Prior to his live address at the AEO 2007 Annual Conference, 2006 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus spoke to attendees via satellite and discussed the need to fill the financial services gap in the United States through microfinance and microenterprise development services. Despite America’s enormous wealth, he points out, there are many whom it does not benefit. He also asks the question, "How many people in the United States do not qualify or are not eligible to get financial services from the conventional banking system?" Answering, he says, "You just count them, city by city, county by county--how many people simply do not qualify in the eyes of the conventional banking system? Our point is, banking and the financial services should be an inclusive system, not an exclusive system for the privileged people. So microfinance, microenterprise, all these initiatives, fill the gap."To learn more about how AEO and its members are working to fill this gap, visit http://www.microenterpriseworks.org/To learn more about Dr. Yunus and Grameen Bank, go to http://www.grameen-info.org/To listen to this podcast, click here. 

AEO Exchange

Dr. Muhammad Yunus on how microenterprise can help "fill the gap" in US financial services

Amy McKenna Luz, president and CEO of AEO, opened the AEO 2007 Annual Conference by welcoming the membership and attendees to the "final conference of the Association for Enterprise Opportunity," going on to explain the plans to revamp AEO's brand and have a new name by the 2008 conference. In her address, Amy casts a vision of microenterprise becoming a household term, known from within the halls of Congress to corporate boardrooms, university classrooms and beyond. The keynote includes a special satellite address by Dr. Muhammad Yunus, where he discusses the need in the United States for microenterprise.To learn more about Amy McKenna Luz and her vision for AEO and the microenterprise development industry, go to http://www.microenterpriseworks.org/index.asp?bid=279To listen to this podcast, click here. 

Amy McKenna Luz, President and CEO of AEO, on the future of microenterprise, with remarks from Dr. Muhammad Yunus

Dr.Muhammad Yunus, 2006 Nobel Peace Prize winner, made a surprise appearance at AEO's 2007 Annual Conference. Dr. Yunus was introduced by outgoing AEO Board Chair, Greg Walker-Wilson, who recalled his initial meeting with the economist from Bangladesh many years ago, and the lasting impact of that meeting on Walker-Wilson’s life and career. As he answered questions from the audience, Dr. Yunus spoke passionately and eloquently about the need and opportunity to to expand microenterprise in the U.S.To learn more about Dr. Yunus' speech, go to http://www.microenterpriseworks.org/index.asp?bid=2184To listen to this podcast, click here. 

Dr. Muhammad Yunus Addresses AEO 2007 Conference Attendees!

On the last day of AEO's 2007 Annual Conference, an innovative roundtable was held, titled Predictions for the Movement. Mark Pinsky of Opportunity Finance Network (OFN), Robert Egger of DC Central Kitchen, Kevin Kelly of AEO, and various audience members joined the discussion, moderated by AEO's CEO and President, Amy McKenna Luz. The discussion included assessments of the political environment for the microenterprise development industry specifically, and the nonprofit sector in general, along with ideas on how the field can expand its reach and gain increased visibility.To learn more about Opportunity Finance Network (OFN), go to http://www.opportunityfinance.net/To learn more about DC Central Kitchen, go to http://www.dccentralkitchen.org/To listen to this podcast, click here. 

Roundtable from AEO's 2007 Annual Conference: Predictions for the Movement

Treats for Troops is a web-based business founded in early 2003 by Denver business woman Deborah Crane, whose mission is to provide a safe, easy way to support America’s soldiers all over the world. Since the business was launched, more than 20 tons of treats have been shipped to soldiers all over the world and last year the business grossed $1.4 million. This million dollar business was launched with the help of AEO member, Micro Business Development (MBD) in Denver, which provided Deborah with a loan after she was turned down by banks.To learn more about Deborah and the AEO Entrepreneur of the Year awards, go to http://www.microenterpriseworks.org/index.asp?bid=2169To listen to the podcast interview with Deborah, click here. 

AEO gives Entrepreneur of the Year Award for Best Product or Service-based Business Innovation!

Since 2002, AEO has honored leading innovators in the microenterprise development field with its Innovator Awards. This year, AEO recognized its Denver, CO member, Micro Business Development (MBD) for initiating a program that provides their clients access to affordable health care. With lack of health insurance identified as a major challenge for many Denver-based entrepreneurs, MBD partnered with Kaiser Permeanente to provide state-standard coverage to low-income MBD clients. Here, Caitlin Hedberg of MBD talks about her innovation, and how the openness of MBD leadership to new ideas allowed her to share the concept and move forward with it. MBD Executive Director Kersten Hostetter shares some of her thoughts as well. They are interviewed by Mike Skinner of AEO.To learn more about MBD's efforts and the AEO Innovator of the Year award, go to http://www.microenterpriseworks.org/index.asp?bid=2169To listen to the podcast interview with Caitlin, click here. 

