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

Who is more familiar with the practice of social innovation than engineers? Solving humanity’s toughest and most urgent problems is engineering DNA. It’s what we do.

A new wave of social innovation is underway. Amid a commitment to serving the underserved and meeting people’s basic needs, everyone deserves the benefit of good engineering. But opportunities for engineers to connect, share insights, get inspired, and celebrate good work in the social sector are limited. ASME and Engineering for Change are changing that.

Impact.Engineered is a forum for recognizing and amplifying the role of engineers’ curiosity, rigor, and diligence in solving global challenges. Join us for our inaugural event to meet and learn from social entrepreneurs, engineers, makers, designers, industry leaders, and rising stars who are shaping the future of business and engineering. Please join us in our second year to:

• Be inspired by influencers and fresh thinkers who are shaping the future of business and engineering
• Connect with pragmatic optimists – engineers, makers, designers, industry leaders, development professionals and social entrepreneurs
• Explore techology solutions at the E4C Pop-Up Gallery and ISHOW Hardware Demo
• Meet and learn from peers and experts
• Celebrate innovators and pioneers

In its 10th anniversary year, Grameen America is reaching the milestone of investing $1 billion in the businesses of more than 100,000 low-income women entrepreneurs. The microfinance organization is on an upward and continued trajectory of growth, and they have been able to expand due to a number of factors that include investing in strong leadership, highly-skilled human capital, a culture of innovation, and, not least of all, technological platforms and tools that facilitate efficiency and financial sustainability. Join us for a conversation with Grameen America, funders, and microenterprise leaders as we discuss technology and growth in the microfinance sector. We’ll discuss:

1. Partnering for scale
2. Technology platforms that enable product delivery, digitization of operations, and a seamless customer experience
3. Lessons learned on a journey to expansion