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

Even in the best of times, early-stage equity investors make decisions with little information and in highly uncertain conditions, particularly when investing in newer markets and/or founders that have little track record. Given the heightened uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in markets where economic conditions were already precarious, Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs will host a virtual event that incorporates:

1. a workshop where investors will try new evidence-based decision-making practices; and
2. a panel of experienced investors to share how they evaluate deals, and from academia to share how decision-making practices may affect investment outcomes.

In this highly interactive workshop, participants will complete a learning-by-doing experience to assess deals with limited, online information using different best practices. The panel will bring together funders, investors and academics to discuss how they are navigating and evaluating deals as the COVID-19 pandemic ushers in a new reality, and the common practices they see investors using to evaluate firms in frontier markets. The researchers will share some of the latest insights from academic work on how uncertainty can impact the quality of decisions people make, and some practices that appear to help.

Time: 11 AM EST