History
The Student Microfinance & Development Initiative was founded in 2008 by a group of students at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) who were involved in the LSE SU Microfinance Society.
They had the common interest of enabling students world-wide to do real, value-adding work in development and to use their potential to create difference.
In the following year(s), the Initiative evolved to become a vibrant, international organization and think tank on development with various services offered to development organizations, universities and the general public.
One of the first endeavours of the organization was the co-creation and leadership of a social business innovation course with the LSE Department of Management starting in October 2009 at the LSE. The course Masters’ students then went on developing their own social business ideas.
In the first years of its existence the Initiative has been working with its fellows on various services, including publications, events, research and other projects for development organizations and the poor.
The Initiative is and will always remain a student-led charitable organization and charity working with, for and through students to incubate development.