2nd EMEN International Event

Innovative financing solutions for migrant entrepreneurs? Cross your own borders! - June 20th, The Hague

An event without long speeches… instead brief, thought provoking talks, a thriving market where innovations are shown, pitches, interactive workshops, debates, and inspiring encounters. With others exploring how best access to finance for migrant entrepreneurs can be ensures. Will that be by focused information, new teaching methods, by crowd advising, or through migrant orations, or by offering tailor made financial services? Will blockchain technology and Fintech offer new opportunities? Do we really need to develop special programmes?

The 20th June, at the premises of the Hague University of Appleade Sciences , in the Hague  you have the chance to meet others who might inspire you, or with whom you want to cooperate. Or just listen and reflect.

We will try to give some answers to questions such as:

• Are starting migrant entrepreneurs really that different from native entrepreneurs (or entrepreneurs without a migrant background)?

• Do we need to treat them as a special target group? Do we have to set up special schemes to finance their new businesses? Businesses that for sure will be helpful to them to participate in society, to break out of exclusion, to add value to society. Or do they also have their own ways of mobilising finance?

Time for reflection. Hence this event. We are creating a space to meet, talk, converse, investigate and discuss:

• how migrant entrepreneurs might finance their new ventures

• how they can make use of existing formal and informal financing mechanisms

• how they can make use of mainstream facilities

• how special mechanisms might be relevant, needed and desirable

• how start-up programmes can support migrants in finding finance

Existing organisations, projects and programmes are given a platform to show what they are doing. We will do so by creating a market place where ideas are offered and interested idea-hungry persons have a chance to get information about approaches that they might use in their own environment. Leading, thought-provoking professionals and practitioners will be given the floor to share their ideas; brief, catchy pitches and brief talks, to confuse, to open eyes, to give that little push into the direction people already wanted to go.

And an event where you will be challenged to leave your comfort zone, cross the border of what you are used to do. And when you leave, you may feel confused, inspired, worried, intrigued and informed.

Interested to receive more information  and / or pre-register? Contact Karijn Nijhoff and Patricia Martinez.