Barbara is a social anthropologist hired by the World Bank in 2001 through its Young Professional Program. She spent almost the first decade of her career working as a social scientist before becoming a project manager in South Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands.
Over time, she realized that poverty reduction requires a sustainable approach that cannot be achieved by aid alone, in isolation from the private sector. In 2013 she left the World Bank to set up Village Invest, a social venture aiming at reducing poverty through market-based mechanisms.
Barbara is also the founder of MotherMode, a mobile family organizer for busy parents and carers, and co-founder of Audazzle, an inclusive and accessible video-games company.
