Lightning Talk Finance Series

Event Objectives

  1. Inform and Educate: Provide SMEs and MSMEs with critical insights into financial literacy, financing opportunities, and economic inclusion.
  2. Access to Finance: Connect small businesses and entrepreneurs with financial institutions, investors, and microfinance entities to facilitate funding opportunities.
  3. Data Collection and Insights: Conduct discussions and focus groups to gather key data on challenges, barriers, and opportunities in financial access for SMEs, particularly women-led enterprises.
  4. Innovation and Solutions: Explore and promote innovative approaches to improving access to finance, leveraging technology, alternative financing models, and policy advocacy.

Key Areas of Focus

  1. Innovative Financing Solutions: Showcasing new financial products, digital finance solutions, and alternative funding sources that can improve financial inclusion.
  2. Cultural and Social Influences: Examining how societal norms, financial behaviors, and cultural factors impact access to finance.
  3. Financing Options for Women-Led MSMEs: Understanding the current landscape of financing available to women entrepreneurs and identifying gaps and opportunities.
  4. Challenges and Barriers: Identifying the obstacles SMEs face in accessing financial services, including bureaucratic, regulatory, and systemic challenges.
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WHO IS THIS SERIES FOR?

  1. SMEs and MSME owners, particularly women-led businesses
  2. Banks, credit unions, microfinance institutions, and investors
  3. Business support organizations and incubators
  4. Telecoms business development enhancing efficient business operations
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Event Activities

  • Lightning Talks Finance Series: Sessions led by experts on financial inclusion, SME financing, and alternative investment strategies.
  • Focus Group Discussions: Targeted conversations with business owners and financial experts to gather qualitative insights on challenges and solutions.
  • Pitch Presentation: A platform for SMEs, particularly women-led businesses, to present their innovative business ideas. Participants will pitch their ventures to a panel of investors and business leaders for business development support.
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EXPECTED OUTCOMES

Participants and stakeholders can look forward to the following key outcomes from this initiative:

  1. Deeper Insights: A comprehensive understanding of the unique financial challenges faced by SMEs and women-led enterprises.

  2. Stronger Connections: Improved linkages between entrepreneurs and financial service providers to foster greater collaboration and support.

  3. Innovative Solutions: Identification of creative and practical strategies to promote financial inclusion across underserved groups.

  4. Actionable Data: A detailed, data-driven report to guide the development of future financial products and services for the MSME sector.

 
REGISTER TO ATTEND