Events & Presentations

December 10, New Delhi, India

With the emergence of new technology-enabled business models, significant strides have been made in expanding access to financial services for the poor. However, through its Financial Inclusion 2020 project, the CFI has learned that access must be accompanied by financial capability if it is to lead to genuine financial inclusion and bring the desired benefits for providers, governments and most of all, for underserved consumers. New technologies, delivery channels and approaches are offering opportunities to transform client touch and product usage into “teachable moments” to build capability, allowing consumers to become more aware and purposeful with their financial intermediation. Recognizing the role that financial capability plays in financial inclusion, this working breakfast is structured as a roundtable discussion to explore what innovative capability building measures look like in the India context. The learnings from this meeting will inform a thought leadership research project that the CFI is undertaking to map the global landscape of emerging technologies and innovative approaches that can expand the financial capability of poor consumers, with a particular focus on India.

December 4-5, Geneva, Switzerland

Digital financial services can expand the delivery of basic, formal financial services to the poor through new technologies like mobile phones, electronic money and new distribution channels. This focus group will provide an initial, multistakeholder platform to discuss about regulatory and policy issues as well as innovations in digital finance and financial inclusion that may benefit from standardization. The focus group is chaired by Mr. Sacha Polverini from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. For more info, click here.

November 18, London, U.K.

The recent Centre for the Study of Financial Innovation (CSFI), Citi Foundation, and CFI joint-survey of risk in the microfinance sector, Microfinance Banana Skins 2014, revealed that the industry’s biggest concern is client overindebtedness, in part the result of an increase in providers’ lending capacities and increased market competition. Also the top concern in the previous Banana Skins survey, this year’s report suggested that the overindebtedness problem was actually growing in some places. On November 18, CSFI is hosting a roundtable discussion on the report with its authors, David Lascelles, Sam Mendelson and Daniel Rozas, along with Deborah Drake of CFI and Sarah Nolan of Opportunity International.

November 13, Bogota, Colombia

On November 13, CFI's Financial Inclusion 2020 project (FI2020) will bring together leading financial capability experts and financial services providers in Colombia to discuss how product insights from behavioral economics can be built into design and delivery in sustainable and scalable ways to help customers build financial capability. Participants will discuss what allows (or prevents) the integration of capability-building elements into products. This workshop will kick off a worldwide examination of innovation models for scaling financial capability efforts, supported by JP Morgan Chase.

November 12-14, Abbaye de Neumunster, Luxembourg

European Microfinance Week is an annual event hosted by the European Microfinance Platform (e-MFP) for those working in the industry to network, share experiences, discuss strategies, and explore collaboration opportunities. The week includes expert panels, interactive discussions, as well as supplemental activities and events. During the Action Group day on November 12, e-MFP is hosting a working session co-organized by the Microfinance CEO Working Group (MCWG) and the Financial Inclusion Equity Council (FIEC). Led by CFI’s Deborah Drake, it will explore the future of some of the core data infrastructure in the microfinance sector, including the MIX Market, Microfinance Transparency and other initiatives that are of critical importance not only to e-MFP members, but also to countless microfinance practitioners. Also on the 12th, CFI’s Investing in Inclusive Finance program area is hosting a cocktail reception to introduce the new Accion Africa Board Fellowship program. Finally, on the 13th Deborah Drake will be moderating a panel, “Exiting responsibly: The case of Sathapana,” which will discuss highlights from the recent CFI-CGAP publication, The Art of the Responsible Exit in Microfinance Equity Sales, and will specifically feature a discussion on the Sathapana case.