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Opportunity Celebrates 40 Years at “Side by Side” Gala in Minneapolis
Last Thursday night, more than 400 guests gathered at International Market Square in Minneapolis, Minn. to celebrate Opportunity International‘s 40th anniversary at a gala event, “Side by Side: Celebrating 40 Years of Opportunity.” The evening included entertainment by Minnesota resident and contemporary Christian singer Sara Groves and the African musical group Duniya Drum and Dance, Read more…
Tagged 40th anniversary, Al Whittaker, Board of Directors, Board of Governors, Colombia, Duniya Drum & Dance, Events, Faith in Action, Frida Mungoma, fundraisers, gala, Minneapolis, Nonprofit, Opportunity Uganda, Philanthropy, Sara Groves, Side by Side, YAO, YAO-Minneapolis, Young Ambassadors for Opportunity
Tunes for Tanzania–who knew a Tuesday could be this good?
While everyone seemed moved by the goal of building a bank in Tanzania, as I gauged from the robust rounds of applause, Tuesday’s Tunes for Tanzania event was also just a good time for all. We packed into Schubas in Chicago to listen to the music of three different bands; we strategized to win tantalizing Read more…
Tagged Africa, Clients, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Go Long Mule, Ivory Coats, Microfinance, Opportunity International, Opportunity Tanzania, Rachel McClusky, Schubas, Tanzania, Tunes for Tanzania, YAO, YAO-Chicago, Young Ambassadors for Opportunity
Breakout Session: Innovating to Meet Community Needs
“The more you listen and respond… the way you increase your chances of success and long term benefit is dramatic,” stated Jim Frantz, chief transformation officer at Opportunity Colombia, speaking about the importance of having local input and ownership when implementing initiatives in impoverished communities. This breakout session highlighted just a few of the innovative solutions Read more…
Tagged Africa, Agriculture, Colombia, Community, Conference, Craig DeRoy, David Allman, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Ghana, Jim Frantz, Latin America, Nicaragua, OIC2011, Opportunity Colombia, Opportunity Ghana, Opportunity International, Opportunity International Microfinance Conference, Opportunity Nicaragua, Poverty, roof and floor program, YAO, YAO - San Francisco, Young Ambassadors for Opportunity
Breakout Session: Microinsurance: A Powerful Safety Net
Opportunity’s MicroEnsure, the world’s first microinsurance intermediary, provides protection against the many risks faced by those living in poverty. Today, more than 3.2 million clients can fall back on our crop, loan, health, life and property insurance products in times of hardship or disaster. Who’d have thought that getting up at 8 a.m. on a Read more…
Tagged Microensure, Microfinance, Microinsurance, OIC2011, Opportunity International, Opportunity International Microfinance Conference, Poverty, Richard Leftley, YAO, YAO - San Francisco, Young Ambassadors for Opportunity
Breakout Session: Banking on Education
A quality education empowers students with the skills and abilities to secure higher paying jobs, build strong families and help in the economic development of their communities. Today, we discovered how Opportunity’s Banking on Education program is increasing educational opportunities for more than 120,000 children in underserved neighborhoods in Ghana, Malawi and Uganda. The panelists Read more…
Tagged Africa, Banking on Education, Char Caldwell, Children, Education, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Geoffrey Thige, Ghana, Kenya, Liesel Pritzker, Loans, Malawi, Microfinance, OIC2011, Opportunity International, Opportunity International Microfinance Conference, Opportunity Kenya, School fee loans, Uganda, USAID, YAO, Young Ambassadors for Opportunity
Breakout Session: Stand Up for Opportunity
I sat down to listen to a panel of Opportunity International volunteers and contributors to hear their thoughts and best practices on how they share and involve their own communities in Opportunity’s mission. Each panel member shared their own journey with Opportunity and how they came to be involved. Though unified in passion, each contributor’s Read more…
Tagged Alison Altdoerffer, Amelia Gingold, Betsy Perdue, Board of Governors, Dick Leathers, Microfinance, Monica Perez, OIC2011, Online fundraising, Opportunity International, Opportunity International Microfinance Conference, Sonya Perez-Lauterbach, Sunshine Sachs & Associates, Women's Opportunity Network, Women's Philanthropy, WON, YAO, YAO - San Francisco, YAO-Denver, Young Ambassadors for Opportunity
Breakout Session: Doing Business for the Greater Good
Social entrepreneurs are individuals who bring innovative solutions to the most challenging social issues, offering both ideas and capital in support of wide-scale change. In this breakout session, I got the opportunity to hear from young entrepreneurs whose visionary business models reflect not just the bottom line, but their philanthropic commitment as global citizens to Read more…
Tagged Apolis Activism, CAbi, Ending Poverty, Global citizen, Liesel Pritzker, Made for Good, Microfinance, OIC2011, Opportunity International, Opportunity International Microfinance Conference, Panzanee LLC, Poverty, Social Entrepreneurship, YAO, Young Ambassadors for Opportunity
Breakout Session: Developing the Next Generation of Microfinance Bankers
Recruiting, hiring and retaining key staff–from loan officers to CEOs–who are technically excellent and who embrace a culture of serving people living in poverty with client-centered products is critical to our success. Find out more about Opportunity International’s partnership with Credit Suisse to build a comprehensive leadership and staff development initiative across our operations in Read more…
Tagged Africa, Anessa Chui, Credit Suisse, Democratic Republic of Congo, DR Congo, DRC Grand Opening, emerging leaders program, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Goldman Sachs, Hire Right Train Right Treat Right, Loan Officer, Microfinance, Nadine Pembele, OIC2011, Opportunity DRC, Opportunity International, opportunity international canada, Opportunity International Microfinance Conference, Training
Breakout Session: Fighting Poverty with Technology
“There is never an end to the opportunities that are brought by technology; we are excited about what those are.” That’s how Daryl Skoog, senior VP of technology, ended his own introduction, as each of the members of the panel discussion was introducing themselves to the audience. Harry Turner, the panel facilitator and CEO of Read more…
Tagged Cell phone banking, Daryl Skoog, Ending Poverty, Financial services, Geoffrey Thige, Global Microfinance Operations, Harry Turner, Microensure, OIC2011, Opportunity International, Opportunity International Microfinance Conference, Opportunity Kenya, Poverty, Richard Leftley, Robert Westcott, Technology
Breakout Session: From Silicon Valley to Sub-Saharan Africa: Innovations Shaping the World
Rob Meloche, Opportunity’s VP of marketing and communications, got the afternoon breakout session started by asking the members in the panel to place the conversation about innovation and technology in the context of the developing world. Each of the members in the panel contributed interesting reflections. Here are the highlights: Steven Levy, senior writer of Read more…
Tagged Africa, Aleksandr-Alain Kalanda, Ben Chelf, Bill Draper, OIC2011, Opportunity International, Opportunity International Microfinance Conference, Poverty, Rob Meloche, Steven Levy, sub-Saharan Africa, Technology
