Research Report 2012

Research Report: International Microfinance 2012

Next Steps

“I’ve seen the power of microfinance all over the world in the eyes of mothers and fathers. It’s unmistakable—the joy and deep satisfaction they feel from being able to work hard and provide for their children and their future.”—Rich StearnsPresident, World Vision U.S.

International Microfinance Experts

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O	Bernardo Alfaro Deputy General Manager Banco Nacional de Costa Rica See Bio Has more than 20 years experience in Banking, specializing in Risk Management and Finance. Prior to serving as the Deputy General Manager of National Bank of Costa Rica Alfaro held positions at BICSA Group and SUGEF. He studied at the University of Costan Rica and the Central Institute of Business Administration

N	Jeffrey Ashe Director of Community Finance Oxfam America See Bio Ashe serves as the director of community finance at Oxfam America. Working through 18 local NGOs since 2005, he and his team have trained savings groups in more than 8,000 villages in Mali, Senegal, Cambodia, El Salvador, and Guatemala. Previously, Ashe founded Working Capital and served as its executive director for eight years. Working Capital was the largest microenterprise program in the United States, and franchised its model in eight states and Russia. Ashe also directed the "PISCES Project," the first worldwide investigation of programs reaching the smallest economic activities of the poor. PISCES laid the groundwork for the best practice work that has followed over the past two decades. As senior associate director at ACCION International, he assisted in the dissemination of peer group lending throughout Latin America. After he left ACCION, Ashe designed, assisted and evaluated microenterprise programs in 35 countries in Asia, Africa, Latin America and Eastern Europe for the World Bank, the Agency for International Development, CIDA, ODA, and many NGO clients. He has published extensively in the micro-enterprise field and is the author of several books and articles on the topic. He holds a BA in political science from the University of California, Berkley, and an MA in sociology from Boston University.

O	Chris Baker Founder OneSeed Expeditions See Bio Chris has spent the last seven years split between the US and Nepal. As a student at Yale University, Chris conducted research in Kathmandu and throughout the Khumbu region surrounding Mt. Everest. As a Fellow with Kiva.org, Chris worked closely with local microfinance institutions and currently serves as an adviser for a start-up cooperative bank in the Lalitpur district south of Kathmandu. Chris is a graduate of the National Outdoor Leadership School and a former President of the Yale Mountaineering Club. Chris loves mountains, water buffalo momos and singing in Nepali.

O	Alex Bernhardt Vice President Guy Carpenter See Bio Alex Bernhardt is a reinsurance professional with broad international and multidisciplinary experience in several niche lines and classes of (re)insurance business; micro(re)insurance innovator and expert. As a Vice President at Guy Carpenter he has produced several items of new business for the firm both domestically and abroad. As the founder and head of the firm's GC Micro Risk Solutions group he developed from scratch a profitable international initiative in an emerging business sector. In this capacity he has also written multiple successful grants, spoken at international conferences, written several articles for a diverse professional audience and contributed to the strength of the firm's overall brand. As an Account Executive he worked with both insurance company and agency clients in the US and abroad to meet their multifaceted risk management needs while looking to devise innovative bespoke solutions to (un)common problems. In 2011 Bernhardt was named Reactions Magazine’s “Rising Star” and honored as a Power Broker ® by Risk and Insurance Magazine

F	Margot Brandenburg Associate Director The Rockefeller Foundation See Bio Margot Brandenburg joined the Rockefeller Foundation in 2006. As an Associate Director, she works on program initiatives that pertain broadly to economic development, including an initiative focused on the economic security of low-income US workers (Campaign for American Workers) and one on impact investing. She has also been responsible for an exploratory initiative on green jobs, which focuses on models for using energy efficiency retrofits and other areas of the clean economy to create and sustain good jobs for low-income workers at scale. Prior to joining the Foundation, Ms. Brandenburg worked in the fields of microfinance and community development finance. She has held positions at Shorebank, the Microfinance Information Exchange (MIX) and the African Development Bank, and has advised microfinance and community development institutions in the US and Africa. Ms. Brandenburg received a bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Stanford University and a Masters degree in Public Affairs from Princeton University. She also chairs the Board of Brooklyn Cooperative Credit Union.

O	Thomas Carter Coordinator, Cooperative Development Program US Agency for International Development (USAID) See Bio Thomas coordinates USAID's Cooperative Development Program (CDP). The CDP funds US cooperatives and cooperative development organizations that partner with counterpart cooperatives in developing and transitional economies. The major focus of the program is supporting efforts to develop solutions to significant cooperative development challenges including cooperative law and regulation, governance, achieving salience and scale, attaining and maintaining autonomy and self-reliance. Prior to joining USAID, Tom worked as an FAO Advisor to India's National Dairy Development Board (1990-2000); as Representative in India for the Cooperative League of the USA (NCBA/CLUSA - 1982-89); as Director of International Programs for the World Council of Credit Unions (1975-82); and various positions with the Peace Corps including Volunteer (1965-67), Associate Director (1967-70), Regional Director (1970-72) and trainer (1972-74). Tom has an A.B. degree with a major in Philosophy from Dartmouth College. In addition to graduate work in philosophy at the Nagpur University Post-Graduate Teaching Department and UCLA, he completed Peace Corps training at the University of California, Davis.

N	Jesse Casler Vice President of Administration HOPE International See Bio Jesse Casler has been with HOPE since October 2004. His education includes a B.A. from Eastern Nazarene College and both an M.A. in International Relations and an MBA from Boston University. The field of microfinance falls at the intersection of these degrees, combining Jesse’s heart for developing countries and his business expertise. Prior to and during his graduate work, Jesse gained experience in international banking at State Street Corporation’s international headquarters in Massachusetts and later at a subsidiary of Advent Software. Jesse spent significant time in Romania and has traveled extensively throughout Eastern Europe and Africa. Jesse has served as a church board member and is deeply committed to HOPE’s Christian mission.

