Is there a specific project you're most proud of?

I'm most proud of my work in Kenya developing a loan management system for micro-enterprise financial institutions.  These institutions provide loans to rural entrepreneurs (mostly women) who otherwise would be unable to get financing for their projects.  The women organize themselves into groups, inviting friends and neighbors to participate.  Because they typically lack collateral to back up the loan, their "social collateral" instead.  Repayment rates are extremely high (>98%), and through these programs donor funds go directly to the people who need them the most.

The problem these organizations faced was that the more they grew, the more unwieldy it became to manage the thousands of small loans in the rural environment they operated in.  Each member had their own special needs that needed to be accommodated in the payment schedule.  Loans were typically for $100, payable in 52 weekly installments.  Group performance had to be measured, and rolled up to the parent organization.  As the programs expanded, it became increasingly difficult to efficiently identify borrowers who were getting into trouble, evaluate the performance by loan officer or loan program, and balance efficiency with their desire to be accommodating.

We developed LoanMaster specifically for the special needs of this type of program.  Its flexible design made it possible for loan officers at low cost to keep track of the activity of thousands of small loans, report on the portfolio by group, sub-group, donor and loan officer.  Our customers included local financial institutions such as the Kenya Rural Enterprise Program and Kenya Women's Finance Trust, as well as international organizations such as CARE International and Women's World Banking.