BetterWorld Financial Engine Series · Workshop 01

Online Workshop · By Invitation

Grow without giving away your company.

A working session for SME founders on the capital most never get shown — project finance, debt, trade finance and community capital — and how to structure the right kind for the growth you're actually trying to fund.

Online · 1 July 2026 · 12pm CEST / 2pm Dubai / 6pm Singapore · ~75 min + live Q&A · Free · Seats limited

Reserve your seat See what it answers

Read this first

This isn't another "fund your growth" pitch.

I know. You've probably sat through a few of these, and most turned out to be a broker or a fund angling to sell you money — on their terms, with their fees.

This is built by an SME founder, for SMEs. The problem was never your ambition. Traditional finance was not designed for SMEs. Processes are complex. Short-term lending does not support long-term growth. And founders lose control when forced to give up equity too early.

Every financier seems to speak a different language — and none of them speaks yours. This session is about changing that.

The problem isn't a lack of capital. It's that capital rarely reaches where it creates the greatest long-term value.

Why this matters now

Three revolutions done. The fourth is here.

The world is changing faster than ever. Capital is evolving. Technology is accelerating. Communities are demanding more impact. SMEs are the engine of real economies — but outdated finance is holding them back.

Industrial

Revolution

Machines multiplied production.

We built more.

Financial

Revolution

Capital markets unlocked global growth.

We financed more.

Digital

Revolution

Technology connected the world.

We scaled faster.

AI & Capital

Revolution

Intelligence is reshaping how capital is created, allocated and measured.

We must finance better.

6 / 10

jobs are created by SMEs worldwide.

$5T+

SME financing gap exists globally.

Impact

is no longer optional — investors and communities demand it.

New tech

tokenisation, AI and digital rails open new possibilities.

Community

capital and local models unlock inclusive growth.

The next revolution won't be about building better products. It will be about building better ways to finance what truly matters.

For the builders

Real businesses. Real founders. Real capital that fits.

What it answers

The questions every founder in this room is sitting on.

01
Which kind of capital actually fits which need — and which to avoid?
The capital map — plain language, not jargon
02
How do you fund a new plant or line without selling a piece of your company?
Project finance
03
How do you raise debt when the bank doesn't understand what you do?
Debt finance
04
How do you free the cash trapped in your inventory and receivables?
Trade finance
05
How do financiers really decide yes or no on a business like yours — and how do you get to yes?
Getting to a term sheet

What you'll learn

Eight modules. One coherent map.

Click each module to open it. We move from diagnosis to execution — practical, actionable and built around real-world strategy.

Why SMEs struggle to access the right finance — and what the system overlooks.

We start by naming the problem precisely. Traditional finance was built for very large or very small balance sheets — not for the SMEs creating most of the world's jobs. Short-term debt, equity dilution and one-size-fits-all products quietly shape what founders think is possible.

Matching your business model, stage and goals with the right financing approach.

Every stage calls for a different instrument. We map your model — asset-heavy or asset-light, recurring or project-based, domestic or cross-border — against the financing tools that actually fit, so you stop forcing the wrong capital into the right business.

Practical frameworks for trade finance, project finance and Shariah-compliant facilities.

A guided tour of the most underused tools in the SME toolkit: project finance for plants and lines, trade finance for working capital, and Shariah-compliant structures that often unlock capital banks won't touch — explained in plain language with real examples.

How to grow your business without giving away equity or losing control.

Equity is the most expensive money you'll ever raise. We cover when to take it, when to refuse it, and how to design financing stacks that fund growth while keeping founders in the driver's seat for the long term.

How SMEs can tap into community savings, ethical investors and community banks.

Outside the headline funds, there's a quieter pool of patient capital looking for productive businesses: community banks, cooperatives, ethical investors and diaspora networks. We show you how to access them and structure deals that actually close.

Using tokenisation, fintech and digital infrastructure to unlock faster, fairer financing.

Tokenisation, embedded finance and AI-driven underwriting are quietly rewriting the rules. We separate the noise from the genuine shifts SMEs can already use today to raise faster, cheaper and on better terms.

Build a resilient treasury, improve cash flow and manage risk for long-term sustainability.

Capital is only half the equation. We cover the inner machine — treasury, working capital discipline, FX and counterparty risk — so that the money you raise actually compounds into a stronger business rather than papering over fragility.

Align your business growth with real-world impact for people, communities and planet.

We close with the why. Impact is no longer optional — it's a financing advantage. We show you how to articulate the real-world value you create in a language investors, communities and regulators all understand.

Built where work happens

From the factory floor to the term sheet — finance that meets the real economy.

What makes this unique

Not theory. Not a pitch. Transformation.

Most events talk about capital. We focus on how to make capital work for you — eight reasons this room is different.

01 / 08

Practical & actionable

Real frameworks, real examples, real strategies you can implement immediately.

Who should attend

Different sectors. Different models. One goal.

This workshop is for ambitious SME founders and leaders who are ready to grow, scale and build lasting value — on their own terms.

Manufacturing

Companies producing goods and driving economic value.

Technology

Innovative tech companies driving productivity and transformation.

Critical minerals

Businesses in exploration, extraction, processing and value addition.

Exporters & trade

Businesses looking to expand into global markets and strengthen trade.

Recycling & circular economy

Building sustainable businesses for a resource-smart future.

Building stronger businesses — and a better world.

Your host

Bridging banking, academia, investment and entrepreneurship.

Dr. Farhad Reyazat

Chairman, Providence Asset Management · University of Oxford

With more than two decades at the intersection of banking, risk management, investment and entrepreneurship, Dr. Farhad Reyazat is dedicated to building financial systems that serve productive businesses and create lasting value for communities and future generations.

He leads this session as an educator, not a salesman: the goal is to put the map in your hands and answer your questions live, in plain language.

Banking & Finance

20+ years in banking and risk management
Structured over $2.5 billion in trade finance, project finance and Shariah-compliant facilities for SMEs across the UK and West Asia

$2.5B+

Structured

Trade & project finance for SMEs

20+ years

Experience

Banking, risk & structured finance

Oxford

Academic

Linacre College, University of Oxford

Multiple roles

Practitioner

Banker · Entrepreneur · Investor · Academic

Join the movement

Help build a better financial engine for a better world.

This workshop is the first step in a journey to empower SMEs, strengthen communities and create lasting value for future generations. You bring the vision. We bring the financial engine.

Be part of a purpose

Join a mission to create inclusive, sustainable and impactful economies.

We don't just talk about better finance. We build it. Together.

Reserve your seat

A small room, on purpose.

Live and online, with real time for your questions. Seats are limited so the room stays small enough to be useful. Leave your details and we'll send the Zoom link straight to your inbox.