Events at the ISB

Global Social Venture Competition, Asia Round(GSVC)
March 8–10, 2008

The Global Social Venture Competition (GSVC) is an unprecedented partnership that brings together the academic and financial worlds to support the creation of sustainable social ventures. The GSVC awards to the business plans that shows the highest, most integrated financial and social returns.

Each year, teams from around the world compete for over US $ 45,000 in cash and travel prizes. Last year, 160 teams contested from 81 universities, across 19 countries. First place was won by Revolution Foods from USA, which raised US $ 600,000 from JP Morgan Bay Area Equity Fund. After winning GSVC, the company, which provides healthy, low-cost, organic meals for Bay Area Schools, secured its own kitchen and tripled its customers. Coming in at second place was Verdacure from Thailand, which developed an innovative product that prevents and treats periodontal disease chewing gum.

This year, the Grand Prize of US $ 25,000 will be awarded to the plan that achieves both high economic and social returns. All competing ventures must include an MBA or equivalent student from any business school in the world or an individual who has graduated from an MBA or equivalent programme within the past two years.

The Asia round of the GSVC is being hosted by the ISB. Our goal is to encourage and support teams from around the region. Two top teams from Asia will be selected for the Global finals that will be held at the Haas School of Business, Berkeley, CA.

Past winners
One of the winning entries at Berkeley in 2007 was routed through the ISB; the winning team was “Verdacure”.
For more details go to:
(http://socialvc.net/index.cfm?fuseaction=Page.viewPage&pageId=229&parentID=80&grandparentID=4&nodeID=1)

For Success stories go to:
http://socialvc.net/index.cfm?fuseaction=Page.viewPage&pageId=139&parentID=10&nodeID=1



Second Annual CAF - FIC - SIFR Conference in Stockholm
April 17-19, 2008

Starting 2007, the Centre for Analytical Finance (CAF) at the ISB, the Financial Institutions Center (FIC) at the Wharton School, and the Swedish Institute for Financial Research (SIFR) at Stockholm will organise joint research conferences in the area of emerging market finance. The conferences are annual, held in spring, and rotate between Philadelphia, Stockholm, and Hyderabad.

The second CAF - FIC - SIFR conference will be held in Stockholm, April 17-19, 2008. The theme for this year's conference is Emerging Market Finance. The conference will begin with a reception on the evening of Thursday, April 17, and the sessions will be held on April 18 & 19, 2008

Papers on all aspects of financial markets in emerging economies are welcome. Topics include, but are not limited to:

• Capital markets reform
• Law, institutions, and finance
• Banking and financial institutions
• Private equity
• Capital market integration
• Emerging market risks and asset returns

Please note the following important submission information:
December 17, 2007: Deadline for submission of papers
Early February, 2007: Communication of decision to authors

Submission should be made electronically to: anki.helmer@sifr.org and marked: “Submission to Conference on Emerging Market Finance”

For more information on the conference, visit: http://www.isb.edu/CAF/UsrSiteEventMgmt.aspx?ModuleID=14&TopicID=62