Gregory F. Casagrande
Encyclopedia
Gregory F. Casagrande is the founder of South Pacific Business Development
Microfinance Network, the leading microfinance institution in
the Pacific Islands region. He is also the founder of
MicroDreams, a microfinance acceleration fund working with
emerging micro-finance institutions in Latin America, Africa
and the Pacific and Transformative Ventures LLC, a
Micro-finance advisory company.
in 1981. He received a Master of Business Administration
(MBA) in Finance
and Marketing
from Northwestern University
Kellogg School of Management
, a MS in Accounting from New York University
Stern School of Business as well as a Bachelor of Arts
(BA) in Economics
with high distinction from Colgate University
. Greg is also a Certified Public Accountant
(CPA).
, Mazda Motor Company and Coopers and Lybrand in product development, manufacturing, marketing and financial management positions. He led teams in the United States
, Japan
and Europe
.
Greg serves as a director on the boards of the International Association of Microfinance Investors (of New York
), Microfinance Pasifika (of Fiji
) and Planet Finance (of Paris
), and as a fund advisor to Plebys – a for-profit “Base of the Pyramyd” investment fund based in Irvine, California. He also served on the United Nation’s Board of Patrons for its International Year of Microcredit – 2005. Greg is a frequent speaker at conferences and universities around the world on the topics of poverty eradication, building inclusive financial sectors, building sustainable micro-enterprise development organizations, financing Microfinance institutions and social entrepreneurship
.
founding director of the Ice Angels, Australasia’s largest angel investor group and serves as
Chairman of three New Zealand software firms: Biomatters Ltd, Calcium Solutions Ltd and
English-To-Go Ltd.
In 2010, Greg was awarded the Global Social Innovator Award
Greg has been invited as a guest on several occasions for Fijian, Samoan and New Zealand television stations.
South Pacific Business Development
South Pacific Business Development is a network of Microfinance institutions working in Fiji, Samoa, and Tonga to eliminate poverty. It's aim is to provide women in poor rural villages with the opportunity to start, grow and maintain sustainable income-generating micro-enterprises, build assets...
Microfinance Network, the leading microfinance institution in
the Pacific Islands region. He is also the founder of
MicroDreams, a microfinance acceleration fund working with
emerging micro-finance institutions in Latin America, Africa
and the Pacific and Transformative Ventures LLC, a
Micro-finance advisory company.
Education
Greg Casagrande graduated from Wardlaw-Hartridge SchoolWardlaw-Hartridge School
The Wardlaw-Hartridge School is a private, nonsectarian, coeducational day school located in Edison, New Jersey, United States, serving students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. It is commonly referred to as Wardlaw or W-H...
in 1981. He received a Master of Business Administration
Master of Business Administration
The Master of Business Administration is a :master's degree in business administration, which attracts people from a wide range of academic disciplines. The MBA designation originated in the United States, emerging from the late 19th century as the country industrialized and companies sought out...
(MBA) in Finance
Finance
"Finance" is often defined simply as the management of money or “funds” management Modern finance, however, is a family of business activity that includes the origination, marketing, and management of cash and money surrogates through a variety of capital accounts, instruments, and markets created...
and Marketing
Marketing
Marketing is the process used to determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments...
from Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
Kellogg School of Management
Kellogg School of Management
The Kellogg School of Management is the business school of Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, downtown Chicago, Illinois and Miami, Florida. Kellogg offers full-time, part-time, and executive programs, as well as partnering programs with schools in China, India, Hong Kong, Israel,...
, a MS in Accounting from New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
Stern School of Business as well as a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
(BA) in Economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
with high distinction from Colgate University
Colgate University
Colgate University is a private liberal arts college in Hamilton, New York, USA. The school was founded in 1819 as a Baptist seminary and later became non-denominational. It is named for the Colgate family who greatly contributed to the university's endowment in the 19th century.Colgate has 52...
. Greg is also a Certified Public Accountant
Certified Public Accountant
Certified Public Accountant is the statutory title of qualified accountants in the United States who have passed the Uniform Certified Public Accountant Examination and have met additional state education and experience requirements for certification as a CPA...
(CPA).
Career
Greg recorded significant achievement with Ford Motor CompanyFord Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
, Mazda Motor Company and Coopers and Lybrand in product development, manufacturing, marketing and financial management positions. He led teams in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
Greg serves as a director on the boards of the International Association of Microfinance Investors (of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
), Microfinance Pasifika (of Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
) and Planet Finance (of Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
), and as a fund advisor to Plebys – a for-profit “Base of the Pyramyd” investment fund based in Irvine, California. He also served on the United Nation’s Board of Patrons for its International Year of Microcredit – 2005. Greg is a frequent speaker at conferences and universities around the world on the topics of poverty eradication, building inclusive financial sectors, building sustainable micro-enterprise development organizations, financing Microfinance institutions and social entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship is the act of being an entrepreneur, which can be defined as "one who undertakes innovations, finance and business acumen in an effort to transform innovations into economic goods". This may result in new organizations or may be part of revitalizing mature organizations in response...
.
Business Ventures
In addition to his micro-finance activities, Greg promotes hi-tech entrepreneurship. He is afounding director of the Ice Angels, Australasia’s largest angel investor group and serves as
Chairman of three New Zealand software firms: Biomatters Ltd, Calcium Solutions Ltd and
English-To-Go Ltd.
Accomplishments and Awards
Greg was awarded the International Year of Microcredit in 2005.In 2010, Greg was awarded the Global Social Innovator Award
Greg has been invited as a guest on several occasions for Fijian, Samoan and New Zealand television stations.