP Network, and consulted with industry-wide initiatives like the Smart Campaign for Client Protection and MicroFinance Transparency. Larry authored the State of the Microcredit Summit Campaign Report in 2011, 2012, and 2013 and has contributed to several books on finance and the poor including The New World of Microfinance (Rhyne, Otero, et. al., 1996), Serving with the Poor in Africa (Yamamori, Myers, Bediako and Reed, 1996), Globalization and the Kingdom of God (Goudzwaard, 2001), and More Pathways Out of Poverty (Harris et. al., 2006). He is a graduate of Wheaton College and the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

Moderators
University of San Diego - Paula Cordeiro grew up in New England and is a former teacher, principal and school head in international, bilingual schools in Venezuela and Spain. She holds a Master’s degree in TESOL from Rhode Island College and a doctorate in Educational Leadership from the University of Houston. Paula is currently a professor and dean of the School of Leadership and Education Sciences (SOLES) at the University of San Diego. In 2007 Paula was appointed to the board of The James Irvine Foundation in San Francisco and also serves on the boards of San Diego Grantmakers, the international micro-lender Edify, and the Boston-based nonprofit Community Technical Assistance Center (CTAC). She is the author of three books and in 2012 completed, with co-author Bill Cunningham, the 5th edition of her textbook Educational Leadership: A Bridge to Improved Practice. Her research interests are in school leadership and education in developing nations.

UC San Diego - Craig McIntosh is a Professor of Economics at the School of International Relations and Pacific Studies, UC San Diego. He received his Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley in agriculture and resource economics. He is a development economist whose work focuses on program evaluation. His main research interest is the design of institutions, which promote the provision of financial services to micro-entrepreneurs. He has conducted field evaluations of innovative anti-poverty policies in Mexico, Guatemala, Malawi, Rwanda, Uganda, and Tanzania. He is currently working on research projects investigating how to boost savings among the poor, on whether schooling can be used as a tool to fight HIV/AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa, and on mechanisms to improve the long-term viability of Fair Trade markets.

Morning Plenary Session

Kiva - Jonny Price first came to Kiva in 2009 as a volunteer on a 5-month externship from his management consulting firm Oliver Wyman. After 6 years at Oliver Wyman, first in London and then in San Francisco, he joined Kiva full-time in September 2011, to lead the Kiva Zip pilot project. Jonny is married to Ali, who he met at Kiva, and occasionally you may glimpse them cycling their tandem to work. He graduated with a BA in History from the University of Cambridge.

GiveDirectly - Paul Niehaus is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Economics at UC San Diego as well as a Faculty Research Fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research, a Junior Affiliate at the Bureau for Research and Economic Analysis of Development (BREAD), an Affiliate of the Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL), and an Affiliate at the Center for Effective Global Action (CEGA). His research deals with program implementation in developing countries and with learning. He is also co-founder and president of the nonprofit GiveDirectly. In 2013 Foreign Policy named him one of its leading 100 “Global Thinkers.”

Puddle - Jean Claude Rodriguez is a co-founder of Puddle with Matt Flannery, CEO of Kiva. Puddle is an online platform that gives individuals instant access to a line of credit and a platform where money is lent and borrowed freely among members. Before moving to San Francisco, he implemented Puddle offline in more than 10 countries. He is an Ashoka fellow and was selected Best Creative Entrepreneur of the World in 2008. He holds a Ph.D. in Microfinance.

 

Afternoon Session (1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.)

The Changing Horizon of Local Micro Lending: Impact, Innovation and Advocacy (Conference Room C)

Practitioners in the evolving field of micro lending are continually challenged to develop innovative solutions to address the need for access to capital and business education. The nature of these solutions can vary but the goal is always the same: creating lasting impact for underserved entrepreneurs. In this session, microfinance practitioners will discuss how their micro lending programs have evolved to meet the needs of the local market in four tangible ways including: policy advocacy for systemic changes to benefit small businesses, expansion of traditional underwriting processes to include character and commitment to business training, impact analysis via measurements of household and business income, and collaborative approaches to delivering business assistance to entrepreneurs.

