Monica Brand Engel
Monica Brand Engel is an entrepreneur and investor, having launched various funds and products aimed at broadening financial inclusion. She is the co-founding Managing Partner of Quona Capital – a venture firm focused on fintech for inclusion in emerging markets. Quona is the investment manager for the Quona Accion Inclusion Fund and its predecessors – pioneering venture funds focused on financial technology for impact.
Monica's formative professional years were in Silicon Valley, where she helped launch a $50 million multi-bank lending intermediary to finance small businesses. Monica also worked at Calvert Ventures and Anthuri Ventures – early stage equity vehicles based in Bethesda and Cape Town, respectively. While living in S Africa, Monica founded Anthuri Catalysts to prepare early stage companies for investment. Monica then joined Accion to set up a product innovation group and worked in Mexico with Gentera (née Compartamos) Bank, the largest microfinance institution in Latin America – which went public in 2007 (NSDQ: GENTERA:MM). She was the founding managing director of Accion’s Frontier Investments Group, the predecessor to Quona Capital.
Monica holds an MBA and MA Ed from Stanford University and a BA in economics from Williams College. She serves on the boards of Khazna, Capiter, Sokowatch, Verto, Azimo, GloboKasNet, and is a founding member of the GPCA Impact Council. Previously, she served on the boards of Yoco, Tiaxa (acquired by BeMobi), Gentera (née Compartamos) Bank (IPO), Shubham Housing (sold to Premji Invest), Zoona, Pay Rent Builds Credit (acquired by MicroBilt), and chaired the Investor Representative Committee of LeapFrog I, the world’s first dedicated microinsurance fund. She’s half Peruvian and blessed with a fantastic husband and twins. She lives in Chevy Chase, MD.
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