Interview/Lecture: Jessica Flannery - Lecture - Kiva

Jessica Jackley Flannery is a co-founder of Kiva with her husband Matt, and the spirit behind the organization. Flannery first saw the power and beauty of microfinance while working in rural Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda with Village Enterprise Fund and Project Baobab on impact evaluation and program development.

Previously, Flannery worked in the Stanford Center for Social Innovation to launch the inaugural Global Philanthropy Forum, and at Amazon.com, Potentia Media, the International Foundation and World Vision. Flannery has spoken widely on microfinance and social entrepreneurship, and has seen microfinance at work in a variety of communities in more than 30 countries.

jessica flannery's comments are from Cornell University Johnson School's Sustainable Global Enterprise Speaker Series. The event was co-organized and co-sponsored with the Cornell University Sustainable Enterprise in Microfinance Club as well. During the discussion, Flannery discussed the background of Kiva, the challenges of getting a startup off the ground while in business school and the rewards and challenges she is facing as the not-for-profit grows.

jessica flannery holds an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business with Certificates in Global Management and Public Management, and a BA in Philosophy and Political Science from Bucknell University.