Olivia Thompson

Can you tell us a bit about your job responsibilities?

The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) is the U.S. government's development finance bank. The Portfolio for Impact and Innovation is a program at DFC that provides financing for innovative, early-stage social enterprises, funds, and financial intermediaries with high social and development impact potential. I am responsible for leading transactions as well as managing our portfolio's monitoring, reporting, communications, and partnerships.

Please describe how your experiences at NYU Wagner prepared you for your career?

My two years at NYU Wagner granted me the space to explore the intersection of social impact, innovation, and investment to figure out where I wanted to focus my career. I sought internships and experiences to complement my coursework and put theory and tools into action. I learned about the challenges of implementing impact reporting systems while working at an international social enterprise, gained transactional experience as part of NYU's Impact Investing Fund, and explored entrepreneurship through a self-generated capstone project. Wagner provided a strong foundation to launch my career in impact investing for development.

Please describe what impact you hope to make through your career and/or organization?

I am most passionate about closing financing gaps for local entrepreneurs, women, and founders of color. I hope to lean into experimentation and innovation at DFC to make sure our financial products are helping to fill these market gaps, and help companies grow while improving people's lives.