About the event

Facebook is making headlines with the launch of Libra, the platform’s new digital currency built on blockchain. Mercy Corps, Kiva, and Women's World Banking are among those who have signed on as founding partners, citing the promise of this new technology to unlock progress toward global financial inclusion initiatives.

So, what is Libra — and what do NGOs need to consider as they think about adopting this new technology? Building on new reporting by Catherine Cheney, Devex will host a conference call exploring what Libra could mean for development programming, the considerations and reservations some organizations had before signing on, and what’s next for the aid sector with this new digital currency.

Register on this page for the link to join by laptop, tablet or mobile device. We invite you to share your questions with us in advance to [email protected] — or submit them to our speakers during the event using the live Q&A chat box.
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Register anyway and we'll send you a recorded version of the session.

The Speakers

Moderator

Kelli Rogers

Associate Editor
Devex
Kelli Rogers is an Associate Editor for Devex. Based on the U.S. West Coast, she works with Devex's team of correspondents and editors around the world, with a particular focus on gender. She previously worked as Devex’s Southeast Asia correspondent based in Bangkok, covering disaster and crisis response, resilience, women’s rights, and climate change throughout the region. Prior to that, she reported on social and environmental issues from Nairobi, Kenya. Kelli holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri, and has since reported from more than 20 countries.

Catherine Cheney

Senior Reporter
Devex
Catherine Cheney is a Senior Reporter for Devex. She covers the West Coast of the U.S., focusing on the role of technology and innovation in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. And she frequently represents Devex as a speaker and moderator. Prior to joining Devex, Catherine earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Yale University, worked as a web producer for POLITICO and reporter for World Politics Review, and helped to launch NationSwell. Catherine has reported from all over the world, and freelanced for outlets including the Atlantic and the Washington Post. She is also the West Coast ambassador for the Solutions Journalism Network, a nonprofit that trains and connects journalists to cover responses to problems.

Ric Shreves

Director of Emerging Technology
Mercy Corps
Ric Shreves is Director of Emerging Technology on Mercy Corps’ Technology for Development team. In that role, he manages the field technology testing program through which Mercy Corps explores new technologies and innovations for humanitarian aid and development. Ric is also the subject matter lead for blockchain tech at Mercy Corps and the author of a white paper on distributed ledger technology, “A Revolution in Trust,” published by Mercy Corps in May 2017.

Leslie Koo

Nutrition Team Lead
USAID Bureau for Global Health
Leslie Koo is a Nutrition Team Lead with the USAID Bureau for Global Health. She has previous advisory experience in nutrition with Save the Children International, Concern Worldwide, and UNICEF. She received her MS in Food Policy and Applied Nutrition from Tufts University.

Paul Burford

Branch Chief
USAID Office of Acquisition and Assistance
Paul Burford serves as Branch Chief and Supervisory Contracting and Agreement Officer supporting the Bureau for Food Security and the President's Feed the Future initiative. He has over a decade of contracting and procurement experience across a number of USAID programs.
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