About Us

Mission and Vision

Our mission is to empower emerging social entrepreneurs to build strong businesses and communities through innovative microfinance.

We believe America's university students bring talent, passion, and fresh ideas to help serve America's underbanked population. In a dream world there would be a Campus MFI at every university in the country so that creating a MFI becomes as ubiquitous on college campuses as ultimate frisbee teams.

The growth of campus microfinance will help disadvantaged individuals start and grow businesses, develop assets, increase their financial capacity and improve their economic well-being.

Staff

Vanessa Carter, Executive Director

Vanessa is the Executive Director of Lend for America, which helps students start and grow Campus MFIs. Before, Vanessa worked with Credit Builders Alliance, where she managed services that help nonprofit loan funds offer credit reporting as a tool to build credit for consumers. Prior, Vanessa helped to build ThinkImpact, a social enterprise that connects students with rural villages in Kenya and South Africa to build social businesses. Vanessa is a recipient of the Projects for Peace fellowship and spent the summer of 2008 establishing a community center in Makrepeni, South Africa to improve access to entrepreneurial opportunities for women. Vanessa graduated from Claremont McKenna College with a B.A. in international relations and government.

Chair

Rohan Mathew, The Intersect Fund

Executive Committee

Rohan Mathew, The Intersect Fund
Andy Posner, The Capital Good Fund
Maggie West, Community Empowerment Fund

Advisors