Giovanna is responsible for overseeing Kiva's partnerships and regional teams throughout the world. As the Vice President for Global Partnerships she helps to develop Kiva's strategy for growth and expansion with field partners. Giovanna joined Kiva in 2008 as a Partnerships Manager for Central and North America. In particular, Giovanna was responsible for driving Kiva's entry into the US microfinance market in 2009. She then moved on to become the Regional Director for the Americas where she managed the team and portfolio of the region and directed Kiva's strategy in that market. Prior to Kiva, Giovanna worked as a consultant in the technical assistance department at ACCION New York. In that role she was responsible for growing the department while providing one-on-one technical assistance services to entrepreneurs. Giovanna has been passionate about economic development, microfinance, and Latin America for many years. She has worked on community development projects in Mexico and Paraguay, and has done research on the interplay between eco-tourism and economic development in Costa Rica. Giovanna holds a B.A. in Economics from Yale University and an M.B.A from the Yale School of Management.