BIGD hosted a book talk by Alex Counts on the UPL edition of his latest book, Small Loans, Big Dreams. The event brought together practitioners and colleagues who have been part of Bangladesh’s microfinance journey since its inception.
Framed around the theme “Microcredit in Bangladeshi Villages, U.S. Cities, and Around the World: Looking Back and Looking Forward,” the discussion underscored the importance of moving beyond narrow experimental approaches to evidence and storytelling. Instead, participants called for a more historicised and institutional lens, allowing lessons from microfinance to inform broader policy domains on institution building, effective governance, and regulation. A panel discussion followed, where invited voices from the sector engaged critically with the book’s arguments and their contemporary relevance.
Alex Counts is the author of several works on microfinance and social impact. He is the former CEO of the Grameen Foundation and a co-founder of the Indian Philanthropy Advisory Network (IPAN).
