Lala Faiz has two decades of experience supporting entrepreneurs and structuring credit guarantees and blended finance investment vehicles in both the government and the private sector. During her time as a Foreign Service Officer with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), she designed and managed new programs including Grand Challenges for Development and INVEST, both of which enabled USAID to work more effectively with private sector partners including asset managers, transaction advisors, and small and medium enterprises. At the Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship and Conservation X Labs, she provided mentorship and financial support to early-stage entrepreneurs and designed new financial products. She has also founded a venture-building firm and currently serves on the Investment Advisory Board of the National Renewable Energy Lab.

• B.A., neuroscience and history, Oberlin College
• M.P.H., University of California Berkeley