Forbes, a US-based magazine, recently published an interview with Jonathan Lewis, founder and chief executive officer of the annual Opportunity Collaboration business retreat and networking summit that he describes as “laser-focused on poverty reduction”. The founder and chair of MicroCredit Enterprises (MCE), a US-based nonprofit organization that deploys private capital for microlending, Mr Lewis explains the idea behind Opportunity Collaboration as “agnostic about domestic vs. international poverty alleviation models, for-profit vs. nonprofit, policy vs. entrepreneurship, but we are fervent about vetting for delegates who are strong leaders with records of accomplishment, who appreciate leverage and sustainability, and who are unafraid to think outside traditional silos and their own operating models.”
The event is unusual in that there are no speeches or slide presentations, and program staffs conduct personal interviews with every delegate in advance of the event to identify common areas of interest among attendees.
The 2011 Opportunity Collaboration is scheduled to be held from October 17 to 21 in Ixtapa, Mexico. Additional details can be found at http://opportunitycollaboration.net/.
By Carol Kim, Research Associate
About MicroCredit Enterprises (MCE): Established in 2005, MicroCredit Enterprises is a US-based nonprofit microfinance fund manager. MCE’s principal financial partners are guarantors. Wealthy individuals, who each commit a minimum of USD 1 million, provide financial backing to MCE in the form of a guarantee of a line of credit or note. MCE then borrows money against this guarantee in order to lend to microfinance institutions in developing countries. As of 2010, MCE manages total assets of USD 17 million.
Sources and Additional Resources:
Forbes.com: “Opportunity Collaboration: A New Kind of Business Retreat to Tackle Global Poverty”, August 2011, http://www.forbes.com/sites/rahimkanani/2011/08/03/opportunity-collaboration-a-new-kind-of-business-retreat-to-tackle-global-poverty/
MicroCapital.org: “MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Jonathan Lewis of Opportunity Collaboration Responds to Complaints that “Microcredit Does Not Solve Poverty”, July 20, 2011, https://www.microcapital.org/microcapital-brief-jonathan-lewis-of-opportunity-collaboration-responds-to-complaints-that-“microcredit-does-not-solve-poverty”/
MicroCapital.org: “MICROCAPITAL EVENT: Opportunity Collaboration Summit, October 17-20, 2009 in Ixtapa, Mexico”, July 29, 2009, https://www.microcapital.org/microcapital-event-opportunity-collaboration-summit-october-17-20-2009-in-ixtapa-mexico/
MicroCapital’s Universe Profile: MicroCredit Enterprises (MCE), https://www.microcapital.org/microfinanceuniverse/tiki-index.php?page=MicroCredit+Enterprises+%28MCE%29
Browse the MicroCapital Universe and add your entry to the wiki at https://www.microcapital.org/microfinanceuniverse/
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