RFI Summit 2018: How can technology enable more financial sector activity in support of sustainable development?

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1. How can technology enable more financial sector activity in support of sustainable development ? RFI Summit organizers announce the return of the Support Disruption for Good Challenge to identify innovative companies who enable financing for agriculture, healthcare, sustainable cities & education Zurich, Switzerland, February 22, 2018 – In agriculture, healthcare, sustainable cities – the Priority Sectors identified for the Support Disruption for Good Challenge – there remains a disconnect between successful small-scale impact investments and the wide-scale mobilization of capital that will be needed to meet the world’s 2030 goals. The return of the Support Disruption for Good Challenge will focus on identifying technology companies, including FinTech companies, whose products are gaining market traction and whose technology helps the financial sector to increase the scale of its financing & investment in the Priority Sectors. The Support Disruption for Good Challenge was originally held in the lead-up to the RFI Summit 2017 and in the second edition of the Challenge, there will remain a focus to enable more responsible finance activity by both Shari’ah compliant and conventional financial institutions. The judging panel will select one winner in each category, against a transparent criteria of each entrant’s relevance to the Priority Sectors, adoption potential within the financial industry, and potential to support equitable, inclusive and sustainable access to finance in the Priority Sectors. The winners will be invited to be recognized and have the opportunity to present their company to the assembled representatives of the responsible finance industry at the Responsible Finance & Investment (RFI) Summit 2018. The RFI Summit 2018 will host 200 leaders from across responsible finance from 2627 April in Zurich, Switzerland and focus on the objective of making ‘impact finance’ relevant across the financial sector, including in Islamic finance. Organized around the theme of “Impact Finance and Technology”, the RFI Summit 2018 is the ideal location for innovative technology companies to be highlighted through the Support Disruption for Good Challenge. Blake Goud, CEO of the Responsible Finance & Investment Foundation (RFI) said: “We are excited to identify and share the innovative work being done by the technology sector, including by FinTech startups. We strongly believe that effective disruption of the financial sector will deliver a better experience for customers, less risk of financial instability and, as a result, a better outcomes for society. This objective is aligned to the Sustainable Development Goals and will be more efficiently realized with technology that activates systemic change across the financial sector as a whole.” Mounir Khouzami, Co-Founder & President of the Swiss Arab Network (SAN) said: “We were amazed by the creativity of the FinTech initiatives in the Support Disruption for Good Challenge last year. This year, we wanted to open up the Challenge to a wider range technology companies whose products can deliver impact through the financial sector, and also focus on a few critical and underserved sectors. We look forward to seeing this year’s group of entrants” Please visit the Summit website at www.rfisummit.org to download the requirements, judging criteria and entry form for the Support Disruption for Good Challenge. Entries must be received before 15 March 2018.
2. About the Responsible Finance & Investment Summit 2018 The Summit, to be held on 26 and 27 April 2018 at the Atlantis Hotel by Giardino in Zurich, Switzerland, brings together key stakeholders within responsible finance to build connections to new growth opportunities and more measurable impact. The RFI Summit will play a vital role in connecting representatives from across the responsible finance industry to build on the growing cooperation between SRI, ESG and Islamic finance. The RFI Summit in Zurich is an initiative of the RFI Foundation and Swiss Arab Network to build awareness of shared values that can bring socially responsible investing (SRI), environmental, social and governance (ESG) and Islamic finance together to increase their positive impact. About RFI Foundation The RFI Foundation is a non-profit organisation with a mission to identify a neutral, nonpartisan and universal value proposition that encourages convergence of responsible finance practices. RFI evolves Sustainable, Responsible, Impact Investing (SRI), Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) and the Islamic finance sectors towards a convergence of their shared standards, and engages stakeholders to build the responsible finance industry as a catalyst to support equitable, inclusive and sustainable economic development. Visit us at www.rfi-foundation.org About Swiss Arab Network The Swiss Arab Network (SAN) is a non-profit networking organisation with headquarter in Zurich and affiliations in the Arab world that strives to bridge gaps, promote sustainable exchange and intensify the mutual understanding among Swiss and Arab people. SAN is a networking platform and organises events and gives speeches on topics like Swiss and Arab finance, business, culture, art and film. Established and high-profile organisations from Switzerland and the Arab world are members of the network. Visit us at www.swissarab.org Media Contacts   Blake Goud, Chief Executive Officer, RFI Foundation: blake.goud@rf-institute.org, www.rfi-foundation.org Mounir Khouzami, Co-Founder & President of the Swiss Arab Network: mounir.khouzami@swissarab.org, www.swissarab.org ### Zurich Switzerland, February 22, 2018