Participant Bios: Elisabeth Rhyne

Elisabeth Rhyne is senior vice president of international operations of West Africa and India for ACCION International, a nonprofit that fights poverty through microfinance. She also heads ACCION's work in research, publication, product development and policy advocacy. Rhyne directs its research efforts to develop new financial products for the poor, including rural lending products, housing credit and microinsurance. Previously, Rhyne worked at USAID, developing and managing its microenterprise program. She has also worked as an independent microfinance consultant based in Mozambique, where she advised government banks on microfinance policy, as well as conducted diagnostic assessments and business planning for more than ten microfinance institutions. Rhyne earned a master's and Ph.D. in public policy from Harvard University and holds a bachelor's degree in history and humanities from Stanford University.