Innovator of the Year Award given for health care initiative!!

At the recent AEO Conference, 17 attendees from across the United States summed up what microenterprise meant to them. Hear from a diverse group of practitioners about why they feel microenterprise is important for both poverty alleviation and economic development.To learn more about the AEO Conference, go to http://www.microenterpriseworks.org/2007conference.To listen to the podcast, click here. 

What Microenterprise Means to 17 AEO Conference Attendees

On AEO's May Policy Call, Jon Bailey, Director, Rural Research and Analysis Program of the Center for Rural Affairs in Nebraska discussed their efforts to include funding for a new rural microenterprise development program in the Rural Development portion of the Farm Bill. He described the contents of the legislation, its current status and how listeners can follow up with their Senators and Representatives to push for passage of this important piece of legislation. The call includes some questions from listeners.To learn more about AEO's policy priorities, go to http://www.microenterpriseworks.org/index.asp?bid=59To learn more about the Center for Rural Affairs, go to http://www.cfra.org/To listen to this podcast, click here. 

AEO Policy Series - Rural Microenterprise and the Farm Bill discussed on AEO's May Policy Call

AEO's Kevin Kelly sat down with Larry Laverentz, General Dynamics Information Technology Contractor for the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), and Kasra Movahedi, ORR grantee and Community and Economic Development Manager at the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in San Diego, CA. Mr. Laverentz discusses ORR's Refugee Rural Initiative, which aims to open up opportunities for refugees, often from agrarian backgrounds, to achieve self-sufficiency through agriculture. Mr. Movahedi shares about IRC's work with ORR as a grantee and about IRC's holistic approach to working with microenterprise and refugees by tying together projects such as urban farm initiatives, nutrition and cooking classes and farm to school programs, where school food will be purchased from local farms.To learn more about AEO's policy priorities, go to http://www.microenterpriseworks.org/index.asp?bid=59To learn more about ORR, go to http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/orr/To learn more about the International Rescue Committee, go to http://www.theirc.org/To listen to this podcast, click here. 

AEO Policy Series - Microenterprise for Refugees

Steve Johnson, Director of CDBG Entitlement Communities Division, HUD, discusses what exactly the Community Development Block Grant is, and how it can benefit microenterprise programs. He also discusses how much of CDBG funds go to microenterprise development programs and what those dollars are most often used for within the programs.To learn more about AEO's policy priorities, go to http://www.microenterpriseworks.org/index.asp?bid=59To learn more about the CDBG program, go to http://www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/communitydevelopment/programs/index.cfmTo listen to this podcast, click here. 

AEO Policy Series - HUD Representative Discusses CDBG & Microenterprise

At the 2007 AEO Conference, CDFI Fund Director Kimberly Reed sat down with Kevin Kelly, AEO's Managing Director for Policy and Advocacy, to discuss her initiatives as the CDFI Fund's newest director, along with how the CDFI Fund can work with AEO members.To learn more about AEO's policy priorities, go to http://www.microenterpriseworks.org/index.asp?bid=59To learn more about the CDFI Fund, go to http://cdfifund.gov/To listen to this podcast, click here. 

AEO Policy Series - CDFI Fund Director Kimberly Reed speaks with AEO's Kevin Kelly

Incoming AEO Board Chair, Dan Betancourt, talks with Greg Walker-Wilson, outgoing Chair, about his tenure on the Board. Walker-Wilson notes, among other things, some of the challenges for both the membership and the Board with the 2006 leadership transition. He then turns the tables, asking Betancourt about his take on the challenges and opportunities ahead for the Board and AEO.To learn more about Betancourt's new position and the five new directors elected to AEO's Board, go to http://www.microenterpriseworks.org/index.asp?bid=2222To listen to this podcast, click here. 

Walker-Wilson and Betancourt discuss past and coming year for AEO Board

Lina Page, Executive Vice President of Strategic Communications for Opportunity Finance Network (OFN), and Marcia Stein, Managing Director of Communications for AEO, discuss some of the nuts and bolts of rebranding. Ms. Page also provides an overview of the work that has been done to recreate OFN's brand as an organization, along with the overall brand for the opportunity finance industry.To learn more about Opportunity Finance Network, go to http://www.opportunityfinance.net/To listen to this podcast, click here. 

Rebranding and Microenterprise, Part 2

This conversation with Dan Betancourt and Greg Walker-Wilson, the CEOs of Community First Fund and Mountain BizWorks, respectively, covers the rebranding they have both been working on within their microenteprise development organizations. Topics covered include possibilities for widening scope while maintaining mission, hiring communications staff, and other rebranding logistics. The conversation begins with Dan discussing some of the initial steps Community First Fund took.To learn more about Community First Fund, visit http://www.commfirstfund.org/To learn more about Mountain BizWorks, visit http://mtnmicro.org/To listen to this podcast, click here. 