Brigit Helms

Brigit Helms is a seasoned executive, bringing more than 30 years of leadership experience in pioneering innovative approaches to finance and other market-based solutions to poverty. Brigit now serves as the Executive Director for the Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship at Santa Clara University, which has accelerated more than 1,000 social enterprises since 2003, leveraging its location in the heart of Silicon Valley and its Jesuit ambition to end poverty and protect the planet.

Prior to the Miller Center, Brigit was the Vice President for Technical Services at DAI Global, where she led a large team of technical experts in project design and implementation across 90 countries. Brigit’s career spans the public and private sectors, multinational organizations, and nonprofits. Additionally, Brigit has served as a mentor, angel investor, and founder of several startups. Brigit has lived and worked in more than 40 countries, speaks several languages, and still loves to travel. She holds a PhD in Development and Agriculture Economics from Stanford University and a Masters from Johns Hopkins School for Advanced International Studies.