Kiva Is Really A Crowdfunded Bank For Refugees And Other 'Unbankables'

You’ve probably heard of Kiva, but if you aren’t among the 1.7 million people who have made loans on the platform, you may not really know what it is. This crowdfunding platform is, in effect, a bank funded by people who lend their money with an expectation of losing only a little, to 2.9 million people who stand to gain a lot.

Kiva co-founder and president Premal Shah, 42, joined me for a conversation about the site and how it works to not just make loans but also to change lives in 85 countries around the world—including here in the US. Watch the interview in the player at top of the article.

Kiva lenders receive on average about 96% of their money back and agree not to receive interest. “It is done philanthropically,” Shah says. For many, presumably, it is their first impact investment.

[vancemacewen]

Devin is a great interviewer, gives succinct questions and doesn't talk over guests. I loved seeing Premal light up at the topic of measuring loans' positive impacts on lives.