Matt Flannery began developing Kiva.org (Kiva) in late 2004 as a side-project while working as a computer programmer at TiVo Inc. In December 2005, Matt left TiVo to devote himself to Kiva full-time. As CEO, Matt has led Kiva’s growth from a pilot project to an established online service with partnerships across the globe and a dedicated band of staff and supporters closer to home. Prior to starting Kiva, Matt spent time in Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya filming stories of micro-businesses started by Village Enterprise Fund. It was this time in East Africa that inspired him to develop Kiva. Matt is a 2006 Global Social Benefit Incubator entrepreneur and a featured blogger on the Skoll Foundation’s Social Edge website. He graduated with a BS in Symbolic Systems and a Masters in Analytical Philosophy from Stanford University.