N	Amulya Champatiray Manager, Policy Outreach IFMR Center for Microfinance See Bio Amulya is the Manager of Policy Outreach at the Centre for Micro Finance (CMF) , a non-profit, non-partisan research center housed within the Institute for Financial Management and Research in Chennai. The mission of the Centre for Micro Finance is to improve the accessibility and quality of financial services for the poor through rigorous research, knowledge dissemination and evidence-based policy outreach.

N	Susy Cheston Senior Advisor Center for Financial Inclusion at ACCION See Bio

N	Moiz Ahmed Chowdhury See Bio

N	Kate Cochran Chief Operating Officer Vittana See Bio Kate joined Vittana as COO in 2010 with a deep passion and belief that we can change the face of global poverty. Kate brings over 20 years of management experience in the private, nonprofit, and public sectors. Prior to this role, Kate was part of the founding management team at Unitus, a global microfinance accelerator, where she led, at various points, fundraising, finance, and operations and was a frequent spokeswoman for the organization. Previously, Kate was the COO and Director of Leadership Development for Cultural Initiatives Silicon Valley, an organization she helped found in 1999. Before that, Kate was a management consultant with Towers Perrin, where she helped Fortune 100 clients address strategic human resources issues. Kate holds a B.A. from Stanford University and an M.B.A. from UCLA’s Anderson School of Management, where she graduated as the top human resources student in her class. She is a frequent guest lecturer at business schools and universities on the topics of social entrepreneurship, microfinance, and nonprofit management.

R	Shawn Cole Associate Professor Harvard Business School See Bio Shawn Cole is an associate professor in the Finance Unit at Harvard Business School, where he teaches a second-year elective course “Business at the Base of the Pyramid.” He has also taught FIN1 and FIN2 in the core curriculum, as well various executive education courses. His research examines corporate and household finance in emerging markets, with a focus on banking, microfinance, insurance, and the relationship between financial development and economic growth. He has worked in India, the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, and South Africa. He is an affiliate of MIT’s Jameel Poverty Action Lab, and the Bureau for Research and Economic Analysis of Development. Before joining the Harvard Business School, Professor Cole worked at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York in the economic research department. He has also served as chair of the endowment management committee of the Telluride Association, a non-profit educational organization. He received a Ph.D. in economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2005, where he was an NSF and Javits Fellow, and an A.B. in Economics and German Literature from Cornell University.

N	Tanya Counts Compliance Coordinator Accion Texas See Bio

O	Gil Crawford CEO MicroVest See Bio Mr. Crawford is Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of MicroVest. He is responsible for leading the company's investment operations and strategy since MicroVest’s founding in 2003. As MicroVest's CEO, he led the launch of MicroVest I, LP, the first commercial private equity vehicle focused on microfinance in North America. Mr. Crawford has 25 years experience with microfinance institutions and capital markets across the globe. Before helping to found MicroVest Capital Management, Mr. Crawford worked for the Latin American Financial Markets Division at the International Finance Corporation (IFC), and focused on investments in microfinance institutions. Prior to joining IFC, Mr. Crawford created and ran Seed Capital Development Fund, a US based non‐profit firm, involved in creating financial instruments and attracting funds to capitalize microfinance institutions, primarily in Latin America, Asia and Africa. Specific projects included: Latin American Challenge Investment Fund (LA‐CIF), a $20 million loan fund for microfinance institutions in Latin America; DEVCAP, a shared return mutual fund whose total assets reached US$ 27 million dollars. Mr. Crawford has also been a Member of ProFund's Investment Committee and alternate member to the Board of Directors for many years. Prior to creating Seed Capital, Mr. Crawford was the Assistant Project Director for Africa Venture Capital Project, designed to create risk capital firms in Africa. Mr. Crawford received his bank training at Chase Manhattan Bank in the mid‐80s after working in Africa for the Red Cross and State Department. He graduated from SAIS at Johns Hopkins University in 1983 and Bates College in 1980. Mr. Crawford serves on the Steering Committee for the Agriculture Finance Support Facility, a World Bank initiative supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. He also serves on the Boards of Lumni, Inc. and Seed Capital Development Fund and co‐teaches a finance course at Johns Hopkins SAIS. He is fluent in English and conversant in French, Spanish and Swedish.

N	John De Wit Managing Director Small Enterprise Foundation See Bio John is the founder and managign director of The Small Enterprise Foundation (SEF) which is a is a not-for-profit, pro-poor microfinance institution which began operations in 1992. The aim of SEF is to work towards the elimination of poverty and unemployment. This is accomplished through two programs, the Microcredit Programme (MCP) and the Tšhomišano Credit Programme (TCP). MCP focuses on existing, but generally marginal micro-enterprises and provides them with micro-loans. On the other hand, TCP strictly targets women who live below half the poverty line.

F	Breanna DiGiammarino Senior Associate Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation See Bio Breanna has eight years of experience applying top-tier strategy and management techniques to organizations that are leaders in their fields. At the Foundation, Breanna applies an impact-lens across the portfolio to the work of finding, selecting and supporting Draper Richards Kaplan entrepreneurs. She also spearheads the systems infrastructure development for the Foundation as it enters a new phase of growth. She previously served as an Associate Consultant at The Bridgespan Group, the leading strategy consulting firm in the nonprofit sector, where she worked with many large scale nonprofit clients, including advising The Gates Foundation on their investment strategy to improve education outcomes in the U.S. and the Cristo Rey Network of schools on how to align their nationwide network with a focus on long-term student outcomes. She trained with Bain and Company, and received her Master of Public Administration in nonprofit management from the NYU Wagner School of Public Service and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Biology and Government from the University of Virginia. While at UVA and NYU, Breanna founded Kids Acting Out, a nonprofit that engages college students and under-resourced youth in building life skills through drama.

