Board Spotlight: Women of Wisconsin Microfinance

Board Spotlight: Women of Wisconsin Microfinance

October 17, 2024

Here at Wisconsin Microfinance, we think it is important to lift up women’s voices all around the world, and also here at home. That is why we are so proud to have 9 wonderful women on our board. We can use their expertise to create effective ways to grow our organization and help women worldwide.

It is important to have women’s voices in places of power because all too often their voices have been overlooked. For years, women were silent in professional places which has caused their innovative ideas to never come to fruition. 

Because our mission targets primarily women around the world, we think that our leadership team should reflect that. With a majority woman-led board we can try and understand the female experience across borders. We are able to relate to our borrowers on an even deeper level, and we are able to have interesting and diverse discussions. 

We would like to shine a spotlight on the wonderful women on the board of Wisconsin Microfinance!

LeeAnn Glover is our Secretary, but she also works as a Real Estate and Workplace Solutions Director. She was one of the founding members of sustainability at American Family Insurance. In addition to being a part of Wisconsin Microfinance, LeeAnn has also served on the Board of the Wisconsin Sustainability Business Council and was a Fellow of the Nelson Institute in 2012.

Emmy Swift is a passionate leader in climate and environmental impact teams. She works as a senior strategist for sustainable business at American Family Insurance where she continues to implement enterprise-wide climate and resiliency programming. She also supports other non-profits including disability advocacy and women’s empowerment.

Jane McCurry is a former Wisconsin Microfinance Executive Director and UW-Madison Alumni. Now, Jane works as the Executive Director of Clean Fuels Michigan where she works to support the advance of the clean transportation industry. 

Annalise Ebert is a former summer intern with Wisconsin Microfinance. Annalise now works as an Economic Consultant for litigation cases in New York City. Annalise’s passion for women’s empowerment aligns perfectly with Wisconsin Microfinance.

Felis Hong first was interested in international advocacy when she spent a summer in Vietnam as a medical translator. Felis is now working hard in her residency at Northwestern. She was also a big contributor to our 2023 Annual Report.

Vicki Elkin is the founding executive director of the Fund for Lake Michigan and has also worked as a Policy Initiatives Advisor to the Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP), and Executive Director of Gathering Waters. 

Dr. Rhyomi Sellnow is a medical professional who shares clinical information with physicians and patients. She is passionate about advocating for patient communities including patients with rare diseases. Dr. Sellnow is one of our new board appointees in 2024!

Dr. Sara Fitzpatrick works with health plans, hospitals, health systems, and employers, helping them optimize pharmacy benefit strategies. Sara is very passionate about people, with this she is a mentor to students and assists new graduates and colleagues by identifying tools and connections to advance their careers. Sara is also one of our new board appointees in 2024!

Loveleen Kaur is a former intern for Wisconsin Microfinance when she was attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Now, Loveleen is an Area Manager for Amazon. She is passionate about women’s entrepreneurship and brings both her analytical and creative skills to this board!

We are so grateful to have these talented women on our board and we will continue to raise women’s voices here in Wisconsin, but also around the world.