6th Annual Chicago Microfinance Conference

Posted by on April 19, 2010

6th ANNUAL CHICAGO MICROFINANCE CONFERENCE

When: Friday, May 7, 2010 – 7:30am – 5:30pm

Where: The University of Chicago Booth School of Business, Chicago, U.S.A.

On May 7, The University of Chicago Booth School of Business and Harris School of Public Policy in partnership with the Zell Center for Risk Research at the Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management will host in Chicago the 6th Annual Chicago Microfinance Conference.  The Chicago Microfinance Conference (CMFC) is a collaborative effort among leading graduate business and policy institutions that brings together practitioners, academics and emerging industry leaders to advance the strategic debate of the future of microfinance.

The conference will include keynote addresses, panels, lunch and learn sessions, and a networking event. Recognized microfinance experts from around the world will present their insights into the microfinance industry.  The networking event will include an opportunity to mix and mingle with microfinance professionals as well as provide a venue for microfinance institutions to showcase their work and provide information about their projects.

For the morning keynote address, Bob Annibale, Citigroup’s Global Director of Microfinance will discuss what the role of large banks will be in the microfinance sector.  Paul Christensen, Senior Lecturer at the Kellogg School of Management and co-founder of ShoreCap International, a private equity firm focused in financial institutions in emerging markets, will moderate a fire-side chat with Mr. Annibale.  This discussion will provide significant insight at a time when some believe that large banks will “downscale” to reach new customers that have been traditionally overlooked.  Others believe that the “rules of the game” in microfinance are too different from mainstream banking and that large banks will only provide funding and other financial services to microfinance institutions – and not their clients.

The afternoon keynote, Martin Holtmann, is the Head of Microfinance at IFC, the world’s largest investor in microfinance.  Holtmann will discuss how over the last decade, the idea of investments providing a win-win situation where profit and social impact go hand-by-hand has taken grip of most policy decisions.  Tim Ogden, Editor-in-Chief of Philanthropy Action will navigate this premise with Mr. Holtmann, bringing some light to the complexity of sustainable investments and smart philanthropy – and highlighting the role of each.

Panel topics include the following:

* Mobile Banking and Software Innovations
* Microfinance Goes Green
* Microfinance in the United States
* Impact Monitoring and Reporting
* Microfinance and Faith
* Microfinance and Wall Street

Participation terms:

Tickets are $60.00 before April 15, 2010.  The cost is $75.00 for attendees who register after April 15. Students have a special rate of $15 and $30, respectively.

Please click here to visit our website.

http://www.chicagomicrofinance.com/registration.shtml

The name sponsor is the Zell Center for Risk Management at the Kellogg School of Management.  Other sponsors include CIBER: UCLA Anderson School of Management, Acción International,  Salesforce.com Foundation, and Microfinance Insights (Media Partner).

On the questions concerning your participation, please check our website http://www.chicagomicrofinance.com or email us at chicagomicrofinance@gmail.com.

For marketing, media and communications-related questions, please contact Carol Hendrickson at chendrickson@uchicago.edu.