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Betsy Alley is an independent researcher and analyst focusing on issues related to impact investment and development finance. She authored the 2020 report “Accelerating and Financing Refugee Ventures,” which assessed the accelerator landscape for refugee-owned and refugee-supporting businesses, as well as the impact potential and potential investment pipeline. As a member of the Centre for Entrepreneurship (U.K.)’s Refugee Entrepreneurship Network, she has helped advance the group’s knowledge of refugee-focused financing and investment models.

Prior to this, Betsy worked for seven years at the International Finance Corporation (part of the World Bank Group), the largest global development institution focused exclusively on the private sector in developing countries. At IFC, she headed strategy and special initiatives for its program for Fragile and Conflict-affected States, and frequently led projects supporting IFC’s blended finance activities.  She also drove the expansion of IFC’s “SME Ventures” funds program in fragile states, enabling it to triple its portfolio volume and expand its geographic coverage from 9 countries to 25. Additionally, Betsy was a pioneer in IFC’s gender strategy work, helping to integrate a gender strategy across investment and advisory programs, and developing the gender strategy for its investments in funds and disruptive technologies.

Earlier in her career, Betsy held strategy and marketing roles in multinational firms in the financial services and media sectors, eventually moving into impact investing when she helped Calvert Impact Capital develop the one of the first U.S. gender lens investment products. She started her professional life as a Classical archaeologist and ancient art historian.

Based in the Washington, D.C. area, Betsy holds a B.A. in Classics from Cornell University, an M.A. in Classical Archaeology from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and an M.B.A. from London Business School.

Twitter: @BetsyAlley

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/betsyalley/

www.impact-insight.com