50 Weeks of Opportunity

Conference LiveBlog: Geoffrey Thige, COO of Opportunity Kenya

Geoffrey Thige, the dynamic chief operating officer of Opportunity International Kenya, shares from the conference mainstage all about the work and progress Opportunity Kenya has made, utilizing solutions that include mobile phone banking, microinsurance, financial literacy training and more to help clients build a better life. Highlights from Geoff Thige In Kenya, we have 39 million people, yet only 4 million people have bank accounts. There would need to be 500,000 jobs created to accommdate all…

Breakout Session: From Silicon Valley to Sub-Saharan Africa: Innovations Shaping the World

Rob Meloche, Opportunity’s VP of marketing and communications, got the afternoon breakout session started by asking the members in the panel to place the conversation about innovation and technology in the context of the developing world. Each of the members in the panel contributed interesting reflections. Here are the highlights: Steven Levy, senior writer of Wired magazine and author of “In the Plex: How Google Thinks, Works, and Shapes Our Lives,” talked about the importance of getting…

Breakout Session: Fighting Poverty with Technology

“There is never an end to the opportunities that are brought by technology; we are excited about what those are.” That’s how Daryl Skoog, senior VP of technology, ended his own introduction, as each of the members of the panel discussion was introducing themselves to the audience. Harry Turner, the panel facilitator and CEO of Opportunity’s Global Microfinance Operations, then got the conversation going by asking the panelist to talk about the technologies that are being used in the field. Skoog…

Breakout Session: Developing the Next Generation of Microfinance Bankers

Breakout Session: Doing Business for the Greater Good

Social entrepreneurs are individuals who bring innovative solutions to the most challenging social issues, offering both ideas and capital in support of wide-scale change. In this breakout session, I got the opportunity to hear from young entrepreneurs whose visionary business models reflect not just the bottom line, but their philanthropic commitment as global citizens to sustainable development. Facilitator: Liesel Pritzker, Founder and Board chair, Young Ambassadors for Opportunity Panelists:Amanda…

Breakout Session: Stand Up for Opportunity

I sat down to listen to a panel of Opportunity International volunteers and contributors to hear their thoughts and best practices on how they share and involve their own communities in Opportunity’s mission. Each panel member shared their own journey with Opportunity and how they came to be involved. Though unified in passion, each contributor’s work was unique to fit their own talents, interests and goals. Dick Leathers, member of the Board of Governors, shared how he educates church members…

Breakout Session: Banking on Education

A quality education empowers students with the skills and abilities to secure higher paying jobs, build strong families and help in the economic development of their communities. Today, we discovered how Opportunity’s Banking on Education program is increasing educational opportunities for more than 120,000 children in underserved neighborhoods in Ghana, Malawi and Uganda. The panelists were Liesel Pritzker, founder and board chair of Young Ambassadors for Opportunity; Geoffrey Thige, chief operations…

Conference LiveBlog: Conference Opens with Kadita “A.T.” Tshibaka, Board of Directors

The 2011 Opportunity International Conference“Innovating to End Poverty,” kicks off just moments ago with opening remarks from Lillian Covington, VP of Resource Development, and our CEO Bill Morgenstern, who welcomed attendees. Throughout the weekend, we’ll be streaming live video of plenary sessions and breakout sessions at the conference. Watch it live at opportunity.org/live. Welcoming attendees to the conference, Bill said: “When we decided on our conference theme, we knew that the place…

Conference LiveBlog: Kevin Compton of Radar Partners

At this morning’s opening plenary session on the main stage at the Opportunity International Conference, Kevin Compton, the co-founder of Radar Partners and co-chair of Opportunity’s Banking on Africa Executive Task Force, spoke about the impact and goals of the ambitious Banking on Africa campaign, and how despite all the exciting technologies he’s seen, one of the greatest innovations he ever witnessed was the Trust Group he saw on his summer Insight Trip to Rwanda. Highlights from Kevin…

Conference LiveBlog: Anessa Chui of Credit Suisse

This morning, Anessa Chui–VP of Human Resources-Onboarding and Program Management at Credit Suisse–spoke from the main stage at Opportunity’s annual conference. Credit Suisse, a strategic partner to Opportunity International, is the generous sponsor of our conference this year. Anessa visited Opportunity’s operations in Uganda as part of Credit Suisse’s Global Citizens Program, examining the branches’ processes and working with staff to make the banks as efficient and effective as they…