Lauren Burnhill chairs the ISFA Selection Committee 2025
We are thrilled to announce Lauren Burnhill as Chair of the ISFA - International Social Finance Accelerator Selection Committee!
Lauren Burnhill is an investment practitioner with over two decades of work in social and impact finance. She began her career with structuring the world's first 100% private commercial microfinance bank (BancoSol, Bolivia) at IDB Invest, followed by designing ProFund, the world's first microfinance investment vehicle (MIV) with a mission to invest in the transformation of non-profit organizations into sustainable microfinance institutions. After her time in project finance at Barclays Bank/BZW, Lauren joined Accion International as Chief Investment Officer, where transactions she led for the $10 million Gateway Equity generated more than $180 million+ enabling ACCION to build a financial powerhouse. She launched the first financial inclusion technology and infrastructure fund with only $5 million in capital, investments from which were later spun off for the launch of Quona Capital, which now manages more than $700 million at the financial inclusion-technology nexus. She also created an innovation fund of funds investment vehicle for Accion, enabling the organization to take anchor investment roles in new financial inclusion and social impact funds in India, Africa, and Latin America.
In 2009, Lauren founded One Planet Ventures, with a flagship project structuring the Microbuild fund for Habitat for Humanity International, advising corporates, non-profits, and DFIs on social impact funds and sustainable finance. She sits on the Investment Committee of the Helenos Fund, a Pan-European impact private equity fund that invests primarily in financial institutions and fintechs serving micro and small businesses, particularly in rural areas and underserved sectors such as agriculture. She also sits on the Investment Committee of FSDAi's Nyala Facility, which invests in early-stage local capital funds in Africa with a gender lens focus.
Lauren's passion for social impact as well as climate adaptation and resilience for vulnerable market segments (women, SMEs, youth, indigenous populations) makes her an invaluable addition to the ISFA Selection Committee. As she emphasizes:
"Climate resilience is critical for the survival of planet Earth and ICFA has been advancing climate finance for years. Unless you think we're doing that to save the cockroaches, we need to advance social resilience with equal urgency, which makes the ISFA a brilliant addition to the Accelerating Impact family. I am honored and excited to join the ISFA Selection Committee this year to help catalyze a more equitable and inclusive future."
Join us in celebrating Lauren Burnhill, whose leadership and expertise will guide the ISFA in identifying and empowering the next generation social impact fund managers.