N	David Dror See Bio Prof. Dror is an internationally recognized authority in micro health insurance, whose reputation was gained through the conceptual framework he developed on ways to link poor communities with reinsurance (a concept he called “Social Re“) and the seminal volume Social Re Insurance: A New Approach to Sustainable Community Health Financing (with A. Preker; published by World Bank and ILO). David has extensive field experience working with grassroots groups in low-income countries. He holds a DBA (Magna cum Laude) and a PhD (Summa cum Laude). He is honorary professor at Erasmus University Rotterdam/MC (Netherlands) and publishes regularly in peer-reviewed journals (accessible here). (click here to download Prof. Dror's CV)

N	Chris Dunford Senior Research Fellow Freedom from Hunger See Bio Dr. Dunford holds a Ph.D. in Ecology and Sociology, joined Freedom from Hunger in 1984. In 1986, Dr. Dunford conducted a study of U.S. poverty and health and developed a new programming strategy for Freedom from Hunger in the United States. Dr. Dunford is one of the three chief architects in the design and implementation of Freedom from Hunger's Credit with Education strategy.

O	Abhishek Fogla Associate Vice President Unitus Capital See Bio Abhishek joined the UC team in mid 2008 from Micro-Credit Ratings International Limited (M-CRIL), where he completed 32 MFI credit ratings in nine countries across Asia, Africa and Europe. Prior to his position at M-CRIL, Abhishek was with ICRA Management Consulting Services Limited, where he worked for financial institutions on consulting and modeling assignments related to credit risk and Basel-II capital adequacy norms. He holds a degree in Telecommunications Engineering from R.V.C.E in Bangalore, an M.B.A from Management Development Institute in India and a Masters in Management from ESCP-EAP Business School in Paris, France. Abhishek has also attended the Program on Strategic Leadership for Microfinance at the Harvard Business School.

F	Tim Geisse Trustee Geisse Foundation See Bio Timothy F. Geisse is an experienced business transactions lawyer. Mr. Geisse has concentrated his 25 year practice in the representation of closely-held businesses and their owners in mergers and acquisitions, reorganizations, joint ventures, contracts and general business matters. He also has significant experience in personal estate planning, the administration of probate estates, real estate transactions and the law of nonprofit and tax exempt entities. Tim is the managing trustee of the John F. and Mary A. Geisse Foundation, which has been supporting microfinance since 1992. He is a member of the President's Council of ACCION International, a member of the Board of Governors of Opportunity International and served as a trustee of the Global Commercial Microfinance Consortium formed and managed by Deutsche Bank

N	Khalid Ghazi International Cooperation Officer Al Amal Microfinance Bank See Bio Khalid Ghazi is International Cooperation Officer at Al Amal Microfinance Bank (AMB). Al Amal Bank is a non-profit organization seeking to offer sustainable financial services to limited and low income households in Yemen who are excluded from the formal banking sector, particularly small and micro entrepreneurs through the provision of inclusive financial services (credit, saving, insurance, transfers, etc).

O	Mike Goldberg Senior Microfinance Specialist World Bank See Bio Mike Goldberg is World Bank Staff, Sr. Private Sector Development Specialist from September 01, 1999. Previous assignments: LCS-LCR Sector Units, Private Sector Cluster as Sr Private Sector Development Specialist; PSD-Private Sector Development Department, Small Enterprise Development Unit as Private Sector Development Specialist; PSD-Private Sector Development Department, Small Enterprise Development Unit as Private Sector Development Specialist; and CGP-Consultative Group for Assistance to the Poor, Consultative Grp to Assist Poor.

R	Nathanael Goldberg Senior Director, Policy Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) See Bio Nathanael Goldberg, Policy Director, leads IPA’s efforts to direct resources to proven development interventions. Nathanael also manages IPA’s Ultra Poor Graduation initiative, a set of seven evaluations of programs designed to enable the poorest households to develop sustainable livelihoods and move out of extreme poverty. Nathanael has a B.A. in economics from Wesleyan University and an MPA from Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School.

R	Adrian Gonzalez Lead Researcher Microfinance Information Exchange See Bio Adrian Gonzalez is Lead Researcher at Microfinance Information Exchange (MIX). He joined MIX in 2004, performing global analysis of microfinance institutions’ data collected primarily by MIX and other leading organizations. His research focuses on topics such as risk and portfolio quality, efficiency, depth of outreach, sustainability and interest rates. Prior to joining MIX, he was a researcher at The Rural Finance Program from Ohio State University (OSU), where he worked on microfinance, poverty reduction, and development issues in Latin America. Adrian Gonzalez has a Ph.D. in Finance and Development from the Development Economics Program at Ohio State University. He also received an M.A. in Economics from OSU. Read more: http://www.themix.org/staff/adrian-gonzalez#ixzz1n9VDKeib

N	Bobbi Gray Research and Evaluation Specialist Freedom from Hunger See Bio Bobbi joined Freedom from Hunger in 2004. She works with our partners to design, implement and analyze research and evaluation studies that measure and assess the impacts of Credit with Education and other program interventions, including feedback of this information to stakeholders for decision-making. She also specializes in helping partners develop robust social performance management systems whereby organizations put their social mission into practice. Bobbi helps oversee the ongoing project to develop, test and document the food-security scaling for use by our partner organizations to assess poverty levels of their clients and changes in poverty over time. She holds a Master of Public Administration (Monterey Institute of International Studies) in International Management and a B.A. (Texas Tech University) in French and Spanish, and she speaks both languages.

