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

In 2021 we launched a global study on the financial lives of small firms. We wanted greater insight into this little-understood segment of the economic lives of poor households, especially the challenges and barriers that keep small firm owners and their workers in low-income communities from rising out of poverty.  We spent a year getting to know 774 firms in 6 countries: Colombia, Nigeria, Kenya, Ethiopia, Indonesia, and Fiji. We’ve learned a lot—how they are different from microenterprises, about what the owners aspire to, what they struggle with, what tools and products they are using, and what it means to be a worker in these firms. Every firm has its own story to tell, but we found a lot of commonalities among these businesses, with implications for policy, program, and financial product development.  In this webinar we’ll share some data and key findings from the Small Firm Diaries. We’ll talk about related research and initiatives from around the world. And we’ll discuss the implications for what’s next on the agenda. Don’t miss this chance to join in a live discussion of findings from this first-of-its kind research study.  Featuring:  Paddy Carter​​​​, Director of Research & Policy, Development Impact Group, British International Investment Payal Dalal, Senior Vice President, Social Impact, International Markets, Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth Muhammad Meki, Associate Professor & OCIS Fellow in Islamic Finance, University of Oxford Hillary Miller-Wise, Deputy Director, Digital Financial Services, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation And moderated by:  Tim Ogden, Managing Director, Financial Access Initiative – NYU Wagner Visit www.smallfirmdiaries.org for details about the study, to see a list of partners and funders, and to watch videos and download publications.

Time: 10:00 AM ET