Panelists
Valery Belloso, ACCION San Diego, Business Development Officer
Kaitlan Hammock, Microenterprise Program Manager, International Rescue Committee,
Susan Lamping, Vice President of Community Lending, CDC Small Business Finance
Sandra Martinez, Program Manager, Foundation for Women

 

Emerging models: Returning to traditional Ways of Saving and Sharing (Conference Room D)

In recent years new models designed around savings are appearing in the world of micro-finance. In a way this is a return to traditional models used by villages. Many communities are hesitant to enter into debt outside of their community relationships or do not have a third party linking them to sources of capital. Some communities, due to cultural traditions, do not believe in debt as a development vehicle. In this panel discussion we will explore the history of this movement and hear from organizations exploring these new methodologies.

Panelists
Jean Fort, Vice President of Programs and Partnerships, Women’s Empowerment
Anna Lu, Founder, EPTEAM Network @ UCSD; San Diego Microfinance Puddle
Neils Lund, Executive Director, Microloans for Mothers
Jean Claude Rodriguez, Co-Founder, Puddle

Panel Moderator: Elisa Sabatini, Executive Director, Via International

Afternoon Plenary Session (2:10 p.m. to 3:10 p.m.)

Edify- Chris Crane is President & CEO of Edify, a humanitarian organization he founded in September 2009 to make loans to Christian schools educating impoverished children in Africa and Latin America. Chris Crane served from 2002-2009 as President & CEO of Opportunity International Inc., the world’s largest faith-based microfinance organization. During Chris’ tenure, Opportunity’s revenues grew at a compounded annual rate of 30%. He earned an MBA from Harvard Business School, a Bachelor of Science, summa cum laude, in Finance from Boston College. He studied economics, art appreciation and music appreciation for two years at the University of Vienna, Austria. In 1999 he was awarded the Ernst & Young/USA Today Entrepreneur of the Year Award in San Diego and in 2009 the Bob Buford Half/Time Achievement Award. He was a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO) from 1990 to 2002. He has been married to Jane for 30 years, and they have one son, Andy.

Microcredit Summit Campaign - Larry Reed (see Biography above)

 

To learn more about previous San Diego Microfinance Summits you can Click Here.

If you are not familiar with The San Diego Microfinance Alliance (SDMFA) - This 20 MINUTE DOCUMENTARY paints a picture of microfinance in San Diego and how The SDMFA is collaborating to create greater opportunities for entrepreneurs, students and those interested in engaging in microfinance.

 



2012 Microfinance Summit Date Announced!!!

San Diego Microfinance - , , , -

The date for the 2012 San Diego Microfinance Summit event has officially been announced!! The event will be held Wednesday, April 4th at the University of San Diego. Please update your calendars, and continue to check here for more updates in the coming months!

We look forward to seeing you there!

Think Globally, Act Locally

San Diego Microfinance, Twitter - , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , -

As we begin the New Year, I’d like to take a moment to reflect. When we think about all that The San Diego Microfinance Alliance and its partners have done throughout 2010 it is amazing. When we think about how much more there is to do, it can be both exciting and overwhelming. For those of us that may feel overwhelm during times of transition while we are trying to imagine the future, I would like to remind us of an important quote from one of the best examples of transformational leadership and service.

“If you can’t feed a hundred people, then feed just one.” – Mother Teresa

I believe the wisdom from Mother Teresa’s quote is most strongly felt within our hearts. When we begin careers or get involved in service it is likely that we believe, doing our best is good enough. Unfortunately, in many cases shortly after our initial enthusiasm, we come face to face with the needs of the community that are beyond our ability. This realization can be both a blessing and a curse. I would contend that the difference in its impact comes from within our own mindset and attitude.

