Workshop

Speaker: Jennifer Louie Executive Director – Nexus for Development

Which financial tools, types and products are available to entrepreneurs interested in scaling their businesses? Where can financiers from across Asia publicise their financial products to sustainable energy, water and sanitation entrepreneurs? Nexus for Development designed the Finance Solutions Map, an interactive tool that helps entrepreneurs working in this sector better identify and access innovative finance. By providing an overview of more than 100 financial schemes available to this group of entrepreneurs, the map aims to be a centralized resource for both entrepreneurs and financiers operating in Southeast Asia.

The map was a key output of Nexus’ Leveraging Innovative Finance Together programme launched in January 2019 to promote opportunities for direct dialogue between entrepreneurs and financiers on accelerating entrepreneurship in the region through access to finance. In addition to the live demonstration of the Finance Solutions Map, we will look at the challenges and perceptions of knowledge gaps for both entrepreneurs and financiers, and ask stakeholders to share their experiences during implementation. We will discover together how to replicate success stories and different ways to promote more transparent dialogue.

Moderator: Jennifer Louie  Executive Director – Nexus for Development

Risk Panelists: Dondi Hananto  Partner – Patamar Capital, Jugnu Pati Senior Investment Manager – Bamboo Capital Partners, Nathalie Risteau  Co-founder and Director – Mandalay Yoma Company Ltd., Peter Crowhurst  Chief Executive Officer – British Chamber of Commerce in Myanmar, U Saw Dino Ku  Executive Director – A-Bank

From 2007-2017, Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) and Private Impact Investors (PIIs) such as family offices, corporations, foundations, and development banks have deployed more than USD 12 billion of impact capital across Southeast Asia (GIIN, 2018, Landscape for Impact Investing in Southeast Asia). As the pool of impact-driven financiers continues to diversify and grow, how do approaches to risk vary across these actors and emerging markets in Asia.

What do financiers consider when determining their tolerance for risk? What are the tools and strategies available to help mitigate financier’s concerns, particularly for entrepreneurs implementing perceived high-risk projects or technologies. During this session we will ask a panel of both financiers and entrepreneurs to share their insights and respond to these questions. We will then break into small group discussions to foster direct dialogue between workshop attendees for further discussions on different perspectives and strategies to mitigate risk.

Session Designer: Courtney Savie Lawrence Head of Exploration – UNDP Asia Pacific Regional Innovation Centre

Working Session with all ecosystem actors session in the afternoon

Opening Speaker and Judge: Brianna Losoya Senior Impact Analyst – ANDE

Enterprise Spotlights: Francesco Carocci Project Manager – OTAGO, Anastassiya Likhacheva Deputy Chief Financial Officer – Solar-Home, Rachel Pringle CEO – Hydrologic

Judges: Geoff Revell Managing Director – WaterSHED Ventures, Margarita Manzo Senior Investment Manager – Nexus for Development, Peter Witton Director & Co-Founder – Anthem Asia

As financiers continue to look beyond financial returns towards driving meaningful social and environmental outcomes, how are entrepreneurs monitoring, quantifying and communicating their impact? What are the best methodologies and strategies available, and how can entrepreneurs utilize these frameworks to effectively communicate their outcomes while meeting financier expectations?

The session will present global trends, frameworks, and metrics for impact measurement, and then invite select entrepreneurs to take the stage with short impact-focused pitches on how they monitor, quantify and communicate their outcome. A panel of expert judges, representing a variety of diverse financiers, will then provide real-time feedback to entrepreneurs.

In an interactive group Q&A, we’ll then ask the audience to share their own perspectives on the topic and spark a conversation on various expectations and challenges in presenting their outcomes to key stakeholders. This session will promote more direct dialogue and increased understanding among stakeholders to demystify how people and organizations working in this ecosystem defines, measures, and communicates impact.

Speakers: Brianna Losoya-Evora ANDE, Fai Wechayachai ANDE ESEA, Sarita Worravitudomsuk / ANDE ESEA, Dr. Aung Win Rector, University of Yatanarpon Cyber City – UTYCC, Aye Pearl Hlaing Monitoring and Evaluation Officer – International Labour Organization (ILO), Dominic Mellor ADB Ventures Lead – Asian Development Bank (ADB)

What financial and nonfinancial support is available for entrepreneurs in Myanmar’s Entrepreneurial Ecosystem? Which organizations are actively supporting entrepreneurship in Myanmar and what kind of support they provide?

ANDE will share key findings, gaps, and opportunities identified from the survey, which has been completed by over 200 Myanmar entrepreneurial ecosystem players. These organizations include investors, capacity development providers, business development support, professional service, and technical assistance providers, government agencies, to name a few.
During the session, we will showcase initiatives on the ground that highlight lessons learned and partnership opportunities to help bridge the existing gap in Myanmar and across Southeast Asia.

What’s next? What’s the role for each actor to play in Entrepreneurial Ecosystems in Myanmar and across Asia? What steps can we take collectively and individually to create real change? This working session aims to reflect back and look ahead together. The format will be structured in an interactive dialogue where we co-create a common roadmap to identify an action plan to build collaboration among actors in Myanmar and across Asia.