Monique Cohen

Monique is the Founder President of Microfinance Opportunities (MFO), a global non-profit organization committed to understanding the financial realities of low-income households and developing engaging and enabling consumer-focused solutions.

Monique is the Founder President of Microfinance Opportunities (MFO), a global non-profit organization committed to understanding the financial realities of low-income households and developing engaging and enabling consumer-focused solutions. She was a Senior Adviser and Manager of the the AIMS project at USAID. Dr. Cohen is on multiple advisory committees including the Board of Child & Youth Finance International, Financial Inclusion 2020, and speaks regularly at microfinance, consumer protection, and financial inclusion conferences around the world.

Posts by Monique Cohen

The Emerging Market-Led Microfinance Agenda

The briefing note discusses the shift towards a market led approach in microfinance. It concludes with highlighting the emerging trends in microfinance.

Reducing vulnerability: Demand for and supply of microinsurance in East Africa

It examines the demand for risk management tools by the poor and gathers experience of seven institutions providing microinsurance to satisfy this demand in Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania

Reducing Vulnerability: The Demand For Microinsurance

This paper understands what people in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda are looking for in microinsurance and how preferences of the poor can be incorporated into the design of microinsurance products.

Key Questions that Should Precede New Product Development

MFIs are looking at new product development as a way of responding to their clients’ needs. This note suggests six essential questions to be asked prior about new product development.

Assessment of the Use and Impact of MicroSave’s Market Research for Microfinance Toolkit

This note presents the findings from an assessment study of MicroSave’s market research toolkit and the findings of the assessment study.

Looking Before You Leap: Key Questions That Should Precede Starting New Product Development

This paper outlines some of the basic questions and issues that MFIs should address prior to embarking on the process of product development.