SAN CARLOS, CA — (Marketwire) — 01/03/12 — Village Enterprise, a leader in rural microenterprise development, announces that Tim Geisse has joined its board of directors.
Tim Geisse came to know Village Enterprise as the managing trustee of a family foundation, The John F. and Mary A. Geisse Foundation, a supporter of Village Enterprise. The foundation focuses on economic development in developing countries. He knows the microfinance space quite well, not only as a grant maker in this arena for some time, but also through his service with other organizations. He has served on the Board of Governors of Opportunity International, on the president-s council of ACCION International, on the board of The Rainbow Network (a faith-based nonprofit working on multiple dimensions of poverty in Nicaragua), and on the board of the Deutsche Bank Global Consortium, a microfinance fund. He is currently a member of the board of Lifewater International, providing safe water, sanitation and hygiene education in developing countries. He says, “I am very pleased to join the Village Enterprise team. Village Enterprise has proven its ability to help extremely poor people increase their incomes and raise their standard of living. This program deserves to be expanded to help more people work their way out of poverty. I look forward to being part of Village Enterprise-s exciting and promising future.”
Tim and his wife Jane live in Cleveland, Ohio, where he is an attorney in private practice. He is active in an independent evangelical church, serving in adult education and small group programs. Tim holds an A.B. from Dartmouth, a J.D. from Case Western Reserve University, and an M.A. in Biblical Studies from Ashland Theological Seminary.
Dianne Calvi, CEO of Village Enterprise, notes, “We are delighted Tim Geisse has joined our board. His experience in poverty alleviation and knowledge of microfinance will be so valuable as we continue to innovate and grow.”
Headquartered in California, Village Enterprise works in East Africa, in Kenya and Uganda. Village Enterprise-s multi-pronged economic development model is unusual in the microenterprise development field. The organization creates start-up businesses in rural areas. Village Enterprise selects local village leaders (Village Business Mentors) to provide mentoring during the first year of the new business, and to create Business Savings Groups which provide opportunity for group-run savings and credit. Village Enterprise provides formal training on topics such as savings, profits, record-keeping and group cooperation. Grants of $150 (or non-cash assets to start a business) are given to business groups of 3 people. This small sum, which does not have to be repaid, has been proven over 23 years to have a significant impact in East Africa. For more information, visit or e-mail .