NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Thomas Tichar is most interested in how (micro)finance and socially-oriented investments can help MSMEs grow sustainably, as well as how business and labor policy can then encourage these organizations to become formal entities. Most recently he worked with Sembrar Sartawi, a microfinance organization in Bolivia, with which he conducted field research with an aim to improving their loans and services to attract more clients. Prior to that he worked with MIGA, a private sector arm of the World Bank Group, to help stimulate foreign direct investment into developing countries through technical assistance and knowledge management. He has also worked as a website and magazine editor with the Institute of Social Studies in the Netherlands, and in content management with the Development Gateway Foundation in Washington, DC. He has been working in private sector development and knowledge management for over five years.

He holds two M.A. degrees; in International Political Economy and Development, where he gained his interest in labor standards, value chains and local economic development; and in New Media, where he studied democratization processes of online platforms.

You can reach Thomas Tichar at thomastichar@gmail.com and connect with him via his linkedIn profile.