Village Capital has announced the appointment of Ellen Brooks as Chief Executive Officer, effective September 2025. She will succeed Allie Burns, who announced earlier this year her decision to step down after 6.5 years as CEO and more than nine years with the organization.
Washington, DC (August 6, 2025) — Village Capital has announced the appointment of Ellen Brooks as Chief Executive Officer, effective September 2025. She will succeed Allie Burns, who announced earlier this year her decision to step down after 6.5 years as CEO and more than nine years with the organization.
Ellen will join Village Capital from the International Rescue Committee (IRC), where she was the Director of Innovative Finance. She brings more than 15 years of experience in innovative finance, investment, portfolio management, fundraising, and policy across various markets. She has a strong record of designing and executing cross-border investment initiatives spanning the private, public, and multilateral sectors. Prior to the IRC, she served as a Vice President for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa in J.P. Morgan’s Private Banking division.
“Ellen’s career reflects a deep alignment with Village Capital’s commitment to bold, innovative, and globally minded leadership in support of entrepreneurs tackling the world’s most pressing challenges,” said Michal Eynon-Lynch, Chair of the Village Capital Board. “Her strong track record of championing democratizing access to capital makes her uniquely positioned to lead Village Capital into its evolution as a global leader in impact investing.”
“We must reimagine how we define value – moving beyond profit to center social, environmental, and community impact,” said Ellen Brooks. “One of the most powerful drivers of systems change is the ability to communicate and translate effectively across stakeholder groups. I’m honored to build on Village Capital’s legacy of innovation and to help reshape capital flows to build a more inclusive and resilient future.”
To ensure a smooth leadership transition, Allie will continue to support the organization as a Senior Advisor through the end of 2025.
Under Allie Burns’ leadership, Village Capital experienced significant growth and global expansion, supporting thousands of early-stage startups across more than 70 countries. She pioneered innovations in impact investing – particularly in addressing bias in funding decisions – and established the organization as a leader in equity-centered investing.
“Leading Village Capital – and collaborating with incredible colleagues, partners, ecosystem builders and entrepreneurs – has been the greatest privilege of my professional life,” said Allie Burns, who continues to serve as Village Capital’s CEO until September 2025. “Together, we’ve built a legacy of impact that I know will outlast us all. I step aside with tremendous pride and full confidence in Ellen to lead Village Capital forward – supported by a team and board deeply committed to our mission and future.”
For more information, contact: Sofía Cándano, Director of Communications, Village Capital (sofia.candano@vilcap.com).
About Village Capital
Village Capital is reinventing the system to back the entrepreneurs of the future. Known for its groundbreaking approaches to supporting founders who are building solutions to emergent environmental, social, and economic challenges, VilCap unlocks critical social and financial capital for early-stage startups to maximize business and impact growth.
Since 2009, Village Capital has supported close to 1,800 startups that have raised USD 7.5B in investment capital. It has made more than 150 investments through its various affiliated funds, including Vilcap Investments, which has invested in 110 peer-selected companies. Additionally, more than 25,500 members actively engage on Abaca, their web app that equips entrepreneurs, ESOs, and capital providers with tools for learning about, assessing suitability and expanding access to financial capital. Its latest feature, Capital Explorer, helps founders identify the most appropriate funding options for their businesses. Learn more at www.vilcap.com and follow @villagecapital.
