Scaling Up: Growing Grassroots Business

Friday May 28, 2010
12:50 – 13:50, Main Auditorium

One of the key questions that every social enterprise or grassroots business must inevitably face is how, and indeed why, it should scale up its services. Whether it is organizational capacity, financial sustainability, technological advancement, or even leadership styles, these enterprises must be managed with a holistic approach to growth. This session will discuss the various challenges that social enterprises face in the process of scaling up.

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Meet the Panel

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Vivian Gee
Head, Asia, Schwab Foundation

Vivian Gee is Head of Asia at the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship, and a World Economic Forum Global Leadership Fellow.  She is responsible for selecting leading social entrepreneurs in Asia, and identifying opportunities for them to engage with global decision makers. Vivian’s prior work experience includes product management and product marketing in the technology sector, as well as strategy and IT consulting. Vivian has also consulted for non-profits, social enterprises, and small/medium enterprises in South Africa, India, the United States, as well as Indonesia.  During her time in Jakarta, Vivian spearheaded and customized a consulting program for local business owners. Vivian holds an MBA from INSEAD in addition to Bachelors and Masters degrees in Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management from Stanford University.

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Sally Atalla
Senior Manager
Accenture

Following studies in Mechanical Engineering, Sally Atalla has been working with the Accenture since 1998. Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company. With over 180,000 people in 52 countries, deep industry and business experience, global resources and a proven track record, Accenture can mobilize the right people, skills and technologies to help clients in over 120 countries improve their performance.

In addition to working in Accenture’s commercial entity, Sally has also worked in a not-for-profit consulting group sponsored by Accenture called Accenture Development Partnerships (ADP). Accenture Development Partnerships’ aim is to provide high quality consulting skills on a not-for-profit basis to the development community, to help Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), foundations and donor organizations achieve their social and economic development goals.

Sally has recently been given the privilege of supporting an expansion strategy for a non-profit organization called Enablis. This is a young, Canadian-based organization that assists entrepreneurs in developing countries through networking, capacity building, and access to funding.

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Cédric Lombard
Founder and General Manager
Impact Finance

CÉDRIC LOMBARD is an entrepreneur and a specialist in microfinance investments. He is a co-founder of BlueOrchard Finance S.A. and of Symbiotics S.A., two leading microfinance investments specialists. In both he was responsible for analysis and investments. He developed their assessment methodologies, including a social responsibility rating for Symbiotics. Over the last decade he has visited and analyzed over 300 microfinance institutions in 30 developing countries, contributing to loans over USD 500M. He holds a Master in International Relations from the Graduate Institute for International Relations in Geneva.
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Moderated by:

Katia Kerswell
Former CEO of the World Microfinance Forum Geneva

Katia Kerswell has spent the majority of her career working at senior levels with the private sector, diplomatic missions, international and non-governmental organizations. She specializes in business development, programme management and developing strategic alliances and partnerships with stakeholders at the highest level.

Katia was the Chief Executive of the World Microfinance Forum Geneva (WMFG), a public-private partnership whose members include the top players in microfinance. Prior to that Katia organized Global Strategy Groups for leading experts in Asia, North America and the Middle East; and was programme manager for The Mexico Business Summit and The Women’s Forum for the Economy and Society.

Katia holds a BA (Hons) in Contemporary Studies from Westminster College, Oxford; and an MSc in Social, Economic and Political Geography and Policy from the University of Bristol. She has a diploma from the London School of Journalism, is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP), and has earnt public speaking and leadership awards from Toastmasters International.

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IOMBA Coordinator:  Rabsel Dorji