Realizing that the needs of the communities we serve are beyond our abilities can be a curse if we do not develop sufficient faith in ourselves. The realization can be a curse if we feel we have already failed. It can be a curse if it causes us to doubt our efforts and become immobilized. However, realizing the community we serve needs more than we can offer can also be seen as a blessing.

Realizing the needs of the community are beyond our current ability is a blessing because it calls us to look beyond ourselves. This process helps us to maintain perspective and learn humility. This process reminds us that our efforts are less about being everything to everyone and more about becoming something to someone. Progress and innovation are the result of the need to develop beyond current capacity. Teamwork and community involvement build relationships that may otherwise fail to develop.

The San Diego Microfinance Alliance and its partners are a wonderful example of this reality. One can imagine that the small group of people that came together to form the alliance realized that they needed more help to serve more people. We can all see the progress, innovation, teamwork, and community involvement that the alliance has created within the San Diego community. The alliance currently has 13 partners committed to perpetuating and sharing the benefits of microfinance. May our work together continue to challenge us to reach new levels of service, education and community development!

Until next time, take care!

Written by Daniel Valcazar II, USD student

Social Change-One Class at a Time

International Microfinance, San Diego Microfinance, Twitter - , , , , , , , , , -

As the fall semester of the academic year comes to a close, we would like to take a moment to highlight the efforts of two socially minded professors and their class. Dr. Judith Liu and Dr. Donald Kelly, professors in the sociology department at the University of San Diego, taught a course entitled Social Change: Global Perspectives. This title seems to indicate that microfinance issues are within the scope of the course and, fortunately, Dr. Liu and Dr. Kelly agreed.

As Dr. Liu described it, “This course is a globalization course with an international component.” It is the “international component” that naturally raises eyebrows and generates interest, but this component is only the beginning. On the weekend of November 5-7, 2010, students journeyed to Mexicali to participate in various, Via International coordinated, community service-learning projects. The projects allowed students to interface with recipients of micro-enterprise loans. In addition, these microfinance projects across the border also served to deepen student learning about poverty alleviation programs. This new awareness and interaction led to the most important step, an opportunity to take action.

Following the immersion and educational experience the students were invited to contribute to the La MUVA Coalition Fund, (for more information please see: http://www.sandiego.edu/insideusd/?p=10777) affiliated with the San Diego Microfinance Alliance, to demonstrate the power of microfinance loans. This invitation was graciously accepted and the class raised enough money to provide a $250 loan to a deserving microfinance participant.

Once this donation was processed it was time to select the recipient. The recipient’s name was Evangelina Alarcon and she participates in the microfinance group that meets in Chula Vista (see Building Friendships, Building Business). She has a business selling perfume, children’s toys, and handmade crafts. She participated in the Alternative Gift Fair (see Microfinance at USD’s Alternative Gift Fair) at USD and generated over $200 in sales. This was her first microloan and it will allow her to purchase additional supplies to continue growing her business. While this act of generosity took place domestically, it clearly realizes the goal of a course like Social Change.

In closing, we would like to honor the creativity and commitment to social change demonstrated by Dr. Liu and Dr. Kelly. This additional microloan was a direct result of Dr. Liu and Dr. Kelly’s innovative curriculum. The students not only learned about Social Change, they participated in its achievement.

Until next time, take care!

Written by Daniel Valcazar II, USD student

Microfinance at USD’s Alternative Gift Fair

San Diego Microfinance, Twitter - , , , , , , , , , , , , , -

Each year around Thanksgiving we begin to hear Christmas music on the radio and see holiday decorations at the mall. This time of year generally corresponds to large discounts and preparing gift lists for those special people in our lives. However, what do we get for someone that seems to have it all? What do we get those who don’t need new socks or already have an Xbox 360 Kinect? For members of the USD community, the Alternative Gift Fair is just the answer.

