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Why should you attend the Chicago Microfinance Conference next year?
This year, five of us from Opportunity International attended the 6th Annual Chicago Microfinance Conference at the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business. Alongside other microfinance professionals, as well as educators, graduate and undergraduate students, we delved deep into the topics and discussed the ever-evolving microfinance industry. But there’s still more to cover. The topics Read more…
Chicago Microfinance Conference: Can Technology Innovations Transform Microfinance?
At the 6th Annual Chicago Microfinance Conference on Friday, a panel of experts explored the possibilities and pitfalls of ever-changing technology in the microfinance industry. Moderator Preeth Gowdar, Kellogg School of Management, led the session entitled “Getting ‘Techy:’ Can Technology Innovations Transform Microfinance?” Gowdar started out with a story about when he was working in Read more…
Tagged Cell phone banking, CGAP, Chicago Microfinance Conference, Cloud technology, Conference, Expert, George Conrad, Grameen, Grameen Foundation, Intern, John McMahon, Kiva, Microfinance, Mobile Banking, Mobile Phones, Opportunity Rwanda, Rural banking, SalesForce, Sarah Rotman, Scott Bellows, Technology
#mifimon: Technology & Microfinance
The following is a guest post from Ben Lyon from FrontlineSMS. You can stay connected and up to date with #mifimon by following @Mifimon on Twitter. Once every two weeks, the microfinance community comes together on Twitter for Microfinance Monday, or #mifimon. Last #mifimon, the use and implications of technology in microfinance took center stage. Questions ranged from Read more…
Tagged #MifiMon, Microfinance, Rural Outreach, Technology, Twitter
Emerging Market Risks and Rewards
Last night, Opportunity International Board Member Kadita “A.T.” Tshibaka spoke to a distinguished audience of almost 100 business leaders and students at an event hosted by the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management (watch the video here). Kadita offered up a few things he had learned during his life growing up in the Congo, Read more…
Tagged Agriculture, Banking, Banks, Bottom-up approach, Business, Citibank, Community, Congo, Developing World, Emerging Markets, Farmers, Kadita "A.T." Tshibaka, Leaders, Microfinance, Rotman School of Management, social action, social advocacy, Students, Sustainability, Technology, Top-down approach
“Will Kiva Kill Your Nonprofit? Donations 2.0” Nope, not ours!
Ian Haisley, Jonathan Neddenriep, Reuben Thiessen and I will be meeting in Austin, Tex., this Friday to attend the South by Southwest (SXSW) Interactive Festival. We are very excited to be with the “world’s most creative web developers, designers, bloggers, wireless innovators, content producers, programmers, widget inventors and new media entrepreneurs.” The festival includes presentations Read more…
Tagged Amnesty International, Beaconfire Consulting, Donations 2.0, Donors Choose, Fundraising, Ian Haisley, Interactive, Jonathan Neddenriep, Networks, Nonprofit, Online community, Online fundraising, OptINnow, Reuben Thiessen, Social Media, SXSW, Technology, Will Kiva Kill Your Nonprofit
Opportunity International Provides Crucial Support to Microfinance Bank in Haiti
Fonkoze, the largest microfinance organization in Haiti, is being hailed for its distribution of cash more quickly than traditional banks after the earthquake destroyed the country’s banking infrastructure. Opportunity International has been playing a crucial supporting role to Fonkoze in getting the bank up and running after the disaster. After years of struggling to adapt Read more…
Tagged Banking, Earthquake, Fonkoze, Haiti, Innovation, Mobile Banking, Newsweek, Red Cross, Technology
Ask a Microfinance Expert: M-Banking
The microfinance landscape has changed because of the advent of mobile phone banking technology. With the simple use of a cellular phone, Opportunity clients can check their account balances, transfer money between accounts, send money to other people, pay bills, receive salary or government payments, and buy airtime. If the people cannot come to the Read more…
Tagged IGP Learning Network, Mobile Banking, Mobile Phones, Rural banking, SEEP Network, Technology
Opportunity International at Urbana 2009
Hello from St. Louis! To create some context, on Sunday, the downtown area of St. Louis nearly doubled in size. And a couple of us from Opportunity International are spending this week with over 16,000 university and high school students from over 100 countries at Intervarsity’s conference- Urbana 2009. You can feel the energy when Read more…
#Mifimon: Microfinance and Technology
The following is a collaborative post from Grameen Foundation’s Edward Cable and Opportunity International’s Amy Carol Wolff. Moderators: @amycarolwolff @mifos Panelists: @bhalchander @creditsms @GrameenAppLab @msftcitizenship Participants: @aaspire @hanacaraka @microempowering @HoracioCoutino @laurakummer @licorous @zyozyfounder @mongkolroek @RealizedWorth @CIPEglobal @CFI_ACCION @digitalkulcha @AJRenold @Optinnow The topic from this past #Mifimon: strategic use of technology for microfinance. Technology and innovation Read more…
Tagged Cloud technology, Efficiency, Innovation, Microfinance, Mobile Banking, Product Development, Rural Outreach, Technology
Microfinance Movie Night: Indiana University
Last night I had the pleasure of spending a couple of hours with Indiana U’s Trockman Microfinance Initiative (TMI) at an event where they reported on their recent trip to Opportunity International’s office in Oak Brook and then we enjoyed an hour-long movie highlighting the microfinance industry. I have to say, I was impressed with Read more…
