Board of Directors

Tamar Azous
Mireya Alamazan
Mary Berk
Kintan Brahmbhatt
Ryan Calkins
Scott Everett
Dylan Higgins
Kate Jackson
Mark Robinson
Adam Todd

Ryan Calkins

How did you first hear about microfinance? Right after I graduated from college, I took a volunteer position with an organization in Honduras. As a going away gift, my mom gave me Yunus’ Banker to the Poor. While visiting desperately poor communities in western Honduras, I was reading about how Grameen was eradicating poverty in Bangladesh with microfinance. I was hooked.

What appeals to you most about microfinance? Where so many development models assume the inability of the poor to overcome their circumstances, microfinance flips that assumption on its head. Microfinance takes the position that the poor are capable, smart, and driven. Hence the success of microfinance even in places where other development strategies have failed.

What concerns you most about microfinance? The potential for fraud. Microfinance operates in places where regulation and oversight of financial transactions are minimal. Responsible MFIs and investment vehicles seem to be addressing that issue with strict vetting processes, but borrowers have to be careful, too.

If you could make a microloan to any type of business, what would it be? Probably a micromanufacturer—a cobbler or seamstress or furniture maker. Micromanufacturers provide immediate value to their communities with their products, and, if they’re successful at scaling, provide skilled jobs to their neighbors. The multiplier effect of local manufacturing means that each investment has an impact many times over.

Seattle Times article about Ryan’s interest in microfinance

KUOW Interview with Ryan about the importance of microfinance

Willamette University article and video about the founding of SeaMo

Adam Todd

How did you first hear about microfinance? I first became interested in microfinance while studying advanced economics in graduate school. I was perplexed by the general reluctance of both private and public organizations to lend money to impoverished peoples around the world. Microfinance seemed like a convincing alternative to the ineffective loan programs available to developing countries. Overtime I became increasingly interested in providing microcredit to entrepreneurs in the developing world.

Aside from SeaMo do you, or have you, contributed to other microfinance organizations? Initially, I made a series of small donations to established microfinance organizations in the US with a focus in South America. Last Spring, I was encouraged to checkout an organization called Kiva. I was very impressed by Kiva’s model, which connects donors with the recipients of their capital over the web.

In a phrase, how would you describe microfinance? Elevating poverty while generating wealth for the recipient and the donor, was a novel concept

Tamar Azous

How did you first hear about microfinance? I first heard about microfinance while in graduate school. I was looking for a summer internship off the beaten business school path where I could explore my interest in international development. The more I read about microfinance the more excited I got about it and took a summer internship with the Microfinance Information eXchange (MIX).

What appeals to you most about microfinance? Microfinance is an empowering tool in the fight against poverty. It empowers hard working people to gain or regain control of their own lives and improve conditions for their families. It essentially rewards people for doing what they already do– work hard to keep their families alive– and enables them to do it better, with better resources.

When telling others about microfinance, what questions do you most frequently get? When I first started working in the field, many of the questions were about the credit-worthiness of the poor or the riskiness of making such an investment. Now that there has been more publicity and people realize that the poor are not a risky investment, most of the questions are about how can individuals get involved.

Aside from SeaMo do you, or have you, contributed to other microfinance organizations? I worked at Unitus for 2 years helping microfinance institutions all over the world increase their capacity, grow in a sustainable manner and give loans to more clients. I also completed internships at The MIX and MicroVest Capital Management, LLC.

What concerns you most about microfinance? Microfinance is a wonderful tool that has and will help millions of poor people worldwide. But microfinance is not the answer for everyone; it has trouble reaching the hard-core poor, and not all poor people are entrepreneurs. Microfinance should be supported and encouraged, but we should not stop looking for other, complementary solutions in our fight against global poverty.

In a word or phrase, how would you describe microfinance? Empowering the world’s poor.

Kintan Brahmbhatt is actively involved in supporting large-scale poverty-alleviation efforts through commercialization in the microfinance industry. He started the “I hate poverty” campaign to raise awareness and funds for global poverty elimination through microfinance. As an advisor at Unitus, he helps define and drive the donor relations and fund raising strategy.

