Join us in helping deserving entrepreneurs all over the world with Kiva loans
For the past few years, CloudVO has sponsored a business lending team called Entrepreneurs for Entrepreneurs with 
the San Francisco-based micro-lending group KIVA. It has been an educational, and enjoyable effort … and we hope one that has made a difference. However, at a recent CloudVO staff gathering, we got to talking about our KIVA team, and frankly, how we let our efforts with the team lapse; as what often happens when the day-to-day gets in the middle of a great idea. We asked ourselves what could we do to help entrepreneurs, including in areas where we don’t have shared office space quite yet, such as in developing countries.
We became energized and re-engaged about KIVA, the power of globalization, and the impact of small changes and efforts toward bigger things. So, we decided to re-launch and would like to share our re-commitment with you, our CloudVO partners; our fellow “Entrepreneurs for Entrepreneurs”.
What is Kiva? Kiva is an international nonprofit, founded in 2005. Kiva Microfunds is a 501 non-profit organization that allows people to lend money via the Internet to low-income entrepreneurs and students in over 80 countries. Kiva’s mission is “to connect people through lending to alleviate poverty.” Kiva allows individuals or groups to make a loan to an entrepreneur across the globe for as little as $25. Kiva crowdfunds loans, often through another ‘in-country’ microlender aggregator, so there are many individual lenders who come together to contribute to each successful loan.
CloudVO created its KIVA business lending team ‘Entrepreneurs for Entrepreneurs’ because CloudVO’s very existence is about helping entrepreneurs have a chance to chase their dreams, create their own future, and grow healthy businesses, whether they use CloudVO meeting spaces or not. The flexibility and economical cost of virtual business solutions REALLY does create this opportunity for many small business ventures. KIVA is also a global initiative, and CloudVO is a burgeoning one, with almost 600 partner locations worldwide.
I excitedly joined CloudVO’s team effort in “Entrepreneurs for Entrepreneurs” for the opportunity that my small donations might make a positive impact toward a hard-working and enterprising soul somewhere else in this great big earth we share. I found another great benefit, and that is KIVA’s program provides me a “feel good” connection by allowing me to virtually explore the globe, while learning about the experiences of the myriad of enterprising individuals looking to create something bigger or better for themselves and their families. I’ve virtually traveled through many countries, and many regions, both robust and remote and received a little taste of life in places I will likely never get the chance to visit in real life. In a word, it’s COOL!
To date, the members of CloudVO’s Entrepreneurs for Entrepreneurs team have made 270 loans for a total of $7,075, $25 at a time. You can see in the graphics below how our member choices have stacked up. I personally have joined in for 17 loans made to 10 countries, lending $450.00. The best part of it is that the loans get repaid with a very low default rate. I could withdraw that money anytime (not that I plan to).
I hope I can make a difference helping these deserving entrepreneurs $25 at a time. I’ve enjoyed the process, and I hope you will join me in the ‘Entrepreneurs for Entrepreneurs’ Kiva Lending Team!
Tracy Wilson
CloudVO COO
If you are a shared office space provider in a developing country, become a CloudVO partner and we will make special efforts to help you out.
