Close the Gap at BRS Microfinance Lunch Break

Posted on May 15, 2024 8:11 AM by Close the Gap

On Thursday, April 22nd, Close the Gap's founder & CEO, Olivier Vanden Eynde, participated as a guest speaker at the BRS Microfinance Lunch Break. Organised by BRS, the event was opened by Frederik Vandepitte, Managing Director of Cera and Chairman of BRS.

During the Microfinance Lunch Break, Olivier Vanden Eynde addressed the question: "Is digital inclusion the key to job creation and poverty alleviation?" He focused his presentation on explaining the workings of Close the Gap, particularly emphasizing the Impact Accelerator program. 

Olivier Vanden Eynde illustrated the effectiveness of supporting entrepreneurs and startups by presenting video and picture demonstrations of businesses in Kenya that receive assistance from Close the Gap to further refine their business models. One notable example of a business that was supported successfully by Close the Gap’s initiatives is ROKA bags, whose founder Robert Mrema attended the event as well. His unexpected appearance, happily announced by Olivier, generated enthusiastic reactions from the audience.

The presentation was followed by a Q&A session. To conclude the successful conference, the Microfinance Lunch Break ended with a lunch provided by BRS.