N	Peter Greer President & CEO HOPE International See Bio Peter Greer joined HOPE in July 2004, following extensive education and experience in the field of microfinance. Peter received a B.S. in International Business from Messiah College, and he earned an MPP with a concentration in Political and Economic Development from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Prior to his education at Harvard, Peter served as Managing Director for URWEGO Community Banking in Kigali, Rwanda, for three years. He also served as a technical advisor for Self-Help Development Foundation (CARE Zimbabwe) in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, and he worked as a microfinance advisor in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. While at Harvard, Peter studied HOPE’s work in the Democratic Republic of Congo for a graduate thesis project. He says his interest in working for HOPE grew as he saw “its unique desire to combine physical and spiritual ministry through the tool of microfinance.”

N	Yeva Grigoryan Marketing Manager FINCA See Bio Yeva is Marketing Manager at FINCA, a nonprofit organization which provides financial services to the world's lowest-income entrepreneurs so they can create jobs, build assets and improve their standard of living.

N	Yaw Gyamfi Deputy Executive Secretary Ghana Microfinance Institutions Network (GHAMFIN) See Bio Yaw Gyamfi is Deputy Executive Secretary at Ghana Microfinance Institutions Network (GHAMFIN). GHAMFIN is an informal network of institutions and individuals that operate within Ghana’s Microfinance Industry. This network evolved from the concern of some Ghanaian Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) for the development of best practices in delivery of microfinance services. Their concern and initiatives was promoted by a World Bank sponsored action research project, which sought to identify for wider application, innovative techniques of financial services delivery that had been successful in improving access of micro entrepreneurs to financial services.

N	Dino Hadjarati Director Dian Mandiri Foundation See Bio Dino Hadjarati is Director of Dian Mandiri Foundation, a nonprofit organization which provides loans, technical support, training, and mentorship to empower the poor to expand their own businesses. He studied Business Law at the University of India.

O	Debbie Hall See Bio Debbie Hall is the Chair of the Board of Directors for Village Enterprise Fund (VEF), a microenterprise organization striving to break the cycle of poverty in East Africa with training and seed capital for income-generating small businesses. She has served on the board for ten years, focusing on fund raising, board & management development, and volunteer management. Ms. Hall’s career has focused on high tech marketing, management consulting, and the non-profit sector. Following an BA in Economics from Duke University an MBA from Stanford’s Graduate School of Business, Debbie’s career path led her to The Boston Consulting Group, Metaphor Computer Systems, and Banner Blue Software. She ran an independent consulting practice for ten years helping companies assess and develop markets for new or existing products. For the past six years she has used her business skills in leading projects and building teams in the non-profit arena. In addition to working with Village Enterprise Fund, she serves on the leadership team at Menlo Park Presbyterian Church and serves as Association Coordinator for the Girl Scouts of San Francisco Bay Area, overseeing the training and support of her region’s 125 troop leaders. Debbie lives in Menlo Park, CA with her husband, Russ Hall and daughter, Melissa. She enjoys golf, hiking, and music.

R	Malcolm Harper Emeritus Professor Cranfield School of Management See Bio Malcolm Harper is emeritus professor of enterprise development, Cranfield School of Management, UK, and since 1995 has worked independently, mainly in India. He has published widely on self-employment, enterprise development, microfinance and livelihoods. Professor Harper was chairman of Basix Finance in India for 10 years, and is chairman of M-CRIL, an international microfinance and social rating company. He was the founding editor of the journal Small Enterprise Development (now Enterprise Development and Microfinance, published by Practical Action), and is a director and trustee of Homeless International, EDA (UK) Limited, APT Enterprise Development and PA Publications in the UK.

N	Anne Hastings CEO Fonkoze Financial Services See Bio Anne Hastings became CEO of Fonkoze Financial Services (or SFF, the abbreviation for its Creole Name, Sèvis Finansye Fonkoze) in 2009. Prior to this position, Anne served as Director of Fonkoze, the Foundation, for three years, and as a founder and board member of SFF since 2004. Anne has received several prestigious international awards recognizing her work in both Haiti and in the field of microfinance, including the 2005 Pioneer in Microfinance Award from the Grameen Foundation USA. In 2008, she was honored at the United Nations with an award from Women Together due to her commitment to the elimination of extreme poverty and hunger. Before coming to Haiti, Anne had fifteen years of experience in providing strategic management services to executives and in managing young organizations for high performance and steady growth. She was Senior Partner and Managing Director of Scanlon and Hastings, a management consulting company in Washington DC, from 1985 to 1996 and a Senior Analyst at Advanced Technology in Reston, Virginia from 1982 to 1985. Anne holds a PhD from the University of Virginia and an Honorary Doctorate in Business Leadership from Duquesne University. She completed research fellowships at the Brookings Institute and the Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations, both in Washington, DC.

O	John Hatch Founder and Board Member FINCA See Bio Dr. John Hatch is the founder of FINCA and the creator of Village Banking—a unique and influential method for delivering small loans, savings, and other financial services to the poor worldwide. During his early career, Hatch served with the Peace Corps in Colombia, and as a regional director in Peru. As a graduate student, he won a Fulbright grant to conduct research in Peru, where he spent two crop cycles as a hired laborer working for subsistence farmers and documenting their agricultural practices. In his work with the rural poor, Hatch found that most credit programs were administered by outside experts. This management style resulted in poor repayment rates and low morale among borrowers. Believing that the poor lacked neither ambition nor skill, but simply resources, in 1984, John created the Village Banking method. This method allowed the poor to obtain loans without collateral—their main obstacle to accessing credit—at interest rates they could afford. It brought neighbors together in groups, giving them the collective power to disburse, invest, and collect loan capital as they saw fit. The results among FINCA’s earliest clients were improved earnings and family nutrition, high repayment rates, and increased empowerment. When Hatch began lending to women, he saw the tremendous potential of Village Banking as an anti-poverty tool: “Our focus on women was the result of a growing conviction that the fastest way to affect the welfare of children was through aid to their mothers,” said Hatch. FINCA Founder John Hatch, Chairman of the Board Robert Hatch and President and CEO Rupert Scofield at FINCA's 25th Anniversary Event Over 22 years with FINCA, Hatch served as president, and as chief of party for programs in El Salvador and Guatemala; he retired as FINCA’s director of research in 2006. Today, the organization he founded reaches over 750,000 people in 21 countries with small loans, insurance, savings programs, and other services. Hatch continues as a FINCA board member, advisor, speaker, lecturer, and fundraiser. He is continuing his research on the impact of Village Banking and is active in FINCA’s annual student symposium and research awards competition. Throughout his career, Hatch supported efforts to promote microcredit worldwide. Since founding FINCA in 1984, he has shared his Village Banking methodology with numerous nongovernmental organizations. As a result, today there are hundreds of Village Banking programs worldwide. Hatch is also co-founder of the Global Microcredit Summit.

