Inclusive Finance Frontiers

CGAP
  • 4.9 (8)
  • NON-PROFIT

Globally, 1.4 billion people don’t have a bank account, let alone other financial services that many of us take for granted. But digitization and innovation are reshaping financial services, bringing low-income and underserved people into the formal financial sector and creating new opportunities to build a greener, more resilient, and equitable world. Join us to hear from technical experts, thought leaders, and financial service users as we explore new trends, controversies, and developments in inclusive finance.

  1. Season 3 - Trailer

    SEASON 3 TRAILER

    Season 3 - Trailer

    In a world shaped by climate shocks, conflict, fragility, and rapid change, financial services are more important than ever for meeting the needs of low-income communities. Globally, 1.3 billion people still don’t have a bank account, let alone access to the tools many of us take for granted. And for many more who do have access, financial products and systems don’t yet meet their real needs.  Inclusive Finance Frontiers returns with a new season exploring how people-centered financial services can help vulnerable communities navigate uncertainty, build resilience, and improve their lives.  From Rwanda and Colombia to Sudan and beyond, this season brings you stories from the front lines—featuring global experts, regulators, banks, fintech innovators, humanitarian actors, and, most importantly, the people living with risk every day.  Subscribe Now and join the conversation shaping the future of inclusive finance.  To learn more about CGAP’s work, visit www.cgap.org.

    1 min
  2. How Can We Improve Resilience Globally? Leading Experts Weigh In

    09/10/2025

    How Can We Improve Resilience Globally? Leading Experts Weigh In

    The world faces a variety of ‘global risks’, ranging fromgeopolitical conflicts and climate change to cyber threats. These are growingever more complex and affect all of us. However, people and small enterprises in low-income countries face disproportionate challenges. If left unaddressed, this can create ripple effects regionally and globally. Government-led strategies remain vital, but the intensifying risks underscore the urgent need for approaches that put solutions directly into the hands of communities most vulnerable to risks and can complement government-led strategies.   In June 2025, CGAP convened nearly 200 global decisionmakers in Amsterdam involved in global resilience responses for a Symposium titled, “RethinkingResilience: Why Inclusive Finance Can’t Wait”. Inthis bonus episode of Inclusive Finance Frontiers, hear from participants interviewed on the sidelines of the Symposium on how inclusive finance tools—such as savings, credit, insurance, and digital payments—can strengthenresilience for those most at risk and drive sustainable development.   Featured voices:  Michel Liès, Chairman of Zurich Insurance Group and Insurance Development ForumStéphane Hallegatte, Chief Climate Economist at the World BankStuart Rutherford, Director of Hrishipara Daily Diaries ProjectSophie Sirtaine, CGAP CEO

    19 min
  3. Coding Through Crisis: Building a Digital Social Protection System in Lebanon

    01/30/2025

    Coding Through Crisis: Building a Digital Social Protection System in Lebanon

    In 2019, Lebanon witnessed the start of one of the most severe socio-economic crises globally since the mid-nineteenth century, plunging many Lebanese into poverty.   Amid the hardships, a new hope emerged in 2021. The World Bank set up a $246 million social safety net project and the Government of Lebanon (GoL) designed a registration platform for this program, with the help of Siren Associates, called DAEM (Arabic for "support"). Built in record time, DAEM is more than just a registry; it’s a fully localized social protection system that provides a lifeline to Lebanese families hit by crisis. In this episode, we hear from the GoL, CGAP, the World Bank, and Siren Associates about how collaboration was key to DAEM’s success and how, even in the most challenging conditions, it’s possible to design solutions that go beyond emergency relief and sow the seeds for a more inclusive financial system.   This is Season 2, Episode 6 of CGAP's podcast, Inclusive Finance Frontiers.  Ahmed Fatih Ortakaya, Senior Social Protection Specialist, World BankCarole Alsharabati, Research Director, SIREN AssociatesMarie Louise Abou Jaoudeh, Presidency of the Council of Ministers (PCM) of the Government of LebanonNadine Chehade, Senior Financial Sector Specialist, World Bank Souraya Sbeih, Consultant, CGAP  Listen and subscribe for free on your favorite platform. To learn more, visitwww.cgap.org. To share feedback, connect with us atpodcast@cgap.org.    This episode incorporates a news report from PBS NewsHour, Financial crisis leads some in Lebanon to rob banks to access their money.

    20 min
  4. Can Inclusive Carbon Markets Pave the Way for a Just Transition?

    01/22/2025

    Can Inclusive Carbon Markets Pave the Way for a Just Transition?

    The climate crisis demands urgent global action. Green technologies—like solar panels and clean cookstoves—have the potential to transform lives and protect the planet but remain out of reach for many in developing economies. Can carbon markets make them more accessible?  Voluntary carbon markets (VCMs), where companies purchase carbon credits to offset greenhouse gas emissions, are rapidly gaining traction. These markets hold immense potential to enable the adoption of green technologies among low-income households on the frontlines of climate change and improve their lives.   In this episode, we take a deep dive into VCMs to hear from ATEC about their pay-as-you-go electric cookstoves, which aim to decarbonize cooking through verifiable tech, how Gold Standard issues carbon certifications, and why CGAP sees a promising role for financial services in supporting more inclusive carbon markets.    Featured Voices:  Ben Jeffreys, CEO, ATEC  Vikash Talyan, Senior Director of Standard Development and Innovation, Gold Standard  Max Mattern, Senior Financial Sector Specialist, CGAP    Listen and subscribe for free on your favorite platform. To learn more, visit www.cgap.org. To share feedback, connect with us at podcast@cgap.org.

    20 min
  5. Can AI Revolutionize Financial Consumer Protection?

