"When it comes to creating jobs and opportunity, often times it's the small and medium sized enterprises that make all the difference in people's lives. And one of the biggest challenges for such companies is to make sure they receive the financing that they need. We look forward to — as a consequence of this award — seeing more and more creative mechanisms to finance worthy enterprises. And many of the lessons that are going to be learned from these projects are ones that hopefully can be expanded to a whole host of countries for years to come."
The G-20 has just committed more than one-half billion dollars to support the winners of the G-20 SME Finance Challenge. President Barack Obama, Korean President Lee Myung-bak, and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper congratulated the winners in person and announced this stupendous funding commitment at the closing of the G-20 Seoul Summit. Of course, the winners of the G-20 SME Finance Challenge were present at the G-20 Seoul Summit, too.
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[South Korean President Lee Myung-bak (C), U.S. President Barak Obama (third from L) and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper (third from R) pose with SME Finance Challenge Award people’s choice winners Scott Gilmore, Peace Dividend Trust executive director (L); Sylvia Beate Wisniwski, European Fund for Southeast Europe executive director (second from L); Obama, Myung-bak, and Harper; SME Finance Challenge Award people’s choice winner Onno Schellekens, Medical Credit Fund co-founder (second from right), and Bill Carter, Ashoka's diamond leader for Africa - at the closing of the G-20 Seoul Summit on Nov. 12.]
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