Download 15 April Overview of Microfinance Investment Funds

Invitation to the next Microfinance Club UK event in collaboration with
Clifford Chance
Overview of Microfinance Investment Funds
On Wednesday, 15th April 2009, 6.30-8pm
Venue: Clifford Chance, 10 Upper Bank Street, Canary Wharf, London E14 5JJ
(map attached)
Paul DiLeo
Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Grassroots Capital Management
Prasad Viswanatha
Managing Partner, Grassroots Capital Management
and Fund Manager, Caspian Advisors
DiLeo and Prasad will provide a brief overview of the different types of funds active
in microfinance investment, how the activities of different types of funds have
developed in recent years, and then discuss their specific experience with several
funds which they have created and managed.
Registration from 6.15pm; talk starts at 6.30pm sharp followed by refreshments.
This meeting is for members only. Please register online
www.mfclubuk.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=60&Itemid=61
Registrations no later than 10am on Tuesday 14th April 2009
Speakers
Paul DiLeo has pioneered the application of equity in the microfinance
industry and in so doing has helped shape the sector as an investable
opportunity. With over two decades of experience in development
finance and 10 years' experience in the microfinance sector, he has
cultivated a wealth of knowledge in the industry and is respected as
a thought leader in the microfinance investment community.
Paul is singularly recognized for successfully launching and managing the Gray Ghost
Microfinance Fund which was the first private, for-profit microfinance fund established to
demonstrate the viability of microfinance investment. Prior to starting Gray Ghost, he was
instrumental in setting up a U.S. government-backed investment fund in Russia and during
his tenure at ShoreCap International made equity investments in leading microfinance
institutions in India and Bangladesh. Paul started his career in international finance with the
U.S. Treasury and Federal Reserve Bank of New York. He obtained his Bachelor’s degree
from the University of Massachusetts, has a Master’s degree from Boston University, and
completed studies in business accounting and finance at New York University.
Prasad Viswanatha has 20 years of experience in the mainstream
financial sector, of which the last 8 years have been spent in
microfinance. He is the founder of Caspian Capital Partners, an
Indian fund management company and co-founder of The Bellwether
Microfinance Fund which was established in 2005 in collaboration
with the Gray Ghost Microfinance Fund, as the first domestic
microfinance equity fund in India.
Prior to founding Bellwether, Prasad held the positions of CFO, COO and eventually CEO of
Bhartiya Samruddhi Finance limited, the flagship company in the BASIX group, one of the
largest microfinance networks in India. BASIX was the first microfinance institution in India to
raise external equity, as well as the first in Asia to securitize its microfinance portfolio. During
his tenure at BASIX, Prasad was responsible for building robust operations which resulted in
company growth from an asset base of Rs.100 million to Rs. 500 million.
Before entering the world of microfinance, Prasad was a Vice President in the Corporate
Finance and Asset Financing Divisions of KARVY Consultants. He also held the position of
Vice President of Project Finance for the TVS Group. Reputed to be a leader in Indian
microfinance, Prasad served as a member of a high-level task force constituted by the
Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India to deliberate on the funding issues of
microfinance institutions and he has done extensive policy work with government agencies
and regulators. Prasad has a Masters degree in management studies from Birla Institute of
Technology and Science in Pilani, India.
Grassroots Capital is a leader in microfinance equity investment. The firm plays a
pioneering role in attracting private capital into the industry, creating investment vehicles to
address market gaps and providing the necessary funding to support new, intermediate, and
mature initiatives.
Grassroots invests equity in microfinance institutions around the world. Our aim is to deliver
“double bottom-line” returns to our fund partners through a combination of medium and longterm capital appreciation, as well as credible and measurable social impact.
Grassroots Capital offers investors a unique platform to engage in investment opportunities
offered in a high-growth, profitable, low-correlated and geographically diverse asset class.
www.grassrootscap.com/