This September, Village Capital welcomed a new CEO. After six and a half years as CEO and more than nine years with the organization, Allie Burns stepped aside, and Ellen Brooks took the helm. Ellen joined from the International Rescue Committee, where she built the innovative finance team, and brings more than 15 years of experience in investment, portfolio management, fundraising, and policy across global markets.
To mark the transition, Allie and Ellen sat down for a conversation about impact entrepreneurship, leadership, and the power of community — and how together we can reimagine an alternative, more exciting future.
Allie Burns: Ellen, welcome aboard! As you take on this new chapter with Village Capital, what inspired you to take on this role, and what drew you to our mission?
Ellen Brooks: Thank you, Allie. From my very first touchpoint with Village Capital, I knew its mission aligned with my own journey. As the interview process unfolded and I engaged in thoughtful, and very real conversations with the Board and Executive Team, that alignment became even clearer. Now, just a few days in, I already feel at home in the VilCap culture. I’m diving in headfirst, and while there are a lot of headwinds in the macroenvironment, I am deeply optimistic that we have everything we need to succeed. I am committed to carrying our important mission forward.
I actually started my career in Cairo during the Egyptian revolution, where I saw firsthand how vital it is to have investments and economies that support the social outcomes people are demanding. In those early days, entrepreneurship and innovation became tools to help realize the goals of the revolution, crafted by the people themselves – and that’s where my commitment to impact investing truly began. Since then, whether at Wall Street at J.P. Morgan or the International Rescue Committee, I’ve focused on rethinking how capital flows – and how those flows can be redesigned to better serve communities. That’s why Village Capital’s mission resonates so strongly with me: pioneering ways to unlock social and financial capital for early-stage founders, especially those closest to the challenges they’re solving.
Now, let me ask a question to you, Allie. You’ve led Village Capital through a period of incredible growth. Looking back, what moments stand out to you?
Allie: One of my earliest memories with Village Capital was actually before I officially joined the organization, in Nairobi in 2014, watching entrepreneurs share not just their business models but their personal journeys. That moment showed me how transformational this organization could be — and it’s what drew me in.
Since then, we’ve hit milestones I’m deeply proud of: expanding to support entrepreneurs in more than 70 countries, making our 100th peer-selected investment, launching Abaca to connect founders with the right capital, and deploying more than USD 11M in catalytic funding through various vehicles and partnerships. Our program alumni have gone on to raise more than USD 7.7B. We also learned that scaling impact means equipping local Entrepreneur Support Organizations, who’ve gone on to unlock capital for thousands more startups, and maturing as ecosystem builders ourselves.
What stands out most is how we’ve stayed resilient and innovative through constant change: a pandemic, industry shifts, and countless “unprecedented” moments, while remaining committed to entrepreneurs closest to the problems. None of it would have been possible without the incredible VilCap team, whose creativity and grit have been the true engine behind it all.
In times like this, when the word “unprecedented” feels like it has lost its meaning, what do you think the world most needs from an organization like Village Capital?
Ellen: I love that you mention the team, Allie — it’s already so clear to me how dedicated and passionate they are. And I agree – “unprecedented” has almost become meaningless. The truth is, this is the world we live in now, and it is this way because power dynamics, decision-making, and capital flows haven’t changed. Village Capital has always stood as an alternative to that system – showing that we can back entrepreneurs and communities differently, and Village Capital has been building a track record behind this belief.
What the world needs now is for us to spread that message boldly and widely, and give people an alternative future to believe in. There’s so much doom and gloom, and our systems have us feeling exhausted and powerless. But I go back to one of my north stars: Ayana Elizabeth Johnson’s book “What If We Get It Right?” When I first read it in late 2024, it was during a dark moment, and the world has only grown more complex since. But that idea – that we can actually get it right – is something Village Capital already demonstrates every day.
Now the challenge is to scale it: to knock down barriers, open up spaces, and bring more people into this vision of a positive future. I see Village Capital as an agent of change, and I see this team as innovators – people committed to community, to equity, and to responding to urgent needs.
