TBN National Conference 2012

“Business Leadership to Fight Poverty”

As a business or professional person, your skills can have an impact of the neediest areas of the world. By mentoring and training emerging entrepreneurs, helping establish a business or investing, you can bring transformation and combat poverty.

Our London conference is set for the 25th of May so book the date in your diary now. The conference will be held at the Congress Centre and we are putting together an exciting programme for the day.

The day provides the ideal environment to:

Become informed on the current issues and opportunities;
Become engaged as part of a movement that is motivated by a passion for social justice and has the means to have a concrete, sustainable and scalable impact.

Hear inspiring case studies and keynote speakers, receive practical guidance, network with business leaders and learn how your skills and resources can bring transformation to the poor.

Speakers

Schedule is subject to change at any time.

Current confirmed speakers include:

Howard Taylor | Vice President, Nike Foundation

The Girl Effect The incredible story of how a global corporate is partnering to champion opportunity amongst girls that transforms community expectations and creates an empowered generation.

Nike believes in the power of unleashing human potential – on the field, on the court, and in life. The Nike Foundation takes the power of potential to a new playing field to combat one of the most pressing issues of our time: global poverty. To achieve this, the Nike Foundation invests in adolescent girls in the developing world to unleash their potential as catalysts of change for families, communities and countries. Prior to joining Nike, Howard Taylor led the Department for International Development’s (DFID) program in Ethiopia, the UK Government’s largest development program in the world. He built partnerships and created networks to deliver some of the most innovative and transformational development interventions in Ethiopia. Howard held a number of senior roles in his 14 years with DFID, including running the Secretary of State’s office, Acting Head of DFID’s program in India, and a secondment to the UK Prime Minister’s Performance and Innovation Unit. He is passionate about harnessing insights, innovation and inspiration to end global poverty.

Vivina Berla | European Director, Sarona Asset Management

Security, Stability and Sustainability Identifying and investing in the building blocks of emerging frontier economies to shape and benefit the society.

Sarona is an Impact Investment asset manager targeting investments in frontier markets with social, environmental, and financial returns. Vivina Berla joined Sarona after a long career with Gartmore Investment Management and Merrill Lynch Investment Managers, where she was variety of investors and products across Africa, the Middle East and Asia. Since 2009 she has lived in Amsterdam and worked with a privately owned company focusing on credit strategies, developing products linking investors’ capital to entrepreneurs’ needs.

Steve Beck | CEO, SpringHill Equity Partners

Changing of the Guard The ascendant role of entrepreneurial solutions for prosperity in low-income markets.

Many will remember Steve’s inspiring talk at the Members Day about the incredible growth of the Bridge School Academies and the 4Afri SMS network, and the changing attitudes to Impact Investment today. Steve co-founded SpringHill Equity Partners, an impact investment manager providing growth capital and support to small, growing businesses in Africa. SpringHill’s investments focus on businesses that can deliver scalable social benefit to low-income households and double-digit financial returns to investors. Steve was previously CEO of Geneva Global – an international philanthropic advisory firm – and Managing Director of two London-based strategy consulting firms: Monitor Company (Europe) and Gemini Consulting (Europe).

Rob Wilson | Ashoka Foundation

Social Entrepreneurship – Isolating today’s problems to invent tomorrow’s solutions Across the globe accelerated, ever-changing lifestyles create disruption, change and instability – yet in those conditions bold and audacious minds can envision and engineer innovations that bring solutions to communities and uplift to economies.

Ashoka is a global network of social entrepreneurs, bringing system-changing solutions to the most urgent social problems around the world. Ashoka invests in entrepreneurs, supporting them financially and professionally, whilst also building the network infrastructure to allow accelerated growth of the sector. Rob joined Ashoka UK as Entrepreneur in Residence and is a serial social entrepreneur with deep experience. He founded READ International in 2004 to send used books to schools in East Africa. Books not relevant are sold online or recycled to generate funding. They’ve sent over 1 million books and have won awards including Best International Aid and Development Charity. Rob has also written a book on social entrepreneurs in Africa, is the founding director at an IT social enterprise and has started a publishing social business called Wripped.

Luvuyo Rani | Silulo Ulutho Technologies

The Path is Made by Walking” (African Proverb) As a South African entrepreneur Luvuyo brings thought provoking insights on the entrepreneurial journey from the perspective of a national who is committed to bring long-term benefit to his community whilst creating a sustainable, thriving business partnership.

In 2004 Luvuyo opened Silulo Ulutho Technologies in Khayelitsha, Cape Town’s largest township, to provide local teachers with refurbished computers. However, he soon realised that his target market did not understand the technology so he opened an Internet café where he could place the PCs and provide the residents of Khayelitsha with a place to access the Internet and learn about computers. Today, after several changes of business model, Silulo operates 18 training centres across the Western Cape and is partnered with the City of Cape Town and with Microsoft South Africa, making technology access more affordable for businesses and residents of Khayelitsha. “By opening up communities to the world of computers and the Internet we are offering people the power of education and information, which is priceless”.

Carter Crockett | Karisimbi Partners

The View from the Ground Looking across the portfolio of partnerships created in Rwanda, Carter explores the diversity and dynamics of working across sectors to secure financial viability and lasting social value across the territory.

Karisimbi is a socially-motivated management consultancy firm that builds businesses by developing the management capacity of high-impact enterprises. Based in Rwanda, it aims to alleviate poverty by working directly with promising SMEs and ventures ensuring their strategy, management and resources are aligned for success. Carter is a Partner at Karisimbi, bringing nearly 20 years of business and academic experience. He has held strategic-level marketing responsibility for a number of companies in the automotive, consumer media, coffee and IT sectors, as well as publishing in academic journals on business ethics and social entrepreneurship.

Tickets

£125 + VAT before 4 May (book early for this price which we’ve not increased for the 3rd year running)
£150 + VAT after 4 May

20% discount to TBN Partners (those paying a minimum of £30 or $48 / month)

Book now

Preliminary Schedule