The Alternative Gift Fair is an event that supports local vendors and artisans. The event has been on campus for over 10 years. As a result, many people around campus look forward to this event and plan to buy gifts for the most difficult people on their list. The particularly exciting aspect of this year’s Alternative Gift Fair was the presence of such a large number of microfinance clients.

This year’s Alternative Gift Fair was the largest in history and included 25 separate vendors. However, the most exciting part of the story was that 11 of the 25 were involved in microfinance! The breakdown for microfinance participants was roughly five vendors from the Foundation for Women, three vendors from the International Rescue Committee, and three vendors from La Maestra.

When asked about his perspective on the event, USD Senior Lovel Tokic, said that he, “felt good about putting his money toward a good cause.” Lovel spent about $40 on various gifts for the women in his life. “It was a very good atmosphere. The people were friendly and committed to their crafts.” This sentiment seems to be consistent with the goals of the event.

Fortunately, I had a chance to check in with some of the vendors after the fair. Their responses were positive and seemed to reflect the success of their sales. There were multiple women I’d checked with that made over $200 during the event and at least one woman made over $800! Needless to say, many of them hope to return next year.

If you’re still in need of some creative and unique gifts for the holidays, many of the vendors that participated in the Alternative Gift Fair also showcase their goods at other local events. Whether you’re looking specifically for holidays or just considering future gift ideas, check out the local events section of our website. There you can find various opportunities to see the crafts and jewelry you may have missed this past week, and many more from vendors that were not able to attend.

Until next time, take care!

Written by USD student, Daniel Valcazar II

Meet the International Rescue Committee

San Diego Microfinance - , , , , , , , , -

San Diego is home to one of the International Rescue Committee’s 22 United States resettlement offices, which together have helped 20,000 newly arrived refugees resettle upon arrival and then navigate their new environment and incorporate into the culture. The goal is to help refugees survive and thrive in the U.S.

Since 2000, IRC San Diego’s Microenterprise Program has helped to start or expand more than 150 refugee-owned small businesses through one-on-one business consulting, technical assistance and business loans up to $15,000. Currently, the program is assisting many Iraqi refugee entrepreneurs living in El Cajon, a community that has seen more than 8,000 new refugee arrivals over the past three years – for obvious reasons.

IRC’s Microenterprise Program is housed within its Center for Financial Opportunity, a one-stop shop helping refugees with all their small business, financial and employment-related needs.

Newly arrived refugees also get help with housing, health care, nutritious food, English language classes, education for their children, social services, community support, job and computer skills, and legal services toward residency and citizenship.

In order to help refugees thrive, the staff and volunteers seek creative ways to empower those they serve as they embark along the long road of cultural acclimation.

New Roots Community Farm in University Heights is just one example of a creative solution to empower those they serve. The brainchild of the refugees themselves, the farm provides access to healthy, organic food for the families AND the ability to produce a surplus, which can be sold for income.

The melting pot of more than 80 refugee farmers tend their gardens and their souls as they grow food and grow relationships with other refugee farmers from at least nine different countries. At the farm, they are able to share not only food from their home countries, but similar experiences and feelings, which helps with the isolation that refugees often feel.

You can learn more about IRC’s services and the many ways you can help at their San Diego website: http://www.theirc.org/us-program/us-san-diego-ca. You can also jump right in and get to know the folks who commit themselves to IRC’s goodness by meeting them on September 30. Share in the HOPE, an annual benefit for the International Rescue Committee in San Diego, will be held on Thursday September 30 at 6:30 p.m. at Fairbanks Ranch Clubhouse, 17651 Circa del Norte, Rancho Santa Fe, CA 92067.
The evening will include wine and beer tasting, international foods, music, and a reverse auction in a beautiful lakeside setting. A reverse auction is an opportunity for guests to support specific IRC programs or activities through a bidding process. Last year, they asked guests to bid on the cost of used guitars for their youth music program. Tickets are $100 per person. For more information about this event, contact Sharon Darrough by phone at 619-641-7510 x249 or by email at [email protected] or visit the event website.

