Elisabeth Rhyne

As managing director of the Center for Financial Inclusion at Accion, Elisabeth Rhyne worked to bring together diverse leaders to address challenges in inclusive finance.

She is a co-creator of the Smart Campaign, a global movement promoting client protection in microfinance and beyond. As senior vice president of Accion from 2000-2008, Ms. Rhyne led Accion’s initial entry into Africa and India, directed the organization’s research efforts to develop new financial products, and managed Accion’s publications and educational activities.
Prior to joining Accion, Ms. Rhyne served at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) from 1985 to 1998, where she developed and led USAID’s Microenterprise Initiative.

Ms. Rhyne has published numerous articles and five books, including Mainstreaming Microfinance: How Lending to the Poor Began, Grew and Came of Age in Bolivia and The New World of Microenterprise Finance (both Kumarian Press). Her most recent book is Microfinance for Bankers and Investors (McGraw-Hill). Ms. Rhyne’s experience includes eight years in Kenya and Mozambique, consulting for governments, international organizations, and microfinance institutions. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Stanford and a doctorate from Harvard.