1. For Immediate Release
Contact: Elizabeth Makee
(619) 7957250 ext. 406
Cell (704) 6076392
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3 Annual San Diego Microfinance Summit Brings National
Speakers and Dozens of Local Microfinance Recipients to Showcase
the Impact of Microloans on Businesses
Event to be held April 28th, at the University of San Diego’s Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace
& Justice, and Will Focus on Local, Domestic and International Microfinance
Keynote Speakers: Gina Harman, CEO, ACCION Network, Giovanna Masci, Regional Director for the
Americas, KIVA, and Claudia Viek, CEO, CA Association for Microenterprise Opportunity (CAMEO).
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SAN DIEGO – April 4 , 2011 Embracing continued local interest in the microfinance industry, and the
past two years of excellent support in previous summits, several partnering local microfinance
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organizations are coming together again to produce the 3 annual San Diego Microfinance Summit on
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Thursday, April 28 , from 8:15am to 4:30pm at the Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace & Justice at the
University of San Diego. This year the summit will be highlighting both the local, as well as international
work by San Diego’s microfinance institutions and is made possible by the generous support of Citibank.
Opportunities to get involved in microfinance will be provided, as well as hearing from national industry
experts from the ACCION Network and KIVA during the keynote panel.
Gina Harmon, CEO of ACCION Network, will give the keynote address along with Giovanna Masci,
Regional Director of the Americas of KIVA, moderated by Claudia Viek, CEO of CAMEO. The keynote
will focus on the history, current state and the future of microfinance in the United States. Additionally,
local small business owners who have received loans from the Foundation for Women, International
Rescue Committee, CDC Small Business Finance and ACCION San Diego will share how access to
capital has improved their businesses and lives.
In addition to national speakers, lunch will be provided by local catering restaurateurs whom are also
local microfinance clients featuring food from around the world. During the lunch buffet, there will be a
local entrepreneur marketplace where other microfinance clients will sell their products and services.
Among the expected vendors will be artisans, jewelers, bakers and craftsmen. There will be two breakout
sessions in the afternoon to help attendees delve further into microfinance, including current industry
trends locally and nationally, alternative microfinance models and a panel designed to help students
prepare for a career in the industry. The summit will close with a catered networking reception.
The Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace & Justice at University of San Diego is at 5998 Alcalá Park, San
Diego. For directions and parking information, visit http://peace.sandiego.edu/about/directions.html.
Early Bird registration is available at $38 for the general public and $12 for students and is currently open
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at http://sdmicrofinance.org/thesummit/. Registration after April 15 is $50 and $20.
The San Diego Microfinance Alliance is the producer of the first San Diego Microfinance Summit, and
is a consortium of local microfinance practitioners, donors, students and educators committed to
collaborating and raising the profile of microfinance in the San Diego region. For more information,
please visit http://sdmicrofinance.org/.