Article by Lara Ward, University of San Diego Alumni

Microfinance Spotlight: Rocio - Handmade Crafts

San Diego Microfinance - , , , , , , , , -

Rocio with her handmade purses

Microfinance Spotlight: Rocio works with La Maestra, a SDMFA partner.

“It feels good to be able to do something after I had the stroke and to have the chance to teach positive things to people. I helped a blind Cuban woman make her own purses, and that was very satisfying because it helped this woman learn to be independent and have her own income.” — Rocio

Rocio needs your soda tabs, CD’s, and bottle caps to Rocio.

You can mail the above materials to:
Center for Service Learning
University of San Diego
5998 Alcala Park, UC 113
San Diego, CA 92110

I make handmade crafts from recycled materials, such as soda tabs, bottle caps, and CDs. I have been doing this for the past two years. I also knit scarves, slippers, and purses. My family used to own a butcher chop but then my husband got deported back to El Salvador and I suffered a stroke. I began knitting as a hobby after my stroke, but it evolved into a business. It feels good to be able to do something after I had a stroke and to have the chance to teach positive things to people. I helped a blind Cuban woman make her own purses, and that was very satisfying because it helped this woman learn to be independent and have her own income.

The microfinance loan that I asked for was used to buy t-shirts, bras, and socks, which I re-sold in the Tijuana flea market in order to take advantage of the higher premiums charged over there for these articles. The profit I obtained was reinvested in buying materials for making handcrafts. I enjoy microfinance meetings because we receive very good stimulus like workshops, business knowledge, and I get to network and socialize with people in my community.

If I could get help with something it would be using the internet to advertise my products. I would also like to develop a logo to represent my purses and make them easy to identify. My future goal is to patent the designs of my purses and make them a famous brand. I would like to sell big quantities through the internet

Want to purchase Rocio’s Hand Made Crafts?
Email: [email protected]

2010 Summit Draws Interest In Investing

San Diego Microfinance - , , , , , , , , -

An influx of investor capital into microfinance has prompted the industry to re-examine its mission and purpose, one speaker at the San Diego Microfinance Summit said Wednesday.

“You’re having a bifurcation in the industry,” said Terry Provance, executive director of international private microcredit provider Oikocredit. “With the overflow into microcredit now, that money has become a temptation. More people are now interested in profitability.”

Microfinance, or microcredit, involves the extension of small loans to poor people who do not have access to standard loans. Loans can be as little as $25 or as much as $35,000 and are often directed at the impoverished in developing countries.

Still, San Diego alone is home to more than a dozen organizations that offer some sort of microfinance program — if not solely focusing on microfinance. Some focus their efforts abroad, while others aim to help local low- to moderate-income entrepreneurs with little creditit history and/or new immigrants.

Provance, one of several presenters at the full-day summit at the University of San Diego, described how individual and institutional investors’ dollars have flooded into the microfinance space within the last three or four years — particularly after Muhammad Yunus and his Grameen Bank won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006.

As of 2009, there were more than 100 microfinance investment vehicles — private funds like Oikocredit that provide a way to invest in microfinance institutions, or MFIs — as opposed to just more than 40 MIVs around the world in 2004.

To read the full article by Rebecca Go with the San Diego Daily Transcript please visit. http://www.sddt.com/Finance/article.cfm?SourceCode=20100429czh

Terry Provance was one of the presenters at the San Diego Microfinance Summit. Nearly 240 individuals attended the event to learn more about microfinance in San Diego, as well as topics and issues impacting the international microfinance industry. The event was deemed a success after selling out for the second year in a row. To learn more about the speakers and organizations represented at the Summit please CLICK HERE

2nd Annual Microfinance Summit In San Diego

San Diego Microfinance - , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , -

2010 San Diego Microfinance Summit

April 28th, 2010

8:30am-4:30pm

Sign Up Now

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.

CLICK HERE

to reserve your ticket today.

For questions and comments please email [email protected]

View The Flyer

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