Olympia De Castro
| Olympia De Castro | |
|---|---|
| Born | |
| 🏳️ Nationality | Brazilian and American |
| 💼 Occupation | Chief Investment Officer and Chief Financial Officer |
| Known for | Co-founding Community Investment Management (CIM) |
Olympia De Castro is an advisor and investor based in New York, New York. Her areas of focus include investment management and corporate finance.[1] Olympia De Castro currently serves as Chief Investment Officer and Chief Financial Officer for a single family office. She is responsible for managing and monitoring the family’s investment activities and for leading the corporate finance activities for the various family-owned businesses.
De Castro co-founded Community Investment Management (CIM), an impact investment firm focused on driving responsible financial inclusion through innovative approaches reaching underserved borrowers in the US.[2] Olympia also carries over a decade of experience in impact investing where she is both an advisor and investor.
Education[edit]
De Castro holds an M.I.A. in Economic and Political Development from Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs,[3] and also has a B.A. in Finance from the University of Miami.[4]
Career[edit]
Olympia De Castro has worked at some of the United States' top investment banks and financial firms, including Bank of America and Goldman Sachs.[5] At Goldman Sachs, she worked in the Investment Banking and Investment Management Divisions.[1][5]
She has also served as a consultant for The Louis Berger Group.[6] At the World Bank's International Finance Corporation, she worked in the Global SME Banking group to help improve financial access for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) around the world.[7]
De Castro has also consulted for various companies in emerging markets. They include IFMR Capital in Chennai, India; Aureos Capital in Nairobi, Kenya, and Kigali, Rwanda; and Instituto Palmas, a community-led social development bank in Fortaleza, Brazil.[1]
De Castro is currently a Board Advisor for Gratitude Railroad, an impact investing firm and community network guided by a vision to transform capitalism to be a force for greater good.[1][5]
Community service[edit]
De Castro has also participated extensively in community projects, including the following:[8][3]
- TECHO, a youth-led non-profit organization intent on ending poverty in Latin America (including Colombia and 18 other countries) through community development. Olympia helped drive the growth of TECHO USA. For half a decade she provided advisory to the Board, led over ten bi-annual fundraising events and hosted a number of building trips mobilizing over 100+ volunteers and donors each time.
- AptART (Awareness Prevention through Art) a program that uses street art to help empower children in underserved and conflict-affected communities. Olympia co-created and co-led the APTArt exhibit at the renowned Nader Gallery. The event served to bring awareness to the refugee crisis’ impact on children and raised funds to support three art murals projects in Beirut, Lebanon, painted by refugee children, providing them an outlet for expression and empowerment.
Selected publications[edit]
Some of De Castro's publications, reports, and presentations are given below.[8]
- A Guide to Measuring Small Business Financial Health. Financial Health Network (formerly CFSI).
- Gender Lens Investing: A Primer for College and University Endowments. The Intentional Endowment Network (IEN) together with Catalyst at Large.
- Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN). The Navigating Impact Project.
- Foundation – Bridging the Entrepreneurial Gender Gap. The Wall Street Journal and MetLife Foundation.
- Scaling-Up SME Access to Financial Services in the Developing World. International Finance Corporation (IFC).
Awards and recognition[edit]
In 2017 and 2018, De Castro was nominated for the LendIt Fintech Woman of the Year award for her effort in advocating and driving capital towards responsible financial inclusion for women-owned business in the US, a segment that has historically been underserved, despite its outsized contribution to job creation and economic growth.
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 About Olympia De Castro. olympiadecastro.com.
- ↑ Bridging the entrepreneurial gender gap. Accion.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Olympia De Castro. Crunchbase.
- ↑ Olympia De Castro. angel.co.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 LinkedIn.
- ↑ ImpactAssets 50: An Annual Showcase of Impact Investment Fund Managers.
- ↑ International Lion of Judah Conference.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 About Olympia De Castro. olympiadecastro.net
External links[edit]
- olympiadecastro.com
- olympiadecastro.net
- Olympia De Castro on YouTube
- Olympia De Castro on LinkedIn
- Olympia De Castro on Crunchbase
- Olympia De Castro on Twitter
- Olympia De Castro on Facebook
- Olympia De Castro on Pinterest
- Olympia De Castro on Angel.co
