Grameen Foundation hosted a Thought Leadership Forum on Thursday, November 11th at the National Press Club in Washington, DC to generate dialogue on the power of the private sector and private citizens to increase the scale, sustainability, and impact of microfinance and technology-for-development initiatives.

The forum began with the premiere of the Bankers without Borders® video, which emphasized the importance of "skillanthropy," and how experienced professionals can give back to the community by providing expert services that meet the critical needs of microfinance institutions and other global poverty-focused organizations.

Bankers without Borders® is a skills-based volunteer initiative founded by the Grameen Foundation which draws upon a global reserve corps of more than 5,000 business professionals and recent

retirees from Fortune 500 companies, trade associations, and higher education institutions.

Grameen also announced the creation of the new Bankers without Borders® Alliance Program, which will help to expand its skills-based volunteering initiative to Latin America and Asia through support from presenting sponsor J.P. Morgan. Promuc, a women's communal banking organization in Peru, was recognized as one of the three Alliance Partner winners.

The highlight of the forum was a panel on a new Grameen white paper "Volunteerism: An Old Concept, A New Business Model for Improving Microfinance and Technology Initiatives." The panel focused on the rewarding experiences of past volunteers, how to create excitement and support within your company for Bankers without Borders®, and the importance of linking up with additional partners and microfinance networks around the world.

Discussion was moderated by one of the world's most successful businesswomen, Marge Manner, and featured special guests Carlos Fonseca, Banker without Borders® volunteer and Senior Business Leader in Marketing Intelligence at Master Card; Tricia Loughlin, Executive Director of Investment Bank Marketing and Communications at J.P. Morgan; and William Tucker, Executive Director of the SEEP Network.