Introduction to Microfinance Lecture Series

This course will explore the theory & practice of microfinance around the world; the history, those involved, the impact and next stages of microfinance around the world. Microfinance is an effective tool to fight poverty. Poor people need access to financial services just like we do. Microfinance started out as small loans that helped the poor start a business, earn income, build assets and move from mere survival to planning for their future. It has expanded to savings, mortgages and many other products. Deutsche Bank estimates that over 100 million poor people have benefited from microfinance. However, $250 billion is needed to enable the billion people who live on less than $1 a day to work their way out of poverty.
Aug. 27 Introduction to Microfinance
and the Local Perspective
Rudy Estrada
Director, Small Business Institute
CSU Channel Islands
Sept. 10 Role of Village Technology
in Microfinance
Peter Bladin
Executive Vice President and
Founding Director Grameen Foundation
Sept. 24 Microfinance: Commercialization
and Next Stages of Microfinance
Leslie Theodore
Senior Development Officer
Accion International
Oct. 8 Bringing the Corporate World
to Microfinance
Paul Blyth
Head of Finance
Microplace
Oct. 22 Economics of Microfinance
Ashish Vaidya, PhD
Dean of the Faculty
CSU Channel Islands
Nov. 5 Microfinance through the Internet
Scott Bellows
Microfinance Partnerships
Kiva.org
Nov. 19 Microfinance A Platform for
Other Social Development
Sean Carpenter
Technical Officer for Microenterprise & Agri-business Project Concern International (PCI)
Dec. 3 Women's Economic Ventures and Microfinance
Marsha Bailey, CEO & Founder
Women's Economic Ventures (WEV)