Clinton Global Initiative Highlights A Glimmer of Hope’s
Microfinance in Ethiopia
Chosen for Turning A Glimmer of Hope into Effective Global Action
September 25, 2009 08:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time
NEW YORK--(EON: Enhanced Online News)--On Wednesday, at the 5th Annual Meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative in New
Berber was one of three members to present a progress report during the Economic Empowerment Session emceed by James Car
Berber was selected from the hundreds considered because his Austin, Texas-based organization - A Glimmer of Hope - exemplifi
mandate to turn ideas into action.
Since 2006, the organization has fulfilled two commitments to the CGI by issuing $2.25 million in microloans to more than 6,000 rur
Prominent supporters of those commitments included:
l The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation
l Whole Planet Foundation (a Whole Foods Market foundation)
His report about the impact of these loans on some of the poorest people in the world was well received by the CGI members in att
membership comprises over 1,000 of the most influential people in the world; this year’s CGI was officially opened by US Presiden
on Tuesday.
“We have created an efficient and effective way of giving the rural poor a way to make money and lift themselves out of poverty,” B
2009 commitment will give others an opportunity to piggy-back the work we have already done and have 100% of their money get
need it.”
Berber believes this commitment will allow A Glimmer of Hope to significantly expand
the impactful work begun by its first two commitments; $500,000 has already been
pledged towards this new initiative.
Just eight years after entering the International Aid arena Berber has lead his Austin
based foundation to national recognition. It underscores Berber’s entrepreneurial
talents which were originally recognized when he founded CyBerCorp and sold it after
five years to Charles Schwab for $488 million – it was one of the biggest success
stories of the dot.com era.
After the sale of CyBerCorp,