Jessica has over 10 years’ experience working with MSMEs and is an expert in lending, entrepreneurship and finance. Based in Madrid, she is currently a consultant with the World Bank Group and a Visiting Lecturer in the School of Economics and Business Administration at the University of Navarra in Pamplona, Spain. 

Previously, she has led and backstopped onsite technical needs assessments at banks in Africa and Asia, sourced and managed financial institution relationships for an international network of small business banks, and organized in-person and elearning training opportunities for bankers across a number of emerging markets as a Manager at CapitalPlus Exchange. She has been an Associate Director of the Illinois Small Business Development Center at the University of Illinois at Chicago, a Senior Loan Officer at ACCION Chicago and on the MSME lending team at Ithala Development Finance Corporation in Durban, South Africa. 

Committed to economic and financial inclusion, she has served on community Boards and committees, and volunteered with organizations that focus on improving access to finance for consumers and business owners.