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NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Contributor.

DJ Didonna
Entrepreneurial Finance Lab

DJ DiDonna is currentlythe Director of the Entrepreneurial Finance Lab‘s (EFL) Business Development and Operations. EFL has created an automated, scalable, and proven risk assessment tool for SMEs which measures an entrepreneur’s fundamental intellectual and psychological characteristics. EFL’s tool predicts credit risk and upside potential with the same accuracy as traditional credit scoring models, but without requiring any credit history or collateral.

DiDonnais an experienced founding entrepreneur, with a sales, management, and operations background in the tech startup space. He worked for the rapid growth and VC-darling Angie’s List before co-founding an angel-backed web startup at his alma mater. Determined to enter the fields of social enterprise and international development while following his passion for entrepreneurship,DiDonnajoined the Entrepreneurial Finance Lab to help commercialize their research conducted in the Harvard Kennedy School’s Center for International Development. DiDonna has worked in microfinance and development in both Africa and Latin America and is currently based in Johannesburg.He received his B.A. in International Relations from the University of Notre Dame and an MBA from Harvard Business School, and enjoys triathlons, soccer, and backpacking in his spare time.

Articles by DJ Didonna

  • Tuesday
    November 5
    2013

    DJ Didonna

    Solving a $2.5 Trillion Problem: Can innovations in credit scoring give credit where it’s due?

    Micro, small and medium-sized enterprises have a combined credit need of up to $2.5 trillion globally. This need is due to an intractable standoff between lenders desperate to capture this market, and borrowers unable to convey their creditworthiness in the antiquated ways demanded of them. Could credit scoring innovations utilizing non-traditional data ease the standoff?

    Categories
    Uncategorized
    Tags
    credit scoring, lending

  • Tuesday
    April 12
    2011

    DJ Didonna

    Exploring Entrepreneurship In Nigeria

    In February, the Entrepreneurial Finance Lab officially entered the Nigerian market. Often misunderstood, and more often feared, Nigeria is a country brimming with entrepreneurial energy and latent demand for financing. Following a devastating financial crisis triggered by events overseas, Nigeria’s financial sector is just now re-emerging.

    Categories
    Uncategorized

  • Tuesday
    November 9
    2010

    DJ Didonna

    Passing the Entrepreneurship Test

    Armed with brief assessment, borrower data spanning seven countries and eight languages, and the interest of financial institutions across Latin America and Africa, the Entrepreneurial Finance Lab (EFL) spun out of Harvard. In the coming months, the partnership aims to provide over 30,000 entrepreneurs with access to credit for the first time.

    Categories
    Uncategorized
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