Here on Prosper Lending Review we generally focus on peer to peer lending. Another closely related topic is microfinance, or microcredit. Microfinance is a term for the practice of providing financial services to poor people. By helping them to accumulate usably large sums of money, this expands their choices and reduces the risks they face. Most transactions involve small amounts of money, frequently less than $100. Microfinance plays a major role in the development of many African, Asian, and Latin American nations.
Financial Research Associates recently announced it will host the first conference of its kind focusing on investment opportunities in the microfinance world. Microfinance for the Institutional Investor is scheduled for January 14-15, 2008 at the Affinia Manhattan Hotel in New York City. This event is designed to help institutional investors learn about the potential of these funds to generate low-risk market-rate returns while alleviating poverty.
Here is a list of the speakers:
Vikram Akula, SKS MICROFINANCE
Scott J. Budde, TIAA-CREF
Robert Annibale, CITIGROUP
Ian Callaghan, MORGAN STANLEY
Bhakti Mirchandani, LEHMAN BROTHERS
Shari Berenbach, THE CALVERT FOUNDATION
William Mills, GOOD STEWARD FUND
Mark Regier, MMA PRAXIS MUTUAL FUNDS
Leonard English, THE GENERAL BOARD OF PENSION & HEALTH BENEFITS OF THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
Greg Gentile, LEHMAN BROTHERS
Michael Rauenhorst, THE RAUENHORST FAMILY FOUNDATION
Gil Crawford, MICROVEST CAPITAL MANAGEMENT
Roger Frank, DEVELOPING WORLD MARKETSBrad Swanson, DEVELOPING WORLD MARKETS
Samuel Fox, FITCH RATINGS
Nicolas Krauss, THE BOSTON CONSULTING GROUP
Gary Kochubka, STANDARD & POORS
Damian Von Stauffenberg, MICRORATE
Howard Finkelstein, AKERMAN SENTERFITT
Jean-Phillipe de Schrevel, BLUE ORCHARD FINANCE
Mary Ellen Iskenderian,WOMEN’S WORLD BANKING
Geoff Davis, UNITUS
Stephen Viederman, NEEDMOR FUND & CHRISTOPHER REYNOLDS FOUNDATION
Deborah Drake, ACCION INTERNATIONAL
Arnaud Ventura, PLANET FINANCE
Cathy Rowan, THE MARYKNOLL SISTERS and TRINITY HEALTH
Father Seamus Finn, MISSIONARY OBLATES OF MARY IMMACULATE
