Alleviating Poverty Through Microfinance: Three Bay Area Programs Initiate Social Change Microcredit is breaking the cycle of poverty. By providing credit via small loans to the poor, microcredit programs are transforming the lives of millions of families and communities around the world. Based on the idea that the poor have the capacity to improve their own situations, microfinance programs help impoverished people build viable businesses and create their own economic opportunities. Alleviating Poverty Through Microfinance, the first event in the Social Entrepreneurship Lecture Series, will showcase three Bay Area microcredit initiatives. Three featured speakers include: Vijay Kapoor, I Create India. I Create, Inc., provides Integrated Entrepreneurship Training to disadvantaged communities in India. Vijay will discuss how I Create is working with Bay Area nonprofits to "adopt” villages in low-income areas in northern India and providing training and seed money to aspiring entrepreneurs. Bob Graham, NamasteDirect. Bob is founder and Chief Executive Officer of NamasteDirect, a San Francisco-based nonprofit focusing on microcredit in Central America by providing small loans to first time women borrowers. Bob will discuss opportunities to provide microcredit to underserved communities in Central America. Keith Axtell, Rotary International District 5150. Keith is World Community Service Chair for Rotary District 5150, serving the greater San Francisco Bay Area. He will discuss local Rotary microcredit programs in Guayaquil, Ecuador, resulting in three hundred small businesses in one of the poorest areas of the country. Who Should Attend? This two hour event is for anyone interested in the exciting field of microfinance, including nonprofits, social entrepreneurs, and members of the business community. The event will encourage innovation among organizations already participating in microfinance programs, and provide opportunities to form strategic partnerships to build and expand the outreach and success of microcredit and microfinance. ***Seats are limited.

Hotel Rex
562 Sutter Street (at Mason)
San Francisco, CA 94102

Thursday, May 10, 2007 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM (PT)

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Rotary Club San Francisco Golden Gate, Global Initiative to Advance Entrepreneurship and Creative Sage

Led by Rotary Club San Francisco Golden Gate and co-sponsored and produced by Global Initiative to Advance Entrepreneurship http://www.givefoundationonline.org and Creative Sage http://www.creativesage.com , this is the first of an ongoing series showcasing social entrepreneurship initiatives in the Bay Area and around the world. This series will be comprised of speakers, expert panels and film screenings that showcase the emerging field of social entrepreneurship.