Kintan is a senior product manager at IMDb (Internet Movie Database), an Amazon.com company. Prior to Amazon, Kintan spent five years at Microsoft’s Unified Communications group as a Program Manager and helped drive several key aspects of Microsoft’s Office Communications products. Prior to Microsoft, Kintan was the founder of Securamed, a healthcare communication platform.

Kintan is actively involved as an advisor and investor for high-tech startups in Seattle and Silicon Valley. In addition to Jolkona and Unitus, he is a member of the executive committee of TiE Seattle and Pratham USA. Kintan holds an undergraduate degree from Purdue University, where he studied Computer Science and Economics.

Melisa Samuelson

How did you first hear about microfinance? In 2005 I attended a lecture given by Dr. Yunus hosted by the Young Professionals International Network and the World Affairs Council in Seattle. As a business professional, his message and ideas deeply resonated with me and inspired me, implanting a desire to get involved in microfinance.

What appeals to you most about microfinance? Microfinance provides a real, sustainable solution to lift people out of poverty.

When telling others about microfinance, what question do you most frequently get? “How can I get involved?”

Aside from SeaMo do you, or have you, contributed to other microfinance organizations? Yes, there are so many great microfinance organizations. I have donated to Unitus and Global Partnerships, as well as made loans through Kiva.

If you could make a microloan to any type of business, what would it be? I prefer to make microloans to women, who suffer disproportionately from poverty and who are more likely to invest their earnings in furthering the future of their families. I look for businesses that are unique. For instance, in a village where 90% of the microloans are going to businesses that focus on similar textile products, I’d rather donate to a woman who wants to do something different (e.g. a food stand).

In a word or phrase, how would you describe microfinance? Real sustainable change through empowerment.

Dylan Higgins

How did you first hear about microfinance? In 2001, I was preparing to take a sabbatical from my consulting job at Accenture and I spoke to a colleague in our London office about her recent microfinance work in Trinidad . I tried to arrange a follow-up project with the same institution but it ultimately didn’t work out. Ever since then, I have been following the field and participating in it as I can.

What appeals to you most about microfinance? Financial services should be offered to all of us – no matter our income level.

When telling others about microfinance, what question do you most frequently get? “Does it work?”

Aside from SeaMo do you, or have you, contributed to other microfinance organizations? After lending on Kiva and traveling to Ghana as a Kiva Fellow, I returned to the U.S. and decided to start a non-profit organization called SaveTogether. We are building a platform that allows internet donors to make matching contributions to savings accounts for the working poor.

Kate Jackson

Kate Jackson is an MBA student at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. She previously worked in international development as a researcher in the area of health metrics and in public policy with an emphasis on conservation.

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Alex Bernhardt

How did you first hear about microfinance? I first heard about microfinance in 2006 when Muhammad Yunus and Grameen Bank were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.  Personally, as a finance professional with a social bent, the concept of delivering financial services to the poor resonated with me a great deal.

What appeals to you most about microfinance? I am amazed by the incredible dynamism of microfinance.  It has the capacity to be many very powerful things all at once – a means or poverty reduction, a potentially profitable business model, a means of women’s empowerment, etc – and in this way it appeals to my diverse social and commercial sensibilities.  There are so few pursuits which allow practitioners to do both well and good at the same time, and even fewer still which can demonstrate such a marked direct positive impact on the lives of clients.

Moreover, I believe poverty – and all of its various pernicious causes and effects – is the most significant challenge facing humanity today, and that microfinance is the most convincing method of poverty alleviation and grassroots economic development available.  While it is not a panacea, it has the ability to incite a great deal of positive change.  I hope via my involvement in the field to promote its successful application and influence.

“Lasting peace can not be achieved unless large population groups find ways in which to break out of poverty. Micro-credit is one such means. Development from below also serves to advance democracy and human rights.” – Nobel Committee; 2006 Nobel Peace Prize announcement; Muhammad Yunus and Grameen Bank.

What concerns you most about microfinance? There are a variety of risks threatening the long-term health of the industry, many of which remain unmanaged today.  Such risks erect barriers to the expansion and sustainability of products, making it more difficult for MFIs – alongside their investors, donors and service providers – to fill the immense gap between microfinance supply and demand.  It will be essential for MFIs to cultivate their corporate governance and risk management processes ongoing in order to support the successful widespread provision of the myriad financial services required by the bottom of the pyramid.