N	Tevis Howard See Bio

N	Miguel Jimenez Finance Manager IMPRO See Bio Miguel Jiminez is Finance Manager for IMPRO, a non-profit organization that has been offering micro credit to the working poor in the cities of La Paz and El Alto in Bolivia since 1995. IMPRO’s goal is to fight poverty by offering loans to small business owners who otherwise would not be able to access credit through the regular banking system due to a lack of guarantees or collateral.

R	Denny John Dy Director, Project Implementation Micro Insurance Academy (MIA) See Bio Denny John is Dy Director of Project Implementation at Microinsurance Academy (MIA). MIA is a Delhi-based charitable trust dedicated to evidence-based studies, training and advisory services for micro-insurance units serving the poor. Community-based micro-insurance units seek to promote the extension of insurance coverage among the uninsured poor by customizing their insurance to the risks and conditions they face, at affordable premiums, through a process that they trust. Denny is a health professional with over 12 years experience in various areas; clinical (physical therapy), hospital administration, project management, technical support, evaluation research, health financing project designs, health services research, and advocacy. .

N	Virginia Juan CEO APPEND See Bio

N	Rama Rao K Vice President of Administration SHARE Microfin Limited (SHARE) See Bio Rama Roa K is Vice Preseident of Administration at SHARE Microfin Limited (SHARE). SHARE is a regulated Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC) providing financial and support services to the marginalised sections in society, particularly to poor rural and urban women across India. Through its income generating loans and business development services, SHARE reaches out to help these women build productive microenterprises, thereby contributing to the development of sustainable communities.

R	Dean Karlan Professor of Economics Yale University See Bio Dean Karlan is a Professor of Economics at Yale University and a Research Fellow at the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Karlan is also the President and Founder of Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA), a New Haven, Connecticut based research outfit dedicated to creating and evaluating solutions to social and international development problems. Along with economists Jonathan Morduch and Sendhil Mullainathan, Karlan serves as Director of the Financial Access Initiative (FAI), a consortium of researchers focused on substantially expanding access to quality financial services for low-income individuals.

O	Mohammed Khaled Regional Representative for Middle East North Africa Region (MENA) Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP) See Bio Mohammed works to deepen CGAP’s engagement in the MENA region, collaborating with regional partners on issues such as technology, policy, and funding for microfinance. Mohammed has over 25 years of experience in developing and managing innovative projects that empower women and the poor. Beginning as a practitioner in 1994, Mohammed has been playing different roles in the microfinance sector such as serving as the founding director and a senior trainer of Sanabel, the region’s microfinance association. He has also been working as a consultant and an advisor for several donors in the region including the Rockdale Foundation, Grameen Foundation/U.S. (later Grameen-Jameel), Agfund, and UNDP. A Palestinian national, Mohammed speaks Arabic and English.

N	Arsen Kuchukyan General Manager Small Enterprise Foundation See Bio Arseon Kuchukyan is currently the Deputy CEO of SEF International UCO, a partner of World vision. Serving also as the Deputy Executive Director and Executive Director, Arsen served the organization over 13 years. Arsen's MBA was earned at American University of Armenia and Hayastani Amerigyan Hamalsaran.

N	Lisa Kuhn Vice President, Latin America Freedom from Hunger See Bio Lisa has over 11 years experience in microfinance and 15 in Latin America. She joined Freedom from Hunger in 2005 as Technical Advisor in Microfinance, providing technical assistance and training to microfinance organizations throughout Latin America. Since then she has launched offices in Mexico, Peru and Ecuador and expanded partnerships in the region from eight to over fifty. Currently, Lisa supervises all programmatic activity in Latin America. She also serves on the steering committees of the Imp-Act Consortium and the Latin American Network for Gender Justice in Economic Development. Before joining Freedom from Hunger, Lisa worked as a gender and microfinance specialist for Opportunity International, specializing in product design and research. She has also worked for FINCA International. She has an M.S. in Foreign Service (Georgetown University) and a B.A. in Romance Languages and Latin American Relations (DePauw University). She speaks Spanish and French.

N	Sanjay Kumar Program Manager Nidan See Bio Sanjay Kumar is Program Manager for Nidan, a nonprofit organization based in India that working working on various development issues. Nidan offers support to unorganized workers, microfinance solutions, education programming, and advocacy supprt for various issues. They also serve as a connector for networks of microenterprises.

N	Iris Lanao Executive Director FINCA Peru See Bio Iris Lanao Flores is CEO of FINCA Peru. She is also involved in a number of national and international networks and regularly intervenes on practices and issues that are specific to the methodology of village banking. Iris Lanao Flores holds a Masters Degree inc Latin American Development from Stanford University and a Masters Degree in Operational Research from the London School of Economics

N	Herb Liberman President Salone Microfinance Trust (SMT) See Bio Herb Liberman is a President at Salone Microfinance Trust (SMT). Salone Microfinance Trust (SMT) is an independently run microfinance institution, founded by ChildFund International in Sierra Leone, an affiliate of the international humanitarian aid organization ChildFund International. SMT’s approach of concentrating in ChildFund program communities helps ensure that it reaches vulnerable populations and integrates micro-enterprise development with more traditional ChildFund programs whose focus is the well-being of vulnerable families. Over the last three years, SMT has become a major participant in the active and progressive microcredit sector in Sierra Leone.

