Can Microfinance Help Solve the Economic Crisis? March 10, 2009

How can entrepreneurs find the financing to stay productive and continue innovating during these difficult economic times?

SPUR (San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association) presents a noontime panel on Tue. March 10, 12:30 to 1:30, to discuss how micro loans ($5,000-$50,000) can help address the current economic crisis.

Microfinance, the strategy of providing small loans to low-income small business owners not typically served by traditional financing, is an economic model made popular by Bangladesh's Grameen Bank. But it is also increasingly being used as an economic development strategy in the United States. California alone has an estimated two million microentrepreneurs. Can microfinance for these growing businesses help us emerge from the current economic crisis?

Join speakers from Urban Solutions, Opportunity Fund (a Bay Area micro-lender), CAMEO (California Association for Microenterprise Opportunity), a local entrepreneur as they discuss what this microfinance can mean for San Francisco and for California.

SPUR is located at 312 Sutter St. (at Grant) on the fifth floor and is close to the Powell St. BART station and several Muni lines. Feel free to bring a lunch. SPUR Forums are open to the public, free for SPUR members and $5 for non-members.

Free for SPUR members and $5 for non-members.

Official Website: http://www.spur.org/Calendar_Detail.asp?EventID=1679