Kiva.org Founder to Speak at Women, Power, and Possibility

TROY, NY (09/10/2008)(readMedia)-- How do young women use the power of their intellect and the energy of their passion to make positive change in today’s world?

On September 27, Emma Willard School will host a symposium, “Women, Power, and Possibility,” that will explore this question. The symposium, the second in a series, will consist of a panel of young women already making their mark around the globe. They will examine the issues and contemplate the many possibilities that emerge when women translate their beliefs into action with commitment and conviction.

Jessica Jackley Flannery, co-founder of Kiva.org, will deliver the opening remarks and serve as a panelist. 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 an entrepreneur in the developing world. By combining microfinance with the internet, Kiva is creating a global community of people connected through lending. Kiva will have facilitated loans totaling $100 million by 2010. Jessica first saw the power and beauty of microfinance while working in rural Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda with Village Enterprise Fund and Project Baobab. She has spoken widely on microfinance and social entrepreneurship, and has seen microfinance at work in a variety of communities in more than 30 countries. Learn more at www.kiva.org.

Seating for this event is limited and available on a first-come, first served basis. RSVP to Jill Smith at (518) 833-1787 or email jsmith@emmawillard.org. For more information about the symposium, “Women, Power, and Possibility,” visit www.emmawillard.org/symposium or contact Linda Passaretti at lpassaretti@emmawillard.org, (518) 833-1899.

Founded in 1814, Emma Willard School is the oldest existing school in the U.S. to offer an academic curriculum exclusively to girls. Emma Willard currently educates 311 students from 28 states and 23 foreign countries. To access an online media kit, visit www.emmawillard.org/media.