2011

APEC Women & the Economy Summit

Catherine Muther was invited to join the United States delegation to APEC (Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation) forum and the Women & Economy Summit in San Francisco in September 2011. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton delivered a keynote speech on engaging women in the economies of the 21 member countries of APEC as a strategy for economic growth and prosperity. APEC heads of state will sign a Declaration committing to action plans advancing women’s economic equity in four major areas: access to capital, access to markets, capacity building, and leadership.
Watch Secretary of State Hilary Clinton’s address

Catherine Muther moderated a panel at the Global Philanthropy Forum’s 10th annual conference, Turning Point: Toward an Impact Economy—Microfinance in Crisis?
The first building block of an "impact economy" was the introduction of microcredit, defined by lending. Microfinance now includes equity investment, micro-insurance, and other financial products for the poor. The panelists included Reeta Roy, CEO of MasterCard Foundation; Michael Schlein, CEO ACCION, David Roodman, Senior Fellow, Center for Global Development; and Keily Stevenson, CEO Bamboo Capital. The panelists explored the requirements of true financial inclusion, and discussed the growth of microfinance as well as challenges and expectations.  
Microfinance in Crisis video: http://vimeo.com/channels/193325#25784038


September 2010
Astia, a premier business accelerator that works with women-led start-ups, has received a $500,000 grant from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, the world’s largest foundation promoting entrepreneurship.  The Kauffman grant is for the Astia Do It Right program for entrepreneurs in the United States, and represents a commitment from both organizations to strategically work together to advance the participation of women in high growth entrepreneurship. Three Guineas Fund launched the Women’s Technology Cluster in 1999.  The WTC later became an independent 501 (c) 3 as Astia. 
http://www.astia.org/  

Sharon Vosmek, CEO of Astia, wrote an editorial for Business Week titled “Closing the Venture Capital Gender Gap” in June 2010.
> Read "Closing the Venture Capital Gender Gap"

March 2008
The Coalition for Adolescent Girls has been laying the groundwork for the first-ever global advocacy platform for adolescent girls.  They are pleased to announce that with the release of Girls Count: A Global Investment & Action Agenda, that work is underway.

The report Girls Count: A Global Investment & Action Agenda describes why and how to initiate effective investments that will give adolescent girls in developing countries a full and equal chance for rewarding lives and livelihoods.
>PDF report, Girls Count: A Global Investment & Action Agenda

Sept 2007
3GF grantee Upwardly Global was featured in the Sept 6, 2007 issue of The Chronicle of Philanthropy. See story, “Way to Grow: Charities use business practices to rapidly expand their programs”
>Read the entire article here

May 2007
Women’s eNews features Cate Muther in its Funding Serious Change series.

Cate Muther felt keenly the cultural boundaries around growing up female and has used earned wealth to alter those boundaries. Second in a year-long series on women who give up to $1 million or more to fund serious change for women and girls.
>Read the entire article here