This event highlights technological innovations that are enhancing access to financial services in developing economies. One example is the expansion of lending through alternative credit underwriting data sources. These innovations in the digital economy are unlocking capital for the underbanked, which leads to greater financial inclusion, economic growth and job creation. The discussion will also address how RegTech solutions are mitigating regulatory risk in the evolving policy environment.
Hosts Credit Suisse and Impact Capital Forum will be joined by a panel of thought leaders.
Agenda:
7:45-8:00: Registration, Introductions, and Breakfast
8:00am-9:00am: Panel Discussion
9:00am-9:30am: Networking
Breakfast & Tea/Coffee will be provided
Credit Suisse, 11 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10004
Speakers
Tahira Dosani is Managing Director of Accion Venture Lab, Accion’s seed-stage impact investment initiative in fintech for the underserved. Venture Lab invests capital in and provides support to innovative fintech startups improve access, quality, and affordability of financial services for the underserved at scale. Tahira works with Venture Lab’s portfolio companies to provide strategic and operational expertise that accelerates their growth. Additionally, she supports investment decisions, manages portfolio relationships, and drives the strategy and growth of Venture Lab. Tahira previously led strategic projects at LeapFrog Investments, a specialist emerging market profit-with-purpose private equity fund focused on financial services. Prior to that, she worked as Director of Strategy at the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development. Based in Dubai, she drove strategic initiatives for portfolio companies and led new investments in telecoms, technology, and infrastructure in South and Central Asia and the Middle East. She also worked in Kabul at Roshan, Afghanistan’s leading telecommunications operator, where she was Head of Corporate Strategy and launched the country’s first mobile money platform. Tahira began her career as a management consultant with Bain & Company in Boston. She has also worked at the Bridgespan Group and on various education and health initiatives in Pakistan, Tanzania, Kenya, and Egypt.
Michael Elliott is Senior Vice President, Strategic Growth Portfolio for Mastercard Labs, where he drives the creation of innovative products and services for financial inclusion and inclusive growth efforts. His portfolio includes the Mastercard Lab for Financial Inclusion, an innovation hub in Nairobi focused on base of the pyramid users, which he also led for two years. He came to Mastercard from TechnoServe, an international development non-governmental organization, where he developed mobile payment solutions and digital financial services for agriculture while based in Kenya. Prior to TechnoServe, he led teams at the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and was a Peace Corps volunteer in Niger. He holds a Master of Business Administration from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from The College of William and Mary.
Amit Sharma is the founder of FinClusive, a digital financial services platform for financially underserved and excluded individuals and entities that leverages blockchain technology, advanced analytics and global standard-based risk/compliance tools to drive financial inclusion, build economic resilience and protect financial system integrity. Prior to FinClusive, Mr. Sharma had co-founded Empowerment Capital, an impact investing and strategic advisory company specializing in assisting commercially-scalable impact ventures leveraging new technologies, innovative risk management tools and capital strategies. Previously, he led Operations and Strategy for Command Global Services (CGS), where he managed a team of investigators, financial forensic experts, analysts and legal professionals in the recovery of stolen sovereign assets and strengthening of financial regulatory systems. Prior to CGS, he was Chief of Staff and Head of New Products for Mitsubishi UFJ Securities, USA, and also Head of Project Management to the firm’s International Business and Global Markets Units. In Washington DC, Mr. Sharma served at the US Department of the Treasury, first in the Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence—developing and implementing tools to combat transnational threats and financial crime. His global portfolio included the development and execution of anti-money laundering/counter-terrorist financing strategies, the use of economic sanctions, combating proliferation-financing and illicit activities of rogue states, including North Korea. He later served as Chief of Staff to Deputy Secretary Robert Kimmitt and as Advisor toTreasury’s senior team under Secretary Henry Paulson. Mr. Sharma serves on several working groups, advisory councils and boards, including: the Center for Global Development (CGD), theFoundation for Defense of Democracies’ Center on Economic and Financial Power (CEFP),Middlebury’s Center for Social Impact Learning (CSIL) and Georgetown University’s Beeck Centerfor Social Impact and Innovation. He was a Peace Corps volunteer in Mongolia, and makes Guilford, Vermont his home where he enjoys farming and making hard cider. Mr. Sharma is a term member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and teaches regularly on issues related to international security policy, counter-terrorism finance, risk, and social venture development at the Monterey Institute of International Studies and Georgetown University. Mr. Sharma holds an MBA and MA from the Monterey Institute of International Studies and a BA from the University of Virginia.