IQPC, Finance IQ and Silicon Valley Microfinance Network have recently announced their Microfinance 2.0 conference, taking place in San Francisco, CA on June 15-17, 2009.
Microfinance is the provision of small loans to the world’s working poor to enable them to lift themselves from poverty. Because Microfinance has historically produced high repayment rates and continues to deliver strong results during this global recession, the field has become popular for large banks, entrepreneurs, activists, venture capitalists and others.
While the industry has grown at a healthy 30% in recent years, the future of microfinance rests on modern approaches to scaling the industry and leveraging the entrepreneurial energy employed in Silicon Valley. IQPC and SVMN’s Microfinance 2.0 conference gathers some of Microfinance’s top individuals to address relevant and timely topics: leveraging social media and the Internet, mobile banking and technological advancements, techniques to overcome the economic storm and many others.
The event seeks to move the conversation forward by discussing the most innovative advancements in the industry. Microfinance 2.0 will provide fresh perspectives for social entrepreneurs, private investors, foundations, public sector banks and all individuals committed to the future of microfinance.
The conference features workshops on Microfinance 101 and Structuring Microfinance Investments. Main event highlights include panel discussions with representatives from the top social networking sites and a keynote presentation from Vikram Akula, one of TIME’s Top 100 People of 2006.
Speakers Include:
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Vikram Akula, Founder, SKS Microfinance *TIME’s Top 100 People of 2006!*
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Bhakti Mirchandani, Associate Vice President, Unitus Capital
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Sean Foote, Board, Silicon Valley Microfinance Network; Partner, Labrador Ventures, LLC, Professional Faculty, Berkeley Haas School of Business
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Adam Nash, Sr. Director, Product & User Experience, LinkedIn
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Tracey Turner, Founder, Microplace (An EBAY Company)
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Hunter Walk, Director, Product Development, YouTube (A Google Company)
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Joan Trant, Executive Director, International Association of Microfinance Investors
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Premal Shah, President, KIVA
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Maya Chorengel, Board, Silicon Valley Microfinance Network, Executive Director, Elevar Equity
To view the agenda and full speaker list, visit www.iqpc.com/us/microfinance.