by Nicholas Galimberti -

MICROFINANCE EVENT: Africa Agri-Finance Forum (AAFF) 2018; September 25, 2018; Nairobi, Kenya

Themed “Inclusive Finance for the Agricultural Value Chain,” this event will include discussions about new financial product offerings for small-scale farmers and the obstacles impeding capital investment in the agricultural sector

by Nicholas Galimberti -

MICROFINANCE EVENT: VC4A, ABAN Present “Africa Early Stage Investor Summit;” November 11-12, 2018; Cape Town, South Africa

Co-hosted by the Netherlands-based Venture Capital for Africa (VC4A) and the Mauritius-based African Business Angel Network (ABAN), this year’s gathering is the fifth edition of the summit. The event will

by Nicholas Galimberti -

MICROFINANCE EVENT: Groupe Speciale Mobile Association (GSMA) Mobile 360 Series; July 17 – 19, 2018; Kigali, Rwanda

The theme of this event, “Who will lead the digital revolution: the people or the technology?”, will drive discussions about the mobile industry in Africa, exploring topics such as big data, youth entrepreneurship,

by Jared Junkin -

MICROFINANCE EVENT: TBLI Conference Nordic 2018; November 8 – 9, 2018; Stockholm, Sweden

As in previous editions in several other countries, the next TBLI Conference will consider triple bottom line investing (TBLI) – investing that “benefits investor, environment, and society” – including environmental, social and governance (ESG) investing. Sessions will address the

by Nicholas Galimberti -

MICROFINANCE EVENT: Global SME Finance Forum and Awards; November 5 – 7, 2018; Madrid, Spain

At this year’s gathering, approximately 500 people will discuss the theme “Reaching the Informal: the Role of Finance in Improving the Growth and Productivity of SMEs,” including how access to digital banking services allows small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to address

by Jared Junkin -

MICROFINANCE EVENT: Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs’ (ANDE’s) Metrics from the Ground Up; June 12 – 13, 2018; Washington, DC, USA

Summary of Event: The tenth iteration of this event will address how to quantify impact in the “small and growing businesses” (SGBs) sector. Participants will take stock of the progress made over the last decade as well as discussing ways to overcome challenges in the industry. Draft agenda items include; Collecting Data Across the Five Dimensions of Impact, Using Outcome Data to

by Nicholas Galimberti -

MICROFINANCE EVENT: SOCAP18; October 23 – 26, 2018; San Francisco, California, USA

Event Summary: At the eleventh edition of this gathering, speakers will delve into topics related to impact investing and social entrepreneurship. Although this year’s agenda is not final, SOCAP17 included a networking session specific to agriculture, a session titled Neighborhood Economics and one

by Nicholas Galimberti -

MICROFINANCE EVENT: Opportunity Collaboration; October 14 – 19, 2018; Cancun, Mexico

Event Summary: The purpose of this event is to provide networking and problem-solving opportunities for those “dedicated to building sustainable solutions to poverty and injustice.” Most sessions are categorized as Conversations for Change, Capacity-Building Clinics or mealtime “Cluster-Forks.”

by Nicholas Galimberti -

MICROFINANCE EVENT: 6th International Conference on Sustainable Development; September 12 – 13, 2018; Rome, Italy

Event Summary: For the sixth iteration of this event, the European Center of Sustainable Development again is inviting academics and private-sector representatives to discuss “sustainability in an holistic perspective, where environmental, cultural, economic and social concerns intersect.”

by Nicholas Galimberti -

MICROFINANCE EVENT: 8th Global Housing Summit: “Breaking the Mold – New Ideas for Financing Affordable Housing”; May 29 – June 1, 2018; Washington, DC, USA

Event Summary: This event will review how technology, government policies and other factors are affecting the financing of housing for people with low incomes. The program on May 29 includes a visit to the World Bank’s headquarters and pre-conference sessions such as the

by Nicholas Galimberti -

MICROFINANCE EVENT: Sanabel Annual Conference: “From Sustainable to Responsible; Our Vision Forward”; November 6 – 7, 2018; Amman, Jordan

Event Summary: Attendees at this event will explore the needs of clients of microfinance institutions (MFIs) in the Arab region, including how MFIs can ensure their transactions are responsible while they expand product and service offerings to current and new clients. While the 2018 agenda has not yet been released,

by Jared Junkin -

MICROFINANCE EVENT: Africa Innovation Summit (AIS); June 6 – 8, 2018: Kigali, Rwanda

Summary of Event: The theme of this conference is facilitating development in Africa by empowering entrepreneurs across the continent. The topics include Challenges and Opportunities for Innovation in Africa; Building a Resilient and Competitive Economy for Africa’s Future; 21st Century African Cities; Financing and Scaling up

by Sharanya Madhavan -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: IKEA Foundation Donating $6m to Habitat for Humanity to Improve Homes in India, Kenya

The IKEA Foundation, an affiliate of the Sweden-founded IKEA group of furniture companies, recently announced a donation of EUR 5.3 million (USD 6 million) to Habitat for Humanity, a US-based nonprofit that aims to provide safe housing options for people in need.

by Sharanya Madhavan -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: WeConnect, Airbnb, Procter & Gamble, Unilever, HP Make Commitments to Women, Entrepreneurship, Education at 12th, Final Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting

At the recent 12th annual meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI), a program of the US-based nonprofit Clinton Foundation, various organizations made 25 new commitments worth USD 70 million as part of the “Girls, Women and the Global Goals” project, which is intended to “advance women’s economic participation, address violence against girls and women, and promote women’s leadership in the public and private sectors”,