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

Giulia Christianson leads the research and investment facilitation initiatives for the New Ventures team within the Markets and Enterprise Program. As WRI’s center for environmental entrepreneurship, New Ventures helps environmentally-focused small and medium enterprises in six key emerging markets compete in a global economy.

Prior to joining WRI, Giulia worked as a Research Assistant and Projects Officer in the Strategy, Policy, and Review Department of the International Monetary Fund. Her research areas included international standards and codes, accountability frameworks, and emerging market crises.

In addition to her experience at the IMF, Giulia worked in Brazil developing a growth strategy for a private company and in Thailand creating a corporate-level green product strategy for a Thai conglomerate. She has also interned for the mission-driven branding and marketing agency, BBMG, and consulted for the New York City Mayor’s Office of Long Term Planning and Sustainability. Giulia earned a BA in Economics, International Relations, and Political Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and she completed an MBA at Columbia Business School, focusing on Social Enterprise, Strategy, and International Business.

Sreyamsa Bairiganjan leads the enterprise engagement and research for New Ventures India. His work highlights the investment and operational needs across environmental enterprises working for the BoP markets. His current role encompasses enterprise engagement, investment due diligence and investor relations. He has authored several seminal reports focused on clean energy for BoP markets such as “Power to the People: Investing in Clean Energy for the Base of the Pyramid,” “The Base of Pyramid Distribution Challenge,” and “Bringing Clean Energy to Rural India”.  Sreyamsa did his MBA from the Indian Institute of Forest Management and an Investment Manager Degree from the Aspen Institute, USA.