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

Rocio Funes is a Senior Consultant in the Dalberg Washington, DC office and brings experience spanning a broad range of development topics, including access to finance, inclusive growth and private sector development. She has worked with governments, international organizations, foundations, NGOs, and social investors across Africa, Asia, North America and Latin America.

Rocio recently developed a large initiative to enhance access to capital for women-owned SMEs in developing countries. Other recent projects include the evaluation of the impact of the venture capital program in Latin America for the Multilateral Investment Fund; the development of the long-term strategy and business plan for a large microfinance institution; and the definition of an inclusive growth agenda for a Guatemalan private sector foundation to outline a five-year vision and roadmap for strengthening the competitiveness of the country’s industry sectors.

Prior to joining Dalberg, Rocio worked at IMS Health where she advised major healthcare companies on improving their organizational strategy as well as their commercial effectiveness. In addition, Rocio gained hands-on project management experience while working for UNDP in Liberia. She was instrumental in the negotiation and execution of the Global Fund grants. Rocio has an MPA from Harvard Kennedy School and a Master’s degree in Business Administration and J.D. in Law from ICADE University. She speaks Spanish and English.

Lorenzo Bernasconi recently joined the Rockefeller Foundation, but formerly served as a Senior Consultant in Dalberg’s New York office, where his work has focused on emerging markets private equity and venture capital, access to finance, inclusive growth and technology for development. Prior to Dalberg, Lorenzo worked at the Boston Consulting Group’s Paris and New York offices and in the investment banking division of UBS in London. Lorenzo holds a BSc in philosophy and economics from the London School of Economics, a PhD from Cambridge University and completed a post-doctoral fellowship at Columbia University’s Earth Institute.