Crowdfunding: leapfrogging traditional capital markets

The Commonwealth Secretariat is convening the side event 'Leapfrogging Traditional Capital Markets: Exploring the Development Potential of Crowdfunding' to showcase and explore the potential of crowdfunding and provide participants with an opportunity to engage with leading industry leaders. 

Taking place as a side event to the Third Conference on Financing for Development, the primary objective of this event is to showcase and explore the development potential of crowdfunding for developing countries.

There is an urgent need to tap into new sources of finance and to find ways of delivering traditional sources of finance more effectively. The search for innovative finance is even more urgent given an ambitious Post-2015 development framework and a lackluster global economy that has led to a dwindling of development finance. 

Crowdfunding is an exciting new phenomenon and form of capital formation which helps the private and public sector leapfrog traditional finance systems and access new sources of finance.

With support from governments and development organisations it has an exciting potential to support sustained and inclusive growth. It improves access to capital, helps better manage the supply and demand for capital, drives innovation and efficiency and funds new markets. 

The dialogue will focus on:

• Understanding crowdfunding and exploring its development potential, both private and civic.
• Showcasing the potential of crowdfunding through case study evidence.
• Exploring the diaspora investment potential.
• Understanding the role of government and development organizations in exploiting crowdfunding potential.

Crowdfunding is on the frontier of the financing for development discourse. To date, very little work and dialogue has been undertaken on exploring the development potential of this exciting phenomenon and new form of capital formation, which can help business and government raise significant amounts of financing.

This event will inform participants of the new opportunities available, that have yet to be considered in the global financing discussion.

Keynote speakers

Event co-chairs: Deodat Maharaj, Deputy Secretary-General, Commonwealth Secretariat and Dr. Peter Phillips, Honourable Minister of Finance, Jamaica. 

Peter Baeck - Nesta
Peter focuses on social innovation and innovation in public services. He is currently co-leading a large EU funded research project on digital social innovation.

Oliver Gadja – European Crowdfunding Network
Oliver is an independent public affairs advisor and consultant. He is founding Chairman and Executive Director at the European Crowdfunding Network.

Jason Best – Crowdfund Capital Advisers
Jason is a technology entrepreneur who co-authored the crowdfund-investing framework used in the JOBS Act to legalize securities-based crowdfunding in the U.S.A.

Samantha Attridge - Head of Section, Finance and Development Policy, Commonwealth Secretariat
Samantha focuses on finance and development policy issues – with a particular emphasis on innovative finance, remittances, global financial regulation, international taxation and debt.