GlobeFunder Adventures

Why GlobeFunder

You know when somebody tells you it can't be done......

In late July 2006, several of my partners and I went to visit with one of the largest microfinance non-profit organizations in the world. We went with open minds, with some big ideas, but mostly to learn more, to share our thoughts and hopefully, to develop a partnership that would help everybody.

What we found was eye opening. We found a group of nonprofit executives who were not helpful, who were not open, who we could not trust, who were negative, and with whom we could never do business.

Shocking to me, but looking back, not surprising.

In starting GlobeFunder, we've found the non-profit models in microfinance to be troublesome in many respects....it's less about growing your business and innovation and change (and using tools to help more people) and more about protection, carving out territory, turf wars and distrust. It makes competition in for profit financial services, which has been my whole career, a piece of cake.

More to comment on this subject in this blog until I don't see it anymore....could take years!!!

A New Beginning

GlobeFunder is a new beginning for a new way of doing business in microfinance, an "old" industry now.....a new company, a new team, and most importantly, a new opportunity to address a multi-billion dollar gap in funding for loans to microentrepreneurs across the world.

What we won't be at GlobeFunder is deferential to the old ways......of doing business in the microfinance industry based upon non-profit models, turf fighting and donor capital.

Market fundamentals and scalable, profitable business practices that drive returns for investors, microfinance institutions and borrowers is how we will grow our business. Rome wasn't built in a day....neither will GlobeFunder. There are some great existing players in this industry doing some good work....Opportunity International, Accion, Grameen, and newer players like Kiva....but it is still and always time for a new and better way of doing business. It's so much more than how to use technology....it's an attitude and a belief that when you provide financial opportunities to the world of investors, borrowers and MFIs, the impact on changing the world will be immeasurable as capital flows and markets drive innovation, creativity and scale. We all will make a big impact.....count on it. Please join us and see how you can make the biggest change in your world by doing things differently. It will be an adventure. Thanks for reading.