F	Mark Lutz Senior Vice President, Global Philanthropy Opportunity International See Bio Mark Lutz is Opportunity International’s senior vice president of global philanthropy. He joined Opportunity in 1989 and brings 30 years of development experience to his position. In his present role, Mark creates strategic alliances with other international development organizations, and advocates for the poor. While overseeing resource development, he grew Opportunity’s private annual revenue from $1 million to $40 million. Mark’s extensive international experience shapes his marketing and fundraising efforts. He grew up in South Africa with his missionary parents, and visited some 20 countries before attending college. Living for almost 20 years under apartheid prepared him to become an advocate for justice. He has written a book, UnPoverty: Rich Lessons from the Working Poor, in which he tells the stories of people he has visited around the world, and calls us to end extreme poverty during our lifetime. Mark has a degree in music and a master’s in cross cultural communications from Wheaton College. He and his wife, Lise, enjoy an empty nest in Glen Ellyn, Ill., where they raised three children.

O	Nitin Madan Senior Analyst EDA Rural Systems See Bio Nitin Madan, currently the Senior Analyst at EDA Rural Systems, completed his MA in Poverty and Development at the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) in the UK after taking a sabbatical from a very challenging 7 year micro-finance career in India. At the IDS, he concentrated on honing his grasp over how to make finance more responsible and relevant for poor households via my research on issues of over-indebtedness, financial well-being, reimagining microfinance, etc. His operations experience is in developing and implementing models of responsible microfinance. Madan has experience in project and institution management from conceptualization to monitoring and evaluation. This work spans the slums of Pune (western Maharashtra) and finally culminates in south Rajasthan with a Trust called Aajeevika Bureau (www.aajeevika.org) where he was the COO of an affiliate not-for profit company called Rajasthan Shram Sarathi Association. His interest is largely in the financial inclusion of low income households going beyond only microcredit.

O	Dean Mahon See Bio Dean is an International Senior Executive with comprehensive experience in management, political action, financial management, strategic planning, policy formulation, representation, team building and supervision, human resources development and public relations in nearly 70 countries. He has extensive global experience in cooperatives, other membership organizations, asset growth, microfinance, credit unions, small business development, social entrepreneurship, civil society, and local economic development. Dean can be seen as a multicultural leader with excellent verbal and written communication skills. He earned his post graduate degree with emphasis on applied economics from University of Wisconsin-Madison.

N	Epifanio Maniebo Consultant Canadian Co-operative Association (CCA) See Bio Epifanio Maniebo is a consultant currently working with the Canadian Co-operative Association (CCA). CCA provides leadership to promote, develop and unite co-operatives and credit unions for the benefit of people in Canada and around the world.

N	Elissa McCarter Vice President of Development Finance CHF International See Bio Elissa McCarter is the Vice President of Development Finance at CHF International, where over the last five years she has established the technical department that manages CHF’s microfi nance and middle market lending operations. Under her leadership, the department has grown from $40 to over $200 million in assets under management. Elissa has 12 years’ experience as a microfinance practitioner. Prior to CHF, she started up and managed two MFIs in Armenia and Turkey, and has served as a technical advisor in Morocco, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia and Egypt.

N	Camilla Nestor Vice President of Microfinance Programs Grameen Foundation See Bio Camilla Nestor joined Grameen Foundation in August 2005 and previously served as Growth Guarantees Manager and Director of the Capital Management and Advisory Center. She was appointed Vice President for Microfinance in April 2009. She has 15 years of experience in microfinance and commercial banking. Before joining Grameen Foundation, she worked in Citigroup’s Structured Corporate Finance Department where she executed credit-enhanced debt financings for emerging markets firms in Africa, the Middle East and Eastern Europe. Prior to joining Citi, she spent five years on the ground in Southeast Asia, the Balkans, and Africa working with microfinance institutions and rural banks on start-up, new product development, and capital raising. Camilla holds an MBA and a masters degree in International Affairs from Columbia University and a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and International Relations from Colorado College. She is an adjunct professor at Columbia University’s School of International & Public Affairs and serves on the boards of Grameen Capital India and Microlumbia.

O	Robyn Nietert See Bio Robyn G. Nietert Board President of Women's Microfinance Initiative (WMI), a native of Long Island, New York, holds a B.A. from George Washington University and a J.D. from the National Law Center at George Washington University. For over 25 years she was a member of the Washington, D.C. law firm of Brown, Nietert and Kaufman, which specialized in telecommunications law, with a focus on innovative wireless technologies. She is also a founder and principal of American Capital Partners Company, which specializes in mergers and acquisitions of high speed broadband facilities. During her career, Ms Nietert has represented pioneering telecommunications industries before the U.S. Congress and federal agencies, and has participated in crafting federal legislation and agency rules. She is a member of Bradley Hills Presbyterian Church and has served on the Board of Directors of the Carderock Springs Club. She has organized several non-profit education foundations and served on their boards of directors, including the Walt Whitman High School Education Foundation. In 2007, she founded WMI and serves as its president.

N	Kim Pate Vice President, External Relations Corporation for Enterprise Development (CFED) See Bio As CFED's Vice President for External Relations, Ms. Pate oversees innovation@cfed, an effort to accelerate the evolution of the next generation of effective strategies to expand economic opportunity. Ms. Pate also coordinates strategic partnerships and communications across CFED priority areas of work - asset building, entrepreneurship, Tribal, state and local economic development and affordable home ownership. Ms. Pate is an attorney who has specialized in representing the interests of low-income women, families, Native Americans and disadvantaged communities. Ms. Pate has been a public speaker, trainer, technical assistance provider and writer on issues affecting economic opportunity for fifteen years.