Allie: What you’re saying, Ellen, makes me think of hiking on a trail where the weather keeps shifting — fog rolls in, the path gets muddy, the GPS goes wonky, and suddenly the map looks less reliable than you thought. It’s disorienting, and honestly, exhausting.
But on a hike like that, what matters most is having a guide who doesn’t pretend the terrain is easy — someone who can steady the group, point toward the horizon, and say: this is the way forward. To me, that’s the essence of leadership right now: not denying the difficulty, but helping people keep moving toward a shared vision of what’s possible.
Ellen, what do you think about the kind of leadership this moment demands?
Ellen: I’ve said before that optimism is my strategy. But I don’t mean blind hope. To me, optimism is a decision — the belief that solutions exist and that we must run toward them with courage and urgency. Leadership right now must be people-and-ecosystem-centered, trust-building, and coalition-driven. It’s about co-designing space for a multiplicity of voices, respecting community wisdom, and ensuring we don’t face challenges in isolation.
Allie: I couldn’t agree more. Leadership today cannot stay on the sidelines – it requires stepping into courageous conversations, even across opposing views, while staying grounded in equity and collaboration.
As you’ve briefly shared already, you’ve spent much of your career rethinking how innovative finance and cross-sector partnerships can bridge the private, development, and humanitarian worlds. How do you envision impact investing shaping Village Capital’s next chapter?
Ellen: What excites me most about Village Capital is its commitment to being a hybrid organization — innovative in structure, mindset, and ethos. That’s exactly the kind of approach we need to tackle the world’s greatest challenges. VilCap’s Purpose-Suited Capital philosophy is central to that: designing financing around the needs of entrepreneurs rather than forcing them into rigid, short-term structures.
The reality is that much of today’s financing toolkit is outdated — built through a global-north, investor-first lens. Village Capital has demonstrated alternatives, and was a pioneer in the peer due diligence model, leveraging tremendous resources and insights from supporting thousands of entrepreneurs that we can share with investor communities. That gives us a real opportunity to bring LPs along, co-design new kinds of investment vehicles, and expand the practice of impact investing.
When capital is aligned with dignity, equity, and agency, entrepreneurs can unlock impact in their communities and deliver returns. That’s how we build trust, resilience, and ultimately shift systems. I’m excited to work with the team to keep innovating, disrupting where the system is broken, and opening doors so more people and more capital come with us.
Allie: I love the way you frame that, Ellen – especially your point about outdated financing toolkits and how VilCap can help reimagine what investors bring to the table. That’s exactly the kind of bold thinking the field needs. And I know we’ve talked a lot about leadership, but it’s worth emphasizing: real change means dismantling what doesn’t serve us, while also building on the foundations that do — much like you’ll be doing as you carry this mission forward.
That’s why our first September All Hands with the global team was so meaningful for me — when I passed the baton, or in our case, a hiking stick. And I loved that we were able to share that moment again in person in London the next day.
Ellen: I wasn’t kidding when I said I share your passion for hiking — I’ll treasure that as my first VilCap memory. The team clearly understood the symbolism (and the joy!) of the gesture, especially since you’ve shared your love of hiking in your personal life. You’ve cultivated a culture where people feel encouraged to bring their whole selves to this work.
And of course, a hiking stick is also an important support for embarking on a new adventure. Do you have any advice as I carry the baton – or hiking stick – forward?
Allie: Trust in the power of community-led solutions. Lean on this team – they’re extraordinary. And don’t be afraid to keep pushing against systems that don’t work for the entrepreneurs we serve. We’ve always believed that people closest to the problem are closest to the solution. If you stay grounded in that, you won’t go wrong.
Ellen: I’m deeply grateful for the legacy you’ve built, Allie, and for the team and board that make Village Capital so unique. I’m honored to be in this role and to continue working alongside entrepreneurs, partners, and communities to reshape capital flows for a more inclusive and resilient future. يلا بينا Yalla bina!