COMMONWEALTH: Premal Shah--Social Entrepreneur Series December 9, 2010

Social Entrepreneur Series

Premal Shah
Co-founder and President, Kiva

Kiva is the world's first person-to-person micro-lending web
site, empowering individuals to lend directly to unique
entrepreneurs around the globe. Combining technology with social
issues in a way that allows mass participation in facilitating
solutions, it inspires grassroot support for the financing of
social alleviation projects. Kiva has generated extraordinary
excitement and more than $100 million in small online loans that
are reimbursed if the donor requests such an outcome. Says Shah:
What bummed me out was that microfinance is such a great tool to
alleviate poverty and that there is a shortage of capital but
that there is no way for the average guy in the U.S. to invest in
microfinance.

Series Director and Moderator: Dr. Ruth A. Shapiro
5:30 p.m. networking reception, 6 p.m. program

Social Entrepreneurship in America Series subscription: $135
members, $265 non-members.

Official Website: http://www.workit.com/events/event_pop.cfm?event_id=67134