ABOUT THE SPEAKER
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Dianne Calvi is the CEO of Village Enterprise, a non-profit organization dedicated to ending extreme poverty in Africa. Since assuming the role of CEO in 2010, she has spearheaded the organization's expansion into seven
countries, successfully implemented the first development impact bond for poverty alleviation and conducted two randomized control trials with positive results. Under her leadership, the organization has received awards and recognition for excellence, including Fast Company's World Changing Idea Award in 2023. In June 2023, Dianne received the Stanford President's Award for the Advancement of the Common Good. She also serves on the Board of Directors for InterAction and the National Advisory Board for Stanford University's Haas Center. Prior to Village Enterprise, Dianne served as the
President of Bring Me A Book, an early literacy nonprofit. She graduated with a BA from Stanford University and an MBA from Bocconi University on a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship.
ABOUT THE TALK
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Great progress has been made in alleviating extreme poverty. According to the World Bank, the number of people living in extreme poverty dropped significantly from 1.9 billion people in 1990 to 712 million in 2022. But due to the COVID-19 pandemic and global conflicts and inflation, that progress has stalled for the first time in 25 years. What does the evidence point to as possible solutions to this problem?
The evidence suggests that entrepreneurship and innovation play important roles in driving poverty alleviation. In this talk, we will delve into the innovative poverty graduation model implemented by Village Enterprise, an evidence-driven organization dedicated to ending extreme poverty in rural Sub-Saharan Africa. Village Enterprise's distinctive approach integrates entrepreneurship, sustainable business practices, and intensive training and mentoring to equip people living in extreme poverty to start sustainable businesses and savings groups. This approach transitions them from recipients of aid to independent business owners and active economic participants.
Sponsored by MSU African Studies Center, USAFI, and Village Enterprise.