O	Fernando Prado General Manager of Prospero Microfinanzas Fund LP Bolivian Investment Management (BIM) See Bio Fernando is the General Manager of Prospero Microfinanzas Fund LP at Bolivian Investment Management. BMI, among other services, provides loans in local currency to microfinance institutions (MFIs) in all the region of Latin America and The Caribbean.

F	Frans Purnama Chairman Indonesia Microfinance Association (IMA) See Bio Frans Purnama is a Country Microfinance Advisor for Plan International in Indonesia. Previously, he worked for Grameen Foundation, Asian Development Bank, ACDI/VOCA, and Habitat for Humanity International. In addition to starting his own microfinance institution in Tangerang in 1998, Mr Purnama has worked with MFIs in Indonesia, the Philippines, and Timor Leste. He is currently based in Jakarta and has served as the Chairman of the Indonesia Microfinance Association (IMA) since 2008.

N	Ole Rasmussen See Bio Ole is a PhD student in economics and at the same time I work at DanChurchAid, a Danish civil society organization doing development and relief work in 15 countries. This combination is possible because his PhD degree is a collaboration between the university and DanChurchAid. He's involved in an impact assessment of community managed microfinance in Northern Malawi where we implement Village Savings and Loan Associations in 23 out of 46 villages, the Karonga Vulnerability Study. This work is in collaboration with Christopher Ksoll (Oxford University), Helene Bie Lilleør (Rockwool Foundation Research Unit), Jonas Helth Lønborg (University of Southern Denmark).

O	Rama Reddy See Bio

N	Dennis Reeder Executive Director Washington Heights & Inwood Development Corp. See Bio Dennis Reeder has served as Executive Director of Washington Heights & Inwood Development Corporation for 32 years. The local development organization serves residents and business owners in northern Manhattan by supporting entrepreneurs, micro-lending, and providing technical assistance. He earned a MSUP in Urban Planning from Columbia University.

N	Elisabeth Rhyne Managing Director of the Center for Financial Inclusion Accion See Bio Elisabeth Rhyne works to bring together leaders in financial services to address challenges facing the microfinance industry today. She is a co-creator of the Smart Campaign for client protection in microfinance. As senior vice president of ACCION International from 2000-2008, Ms. Rhyne led ACCION’s initial entry into Africa and India and directed the organization’s research efforts to develop new financial products and managed ACCION’s publications and educational activities. Ms. Rhyne has published numerous articles and five books on microfinance, including Mainstreaming Microfinance: How Lending to the Poor Began, Grew and Came of Age in Bolivia (Kumarian Press, 2001). She was also co-editor of The New World of Microenterprise Finance (Kumarian, 1994), which provided the introduction to microfinance for many of the field’s current professionals. Her most recent book, Microfinance for Bankers and Investors, was published by McGraw-Hill in 2009. Ms. Rhyne was director of the Office of Microenterprise Development at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) from 1994 to 1998, where she developed and led USAID's Microenterprise Initiative. Ms. Rhyne’s experience includes eight years living in Kenya and Mozambique, consulting on microfinance policy and operations for governments, international organizations, and microfinance institutions. Ms. Rhyne holds a master's degree and Ph.D. in public policy from Harvard University. She earned a bachelor’s degree in history and humanities from Stanford University.

F	Stephanie Rupp Principal, Investments Omidyar Network See Bio Stephanie brings considerable experience in international economic development to Omidyar Network, leading the Property Rights investment area as well as investing in Microfinance. In Property Rights, she focuses on investments that help formalize land rights and increase security of tenure for the poor. In Microfinance, she focuses on investments that improve infrastructure by expanding networks, enabling the sharing of credit information, and mitigating foreign exchange risks. Her portfolio also includes microfinance equity and debt funds. Stephanie oversees a number of investments for Omidyar Network, including the Landesa, the SEEP Network, MFX Solutions, Microfinance Information eXchange (MIX), Foundation for Ecological Security, Catalyst Microfinance Investors, and MicroVest, among others. Stephanie is a board member for MFX Solutions and MIX, and a board observer for Landesa and the SEEP Network. Stephanie came to Omidyar Network after serving as a senior investment officer at Planet Finance, where she originated loans to microfinance institutions and advised socially responsible investors. Previously, Stephanie specialized in fixed income deals at UBS Investment Bank in New York City and London. She also focused on microfinance for ACDI/VOCA, where she coordinated USAID-funded microfinance programs in Central Asia and Russia. In addition, she contributed to education infrastructure projects based in sub-Saharan Africa for the World Bank and UNESCO. Stephanie earned an MPA from Harvard's Kennedy School of Government where she specialized in trade and finance, an MS in comparative government from the London School of Economics, and a BS from the University of Bristol, England in philosophy and politics.

O	Adil Sadoq Middle East North Africa Region (MENA) Manager MEDA (Mennonite Economic Development Associates) See Bio Adil Sadoq is Manager in charge of the Middle East North Africa Region (MENA) at Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA). MEDA has been serving developing communities with market driven strategies for over 50 years. MEDA works globally, focusing on business investment, rural financial services, as well supporting women and young people to reach their economic goals.

N	Amina Sakioudi Director of Planning & Management Control Fondation Banque Populaire pour le Micro-Credit (FBPMC) See Bio Amina Sakioudi is Director of Planning & Management Control at FBPMC, a microfinance organization based in Morocco. FBPMC provides literacy training, business support, and various credit products to support micro-entrepreneurs in their work.

