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. Panelists will represent The International Rescue Committee, ACCION San Diego, CDC Small Business Finance, and The Foundation For Women. This session will also highlight the work that Kiva is now doing to provide financing to local microfinance organizations in the U.S.

ACCION SD

The mission of ACCION San Diego is to help expand opportunities for low to moderate income men and women through the provision of small loans. Loans range in size from $300-$35,000 and are coupled with individualized business consulting services. ACCION offers very flexible qualifications for loan recipients, however it is required that entrepreneurs must live or work within San Diego County.

Speaker: Robert Lopez, Director of Lending

Robert joined ACCION San Diego in March of 2008. He is responsible for lending staff supervision and training, program development, underwriting, loan portfolio quality and management, loss mitigation and recovery, development of bank and community partner relationships, and community outreach. Robert received a B.A. in Urban Studies, with an emphasis in Public Administration from San Diego State University and a Master of Public Administration from SDSU in December 2010. He has over 10 years experience in small business banking and lending and is bilingual in English and Spanish. Robert serves on the CDC Bankers Board and is the former Graduate Student Association President at SDSU. In his spare time, he enjoys volunteering, traveling and attending live sporting events.

CDC Small Business Finance

CDC Loans offers both fixed-rate, low-down payment loans for the purchase of office and industrial buildings as well as a focused community loan program targeting women, minorities and veterans owning small businesses facing difficulty securing capital. CDC Loans champions its success to its ability to deliver unique capital “solutions” and strategizing with the client to assemble the most beneficial financing product. Loans range in size from $20,000-$500,000.

Travis Vaughan

Speaker: Travis Vaughan

Travis Vaughan currently works at CDC Small Business Finance helping small business owners get the financing they need to begin or grow their small business. Travis works in the microlending field in an effort to bring about economic justice and opportunity to all. He is also the co-founder of the San Diego Microfinance Alliance. Travis received a degree in business administration from Point Loma Nazarene University in 2008 with a concentration in International Development.

Foundation For Women

Foundation for Women is a locally founded organization working to empower women through the provision of small loans. The microcredit program seeks to raise female entrepreneurs traditionally deemed “unbankable” to higher rungs on the economic ladder through loans ranging from $250-$1,000. The Foundation for Women follows a traditional group lending model and holds weekly meetings to instill more successful repayments.

Speaker: Kristi Pennington, San Diego Program Manager

Kristi serves as the San Diego Program Manager at Foundation for Women. As the San Diego Program manager, Kristi oversees all 12 loan centers and all 230 borrowers. She facilitates events and education, tracks payments and is a liaison between FFW staff and the borrowers. Kristi has an extensive background in marketing and sales, having had her own consulting business for several years. She is bi- lingual and runs the San Diego Microcredit program in both Spanish and English.

International Rescue Committee (IRC)

IRC San Diego is a refugee resettlement agency dedicated to humanitarian relief around the world and working in the San Diego area to directly resettle displaced persons into the community. The microenterprise department at the San Diego office is one of two in the nation giving business loans to resettled refugees from across the world. Loans range in size from $2,000-$15,000 and offer flexible repayment terms.

Speaker: Joel Chriso, Program Supervisor

Joel has overseen the IRC’s Microenterprise Program in San Diego since May 2008. His primary responsibilities include loan packaging and underwriting, client outreach and recruitment, business counseling, and program management. Joel has held various positions with the IRC, including Financial Literacy Coordinator and Micro-Lending Coordinator. He also has experience working with family owned small businesses.

KIVA

KIVA is a non-profit organization with a mission to connect people through lending to alleviate poverty. Leveraging the internet and a worldwide network of microfinance institutions, Kiva lets individuals lend as little as $25 to help create opportunity around the world.

Speaker: Maika Hemphill

As the Portfolio Manager for North America, Maika is responsible for developing and maintaining Kiva’s growing portfolio in the US market. Prior to working in microfinance, Maika first gained her financial analysis skills while analyzing corporations under Piper Jaffray’s Financial Restructuring Group. Working in-depth with companies in financial distress or bankruptcy has allowed Maika a strong eye towards recognizing both strengths and hidden weaknesses in non-traditional organizational settings. Maika also provides a unique familiarity with the US microfinance market. After leaving her investment banking post, she followed her interest in microfinance to begin working directly with US micro-entrepreneurs at ACCION USA. While at ACCION, Maika was charged with developing, servicing and maintaining a healthy portfolio of US entrepreneurs. Her experience at ACCION also led Maika to work extensively with technical assistance, partnership development, internal operational projects and training. Maika holds a B.S. in both Finance and International Business as well as a minor in Spanish from New York University.