    12/10/2024

    Can AI Revolutionize Financial Consumer Protection?

    Artificial intelligence (AI) is already transforming almost every aspect of the financial services industry. It is driving efficiencies and sparking innovation by reshaping the way financial authorities protect consumers—not just how financial service providers operate. But financial authorities need to walk a tightrope. While they need to harness the power of AI to improve consumer protection, they must also address the novel risks and challenges that AI brings, such as new forms of financial fraud, cyber threats, and data privacy concerns.  This episode explores how the Central Bank of the Philippines is embracing AI-powered "SupTech” (supervisory technology) for its chatbot named BOB to enhance financial consumer protection. We'll hear from experts at the Central Bank of the Philippines, the Cambridge SupTech Lab, and CGAP about the potential benefits and risks of this revolutionary technology.  Featured Voices:  Charina B. De Vera-Yap, Director of the Consumer Protection and Market Conduct Office (CPMCO), Regional Operations and Advocacy Sector, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP)    Matt Grasser, Co-Head and Tech Lead, Cambridge SupTech Lab and Principal Technologist at Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance (CCAF)  Juan Carlos Izaguirre, Senior Financial Sector Specialist, CGAP  Eric Duflos, Senior Financial Sector Specialist and Consumer Protection Lead, CGAP      Listen and subscribe for free on your favorite platform. To learn more, visit www.cgap.org. To share feedback, connect with us at podcast@cgap.org.

    21 min
  6. Banking on Open Finance to Advance Financial Inclusion: Lessons from Brazil

    12/03/2024

    Banking on Open Finance to Advance Financial Inclusion: Lessons from Brazil

    In Brazil, the banking world is changing fast. Open Finance allows people in Brazil to securely share their financial data across financial service providers, sparking competition and innovation among providers. This empowers customers to compare and choose services that best meet their needs. But how does open finance work in practice and what does it mean for the millions of people still excluded or underserved by formal finance?  In this episode, we talk to experts at the Central Bank of Brazil, Nubank, and CGAP about Brazil’s experience in rolling out open finance and how data can help unlock credit for informal workers, improve product offerings, and reach wider segments of society. Along the way, we tackle critical questions: Can open finance help reduce inequality? And what lessons can other countries learn from Brazil’s rapid adoption?    Featured Voices:  Matheus Rauber, Senior Advisor, Financial System Regulation Department, Central Bank of Brazil  Rafael Wowk, Head of Regulatory Affairs, NuBank  Maria Fernandez Vidal, Senior Financial Sector Specialist, CGAP  Listen and subscribe for free on your favorite platform. To learn more, visit www.cgap.org. To share feedback, connect with us at podcast@cgap.org.

    18 min
  7. Empowering Micro-Retailers Through Digitization: Hype or Promise?

    11/22/2024

    Empowering Micro-Retailers Through Digitization: Hype or Promise?

    From a duka in Kenya, a tienda de barrio in Colombia or a kirana in India, micro-retailers that stock fast-moving consumer goods go by many different names around the world. No matter what they’re called, they’re universally cherished. And yet, they face numerous unique challenges.   B2B e-commerce startups like Wasoko in Kenya and &frnds in Southeast Asia are promising to make a difference for micro-retailers by digitizing order processes and extending buy-now-pay-later credit options. Yet challenges remain: How do we bridge the digital divide? And can these systems sustainably scale?  In this episode, a Behavioral Science thought leader joins experts from Flourish Ventures and CGAP to explore the promise—and the hype—behind this digitization wave, unpacking its potential to create meaningful financial inclusion for micro retailers at the last mile.  Featured Voices:  Richard Wright, former Behavioral Science Director at Unilever and currently an independent consultant  Stella Klemperer, Director of Strategy and Insights, Flourish Ventures  Alexander Sotiriou, Senior Financial Sector Specialist, CGAP  Listen and subscribe for free on your favorite platform. To learn more, visit www.cgap.org. To share feedback, connect with us at podcast@cgap.org.    Special thanks to Salome W. Kimani for conducting the interview with the micro-retailer Mugi and for the voiceover.

    20 min
  8. Voices from the Frontlines of Climate Change

    11/22/2024

    Voices from the Frontlines of Climate Change

    Everyone in the world is grappling with climate change, but for those on the front lines, it’s a daily struggle for survival. In this episode, we travel to Bangladesh to speak with Nurul and Sita, two farmers who are fighting to protect their homes and livelihoods from relentless storms, flooding, and rising sea levels. Nurul and Sita are both dealing with climate change, but only one has the help of microfinance--and that’s made quite a difference.  How do people living in poverty prepare for, cope with, and adapt to climate shocks, and what role do financial services—like loans, savings and insurance—play in supporting them? Join us as we share findings from research by CGAP, MicroSave and Decodis to explore these questions and uncover the potential of inclusive finance in bringing hope, resilience, and lasting change to the communities hardest hit by our warming world.  Featured Voices:  Nurul, a farmer from Bangladesh  Sita, a farmer from Bangladesh  Graham Wright, Founder and Group Managing Director, MicroSave    Claudia McKay, Green and Resilient Outcomes Lead, CGAP    This episode incorporates news reports from Global News, “Cyclone Remal leaves several dead across Bangladesh and India” and the Associated Press, “Hundreds of thousands without power in Bangladesh after cyclone causes severe flooding”.

    20 min
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4.9
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Globally, 1.4 billion people don’t have a bank account, let alone other financial services that many of us take for granted. But digitization and innovation are reshaping financial services, bringing low-income and underserved people into the formal financial sector and creating new opportunities to build a greener, more resilient, and equitable world. Join us to hear from technical experts, thought leaders, and financial service users as we explore new trends, controversies, and developments in inclusive finance.

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