Combining commerce with social goodness

My previous employer Advanta launched a new credit card in partnership with Kiva. To refresh your memory, I was a part of the kickass team that launched Ideablob last year at Advanta. The newest project that Advanta has unleashed and my dear ex-colleagues worked on is the KivaB2B business credit card.

Kiva.org is the world's first peer-to-peer microfinance platform that allows US-based folks to lend money to entrepreneurs and small business owners in developing countries. Advanta, is one of American's largest credit card issuer in the small businesses market. A marriage between the two was inevitable!

For every loan an Advanta card-holder makes to Kiva, Advanta will match the loan amount dollar-for-dollar. American small businesses will in effect, help out small businesses in developing countries without spending any money at all!

Hats off to the visionary Innovation Group at Advanta  :) It is little efforts like these that makes a company special. I will be following their success closely.

PS - I love the credit card design too! My friend, the brilliant Israeli film-maker and designer, Michal Levy designed it.