Overview of the Event 🎉
This year, Circle unveils the fourth edition of its ‘Unlocking Impact’ pitch competition at the SDG Media Zone in the UN Headquarters. This initiative coincides with the UN Summit of the Future, designed to spotlight inventive projects that harness Circle’s technology to further the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Broadening Global Effects 🌍
The ‘Unlocking Impact’ series originated in New York in 2023 and has since matured into a prestigious global event, bringing together sectors spanning humanitarian efforts, corporate engagement, and technology innovation. The series encourages the creation of novel applications and services utilizing digital currencies and open network technology, targeting underserved communities and delivering offerings beyond what traditional financial services can provide.
Noteworthy past winners include Ensuro and Rahat. Ensuro employs blockchain and smart contracts to boost the efficiency and inclusivity of insurance systems. Meanwhile, Rahat utilizes similar technologies for swift and precise aid distribution, ensuring assistance reaches beneficiaries’ mobile devices directly. Collectively, these initiatives have touched the lives of almost 200,000 individuals, delivering vital assistance to small-scale farmers, victims of climate catastrophes, and other at-risk populations.
Present-Day Participants 🚀
This year’s competition features several noteworthy projects designed to create positive changes:
- ATLANTE: Aimed at promoting financial inclusion in emerging markets, ATLANTE provides microloans to entrepreneurs in the Kakuma refugee camp, fostering sustainable economic growth in areas reliant on aid.
- Etherisc Impact B.V.: Utilizing blockchain, this initiative crafts accessible, transparent, and effective insurance solutions to tackle global issues such as climate-related risks and financial exclusion.
- Kshetra: Kshetra’s ImpactCred marketplace connects social enterprises with impact investors, facilitating crucial bridge financing and working capital loans to advocate for innovation related to the UN SDGs.
- Moja: As a participant in Techstars, Moja offers a platform centered on group savings, lending, and investment options utilizing USDC, operating across cities like Cambridge (USA), Nairobi (Kenya), and London.
Judging Panel 👩⚖️
The evaluation of the competition will be carried out by a notable panel comprising:
- Dante Disparte, Chief Strategy Officer and Head of Global Policy at Circle
- Taha Bawa, Co-Founder and CEO of Goodwall
- Timothy Rann, Managing Partner at MercyCorps
- Erica Moret, Director of UN Affairs & International Organizations at Microsoft
- Amina Tirana, Professor of Public Service at New York University
- Bernhard Kowatsch, Head of the Innovation Accelerator at the UN World Food Programme
- Ruben Galindo Steckel, CEO of Airtm
- Ana Rold, CEO of Diplomatic Courier
- Ranuak Mittal, Director of the Technology and Innovation Lab at the World Bank Group
The subsequent edition of the ‘Unlocking Impact’ pitch competition is set to take place on October 26 in Washington, DC, coinciding with the 2024 Annual Meetings of the World Bank.
Critical Insight 🔍
This year’s ‘Unlocking Impact’ competition illustrates a significant evolution in leveraging technology for social good. As innovative solutions spring forth from diverse sectors, they collectively work towards achieving the UN’s objectives for sustainable development. Each participant showcases the potential to not only elevate those in need but to reshape financial frameworks in ways that can redefine global outreach.
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