As Portfolio Manager for Anglophone Africa, Rachel is responsible for oversight and expansion of Kiva's partnerships in eastern and southern Africa. Originally from Seattle, WA Rachel fell in love with the challenges and successes of development work while working on the ground as a Kiva Fellow in Albania and Kosovo. After her Kiva fellowship, Rachel went on to serve as a Director for Nuru Kenya Social Enterprises where she lead business strategy development and implementation for a portfolio of start up businesses in Kenya. Prior to working in development, Rachel began her career as a stockbroker and mutual fund retirement plan manager in the financial services industry. She holds an MBA and BA in Political Science – International Relations from Western Washington University. In her free time, Rachel is an avid traveler and explorer who can often be found behind the lens of her camera and wandering street markets on the hunt for exciting things to eat.