Say you want to make loans to millions of poor women in the developing world, to help them climb out of poverty. Is it OK to raise money from rich investors, who expect to make a profit?
Muhammad Yunus, the father of microfinance, says no. If you have investors who expect profits, you'll ultimately turn into something more like a loan-shark than a do-gooder. Vikram Akula, founder of SKS Microfinance ? a company that had an IPO earlier this year ? says raising money from profit-seeking investors is the only way to spread microfinance quickly around the world. NPR's Planet Money did a great podcast on the different viewpoints at http://is.gd/fCo5h. You can also watch the video of Clinton Global Initiative debate at http://is.gd/fCnWl.
