NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Ross Baird (Pictured left) developed the Village Capital concept in 2009, and has led the development of programs worldwide.  Before launching Village Capital, he worked with First Light Ventures, a seed fund focused on impact investments.  Prior to First Light, Ross worked on the development of four education-related start-up ventures: the Indian School Finance Company in Hyderabad, India; the National College Advising Corps in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and two ventures using technology to promote civic participation. He has a MPhil from the University of Oxford, where he was a Marshall Scholar, and a BA from the University of Virginia, where he was a Truman Scholar and a Jefferson Scholar. He Tweets from @villagecapital

Saurabh Lall leads the research initiative at the Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs, which focuses on understanding the impact of small and growing businesses on poverty and economic development. Saurabh was previously the Research Officer of the New Ventures program at the World Resources Institute, where he studied the investment potential of environmental entrepreneurship in developing countries.

Originally from Mumbai, Saurabh has also worked on rural water and sanitation issues in several states across India. He has a master of public policy degree from George Washington University and a bachelor of engineering degree from the University of Mumbai. He is currently pursuing a PhD in Public Policy and Administration at the George Washington University, focusing on impact investing and program evaluation.