The JPMorgan Chase & Co. 2009 Spring Speaker Series at Syracuse University
continues on Monday, March 30, with Elizabeth Berthe of the Grameen Foundation.
In an eye-opening discussion, "Pro-Poor Technology for Development: The Case of
the Village Phone Program of the Grameen Foundation," Berthe will dispute the
assumption that modern technology eludes and marginalizes the poor. She will also
share some innovative uses of technology to fight poverty. The discussion will be held
from noon-1 p.m. in Room 341 of Eggers Hall and is open to the public.
Berthe manages the Village Phone Program for the Grameen Foundation
Technology Center. This program, which operates in several African and Southeast
Asian countries, is part of a cluster of initiatives that enhance the efficiency of
microfinance institutions, generate new microbusiness opportunities and provide
telecommunication access for the underprivileged.
The Grameen Foundation's mission is to enable the poor, especially the poorest, to
create a world without poverty. Working with and through local, frontline
organizations and global allies, it helps them access small loans, financial services and
technology solutions. Since 1997, the foundation's microfinance and technology
initiatives have reached more than 45 million people in 28 countries.
The activities of the foundation are inspired by the success in microfinance
development work of the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh and its founder, Muhammad
Yunus. In 2006, Yunus won the Nobel Peace Prize. He is also a founding member of
the Grameen Foundation board.
About the Collaboration
In June 2007, JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Syracuse University established a unique
corporate-university collaboration and joint venture. The purpose of the collaboration
is to develop education and work experience innovations in the area of financial
services information technology, leveraging each other's knowledge and expertise in
the building of a best in class curriculum for entry-level technologists and to
collaborate on projects of joint interest that provide value to both organizations and to
society. For more information about JPMorgan Chase or the Syracuse-JPMorgan
Chase Collaboration, visit http://globaltech.syr.edu.
About JPMorgan Chase & Co.
JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM) is a leading global financial services firm with
assets of $2.2 trillion, operations in more than 60 countries and more than 180,000
employees. JPMorgan Chase is a leader in investment banking, financial services for
consumers, small business and commercial banking, financial transaction processing,
asset management and private equity. The firm serves millions of consumers in the
United States and many of the world's most prominent corporate, institutional and
government clients under its JPMorgan Chase and WaMu brands.
