NEW YORK, Aug. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Trickle Up, a global nonprofit advancing the economic and social inclusion of women living in extreme poverty, names Lauren Hendricks as its president and CEO, effective August 12. Hendricks succeeds Nathalie Laidler-Kylander, who is leaving to become program chair for Harvard Kennedy School’s Senior Executive Fellows.

Hendricks brings over three decades of experience as a global expert in sustainable development and financial inclusion, working to engage technology and the private sector in addressing the critical challenges of our time, particularly for women.

“We are very grateful for Nathalie Laidler-Kylander’s extraordinary leadership over the past three years and are delighted to have found a worthy successor in Lauren Hendricks who brings an extensive background in savings groups, financial inclusion, technology, and women’s economic empowerment,” says Benjamin Segal, chair of Trickle Up’s board of directors. “Her background, commitment and connections enable her to fulfill our mission of partnering with marginalized women to forge paths out of extreme poverty and create positive change in their communities.”

Trickle Up has teams in Latin America, South Asia, and the United States, and has successfully scaled its impact through partnerships with community-based organizations, governments, and international agencies. Its major donors include MetLife Foundation, Whole Planet Foundation, TATA Communications and USAID. Under Laidler-Kylander’s leadership, Trickle Up supported 50,000 more women in three continents to graduate out of poverty and advanced its goal of serving one million women and reaching five million people.

Hendricks joins from KEIPhone, where she was CEO and co-founder, connecting rural women in East Africa to free smartphones and solar chargers. Previously, she served as CEO of Equity Group Foundation International, driving social and economic transformation in Africa. As executive vice president of Grameen Foundation and leader of CARE International’s Access Africa Initiative, she collaborated with banks and other partners to create financial products for poverty alleviation. As director of CARE USA’s Economic Development Unit, she oversaw 100 active microfinance and enterprise programs in 54 countries.

“As a long-time admirer of Trickle Up’s Graduation Approach and commitment to empowerment, I am excited to become part of its mission to help women emerge from poverty and drive inclusion through access to technology, financial support, savings groups and coaching,” she says. “As the global landscape becomes increasingly complex, we have an opportunity to build upon Trickle Up’s successful record of innovating approaches to sustainably move women out of poverty.”

Hendricks holds a master’s degree in African studies and a bachelor’s degree in political science, both from the University of California, Los Angeles.

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Trickle Up is a global nonprofit partnering with women living in extreme poverty – less than $2.15/day – to build economic opportunity and drive inclusion through microenterprises and sustainable livelihoods. Trickle Up currently has projects in Colombia, Guatemala, India, Mexico, and Uganda. Since 1979, we have partnered with 465,000 women to create lasting impacts on communities, reaching 2.3 million people.  www.trickleup.org