Kick-off event for annual business competitions at Washington University

Jackley, founder of Kiva.org to speak; Kiva is first online micro financing web site that connects individual lenders to aspiring entrepreneurs in developing countries

WHEN: TONIGHT, Thursday, Sept. 17, 2009, 5 p.m.

WHERE: Simon Hall, May Auditorium, Washington Univ. Danforth Campus

Parking available in the Danforth Univ. Center at Forsyth & Wallace Drive

WHO: Available for interview:

– Ken Harrington, Director, Skandalaris Center for Entrepreneurial Studies at Washington Univ. on teaching and promoting entrepreneurship in the commercial and social enterprise markets

– Rex Reed, Executive Director Community Relations, YouthBridge on sponsorship of the Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation Competition (SEIC), the largest competition of its kind in the United States

CONTACT: Melody Walker, Washington Univ. News Service

Office: 314-935-6325

Mobile: 314-941-2046

The Skandalaris Center is located on the Danforth Campus of Washington University in St. Louis. It stimulates a campus-wide environment of collaboration, innovation, and entrepreneurial creativity. This expands learning, understanding and economic opportunities for students, faculty and the St. Louis community. Information about the Skandalaris Center may be found at www.sc.wustl.edu.

YouthBridge Community Foundation, founded in 1877, is focused on capitalizing children’s charities. Its services are two pronged – to help children’s agencies implement business practices to build productive capital and achieve sustainability; and to help donors, or philanthropic investors, find stable charitable organizations in which to invest. Information about YouthBridge can be found at www.youthbridge.org.

Kiva‘s mission is to connect people through lending for the sake of alleviating poverty. Kiva is the world’s first person-to-person micro-lending website, empowering individuals to lend directly to unique entrepreneurs around the globe. In March 2005, seven loans were posted on Kiva.org for a total of $3,500. Recipients included a goat herder, a fishmonger, a cattle farmer and a restaurateur. Six months later, every loan had been repaid. Last November, Kiva reached the $50 million mark in loans; in December, another milestone was reached with a record $3,827,400 of loans facilitated in one month.