N	Kyle Salyer Executive Vice President, Finance & Operations MicroCredit Enterprises See Bio Kyle currently serves as the Executive VP, Finance and Operations with MicroCredit Enterprises (MCE), a social venture that leverages private guarantees to provide debt financing to microfinance institutions worldwide. In his prior role with MCE, he managed its loan portfolio during the initial three years of operations, issuing 47 investments in 15 countries for a total of $25 million. Formerly, Kyle was Investment Manager with First Light Ventures, where he managed their initial investments in India and the US, as well as the creation of Village Capital. Kyle gained his initial experience in the microfinance sector when he worked as Regional Manager with AMEXTRA in Mexico, developing and managing the Chiapas branch of their microfinance initiative. Kyle has a MBA from the University of California, Davis and a BA from UCLA in International Economics and International Development Studies.

O	Achla Savyasaachi Vice President Sa-Dhan See Bio Alcha is Vice President of Sa-Dhan, an intermediary organization that works to strengthen microfinance institutions and Community Development Finance Institutions through policy, technical support, training, sharing best practice and network building.

N	Rupert Scofield President & CEO FINCA International See Bio Rupert Scofield, FINCA International President and Chief Executive Officer, is an agricultural economist with 40 years of experience in the developing countries of Africa, Latin America, Eurasia and the Greater Middle East. He also serves as President and CEO of FINCA Microfinance Holdings, LLC, a first-of-its-kind, socially-responsible investment partnership for microfinance, formulated to strike the right balance between attracting capital needed for expansion and protecting the integrity of FINCA’s charitable mission. Mr. Scofield co-founded FINCA in 1984 with John Hatch, and has served as its President and CEO since 1994. Under his leadership, FINCA has grown from 60,000 clients and a loan portfolio of $5 million to a true global presence serving more than 950,000 low-income women and men across five continents with a loan portfolio exceeding $500 million. A practitioner at heart, he is actively involved in the management of FINCA’s operations, and is also a frequent keynote speaker. As the author of The Social Entrepreneur’s Handbook: How to Start, Build and Run a Business that Improves the World, Mr. Scofield seeks to inspire the next generation of microfinance leaders and social entrepreneurs. <p>Prior to FINCA, Mr. Scofield served as the CEO of Rural Development Services, a consulting firm, and country program director of the AFL-CIO’s Labor Program in El Salvador. He earned two Masters of Arts degrees in agricultural economics and public administration from the University of Wisconsin, as well as a Bachelor of Arts from Brown University, and served in the Peace Corps in Guatemala

N	Tom Shaw Senior Technical Advisor, Microfinance Catholic Relief Services See Bio Tom is Senior Technical Advisor of Microfinance at Catholic Relief Services, the official international humanitarian agency of the U.S. Catholic community. Through aid work, microfinance and host of other support programs, Catholic Relief services works to achieve its mission of promoting human development. Tom holds a Masters degree in Rural finance from Ohio State University.

N	Richard Shumann Senior Technical Specialist CHF International See Bio Richard Shumann is the Senior Technical director at CHF International, an international development and humanitarian aid organization that partners with communities in developing countries to empower citizens to directly improve their livelihoods. They do this through micro lending, economic development, home financing and infrastructure support. Prior to is work at CHF, Shumann served as Director of Marketing and Product Development at ACCION International. His experience also includes work at ACDI/VOCA, Save the Children, The World Bank, and the Peace Corps. He earned an MPA from Princeton University and a BA in Economics from Macalester College.

N	Arbind Singh See Bio Arbind Singh is an Indian social activist. He founded Nidan, a non profit organisation for informal labor. It operates in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. He greatly improved the bargaining power of the street vendors with the state governments.

O	Frances Sinha Managing Director EDA Rural Systems See Bio Frances Sinha , managing Director at EDA Rural Systems, has 25 years of experience in development based in India, working in countries of Asia and Africa. He is experienced in microfinance, Micro-enterprise, NGO programs, and, Social Development. EDA is a development consulting organization specializing in development research, sector studies, advisory services, impact assessment, Social Performance Assessment and Social Performance Management. Sinha studied at the London School of Economics

N	Carmen Velasco Cofounder and Director Pro Mujer See Bio Based in Lima, Peru, Carmen serves as a Pro Mujer Ambassador throughout Latin America and Spain, and is a key member of the organization’s Development and Communications team. From 1995 to 2007, Carmen served as Country Director for Pro Mujer in Bolivia and under her leadership, it achieved a worldwide reputation for excellence. Carmen helped develop the training programs in business development, empowerment and health that would form the basis of Pro Mujer’s integrated services. During her tenure, she has also been responsible for providing technical assistance to the organization’s operations in Argentina, Mexico, Nicaragua and Peru. In addition to her responsibilities with Pro Mujer, Carmen currently serves on the Executive Committee of the Social Performance Task Force for the Microcredit Summit Campaign. Previously, she served on the board and later as President of FINRURAL, an association of microfinance organizations in rural Bolivia. In addition, she previously served on the board of ProCosi. In 2007, Carmen won the “business Woman Award” from the Veuve Clicquot initiative for economic Development in France. Prior to co-founding the organization, Carmen taught Educational Psychology at the Universidad Católica Boliviana. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Special Education Pedagogy from the Universidad de Chile and has also completed postgraduate studies at the Boulder Microfinance Institute and Harvard University. In 2007, Lynne and Carmen were jointly recognized as “Community Crusaders” at the annual “CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute” ceremony.

O	Rolando Virreira See Bio

N	Christina Washburn Advisor, Human Capital and Brand Management CHF International See Bio Christina Washburn is the Human Capital and Brand Management Advisor at CHF International, an international development organization that works in conflict-affected and developing countries. Prior to her current role, she served as technical advisor at CHF and also a TA of Microfinance and Development at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. She earned a BA in International Development & Translation from McGill University.