SVMN and Financial Research Associates partner on our very first Microfinance Investment Conference!
For more info, view the Microfinance West conference brochure here.
Register now with 15% SVMN discount by clicking here.
Nonprofit, government and institutional investor rate:
Conference Only ($795) Conference and Workshop ($995)
Discounted SVMN Registration:
Conference Only ($1525.75) Conference and Workshop(1780.75)
Our next SVMN meeting will be on Monday, May 19th and will feature Katherine McKee of CGAP and Steve Hardgrave of Gray Ghost Ventures. Join us to discuss what consequences the sub-prime crisis might have for microfinance in developing countries, and what lessons our field can draw from its underlying cause.
Katherine McKee, Senior Advisor at CGAP
Steve Hardgrave, Partner at Gray Ghost Ventures
Less than two years ago, problems started to emerge in the U.S. sub-prime market. What began as a niche problem has now spread in dramatic fashion. With an estimated two million sub-prime loans likely to default, and housing values plummeting in many markets, the crisis is setting off worldwide concerns about how the resulting credit crunch, and possible U.S. recession, will affect growth in rich and poor countries.
Professor Yunus has suggested that microfinance is the “sub-sub-subprime” market, and the securitization of microfinance debt has helped draw investment capital to the sector. In light of this, join us to discuss what consequences the sub-prime crisis might have for microfinance in developing countries, and what lessons our field can draw from its underlying cause. We will be considering the impact both on short-term financing needs, and on the longer-term viability of new products, practices, risk management techniques, and financing strategies.
(more info below)
Muhammad Yunus, Nobel Peace Prize winner & founder of The Grameen Bank, will be speaking about his new book Creating a World Without Poverty at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on Thursday Jan 17th.
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Registration & additional info is available here on the Commonwealth Club website.
Our next SVMN meeting will be on Tuesday, January 22nd and will feature Geoff Woolley of Unitus and Jonathan Lewis of MicroCredit Enterprises.
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| Geoff Wooley | Jonathan Lewis | ||
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Join us for a lively & in-depth discussion of the controversial issues surrounding the commercialization of microfinance. SVMN board member Sean Foote will lead and moderate a discussion by these experienced industry leaders.
(more info below)
Here are slides from the November 5th SVMN meeting, featuring Shari Berenbach from the Calvert Foundation, and Karl Willey from eBay’s MicroPlace.
PlaNet Finance & ACI are hosting a microfinance investment conference in New York next May 14-16. More information is available at the Global Microfinance Investment Congress website.
Our next SVMN meeting will be on Monday, November 5th and will feature Tracey Pettengill Turner & Karl Wiley of MicroPlace, an eBay company, and Shari Berenbach, Executive Director of The Calvert Foundation, a leader in socially responsible investing.
In the past microfinance investing has typically been the domain of foundations & high net-worth individuals. With the launch of eBay’s new MicroPlace.com, it’s possible for anyone to invest wisely, earn a social return AND end poverty… even with just $100, you really can do it all. Come learn how to invest in microfinance institutions around the world from Kenya to Cambodia to Ecuador.
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| Tracey Pettengil Turner | Shari Berenbach | Karl Wiley | ||
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(more info below)
As mentioned at our most recent meeting and as a result of generous recent support from Omidyar Network and the Gray Ghost Fund, SVMN is now hiring for an executive director. The role will initially begin as a part-time position, and gradually expand as our members & activities continue to grow. We’re very excited to bring on someone special to SVMN who can help us raise awareness of and education about microfinance in the SF bay area, and around the world, and we hope you’ll help us locate a terrific person to fill a terrific role in our organization 
If you’re interested in this opportunity, or know someone great who might be, please contact us (details on how to apply below).
Silicon Valley Microfinance Network (SVMN)
Executive Director Job Description
Background on Silicon Valley Microfinance Network
SVMN is a membership organization consisting of more than 500 people from the Bay Area (and beyond) who are interested in microfinance. The activities of the organization include networking events, an educational speaker series, a resourceful website, and opportunities to engage in the field. The mission of SVMN is to leverage the unique core competencies of the Bay area in microfinance.
Given the high level of entrepreneurial activity, business-mindedness, social and global awareness, and education in the San Francisco Bay Area, microfinance has become a topic of great interest. As a region, it is well recognized as a significant potential source of intellectual and financial capital to support the growth of microfinance. However, because few microfinance organizations are based in the Bay Area, this energy has limited formal outlets. The Silicon Valley Microfinance Network (SVMN) was created with the goal of unlocking this latent energy.
SVMN has become the premier microfinance networking organization in the Bay Area and provides a unique forum for learning, discussion and exchange. At this point in its development, SVMN has an opportunity to build on the momentum created by its strong reputation and industry position to fill an important market gap and move to a higher level of impact.
To learn more, please visit www.svmn.net.
Executive Director Responsibilities
The SVMN Board of Directors is looking for a strong, entrepreneurial leader with a passion for microfinance. The Executive Director will be tasked with taking this new organization to the next level, from a growing start-up organization to a robust, professional network. The Executive Director will be responsible for the overall strategic vision of the organization as well as the day to day management. Reporting to the Board of Directors, the Executive Director will start at 25% time, increasing to a larger role as SVMN’s activity base grows.
Specifically, the Executive Director will:
Qualifications
Successful applicants will be flexible, with both the strategic leadership of a seasoned business executive and the desire to roll up his/her sleeves in the start-up stage of development. Specifically,
Application Process
Please submit your cover letter and resume to: tracey [at] microplace [dot] com.
It was Standing Room Only at our most recent Sept 10th SVMN meeting, with over 120 microfinance groupies attending (in a room designed for 100!).
Pictures & presentations by Kiva.org & Prosper.com are included below:
Kiva presentation by Premal Shah:
(fyi: the quality on the podcast recording was a little rough… if anyone can help do some soundfile editing, please let me know :))
Hope everyone has had a great summer; SVMN is back in action in September!
Our next SVMN meeting will be on Monday, September 10th and will feature Premal Shah, President of Kiva.org, and Chris Larsen, CEO of Prosper.com. The meeting will focus on how technology is making impact & enabling innovation in microfinance, and how peer-to-peer (’P2P’) communication and social networking are used to support & distribute financial services.
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(more info below)
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