By Delaine Zody

For 21 years I have worked in an inner city school in the middle of California’s Central Valley. My students come from very poor neighborhoods with little chance to see what is beyond their six blocks. 

Seeing a need I helped build a program at my school, called the Marketing Academy. Through the program we showed students how to start their own business, and through guest speakers and field trips, opened them up to a world of possibilities.  Many of these students have gone on to have successful careers and started their own businesses. 

Seeing this success made me want to continue to work with organizations that can help others be successful. So as I planned my third career, I took into account how microfinance was doing just that and where I might fit.  My research started with reading Muhammad Yunus’s book, “Banker to the Poor” and then lead to an interest in Microfinance USA conferences

This year, when I received the notice for Microfinance USA 2010 and learned that it would be in San Francisco, I was doubly excited.  Not only would I get to learn more about this method of helping people get out of poverty through entrepreneurship, but I could do it in my favorite city, and new hometown, San Francisco. 

I signed up immediately and was even able to get registered for the Micro-entrepreneur Tour. This session is all about visiting microfinance borrowers at their places of business throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. I am really excited to learn about what real entrepreneurs are doing and how microfinance has helped them.

Another session that I am excited to attend is Student-Led Microfinance Clubs.  With my background in teaching and the examples I have read of two schools where teachers have had students invest in microfinance organizations such as Kiva. I am looking forward to hearing what other students are doing to start microfinance clubs on campus. 

The Opening Session: Conversation with Maria Shriver will be a great way to start the conference and hear the First Lady of California’s take on the growth of microfinance and how it will help California. Just having Maria Shriver attend lends an air of excitement to the two-day event. Looking forward to seeing you all there!

Delaine Zody is currently a teacher in an inner city school where she has collaborated on two smaller learning communities within the business department.  She teaches entrepreneurship and is a microfinance enthusiast. Blogging athttp://dkzody.wordpress.com/