Julia Brown oversees the US Finance Initiative and provides strategic direction as well as project-specific guidance on research design and implementation, partnership development, and fundraising. Prior to joining IPA, she worked to evaluate business training, microcredit, and microinsurance programs in San Francisco, New York City, and Guayaquil, Ecuador. She has also worked on the design and analysis of multiple randomized evaluations in areas ranging from education to sanitation. She holds a BA in Economics and Women's and Gender Studies from Williams College, and a MIA from Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs.