Harvard Center for International Development 106d ago

What does it really take to make frontier markets investable? In this Harvard Center for International Development event, CrossBoundary Group co-founders Jake Cusack and Tom Flahive join Wasim Tahir for a conversation on investing in fragile and underserved markets, where traditional capital often does not go. Drawing on more than a decade of experience, they discuss how blended finance, local presence, and catalytic capital can help reduce risk and unlock investment in frontier economies. The discussion explores the realities of structuring deals in these markets, the gap between perceived and actual risk, and the practical lessons CrossBoundary has learned while building an investment platform across frontier and emerging economies. The speakers also reflect on the role USAID and other concessional funding sources have played in mobilizing capital — and what recent aid cuts could mean for the future of development finance. Topics include: -Blended finance and catalytic capital -Risk and opportunity in frontier markets -Building investment platforms in fragile economies -Development finance institutions and private capital -Energy, infrastructure, and market creation -The future of international development amid shifting geopolitical priorities This event is part of CID’s Road to GEM series leading up to GEM26: Reimagining International Development. Speakers: Jake Cusack, Co-Founder & Managing Partner, CrossBoundary Group Tom Flahive, Co-Founder & Managing Partner, CrossBoundary Group Wasim Tahir, Research Fellow, Harvard CID Hosted by the Harvard Center for International Development. Please follow us @HarvardCID on: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/harvardcid Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/harvardcid/ Soundcloud - https://soundcloud.com/harvard-cid Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/harvardcid.bsky.social Stay up to date with CID Events and jobs/opportunities by signing up for our newsletter: https://www.hks.harvard.edu/centers/cid/subscribe #FrontierMarkets #DevelopmentFinance #InternationalDevelopment