Matt Flannery, co-founder and CEO of Kiva, a firm that has raised money through microlending to help the working poor worldwide, is keynote speaker for the Social Innovation Summit Oct. 11 in the Stephen M. Ross School of Business.
The summit is from 9:30-4 p.m. Flannery’s talk is at 11:30 a.m. in Blau Auditorium.
Flannery began developing Kiva in late 2004 following a trip to Uganda. There, he witnessed microfinance, the granting of small loans for specific projects, first hand. Since then, the non-profit organization has expanded to nearly 60 countries and has raised nearly $200 million for low-income entrepreneurs
Kiva works with microfinance institutions on five continents to provide loans to borrowers without access to traditional banking systems. Using the Internet and a worldwide network of microfinance institutions, Kiva lets individuals lend as little as $25 to help create opportunity.
Flannery’s talk is part of the summit sponsored by the Nonprofit and Public Management Center. The summit brings together students, faculty and the public to discuss the changing landscape for funding social initiatives and organizations. Leaders from across sectors will present profiles on funding models for social good and debate the implications of emerging methods, with a focus on the state of Michigan.
Register for the free event at tinyurl.com/kvenlfs. A summit schedule is at tinyurl.com/kq4jz3u.
